Yasuo Idezuki

General rules for recording endoscopic findings of esophagogastric varices (1991)

The general rules made in 1980 for recording endoscopic findings of esophageal varices have widely been used in Japan and in other countries. However, since the development of endoscopic sclerotherapy and other modalities of endoscopic treatment, these 1980 rules were found to be insufficient for recording mucosal changes after treatment. The general rules as revised in 1991 recognize mucosal changes such as erosion, ulcer, scar, thrombosed varices, and bleeding signs. These new 1991 rules, which seem useful for recording initial evaluation of gastroesophageal varices and for describing mucosal changes after sclerotherapy as well, are described here.

Changes in splanchnic blood flow and cardiovascular effects following peritoneal insufflation of carbon dioxide

SummaryLaparoscopic surgery has rapidly become a popular and widely used technique. Although this procedure has been shown to be generally safe, cardiovascular derangement related to carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum has been reported. There are few data available on the relationship between systemic and regional hemodynamics in cases of pneumoperitoneum. Changes in splanchnic blood flow and cardiovascular effects following a moderate increase of intraabdominal pressure (IAP) to 16 mmHg during a 3-h period were analyzed in six anesthetized dogs. After insufflation, cardiac output and blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery and portal vein decreased progressively and returned to the preinsufflation values following deflation. Hepatic arterial blood flow did not change significantly, perhaps due to compensatory mechanisms for maintenance of hepatic blood flow. Mechanical compression of the splanchnic capillary beds due to the elevated IAP may possibly reflect the increase in systemic vascular resistance causing the decrease in cardiac output. To prevent this impairment, intermittent decompression of gas during surgical laparoscopy is recommended.

General rules for recording endoscopic findings of esophagogastric varices (2ND EDITION)

General rules for recording endoscopic findings of esophageal varices were initially proposed in 1980 and revised in 1991. These rules have widely been used in Japan and other countries. Recently, portal hypertensive gastropathy has been recognized as a distinct histological and functional entity. Endoscopic ultrasonography can clearly depict vascular structures around the esophageal wall in patients with portal hypertension. Owing to progress in medicine, we have updated and slightly modified the former rules. The revised rules are simpler and more straightforward than the former rules and include newly recognized findings of portal hypertensive gastropathy and a new classification for endoscopic ultrasonographic findings.

Segmental occlusion of the pancreatic duct with prolamine to prevent fistula formation after distal pancreatectomy.

ObjectiveThe authors used prolamine (Ethibloc, Ethicon GmBH, Norderstedt, Germany) for segmental obstruction of the pancreatic duct to prevent pancreatic fistula development after distal pancreatectomy combined with total gastrectomy for gastric malignancies. Summary Background DataSummary Background Data the initial clinical application of prolamine was pancreatic duct obstruction for patients with pancreatitis and undergoing pancreatic transplantation and pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer, there are no reports on prevention of pancreatic fistula formation after distal pancreatectomy. MethodsProlamine (0.2 mL) was injected into the distal segment of the main duct in the remaining pancreata of 51 patients. Small pancreatic ducts on the cut surface, from which prolamine extravasates, were closed by ligation, the main duct was ligated doubly, and the transected pancreatic margin was closed 15 minutes after phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride injection. ResultsResults patient developed a pancreatic fistula or the complication of arterial bleeding due to prolonged infection. ConclusionConclusion obstruction of the pancreatic duct with prolamine is useful for preventing pancreatic fistula development after distal pancreatectomy.

Direct evidence for the intact hepatocyte theory in patients with liver cirrhosis

An attempt was made to compare various morphometric parameters, including total hepatocyte number, with the in vivo clearances of aminopyrine and antipyrine in 26 cirrhotic and 14 noncirrhotic patients to evaluate the intact hepatocyte theory. Morphometric analysis was performed with a newly developed method using a computer-aided color image analyzer. Aminopyrine clearance was significantly correlated with liver volume (r = 0.434; P less than 0.05), parenchymal cell volume (r = 0.574; P less than 0.001), and most strongly with total hepatocyte number (r = 0.614; P less than 0.001) in all patients. Significant correlations were also observed between these three parameters and antipyrine clearance (r = 0.367, P less than 0.05; r = 0.663, P less than 0.001; and r = 0.807, P less than 0.001, respectively). The mean aminopyrine clearance per individual hepatocyte showed no significant difference between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients (3.52 +/- 1.60 x 10(-10) mL/min vs. 3.65 +/- 1.50 x 10(-10) mL/min, respectively; P greater than 0.10). Similar results were obtained for antipyrine clearance per hepatocyte (7.35 +/- 2.27 x 10(-11) mL/min for cirrhotics vs. 6.16 +/- 1.07 x 10(-11) mL/min for noncirrhotics; P greater than 0.10). Thus, the intrinsic clearances of drugs per individual hepatocyte, as originally proposed in the intact cell hypothesis, were directly evaluated for the first time, lending strong support to the intact hepatocyte theory.

Hepatic clearances of antipyrine, indocyanine green, and galactose in normal subjects and in patients with chronic liver diseases

Blood clearance of antipyrine, indocyanine green, and galactose were measured to evaluate the alterations of effective hepatic blood flow and hepatic intrinsic clearances in chronic liver diseases. Galactose blood clearance, which may be taken as effective hepatic blood flow, decreased by approximately 30% in patients with cirrhosis (12.49 ± 0.76 ml/min/kg; mean ± SE; n = 17) compared with normal subjects (18.17 ± 1.03 ml/min/kg; n = 5). In patients with cirrhosis, intrinsic clearances of antipyrine (0.178 ± 0.014 ml/min/kg; n = 17) and indocyanine green (6.19 ± 1.38 ml/min/kg; n = 7) showed 61% and 85% reduction, respectively, compared with those of normal subjects (0.462 ± 0.048 ml/min/kg; n = 5; 41.72 ± 7.75 ml/min/kg; n = 5). Considering that indocyanine green and antipyrine are eliminated by different hepatic mechanisms, these mechanisms may not be equally sensitive to decrements in hepatic function. In addition, fractional reductions of intrinsic clearances for these compounds are thus much greater than that of effective hepatic blood flow.

Aortobronchial fistula after an aortic operations

A 71-year-old man with a postoperative aortobronchial fistula was successfully treated. The fistula occurred between the left lower lobe and the descending thoracic aorta, to which a distal anastomosis of a temporary bypass graft had been placed during thoracic aortic aneurysmectomy 3 years before. For saving patients with this complication, early surgical treatment during episodes of intermittent hemoptysis is important. The use of an omentum pedicle flap for the isolation of the suture line is a important adjunct.

Papillary Function of Patients with Juxtapapillary Duodenal Diverticulum Consideration of Pathogenesis of Common Bile Duct Stones

The papillary function of cholelithiasis patients with and without juxtapapillary duodenal diverticulum (JPDD) was examined manometrically. The papillary function was evaluated on the basis of dP(0.5), the pressure difference between the resting pressure and the perfusion pressure. Patients with a dP(0.5) less than 5 cm H2O were considered to have papillary dysfunction. In cholecystolithiasis patients the incidence of papillary dysfunction was significantly greater in those with JPDD than in those without JPDD (p less than 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in dP(0.5) between those with and without JDPP because of the small number of patients involved. Also, in patients with choledocholithiasis there was no difference in the papillary function between those with and without JPDD. All who had JPDD showed papillary dysfunction. From our results, JPDD is suspected to have an important role in causing papillary dysfunction or loss of papillary muscle tone. This dysfunction may be closely connected with the formation of common bile duct stones.

Role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in treating gallbladder polyps.

Since the application of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Lap C) to gallbladder polyps has not yet been fully evaluated, we performed Lap C on 26 patients with gallbladder polyps. Pathological examinations showed adenocarcinoma in three patients, adenoma in two, and cholesterol polyp in 21. Preoperative diagnoses of the cases with adenocarcinoma were a cholesterol polyp in one patient and an adenoma in two. Adenocarcinoma was confirmed to reside in the mucosa without any invasion of lymphatic ducts or small vessels in the three patients. This procedure was considered to be sufficient for this grade of cancer, and, therefore, no additional operations were performed. At present, our policy is to resect by Lap C a gallbladder polyp having a maximum size larger than 10 mm and a tendency to grow or presenting with suspicion of adenoma. When cancer is suspected by preoperative examinations, however, traditional surgery may be recommended.

Effects of nonshunting operations on portal venous pressure and hepatic blood flow

A comparative analysis has been presented of the effect of the nonshunting operation on portal venous pressure and effective hepatic blood flow in patients with liver cirrhosis and idiopathic portal hypertension. A reduction of portal pressure after splenectomy with esophagogastric devascularization in 17 patients with idiopathic portal hypertension was significantly greater than that in 79 patients with liver cirrhosis (-21 +/- 4.1 percent versus -8.9 +/- 1.6 percent, p less than 0.01). Clearance of galactose from the blood, which approximates effective hepatic blood flow, was decreased after the nonshunting operation by 6.7 percent in five patients with liver cirrhosis (p value not significant). On the other hand, there was a 19.4 percent reduction (statistically significant) in galactose clearance in four patients with idiopathic portal hypertension (p less than 0.05). Based on these data, we suggest that in patients with idiopathic portal hypertension, the splenic circuit largely contributes to the portal hypertension, the effective hepatic blood flow, or both. We recommend a nonshunting operation for the treatment of esophageal varices from the hemodynamic viewpoint in cirrhotic patients.