Yoshihiro Masuko

Treatment of lymph node recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

The clinicopathological features and results of lymph node dissection were investigated in four patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who developed lymph node recurrence following hepatectomy. One patient was found to have metastasis in the periportal lymph nodes at the time of a second laparotomy, while the other three developed posterior pancreaticoduodenal lymph node metastasis. All four patients had concomitant cirrhosis of the liver and were negative for hepatitis B surface antigen. No relationship between the site of the primary lesion and the location of lymph node metastasis was found. Two of the four patients are alive and in good health 4 years and 3 months, and 7 years and 3 months after their first operation, respectively. Thus, we conclude that the posterior pancreaticoduodenal lymph nodes are the most common site of lymph node recurrence of HCC, and that dissection of the affected lymph nodes offers the best chance of longterm survival.

Hemangiopericytoma of the Sigmoid Mesentery: Report of a Case with Immunohistochemical Findings

Hemangiopericytoma has been described in various sites in the body but only rarely in the mesocolon. This report describes the clinical course of an 83-year-old man whose mesosigmoidal tumor (hemangiopericytoma) was resected on 11 November 1994. Immunostaining was done with the following primary antibodies: α-actin, vimentin, factor VIII-related antigen, chromogranin, and S-100. Staining for factor VIII-related antigen was strongly positive in the endothelial cells of the capillaries, but negative in the tumor cells. The tumor cells contained immunoreactive vimentin, but demonstrated no α-actin, chromogranin, or S-100. Since the operation, the patient has been disease-free for 11 months.

No-needle blood access device for hemodialysis and no-needle connecting cannula assembly (K-NOBA PAT./JAP2983540)

Our group is developing a no-needle blood access for maintenance hemodialysis. The device is made from titanium. The device is connected at the middle part of the prosthetic graft A-V shunt. It has two wells on the conduit and they are closed by shutters. The specially designed cannulas are inserted in the wells and hemodialysis is performed. Patients have no pain and good QOL. Selfcannulation and home dialysis are possible.