Background and Objectives: Advances in endoscopic techniques have transformed the management of urolithiasis. We sought to evaluate the role of such urological interventions for the treatment of complex biliary calculi. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients (n=9) undergoing percutaneous holmium laser lithotripsy for complicated biliary calculi over a 4-year period (12/2003 to 12/2007). All previously failed standard techniques include ERCP with sphincterotomy (n=6), PTHC (n=7), or both of these. Access to the biliary system was obtained via an existing percutaneous transhepatic catheter or T-tube tracts. Endoscopic holmium laser lithotripsy was performed via a flexible cystoscope or ureteroscope. Stone clearance was confirmed intra-and postoperatively. A percutaneous transhepatic drain was left indwelling for follow-up imaging. Results: Mean patient age was 65.6 years (range, 38 to 92). Total stone burden ranged from 1.7 cm to 5 cm. All 9 patients had stones located in the CBD, with 2 patients also having additional stones within the hepatic ducts. All 9 patients (100%) were visually stone-free after one endoscopic procedure. No major perioperative complications occurred. Mean length of stay was 2.4 days. At a mean radiological follow-up of 5.4 months (range, 0.5 to 21), no stone recurrence was noted. Conclusions: Percutaneous endoscopic holmium laser lithotripsy is a minimally invasive alternative to open salvage surgery for complex biliary calculi refractory to standard approaches. This treatment is both safe and efficacious. Success depends on a multidisciplinary approach.
Post-operative lymphatic injuries are uncommon but increase morbidity and mortality in vulnerable patient populations. Post-surgical lymphatic leaks are most commonly a consequence of radical neck dissection, esophagectomy, and lung cancer resections or retroperitoneal surgeries such as radical nephrectomy and lymphadenectomy. Injury may occur anywhere along the lymphatic chains with most serious leaks occurring along the axial skeleton between the inguinal region and the left venous angle. The resultant clinical manifestations of a lymphatic leak are dependent on the location and severity of the lymphatic injury as well as patient factors. Treatment strategies are tailored toward the causative etiology, symptom severity, and daily leak volume with higher volume leaks warranting a more aggressive approach. Lymphangiography and lymphatic interventions, such as embolization, are increasingly applied for both the diagnosis and as a minimally invasive therapy for lymphatic injuries. Herein, a review of lymphatic anatomy, lymphangiography, and lymphatic interventions for the treatment of post-operative chylothorax, chylous ascites, and lymphocele is presented.
Tubulocystic carcinoma (TC) is a rare primary renal tumor that has been recently described in the pathology literature. Formerly termed low-grade collecting duct carcinoma, further molecular analysis has shown TC to be a distinct entity that is separate from the more aggressive collecting duct carcinoma. Previous series have described the microscopic and immunohistochemical features of this tumor. We describe the natural history of this tumor in a patient who was followed with active surveillance for several years and then underwent partial nephrectomy. Long-term follow-up has shown no evidence of disease. A review of the pertinent literature is performed.
Background
Most studies have failed to identify any prognostic value of the current T-stage protocol for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by the American Joint Committee on Cancer and the Union for International Cancer Control unless some grouping was performed.
Methods
To document the parameters included in this T-stage protocol, 223 consecutive pancreatoduodenectomy specimens with PDAC were processed by a uniform grossing protocol.
Results
Peripancreatic soft tissue (PST) involvement, the main pT3 parameter, was found to be inapplicable and irreproducible due to lack of a true capsule in the pancreas and variability in the amount and distribution of adipose tissue. Furthermore, 91 % of the cases showed carcinoma in the adipose tissue, presumably representing the PST, and thus were classified as pT3. An additional 4.5 % were qualified as pT3 due to extension into adjacent sites. The T-stage defined as such was not found to have any correlation with survival (p = 0.4). A revised T-stage protocol was devised that defined pT1 as 2 cm or smaller, pT2 as >2–4 cm, and pT3 as larger than 4 cm. This revised protocol was tested in 757 consecutive PDACs. The median and 3-year survival rates of this size-based protocol were 26, 18, 13 months, and 40 %, 26 %, 20 %, respectively (p < 0.0001). The association between higher T-stage and shorter survival persisted in N0 cases and in multivariate modeling. Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database also confirmed the survival differences (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions
This study showed that resected PDACs are already spread to various surfaces of the pancreas, leaving only about 4 % of PDACs to truly qualify as pT1/T2, and that the current T-stage protocol does not have any prognostic correlation. In contrast, as shown previously in many studies, size is an important prognosticator, and a size-based T-stage protocol is more applicable and has prognostic value in PDAC.
Aim: Protein kinase Cα (PKCα) is a critical regulator of multiple cell signaling pathways including gene transcription, posttranslation modifications and activation/inhibition of many signaling kinases. In regards to the control of blood pressure, PKCα causes increased vascular smooth muscle contractility, while reducing cardiac contractility. In addition, PKCα has been shown to modulate nephron ion transport. However, the role of PKCα in modulating mean arterial pressure (MAP) has not been investigated. In this study, we used a whole animal PKCα knock out (PKC KO) to test the hypothesis that global PKCα deficiency would reduce MAP, by a reduction in vascular contractility. Methods: Radiotelemetry measurements of ambulatory blood pressure (day/night) were obtained for 18 h/day during both normal chow and high-salt (4%) diet feedings. PKCα mice had a reduced MAP, as compared with control, which was not normalized with high-salt diet (14 days). Metabolic cage studies were performed to determine urinary sodium excretion. Results: PKC KO mice had a significantly lower diastolic, systolic and MAP as compared with control. No significant differences in urinary sodium excretion were observed between the PKC KO and control mice, whether fed normal chow or high-salt diet. Western blot analysis showed a compensatory increase in renal sodium chloride cotransporter expression. Both aorta and mesenteric vessels were removed for vascular reactivity studies. Aorta and mesenteric arteries from PKC KO mice had a reduced receptor-independent relaxation response, as compared with vessels from control. Vessels from PKC KO mice exhibited a decrease in maximal contraction, compared with controls. Conclusion: Together, these data suggest that global deletion of PKCα results in reduced MAP due to decreased vascular contractility.
by
Thuy B. Tran;
Jeffrey A. Norton;
Cecilia G. Ethun;
Timothy M. Pawlik;
Stefan Buettner;
Carl Schmidt;
Eliza W. Beal;
William G. Hawkins;
Ryan C. Fields;
Bradley A. Krasnick;
Sharon M. Weber;
Ahmed Salem;
Robert C.G. Martin;
Charles R. Scoggins;
Perry Shen;
Harveshp D. Mogal;
Kamran Idrees;
Chelsea A. Isom;
Ioannis Hatzaras;
Rivfka Shenoy;
Shishir Kumar Maithel;
George A. Poultsides
by
Raul S. Gonzalez;
Pelin Bagci;
Olca Basturk;
Michelle Reid;
Serdar Balci;
Jessica H. Knight;
So Yeon Kong;
Bahar Memis;
Kee-Taek Jang;
Nobuyuki Ohike;
Takuma Tajiri;
Sudeshna Bandyopadhyay;
Alyssa Krasinskas;
Grace E. Kim;
Jeanette D. Cheng;
Nazmi Adsay
Distal common bile duct carcinoma is a poorly characterized entity for reasons such as variable terminology and difficulty in determining site of origin of intrapancreatic lesions. We compared clinicopathologic features of pancreatobiliary-type adenocarcinomas within the pancreas, but arising from the distal common bile duct, with those of pancreatic and ampullary origin. Upon careful review of 1017 pancreatoduodenectomy specimens with primary adenocarcinoma, 52 (5%) qualified as intrapancreatic distal common bile duct carcinoma. Five associated with an intraductal papillary neoplasm were excluded; the remaining 47 were compared to 109 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and 133 ampullary carcinomas. Distal common bile duct carcinoma patients had a younger median age (58 years) than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients (65 years) and ampullary carcinoma patients (68 years). Distal common bile duct carcinoma was intermediate between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and ampullary carcinoma with regard to tumor size and rates of node metastases and margin positivity. Median survival was better than for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (P=0.0010) but worse than for ampullary carcinoma (P=0.0006). Distal common bile duct carcinoma often formed an even band around the common bile duct and commonly showed intraglandular neutrophil-rich debris and a small tubular pattern. Poor prognostic indicators included node metastasis (P=0.0010), lymphovascular invasion (P=0.0299), and margin positivity (P=0.0069). Categorizing the tumors based on size also had prognostic relevance (P=0.0096), unlike categorization based on anatomic structures invaded. Primary distal common bile duct carcinoma is seen in younger patients than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or ampullary carcinoma. Its prognosis is significantly better than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and worse than ampullary carcinoma, at least partly because of differences in clinical presentation. Use of size-based criteria for staging appears to improve its prognostic relevance. Invasive pancreatobiliary-type distal common bile duct carcinomas are uncommon in the West and have substantial clinicopathologic differences from carcinomas arising from the pancreas and ampulla.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of solid pancreatic masses on the pancreatic duct (PD) at the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and the relationship of the location/size of a mass and PD dilation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent EUS for pancreatic indications from 2011 to 2013 at a single center were retrospectively identified. Those with biopsies that revealed adenocarcinoma or neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas were identified and PD size was ascertained from EUS, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging.
RESULTS: Of the 475 patients who had a pancreatic EUS, 239 had a dilated PD and 236 had a normal PD. Patients with a dilated PD had a significantly higher incidence of pancreatic malignancy than those with a normal PD diameter (106/239, 44.4% vs. 32/236, 13.6%, P< 0.001). Of the 138 patients with a pancreatic malignancy, 106 (76.8%) had a dilated PD at some location in the pancreas. Over 80% of patients with a mass within the head, neck, or body had a dilated PD. For a mass located at the uncinate process or the tail, PD dilation was 65% and 23%, respectively. Fifty-six (80.0%) of the masses in the head, 11 (78.6%) masses in the neck, and 16 (76.2%) masses in the body had a dilated PD upstream of the mass. In addition, a step-wise increase in the incidence of PD dilation was correlated with an increase in mass size. About 67.6% of patients with masses measuring in the 1st quartile had dilated a PD, while 77.8%, 91.0%, and 71.4% of those with masses measuring in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles, respectively, had a dilated PD.
CONCLUSION: PD dilation is a warning sign for pancreatic malignancies, however, small masses or masses at the uncinate process or the tail of the pancreas may not affect the size of the PD.
Background: Since the mid-1980s, the burden of liver cancer in the United States has doubled, with 31,411 new cases and 24,698 deaths occurring in 2014. Foreign-born individuals may be more likely to die of liver cancer than individuals in the general US-born population because of higher rates of hepatitis B infection, a low socioeconomic position, and language barriers that limit the receipt of early cancer detection and effective treatment. Methods: To determine whether liver cancer mortality rates were higher among foreign-born individuals versus US-born individuals in the United States, population-based cancer mortality data were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual population estimates were obtained from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Age-adjusted mortality rates and rate ratios (RRs) for liver cancer stratified by birth place were calculated, and the average annual percent change (AAPC) was used to evaluate trends. Results: A total of 198,557 deaths from liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer were recorded during 2005-2014, and 16% occurred among foreign-born individuals. Overall, foreign-born individuals had a 24% higher risk of liver cancer mortality than US-born individuals (RR, 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-1.25). Foreign-born individuals did not have any significant changes in liver cancer mortality rates overall, but among US-born individuals, liver cancer mortality rates significantly increased (AAPC, 2.7; 95% CI, 2.1-3.3). Conclusions: Efforts that address the major risk factors for liver cancer are needed to help to alleviate the health disparities observed among foreign-born individuals and reverse the increasing trend observed in the US-born population.
by
Olca Basturk;
Seung-Mo Hong;
Laura D. Wood;
Nazmi Adsay;
Jorge Albores-Saavedra;
Andrew V. Biankin;
Lodewijk A.A. Brosens;
Noriyoshi Fukushima;
Michael Goggins;
Ralph H. Hruban;
Yo Kato;
David S. Klimstra;
Günter Klöppel;
Alyssa Krasinskas;
Daniel S. Longnecker;
Hanno Matthaei;
G. Johan A. Offerhaus;
Michio Shimizu;
Kyoichi Takaori;
Benoit Terris;
Shinichi Yachida;
Irene Esposito;
Toru Furukawa
International experts met to discuss recent advances and to revise the 2004 recommendations for assessing and reporting precursor lesions to invasive carcinomas of the pancreas, including pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), mucinous cystic neoplasm, and other lesions. Consensus recommendations include the following: (1) To improve concordance and to align with practical consequences, a 2-tiered system (low vs. high grade) is proposed for all precursor lesions, with the provision that the current PanIN-2 and neoplasms with intermediate-grade dysplasia now be categorized as low grade. Thus, "high-grade dysplasia" is to be reserved for only the uppermost end of the spectrum ("carcinoma in situ"-type lesions). (2) Current data indicate that PanIN of any grade at a margin of a resected pancreas with invasive carcinoma does not have prognostic implications; the clinical significance of dysplasia at a margin in a resected pancreas with IPMN lacking invasive carcinoma remains to be determined. (3) Intraductal lesions 0.5 to 1 cm can be either large PanINs or small IPMNs. The term "incipient IPMN" should be reserved for lesions in this size with intestinal or oncocytic papillae or GNAS mutations. (4) Measurement of the distance between an IPMN and invasive carcinoma and sampling of intervening tissue are recommended to assess concomitant versus associated status. Conceptually, concomitant invasive carcinoma (in contrast with the "associated" group) ought to be genetically distinct from an IPMN elsewhere in the gland. (5) "Intraductal spread of invasive carcinoma" (aka, "colonization") is recommended to describe lesions of invasive carcinoma invading back into and extending along the ductal system, which may morphologically mimic high-grade PanIN or even IPMN. (6) "Simple mucinous cyst" is recommended to describe cysts >1 cm having gastric-type flat mucinous lining at most minimal atypia without ovarian-type stroma to distinguish them from IPMN. (7) Human lesions resembling the acinar to ductal metaplasia and atypical flat lesions of genetically engineered mouse models exist and may reflect an alternate pathway of carcinogenesis; however, their biological significance requires further study. These revised recommendations are expected to improve our management and understanding of precursor lesions in the pancreas.