Search

The lymph node yield (LNY) and lymph node ratio (LNR) of nodal metastases following pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) have been reported as prognostic parameters in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, they have not been compared in the setting of various neoadjuvant therapy modalities.A single institutional retrospective study identified 134 patients diagnosed with resectable, BLR- and LA-PDAC who underwent PD at Fox Chase Cancer Center between 2010 and 2019. Patients were categorized based on first-line treatment as follows: surgery first (SF), total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT), and single modality neoadjuvant therapy (SMNT). The histopathological reports of the surgical specimens were examined to obtain LNY and determine the counts of lymph nodes with metastases. Subsequently, LNR was calculated as the number of positive lymph nodes divided by the number of lymph nodes examined.Overall, 49, 38, 27, 12, and 8 patients underwent SF approach, SMNT, incomplete TNT, induction TNT, and consolidation TNT, respectively. There was no difference in R0 resection and vascular resection between the groups (P = 0.096 and 0.794, respectively). The median counts of LNY were 22, 15, 21, 11.5, and 10, respectively (P 0.001). The average LNR was 0.16, 0.07, 0.03, 0.02, and 0.02, respectively (P 0.001). There were statistically significant differences in overall survival in the TNT groups (log-rank test P = 0.030).PDAC patients who undergo the TNT modality exhibit lower LNY and improved LNR compared with the SF approach and SMNT neoadjuvant therapy groups. This is likely explained by the increased treatment response and lymph node obliteration associated with the TNT approach. Our results question the minimal requirement of 11-18 harvested lymph nodes for PD following TNT.

We report a case of a 56-year-old woman who presented with worsening abdominal pain located in the left upper quadrant together with abdominal distention, nausea and anorexia. One month prior to this admission, she had presented and had been diagnosed with concurrent acute pancreatitis and rapidly expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm was prioritised over the pancreatitis and she underwent uncomplicated endovascular repair. Cross-sectional imaging was consistent with infected pancreatic necrosis and also revealed a large collection located in the anterior pararenal space with extensive gas formation. An image-guided fluid aspiration revealed Clostridium perfringens as the causative organism. She was treated by placement of large bore drains along with irrigation and targeted intravenous antibiotic for 6 weeks. The collections resolved completely and at 6 months follow-up she was well and symptom free.

Introduction. Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) usually manifests as a cutaneous disease but GI manifestation is often rare. It is associated with human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) and seen in immunocompromised patients. In the USA, use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has drastically reduced incidence of KS in HIV patients. Case Presentation. A 65-year-old male with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to hyperkalemia of 7.5 meq/L. Following placement of orogastric and endotracheal tube (ETT), a significant amount of blood was noticed in the ETT. Hemoglobin trended down from 9.6 mg/dL to 6.7 mg/dL over five days. Stool guaiac was positive. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) was performed and revealed multiple large hypervascularized violaceous submucosal nodular lesions with stigmata of bleeding seen on the soft palate and pharynx and within the cricopharyngeal area close to the vocal cords. Biopsy of the soft palate lesions showed proliferation of neoplastic spindle shaped cells arranged in bundles with slit-like capillary spaces containing erythrocytes consistent with Kaposi’s sarcoma. Biopsy was positive for HHV-8. Colonoscopy was unremarkable. There were no cutaneous manifestations of the disease. Conclusion. GI involvement of Kaposi’s sarcoma must be considered in immunocompromised patients and can be confirmed by endoscopic methods.