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An 83-year-old woman underwent an examination for right lower abdominal pain and was diagnosed with highly advanced cecal cancer. CT showed no metastasis; thus, we attempted resection or bypass surgery. While no liver metastasis or peritoneal dissemination was observed intraoperatively, the circumflex region was highly infiltrated to the peritoneum and retroperitoneum. Considering the patient's age, resection was deemed overly invasive, so an ileum and transverse colon bypass surgery was performed. To downsize and safely remove the primary lesion, capecitabine plus bevacizumab was started. A CT examination performed after 3 courses revealed that the tumor had decreased in size. After the 4th course, surgery was performed. Intraoperative findings showed no obvious peritoneal dissemination, the tumor size was reduced, and the tumor was movable. A laparoscopic right hemicolectomy plus D3 dissection was performed. She was discharged on postoperative day 5. No obvious recurrence has been observed 6 months after surgery.

We evaluated the clinical outcome and assessed the safety of robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy(RADP)of early 5 cases in our institutional introduction. We followed the guidelines for introduction of robot-assisted pancreatectomy proposed by Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgery. Patients' characteristics were 2 men and 3 women, 45-79(median 52) years old, and 3 patients with neuroendocrine neoplasm, 1 with intraductal papillary neoplasm and 1 with mucinous cystic neoplasm. Spleen-preserving RADP was performed in 2 cases. Clinical outcomes of 5 cases underwent RADP were, operation time was 308-437(median 330)minutes, blood loss was 5-270(median 100)mL and none received transfusion. Postoperative pancreatic fistula and postoperative complication more than Grade Ⅲa(Clavien-Dindo classification)were none. Postoperative hospital stay was 7-11(median 8)days. RADP in our institution was safely introduced by following the proposal of guidelines.

There is a wide variety of vessel types in the transverse colon region. Among them, it is very rare that the accessory middle colonic artery(A-MCA)is branched from the splenic artery. We found a transverse colon cancer. The dominant vessel of the cancer was the A-MCA branched from the splenic artery. This vessel type was confirmed by preoperative 3D-CT. We performed a laparoscopic left hemicolectomy for the cancer. In this study, we report a case of safe laparoscopic surgery in which we separate the A-MCA branched from the splenic artery using the preoperative 3D-CT image.

Primary mediastinal leiomyosarcoma is extremely rare, and few reports in the literature have described the clinical features of this malignancy. We report a case of a small anterior mediastinal leiomyosarcoma that showed rapid growth within a short period. An 85-year-old woman showed a small anterior mediastinal tumor on chest computed tomography (CT), three months prior to presentation. Contrast-enhanced chest CT revealed rapid tumor growth, and positron emission tomography/CT revealed significant 18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, suggestive of malignancy. Thoracoscopic tumor resection was performed via the left thoracic approach. In addition to the tumor and surrounding anterior mediastinal tissue, we resected an area of pericardial infiltration. The tumor was diagnosed as a primary mediastinal leiomyosarcoma based on histopathological and immunohistochemical findings.

We report a case of locally advanced gastric cancer, which showed marked tumor shrinkage after the first dose of nivolumab. A 75-year-old woman was diagnosed with locally advanced gastric cancer with pancreatic invasion and pyloric stenosis. We performed gastrojejunostomy before chemotherapy. The first-line, second-line, and third-line chemotherapies were not effective, resulting in tumor progression and necrosis with abdominal wall penetration. Her performance status was good, so we started nivolumab therapy as the fourth-line chemotherapy. Nine days after the first dose of nivolumab, she had a severe abdominal pain and a sense of fatigue. CT imaging showed a remarkable degree of tumor necrosis just beneath the skin. We diagnosed progressive disease and discontinued the chemotherapy. However, her general condition gradually improved and CT imaging 4 months after the first dose of nivolumab showed marked tumor shrinkage. We restarted nivolumab therapy and she has been alive for 2 years 10 months since the introduction of chemotherapy. It was suggested that a single dose of nivolumab only could lead to marked tumor shrinkage in chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.

A man in his 60s was diagnosed with clear cell carcinoma of the right kidney with multiple lung metastases, tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava (IVC), and invasion of the duodenum and pancreas. Ipilimumab plus nivolumab was administered as first-line therapy. After 3 treatment courses, computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a slight decrease in the size of the primary tumor and lung metastases. However, the patient became hemodynamically unstable due to persistent duodenal bleeding during treatment despite frequent blood transfusions. Axitinib was then initiated as second-line therapy. The duodenal bleeding ceased 10 days after starting axitinib and his anemia remissed. Subsequent CT showed further decrease in the size of the primary tumor and lung metastases. The patient underwent right nephrectomy after improvement of nutrition. IVC thrombectomy, and pancreaticoduodenectomy. The lung metastases disappeared on postoperative imaging and no additional treatment was provided. Twelve months after surgery, he was in good health and showed no signs of recurrence.

The efficacy and safety of linaclotide in elderly patients are poorly understood. Herein, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of linaclotide in elderly patients in real-world setting. We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients who started linaclotide therapy at Sapporo Medical University Hospital from October 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. The efficacy and safety of linaclotide were examined in relation to various factors, including age (<65 or ≥65 years) and dose (0.25 or 0.5 mg/d). Fifty-two patients were enrolled, 60% of whom were over 65 years old and 40% were female. Thirty-six patients received a linaclotide dose of 0.25 mg/d. The most common side effect was diarrhea, but there was no difference in the incidence of diarrhea between the elderly (64.5%) and non-elderly patients (42.9%, p=0.130). No significant difference was observed with respect to improvement in constipation in the elderly (83.9%) and non-elderly patients (71.4%, p=0.318). Additionally, the difference in efficacy of linaclotide in patients who received a reduced dose (80.6%) vs. those who received the recommended dose (75.0%) was not statistically significant (p=0.719). Multivariate analysis revealed that age, gender, and dose were not associated with diarrhea induced by linaclotide treatment. However, concurrent treatment with constipation-inducing medications [odds ratio (OR) 5.79, p=0.047] and linaclotide monotherapy (OR 11.1, p=0.040) were both risk factors contributing to diarrhea. Linaclotide is effective and safe for use in elderly patients. The incidence of diarrhea may increase when linaclotide is administered alone or concurrently used with medications that cause constipation.

Case 1: A 51-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer and peritoneal metastasis was referred to our hospital. He received fourth-line chemotherapy with nivolumab, but it became PD. Next, he received S-1 plus docetaxel therapy as fifth- line therapy. After 2 courses of S-1 plus docetaxel, erythema and blisters appeared on his limbs, with erosions of the oral mucosa and penis. We diagnosed Stevens-Johnson syndrome(SJS)based on the clinical and pathological findings. He received steroid treatment, but the cutaneous symptoms persisted; therefore, it was impossible to continue the chemotherapy because of the SJS. Case 2: A 75-year-old woman with recurrence of peritoneally disseminated gastric cancer received third-line chemotherapy with nivolumab. After 1 course of nivolumab, erythema appeared on her body and limbs, with erosion of the lips and oral mucosa. We diagnosed SJS based on the clinical findings. She received steroid treatment, but the cutaneous symptoms persisted; therefore, it was impossible to continue chemotherapy because of the SJS. It should be noted that the onset of serious irAEs, such as SJS, might make continuous chemotherapy difficult.

Background: The clinical efficacy of nivolumab has been shown as a third-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer; however, nivolumab sometimes causes immune-related adverse events(irAEs). We retrospectively examined the clinical features and influence on treatment in cases of irAEs after nivolumab treatment., Method: We retrospectively examined 43 patients who received nivolumab treatment at our institution between October 2017 and December 2019., Result: The incidence of irAEs was 23.2%(10/43), and Grade 3 or higher irAEs included interstitial pneumonia, hypoadrenalism, Stevens- Johnson syndrome(SJS), and type 1 diabetes. Three patients showed long-term disease control after irAE onset. Meanwhile, SJS prevented patients from continuing treatment for gastric cancer., Discussion: Nivolumab is effective in some patients with gastric cancer, while irAEs made subsequent treatment difficult. Trifluridine/tipiracil or irinotecan are also known to be effective as therapeutic drugs after third-line treatment for gastric cancer in addition to nivolumab; therefore, the choice of the third-line drug and management of irAEs owing to individual cases are considered desirable., Conclusion: Long-term efficacy is expected with nivolumab, but it may be necessary to recognize that the onset of serious irAEs might make subsequent treatment difficult.

In general, gastrojejunal bypass is performed for unresectable gastric cancers with stenosis. It enables patients to take food and be discharged from the hospital earlier. Previously, we used to primarily perform open gastrojejunal bypass; however, recently, we perform laparoscopic gastrojejunal bypass because it is minimally invasive. We evaluated 31 patients who underwent gastrojejunal bypass for unresectable gastric cancer in our department between December 2009 and December 2019. We retrospectively compared the laparoscopic surgery group(n=7)with the open surgery group(n=24). No significant difference in patient background was found between the study groups. Compared to patients in the open surgery group, those in the laparoscopic group had significantly shorter postoperative hospital stay and time until initiation of oral intake, relatively lesser blood loss, and no postoperative complications. Moreover, more patients in the laparoscopic group than in the open surgery group were administered postoperative chemotherapy. Further, postoperative chemotherapy was administered sooner in the laparoscopic group than in the open surgery group. Laparoscopic gastrojejunal bypass is a safe and less invasive treatment for unresectable gastric cancer with stenosis. It may be superior to the conventional open surgery with regard to early postoperative chemotherapy for cancer.

An 84-year-old man on hemodialysis was referred to our department for an advanced gastric cancer with pyloric stenosis. Pre-operative CT showed thickening of the stomach wall at the primary lesion and regional lymph node metastasis, while no clear peritoneal metastasis was found. However, we found peritoneal disseminations during the operation, so gastrojejunal bypass was performed. After the operation, he hoped chemotherapy despite risk factors such as renal failure and old age. We introduced a reduced dose of weekly nab-paclitaxel to him. After 3 courses, CT showed the primary lesion had decreased in size, and after 6 courses, serum CA19-9 level decreased to 61.8 U/mL from 2,343 U/mL at the before treatment. No serious adverse events were observed during the chemotherapy. However, after 8 courses, the tumor markers was gradually re-increased, and CT showed the primary tumor re-increased after 9 courses. Therefore, he received irinotecan alone as the second-line. He is still alive 1 year and 8 months after diagnosis of gastric cancer. It is generally said that the risk of cancer chemotherapy for dialysis patients and the elderly is high. However, we suggest that it could be safely performed by examining the appropriate drug and dose. Weekly nab-paclitaxel regimen could be one of the promising options for these patients.

The case involved a female in her 70s. Six years prior, she had undergone an abdominoperineal rectal resection for rectal cancer. Local recurrence was observed during follow-up so preoperative chemoradiotherapy was performed to shrink the tumor, followed by a total pelvic exenteration, bilateral ureterocutaneous fistula, and perineal reconstruction with a gracilis myocutaneous flap. She was discharged from hospital 39 days following surgery with no major complications. We herein report on a case of a good postoperative course due to surgery including a total pelvic exenteration and perineal reconstruction with a gracilis myocutaneous flap for postoperative local recurrence.

Previous reports have demonstrated that repeated surgical resections of resectable hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer contribute to a better prognosis. We retrospectively assessed the outcomes of 19 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent repeated resections of hepatic and pulmonary metastases between February 2007 and February 2017. The median observation period was 69.9 months, and 26 liver and 27 lung resections were performed. The cumulative 5-year survival rates after resection of the last metastasis was 75.1% and the median disease-free survival after resection of the last metastasis was 34.7 months. Although 7 patients showed recurrence and 4 patients died, 7 patients exhibited long-term survival. Univariate analysis revealed that simultaneous liver and lung metastases were significantly predictor of poor prognosis(p=0.039). Progress of the patients in the present study were comparable to those in previous reports. Therefore, we propose that repeated surgical resection of hepatic and pulmonary metastasis from colorectal cancer could improve patient prognosis. Further studies should examine to identify more accurate prognostic factor with large series.

A 63-year-old underwent examination for constipation and was found to have an unresectable advanced rectal cancer. Metastatic abdominal aortic bifurcation lymph node and lung metastasis were suspected upon CT(cT3N3M1a[PUL1], cStage Ⅳa), and chemotherapy was administered(CapeOX plus Bmab). After 4 courses of chemotherapy, the size of the primary tumor and the lymph nodes decreased(PR). We performed laparoscopic rectum resection and abdominal aortic bifurcation lymph node. The pathological diagnosis indicated partial response(residual cancer cells)(Grade 1a). After 4 courses of chemotherapy(CapeOX), we performed pulmonary partial resection for metastatic lung cancer. This case suggests that laparoscopic resection of rectum after chemotherapy with CapeOX plus Bmab for locally advanced rectal cancer is a potential- ly effective procedure.

The splenic artery and vein are important to the remnant stomach after distal gastrectomy(DG). Hence, total gastrectomy is recommended when performing gastrectomy and distal pancreatectomy(DP)with splenectomy(S). In the present case, a man in his 70s was diagnosed with early gastric cancer. Abdominal CT detected a dilated main pancreatic duct. Chronic pancreatitis was suspected, but malignancy could not be completely ruled out. Thus, DG with Roux-en-Y reconstruction and DP with S were performed simultaneously. The remnant gastric blood flow was evaluated with intraoperative indocyanine green(ICG)fluorography and the blood flow was confirmed. Finally, the remnant stomach was preserved. The postoperative course was uneventful, except for the occurrence of anastomosis edema. This result suggests that ICG fluorescence is useful to evaluate remnant gastric blood flow and that it may be possible to perform DG and DP with S simultaneously depending on the case.

Sedative hypnotics are among the classes of drugs reported to influence falls. However, the effects of the sedative hypnotic drugs, suvorexant and ramelteon, on falls are not well known. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective case-control study to examine the association of the use of these two sedative hypnotics with the risk of falls. Conducted at the Sapporo Medical University Hospital in Japan, our study included 360 patients with fall incidents and 819 randomly selected control patients. Patients in the fall group were significantly older with a lower body mass index, and had a history of falls, disabilities in activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, and delirium. Monovariate analysis revealed that patients in the fall group frequently used ramelteon [odds ratio (OR) 2.38, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.49-3.81, p<0.001], but rarely used suvorexant (OR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.29-1.39, p=0.317), compared with control patients. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that ramelteon use did not increase the risk of falls (adjusted OR 1.43, 95% CI: 0.82-2.48, p=0.207), whereas suvorexant use significantly decreased the risk of falls (adjusted OR 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13-0.76, p=0.009). Although ramelteon tends to be used in patients at a high risk of falls, it may not increase the risk of falls. In contrast, the use of suvorexant may reduce the risk of falls.

Introduction: Pembrolizumab and nivolumab are anti-programmed death receptor-1(PD-1)antibodies. The use of pembrolizumab for unresectable or metastatic cancer with microsatellite instability-high(MSI-High)has been recently approved. However, there were few clinical reports on MSI in gastric cancer., Materials and Methods: We examined the clinicopathological features and MSI for 37 patients who underwent chemotherapy for unresectable gastric cancer in January 2019., Results: MSI-High was observed in 3 patients(8.1%). Among the MSI-High patients, there was a tendency towards older age, female sex, undifferentiated type, distal-located lesions and lymphatic vessel invasions, but the differences were not significant. Eleven patients underwent chemotherapy with nivolumab, 4 of them had partial response(PR). Three out of the 4 patients (75%)were MSI-High., Conclusions: These results suggested that anti-PD-1 antibody could be effective as a secondary treatment for unresectable or metastatic gastric cancer among MSI-High patients.

Symptomatic colorectal cancer in extremely elderly patients is difficult to treat. A 97-year-old woman was initially suspected of having appendicitis because of worsening right lower abdominal pain with persistent fatigue. After antimicrobial therapy, advanced cecum cancer with lymph node involvement was found. Palliative laparoscopy-assisted ileocecal resection without radical lymph node dissection was performed to prevent further inflammation. The patient was transferred to another hospital for rehabilitation on postoperative day 24, when she regained walking function. This palliative procedure can be an effective treatment for elderly patients with symptomatic advanced colon cancer.

This is a first report of gastrectomy after nivolumab immunotherapy. We describe a case in an elderly woman with gastric cancer diagnosed with cT4bN3M1(LYM), cStage ⅣB disease. Although she was administered 2 courses of SOX chemotherapy as the primary treatment, she could not continue the treatment to due to bone marrowsuppression. The second-line treatment was weekly PTX therapy, but she experienced Grade 3 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in the first course and could not continue treatment. Nivolumab as the next treatment was effective but was discontinued for suspected druginduced pneumonia. During that time, tumor hemorrhage occurred and we performed total gastrectomy. Postoperatively, nivolumab chemotherapy was resumed. There were no adverse events and the patient has had a continued partial response for 30 courses. Gastrectomy was necessary in this case, allowing observation of the pathological findings of this highly effective case.

Image recognition using artificial intelligence(AI)has developed dramatically with innovative technologies such as machine learning and deep learning. Currently, it is considered that AI has exceeded human ability in image recognition. In the field of endoscopic diagnosis, development of computer-aided diagnosis(CAD)systems using AI is progressing. The CAD is expected to help endoscopists improve detection and characterization of polyp, cancer, and inflamation in all digestive area. Some CAD systemes showing ability better than endoscopists have been reported. It may be well applicable to daily clinical practice as real time endoscopic diagnosis in the near future.

A 65-year-old woman was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2010 and was treated with methotrexate (MTX). In 2012, she was diagnosed with sarcoidosis and underwent a follow-up therapy for mild peripheral neuropathy due to neurosarcoidosis. In 2018, she experienced primary splenic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and was diagnosed with sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome (SLS). MTX was discontinued, and six cycles of rituximab were administered combined with chemotherapy. Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography performed 18 weeks after the last cycle of chemotherapy showed new abnormal fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) uptake in the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes and skeletal muscles. Sarcoidosis was suspected because of increased serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels and magnetic resonance imaging findings in the lower limb muscles. However, pathological findings of DLBCL and sarcoidosis were not confirmed in the hilar lymph node biopsy. Therefore, malignant lymphoma can be distinguished from sarcoidosis using abnormal FDG uptake after chemotherapy for SLS.

A 62-year-old man with diarrhea and metastases was found to harbor 2 rectal cancers. Both lateral lymph nodes were suspected based on CT and PET-CT(cT3N3M0, cStage Ⅲb). We planned to administer neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC) (CapeOX plus Bmab). After 4 courses of NAC, the sizes of both the primary tumor and lymph nodes decreased(partial response: PR). We performed laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection of the rectum(APR)with dissection of both lateral lymph nodes. The therapeutic effect was PR(few residual cancer cells)(Grade 2). After 4 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy (CapeOX), there have been no signs of recurrence for 8 months. This case suggests that laparoscopic APR after NAC with CapeOX plus Bmab for locally advanced rectal cancer is a potentially effective procedure.

In valvular disease treatment, it is extremely important to ensure good hemodynamics, to avoid thromboembolism and hemorrhagic complications, and to avoid reoperation. Due to the development of prosthetic valves, remarkable improvement in these results has been obtained. In recent years, the using rate of bioprosthetic valve has increased with the improvement of the durability of the bioprosthetic valve. Furthermore, a new bioprosthetic valve has also been developed, and it seems possible that the treatment strategy for valve disease such as valve selection of prosthetic valve and reoperation at the remote phase will change dramatically in the near future.

A 40-year-old man presented to our institution with a few-month history of increased urinary frequency, urgency and voiding difficulty. He had severe lower urinary tract symptoms with an International Prostate Symptom Score of 28 and quality of life score of 6. The mean urinary frequency and voided volume was 20 times per day and 150 ml, respectively. Abdominal ultrasonography and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed the prostate measuring 15 cm3 with a 3 cm midline cyst which compressed the posterior of the bladder wall. A subsequent examination indicated that his lower urinary tract symptoms could be attributed to the cystic mass which mainly affected his storage symptoms. The patient underwent transurethral unroofing of the prostate cyst. Immediately after the surgery, his storage symptoms were improved greatly. The voiding volume was increased to 250 ml, and the frequency of urination was decreased to 8 times. No recurrent symptoms were found for seven months after the surgery.

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is an immune-mediated disease marked by chronic synovial inflammation, which leads to cartilage and bone destruction as well as systemic bone loss. Osteoporosis or the systemic bone loss associated with RA increases the risk for fragility fractures, which can affect quality of life dramatically in RA patients. Inflammatory cytokines such as TNF and IL-6 in inflamed synovium induce the differentiation of osteoclasts, while suppresses the differentiation of osteoblasts, resulting in imbalance in bone metabolism. Although RA treatment targeting inflammatory cytokines can deter the progression of cartilage and bone destruction directly or indirectly, it can not stop systemic osteoporosis. Although it is important to avoid immobility by introducing an early remission, it is necessary to thoroughly manage the risks of individuals of RA patients and to effectively use osteoporosis drugs such as anti-RANKL antibodies that also have the effect of suppressing bone erosion in RA.

The patient was a 30-year-old man who underwent a medical examination for shortness of breath.An abdominal computed tomography(CT)scan revealed advanced ascending colon cancer with multiple metastases to the liver.We performed a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy first, due to the obstruction.Postoperatively, the patient received capecitabine plus oxaliplatin( CapeOX)chemotherapy.After 10 courses of CapeOX, the multiple liver metastases had reduced remarkably in size. Colectomy of the anastomosis and partial hepatectomy were then performed.Histological examination of the resected tissue revealed no residual cancer cells, suggestive of a pathological complete response.

The patient was a 77-year-old man with a 4.0 cm hepatictumor in hepaticsegment 4. Plain computed tomography(CT) showed the tumor with low density. On dynamicexamination, the tumor showed heterogeneous enhancement during the arterial phase. Magneticresonanc e imaging showed the tumor as a low intensity area in the hepatobiliary phase in hepatic segments 4, 6, and 8. A month later, CT showed an enlarged tumor in segment 4 measuring 7.0 cm. We diagnosed the tumor as primary liver cancer and suspected it to be hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)preoperatively. We performed extended medial segmentectomy and partial hepatectomy of segment 6. The histopathological diagnosis was mixed HCC and primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma(PHNEC). Three months after hepatectomy, the patient died of multiple intrahepatic recurrences. In most of the reported cases of mixed HCC and PHNEC, only the PHNEC component has been detected in the biopsy of the metastatic lesions. This fact might suggest that PHNEC has a higher proliferative activity and malignant potential than HCC. Standard treatment for mixed HCC and PHNEC is unclear; therefore, development of multidisciplinary treatment strategies combining surgical treatment and systemic chemotherapy is required.

We evaluated the clinical outcome and assessed the indication of hepatectomy for liver metastasis of duodenal ampullary cancer. We analyzed 42 cases of duodenal ampullary cancer and 4 patients who underwent hepatectomy for liver metastasis. Eleven(50%)of 22 cases with recurrence of duodenal ampullary cancer had liver metastasis. Four cases were solitary and 7 cases were multiple. Four patients underwent hepatectomy didn't had other organ metastasis. Three of 4 cases with solitary liver metastases and one of 7 cases with multiple metastasis underwent hepatectomy. One of 3 cases of solitary liver metastasis died of lung and bone metastases without liver recurrence 2 years and 8 months after hepatectomy. Other 2 cases are long surviving without recurrence 8 years and 8 months and 4 years and 9 months after hepatectomy respectively. One case of multiple liver metastases died of early liver recurrence 10 months after hepatectomy. The indication of hepatectomy for liver metastasis was restrictive. However the prognosis of patients with solitary liver metastasis was relatively favorable. Therefore hepatectomy could be indicated for solitary liver metastasis of duodenal ampullary cancer.

A woman approximately 70-years-old with duodenal invasive advanced gastric cancer was referred to our hospital. Meta- stasis to lymph node(LN)No.13 was suspected based on FDG/PET-CT. For better curability, we selected neoadjuvant chemotherapy( NAC)with S-1 plus oxaliplatin(SOX therapy). After 3 courses of SOX, distal gastrectomy with D2(+No.13) lymphadenectomy was performed. Upon pathological evaluation, no viable cancer cells were found in the primary tumor, but viable cancer cells were identified in LN No.6 and 13. LN No.13 was defined as M1 according to the current Japanese classification of gastric carcinoma. On the other hand, the 2014 Japanese gastric cancer treatment guidelines(ver. 4)mentioned that D2(+No.13)lymphadenectomy may be an option in potentially curative gastrectomy for tumors invading the duodenum. This case suggests that No.13 lymphadenectomy is necessary as a curative operation for duodenal invasive advanced gastric cancer, even if the primary tumor has achieved pCR after NAC.

Anaplastic carcinoma spindle cell type is an extremely rare disease and its prognosis is very poor. We herein report a case of anaplastic carcinoma spindle cell type of the pancreas. A 50-year-old man complaining of epigastralgia was found to have a pancreatic body-tail tumor by abdominal US and CT studies. Abdominal CT showed an irregular poorly-enhanced 33mm tumor containing a cystic component. ERCP revealed the main pancreatic duct was cut off at the tumor. Cytology of the pancreatic fluids did not indicate malignancy. A pancreatic tumor with a cystic component similar to pancreatic neoplasms containing cystic degeneration or a mass-forming pancreatitis concomitant with pancreatic pseudocyst was suspected. Therefore, we performed distal pancreatectomy. Histological findings showed the center of the tumor was severely necrotized and oval or spindle dysplastic cells proliferated around the peripheral area. According to the immunohistological staining pattern, the patient was diagnosed as having anaplastic carcinoma spindle cell type. He was administered oral S-1 for 6 months and is now recurrence-free, surviving for 15 months after pancreatectomy. Reports of long-term survival cases that also demonstrated R0 resection should be indicated in the treatment of anaplastic carcinoma spindle cell type despite the poor prognosis.

A 37-year-old woman with the complaint of stomachache was referred to our hospital because a retroperitoneal tumor was detected in an ultrasound study at another hospital. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a poorly enhanced 14 cm tumor in the left retroperitoneal space suggesting a cyst that contained fat and showed calcification. Abdominal dynamic computed tomography revealed left renal vein stenosis and left ovarian vein dilation caused by tumor compression of the renal vein. The tumor was excised together with the left kidney because the renal vein was adhered to the tumor. The resected specimen weighed 1,300 g, and the histological diagnosis was mature teratoma. The patient has experienced no recurrence at eight months after surgery.

A 49-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to macroscopic hematuria. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed left hydronephrosis, a tumor at her left ureter, pseudoaneurysm and ovarian cystoma. Prior to the operation, the tumorous lesion was considered as left ureteral cancer without metastasis (cT4N0M0; stage IV). Left nephroureterectomy was performed. After the surgery, pathological examination revealed that this lesion was extrinsic endometriosis originating from the ureter.We here report this case of ureteral endometriosis that presented with atypical clinical findings along with a review of the literature.

We report a case of pelvic fracture urethral injury reconstructed by anastomotic urethroplasty. A 24-year-old male was referred to our hospital because of pelvic trauma accompanying ischial fracture. Retrograde urethrography showed urethral disruption and suprapubic catheter was inserted. One week later, we underwent endoscopic realignment. Three months later, we removed the Foley balloon catheter after we had checked that there was no stricture by the voiding cystourethrogram. However, 5 days after that, he came to our hospital because of urinary retention. Cystoscopy detected urinary stricture between bulbar and membranous urethra. We decided to do deferred urethroplasty. Five months after that we performed anastomotic urethroplasty. He was discharged 31 days after the operation. No stricture has been detected for 7 months postoperatively.

We report a case of ABO incompatible living kidney transplantation in a 45-year-old man with selective IgA deficiency. He has been on hemodialysis for 1 year due to chronic renal failure. Although the serum anti-IgA antibody was negative, he has experienced anaphylactic reaction to red blood cell product in the past. Before the transplantation, we performed double filtration plasmapheresis for two times, but didn't performed plasma exchange, considering the possibility of producing anti-IgA antibody and anaphylactic reaction. He underwent kidney transplantation from his mother without anaphylactic reaction, following to the recirculation of renal blood flow. He was discharged on the 29th postoperative day when the serum creatinine level was 1.2 mg/dL. The graft function was stable at 8 months after transplantation with no evidence of rejection and infection.

A 70 year-old man underwent contrast CT, which revealed his swollen left inguinal and pelvic lymph nodes. The lymph nodes reduced in size without any treatments in a follow-up examination. In 2013, the lymph nodes enlarged again, and FDG-PET/CT showed high value at the prostate and multiple lymph nodes. The levels of serum PSA was high (PSA=682 ng/ml), therefore he underwent a prostate biopsy in his previous hospital and was diagnosed prostate cancer with metastasis of lymph nodes (cT2cN1M1a). Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was administered; however, the levels of serum PSA didn't reduce and lymph nodes enlarged further. He was referred to our hospital for further evaluation and treatment. The levels of serum total testosterone before ADT administration at his previous hospital was less than 0.05 ng/ml, which meaned that he had been hypogonadism. Brain MRI revealed a pituitary tumor, and he was diagnosed secondary hypogonadism due to the pituitary tumor. This was thought a rare case of a prostate cancer with secondary hypogonadism which had become castration resistant at the time of diagnosis.

A man in his 60s was referred to our institution for the evaluation of a gastric neuroendocrine tumor (G-NET) located in the fornix and that measured 13mm in size. Blood test results revealed hypergastrinemia (up to 3376pg/ml). Additional tests, including esophagogastroduodenoscopy, computed tomography, and intragastric pH monitoring, indicated that hypergastrinemia was not associated with type A autoimmune gastritis or gastrinoma. The patient was positive for the immunoglobulin G antibody against Helicobacter pylori, suggesting type B chronic atrophic gastritis as the cause for the condition. This report describes a rare case of G-NET with hypergastrinemia following type B chronic atrophic gastritis. Evaluation of similar cases is necessary to determine if H. pylori-associated chronic atrophic gastritis is frequently associated with G-NET.

A 66-year-old man attended a health check-up after a positive fecal occult blood test. Colonoscopy revealed a 2 cm type 2 lesion near the ascending colon and the upper lip ofBauhin 's valve. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography ofthe abdominal region revealed aplasia ofthe ligament ofTreitz, with the duodenum running through the center. Three-dimensional vascular construction revealed intestinal malrotation, in which the superior mesenteric artery was present on the right side of the superior mesenteric vein. A diagnosis ofascending colon cancer(T2N0M0, cStage I )was made, and a laparoscopic ileocecal resection was performed. The ascending colon was not fixed to the abdominal wall, and the colon was widely depressed within the pelvis. Because no adhesion was noted, vascular processing was performed after converting to extracorporeal manipulation via a small incision in the umbilical region. The controlling vessel was the ileocolic artery, and D2 dissection was performed. The patient suffered no postoperative complications and was discharged on hospital day 13. Most reports ofintestinal malrotation concern pediatric patients, and reports ofadult cases are relatively rare. The intestinal malrotation was confirmed intraoperatively, and the procedure was performed safely. This suggests that if intestinal malrotation can be confirmed, laparoscopic surgery can be safely performed.

Multidisciplinary therapy is necessary to prevent recurrence of advanced rectal cancer and advanced cancer with metastases. Here we report a case of long-term survival of a patient with advanced rectal cancer with multiple liver metastases. An 80's woman had previously undergone both Hartmann's operation and a partial hepatectomy for advanced rectal cancer with multiple liver metastases. A year after chemotherapy, a CT scan revealed multiple liver metastases. Thus, we performed partial liver resection. After another round of chemotherapy, a CT scan revealed lung metastases and local recurrence of the rectal cancer; therefore, we performed partial lung resection and a Miles operation. These procedures were conducted 4 years after her first operation. The following year, PET-CT revealed a mediastinum lymph node metastasis; consequently, we performed radiation therapy. New lung metastases and local recurrences of rectal cancer were identified after the radiation therapy; thus, we resumed the therapy, including a molecular targeting drug. Although the patient is in a tumor-bearing state, she is still alive 10 years after her first operation.

We report two cases of penile fracture. Case 1 was in a 22-year-old male. He heard a cracking sound during urination and experienced acute penile pain and detumescence. He was admitted to our hospital on that day. Case 2 was in a 52-year-old male. He heard a cracking sound during sexual intercourse and experienced detumescence. He was admitted to our hospital on the next day. In both cases, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed disruption of the tunica albuginea. We performed immediate surgical repair through localized incision. They had no perioperative complications. Several months after surgery, they reported subjectively good erection without penile curvature or pain. We found that MRI is a useful tool for the assessment of location of the tunica rupture and minimization of the surgical incision.

A 40-year-old woman withuntreated type II diabetes mellitus was discovered withcardiopulmonary arrest in her room. On admission, she had ventricular fibrillation. After cardiopulmonary resuscitation, her own pulse restarted. The plasma glucose was 722 mg/dl and venous PH was 6.704. Abdominal computed tomography revealed gas within the parenchyma of the left kidney. We diagnosed her with emphysematous pyelonephritis and conducted emergency nephrectomy. Urinary and blood cultures were positive for Escherichia coli. Antibiotic therapy was initiated with doripenem and she was restrictively treated with intravenous insulin to control her plasma glucose. On the 8th day of hospital stay, she underwent resection of the small intestine because of necrosis. After multidisciplinary therapy, she was discharged with complete resolution of the infection.

We report a prenatal case of neonatal testicular torsion. A 0-day-old boy with left scrotal swelling from the time of birth was referred to us. The physical examination revealed left intrascrotal hard mass. The ultrasonography with doppler color flow showed heterogeneous parenchymal echogenicity and the lack of blood flow to the affected testis. Testicular torsion was suspected and emergent surgical exploration was performed. The left testis was necrotic with extravaginal torsion of the spermatic cord. Left high orchiectomy was performed, considering the possibility of inguinal hernia. The histopathological examination confirmed the necrosis of the left testis.

69-year-old woman underwent left nephroureterectomy for left ureteral cancer (urothelial carcinoma (UC), high grade, pT3pN0) in September 2013. She returned to our hospital presenting with asymptomatic macrohematuria in July 2014. Cystoscopy showed tiny papillary tumors in the bladder. We also found genital bleeding from multiple papillary tumors on the vaginal wall. We performed transurethral resection of the bladder tumor and a biopsy of the vaginal wall demonstrated non-invasive UC, high grade. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging after the operation showed no infiltration outside the bladder wall and vaginal wall. Therefore, we performed endoscopic excision of the vaginal tumor. However we could not resect all vaginal tumors. Irradiation of the vagina and uterus was performed under the diagnosis of metastasis of UC tovagina. Vaginal UC is extremely rare and this is the 26th case report in the literature.

Artificial respiration by tracheostomy is necessary for long-term survival in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type I patients. There are two types of tracheostomy: i )simple tracheostomy and ii) tracheostomy plus aspiration prevention surgery, including laryngotracheal separation. We experienced three cases of SMA type I patients that had good outcomes after undergoing laryngotracheal separation. The patients' ages at onset were 14 days, two months and one and a half months. Laryngotracheal separation was performed at five months, seven months, and 15 years and five months respectively, and the times from diagnosis to surgery were a month, three months and 15 years. The aspiration pneumonia disappeared in all three cases. This study suggests that laryngotracheal separation is an effective surgery to prevent aspiration in SMA type I cases, and also contributes to the improved quality of life of patients and their families.

A 53-year-old woman was developed congestive heart failure. She was diagnosed as having aortic coarctation, incompetent bicuspid aortic valve and an aberrant right subclavian artery by using echocardiography and enhanced computed tomography. Ankle brachial pressure index(ABI)in the right was 0.71 and 0.69 in the left. Blood pressure of the right arm was 60 mmHg lower than that of the left arm. To avoid perioperative adverse cardiac events due to a 2-staged operation, we performed ascending-descending aortic bypass and aortic valve replacement simultaneously through a median sternotomy. The heart was retracted cranially, and a vascular prosthesis was anastomosed to the descending aorta just above the diaphragm in an end-to-side manner. Then the graft was placed curvilinearly around the right atrium and was anastomosed to the ascending aorta. After the operation, the right and left ABI increased to 0.90 and 0.98 respectively. There was no pressure difference between the arms. The postoperative course was uneventful.

A 37-year-old male with a history of intermittent gross hematuria visited our hospital with asymptomatic macrohematuria. Cystoscopy findings revealed bloody urine from the left ureteric orifice and the cytodiagnosiswasclas sII. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging revealed the inferior vena cava (IVC) running upward along the left side of the aorta, then crossing the aorta between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery (SMA). The crossing portion of the IVC was severely compressed by the SMA, causing the left-sided IVC (LIVC), and two left renal veins (LRV) were entered at the dilated portion of LIVC. On suspicion of nutcracker syndrome (NCS) with LIVC, color doppler ultrasonography and venography examinationswere performed. Although the resultsdid not meet criteria reported for NCS, venography revealed reflux from the IVC to the upper branch of the left renal vein. LIVC is a rare vessel anomaly, with a rate of incidence ranging from 0.2-0.5%, while NCS with LIVC isextremely rare, with only 7 case reports in the English literature. Herein. we report the first known case in Japan and review previous reports.

In Japan, the number of diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease patients is increasing yearly. Vascular calcification is prevailing in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus and/or chronic kidney disease, and carries a poor prognosis. However, the effective treatment for suppressing the progression of vascular calcification has not been established. On the other hand, treatment of osteoporosis has advanced dramatically as the details of the mechanism become clearer. Bisphosphonates, which are inhibitors of bone resorption that are widely used to treat osteoporosis, also inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis, differentiation of macrophage to foam cell, differentiation of smooth muscle cells to osteoblast-like cells in certain stimuli during calcification processes of vessels. These findings extend the link between bone remodeling and vascular calcification, opening perspectives toward novel therapeutic strategies. We herein review recent findings about effectiveness of bisphosphonates for vascular calcification with our data. Here we will review recent advances in the researches of treatment of vascular calcification and present our findings that the bisphosphonate is useful in prevention of vascular calcification.

Background: We evaluated whether using thromboelastometry and tranexamic acid influenced blood loss and transfusion requirements in cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass., Methods: We perfomed a retrospective analysis examining perioperative coagulation results, and the transfusion requirements of concentrated red cells (CRCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelet administration between 12 months before and 10 months after thromboelastometry and tranexamic acid had been introduced in our institution. We also recorded patients' demographic details, the surgery performed and patient outcomes., Results: After the introduction of thromboelastometry and tranexamic acid, fewer units of CRC were transfused during surgery, and fewer patients required postoperative CRC transfusion. Intra- and postoperative FFP requirements were also reduced. Intraoperative blood loss, blood loss in the first 24 hr after surgery, and length of hospital stay were also reduced., Conclusions: The use of ROTEM and tranexamic acid can potentially reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements in cardiac surgery.

We experienced tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) due to pacemaker lead adherence in an 81-year-old woman and in a 68-year-old woman, who both had right heart failure. The cause of TR was deformation of the tricuspid valve by pacemaker leads. Because of strong adherence between the lead and the leaflet or the tendinous cord, lead extraction and valve replacement were performed. The living lead was preserved by fixation at the septum wall outside the valve cuff in 1 patient. In the other patient, the epicardial lead was used for implantation because it was easier compared to intravenous lead implantation. The heart failure and TR improved after the operation in both patients.

Metastatic gastric cancer is uncommon, and metastasis of colorectal cancer to the stomach is extremely rare. We report a case of metastatic gastric cancer that originated from transverse colon cancer. A 52-year-old woman underwent a left hemicolectomy and D3 lymph node dissection based on a diagnosis of transverse colon cancer. The pathology results were as follows: mucinous adenocarcinoma, type 2, 6 × 11 cm, ss, ly1 v1, pm (-), dm (-), n1 (+), P0, H0, M0, Stage IIIa. The patient received XELOX as postoperative adjuvant therapy for 6 months. One year and 3 months after the left hemicolectomy, gastroscopy revealed a submucosal tumor in the lower body of the stomach and an incipient cancer in the cardia of the stomach, and a colonoscopy revealed an incipient cancer in the transverse colon. An endoscopic ultrasonography fine needle aspiration biopsy of the submucosal tumor in the lower body of the stomach was performed. Histology showed that this tumor was a mucinous adenocarcinoma similar to the primary transverse colon cancer, which led to a diagnosis of metastatic gastric cancer originating from transverse colon cancer. Distant metastasis was not detected. Endoscopic submucosal dissection of the incipient gastric cancer was performed, as were distal gastrectomy and partial colectomy. Peritoneal dissemination and para-aortic lymph node recurrence were detected 7 months after the second surgery.

A 47-year-old man with no history of anal fistula was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of perianal pain. Computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed perianal abscess. Incision and drainage were performed under spinal anesthesia. Ten months after drainage, magnetic resonance imaging revealed anal fistula on the left side of the anus. Subsequently, core-out and seton procedures were performed for ischiorectalis type III anal fistula. Pathological examination of the resected specimen of anal fistula revealed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, leading to the diagnosis of carcinoma associated with anal fistula. No distant metastases or enlarged lymph nodes were observed on positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. We performed abdominoperineal resection with wide resection of ischiorectalis fat tissue. The pathology results were tub2, A, ly0, v0, n0, PM0, DM0, RM0, H0, P0, M0, Stage II. Negative pressure wound therapy was performed for perineum deficiency, after which rapid wound healing was observed. Left inguinal lymph node recurrence was detected 8 months after surgery, for which radiotherapy was administered. Distant metastasis was detected 11 months after surgery. The patient died 21 months after surgery.