Search

An 82-year-old man with fever and back pain was referred to our hospital and was thus found to be thrombocytopenic. A bone marrow biopsy revealed the diffuse infiltration of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). Computed tomography revealed a large hepatic mass. Considering the risk of bleeding due to thrombocytopenia, a needle biopsy was not performed. The patient rapidly deteriorated and died 10 days after presentation. An autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of primary hepatic NEC, with diffuse metastasis to the spleen, bone marrow, and systemic lymph nodes. This is an extremely rare case of NEC presenting with thrombocytopenia due to extensive bone marrow and splenic infiltration.

Background Although the proportion of laparoscopic colectomies (LCs) for colon cancer is increasing, the feasibility of the same surgeon performing two LCs on a single day remains unknown. This study was conducted to clarify the feasibility of this practice by evaluating short-term and long-term outcomes. Methods This retrospective analysis enrolled patients with pathological stage I–III colon cancer who underwent LC at Shizuoka Cancer Center between 2010 and 2020. Patients were divided into two groups based on the timing of the surgery for the surgeon. The first group (n = 1,485) comprised patients who underwent LC as the first surgery of the day for the surgeon. The second group (n = 163) comprised patients who underwent LC as the second LC of the day for the surgeon. Propensity score matching was performed to balance the baseline characteristics of the first and second groups. The short-term and long-term outcomes of the two groups were compared. Results After propensity score matching, there were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo classification grade II or higher between the first (10.4%, 17/163) and second groups (5.5%, 9/163). There were no significant differences in other perioperative outcomes, including operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and incidence of conversion to open surgery, between the two groups. Regarding long-term outcomes, there were no significant differences in overall survival or relapse-free survival between the two groups both in the full cohort and in the propensity score-matched cohort. In the propensity score–matched cohort, 5-year overall survival was 96.0% in the first group and 94.4% in the second group; 5-year relapse-free survival was 88.1% and 90.3%, respectively. Conclusion Our results suggest that the same surgeon performing two LCs for colon cancer on a single day is feasible in terms of short-term and long-term outcomes.

We report a case of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-producing inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the pleura in a 71-year-old man. Contrast-enhanced CT demonstrated multiple pleural masses with pulmonary hilar lymph nodes swelling. 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated marked focal FDG uptake in the thoracic masses with diffuse uptake in the bone marrow. Based on the pathological findings and elevated serum G-CSF level, the patient was diagnosed as G-CSF-producing inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. Because G-CSF-producing tumors demonstrate aggressive clinical course, early and accurate diagnosis is important.

Aim: To clarify the impact of metastatic lymph node size on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing curative colectomy for pathological stage III colon cancer. Patients and Methods: This study enrolled patients who underwent curative colectomy for pStage III colon cancer between January 2013 and December 2015. All patients were divided into four groups based on the short-axis diameter of the largest MLN: Group A

Background: In node-positive colon cancer, the impact of MLN size on prognosis is controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of metastatic lymph node (MLN) size on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing curative resection for pStage III colon cancer.Methods: This study enrolled patients who underwent curative colectomy for pStage III colon cancer between January 2013 and December 2015. All eligible patients were divided into four groups based on the short-axis diameter of the largest MLN: Group A, < 5 mm; Group B, ≥ 5 mm and < 10 mm; Group C, ≥ 10 mm and < 15 mm; and Group D, ≥ 15 mm. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazard regression models to identify clinicopathological factors affecting recurrence-free survival (RFS).Results: A total of 209 patients were analyzed. We evaluated 7305 LNs, of which 644 were metastatic. The 5-year RFS rates of Groups A, B, C, and D were 82.3%, 74.6%, 74.5%, and 60.7%, respectively. In univariate analysis, age older than 70 years, Group D (largest MLN ≥ 15 mm), and the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly associated with RFS. In multivariate analysis, Group D (hazard ratio [HR], 3.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34–11.65; p=0.01) and the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy (HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.26-4.72; pConclusion: A maximum MLN ≥ 15 mm was significantly associated with worse RFS in stage III colon cancer. Bulky MLNs might be a poor prognostic factor in node-positive colon cancer.

Clinical evidence demonstrating risk factors for anastomotic leakage including robotic staplers has remained limited, even though the use of robotic surgery has increased substantially. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of robotic staplers on symptomatic anastomotic leakage in robotic low anterior resection for rectal cancer. A total of 427 consecutive patients with primary rectal cancer who underwent robotic low anterior resection without diverting stoma were investigated retrospectively. Symptomatic anastomotic leakage was defined as anastomotic leakage of Clavien–Dindo Grade ≥ II. We compared the symptomatic anastomotic leakage rates between manual and robotic staplers using propensity score matching and investigated the risk factors for symptomatic anastomotic leakage. After propensity score matching, 168 pairs of manual and robotic stapler cases were selected. The symptomatic anastomotic leakage rate was significantly higher for manual staplers (6.5%) than for robotic staplers (1.2%, p = 0.02). In a multivariate analysis, the use of a manual stapler (p = 0.04, OR 4.86, 95% CI 1.08–21.8) and anastomosis

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of chest CT to differentiate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia in non-high-epidemic area in Japan. This retrospective study included 21 patients clinically suspected COVID-19 pneumonia and underwent chest CT more than 3 days after the symptom onset: six patients confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 15 patients proved uninfected. Using a Likert scale and its receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, two radiologists (R1/R2) evaluated the diagnostic performance of the five CT criteria: (1) ground glass opacity (GGO)-predominant lesions, (2) GGO- and peripheral-predominant lesions, (3) bilateral GGO-predominant lesions; (4) bilateral GGO- and peripheral-predominant lesions, and (5) bilateral GGO- and peripheral-predominant lesions without nodules, airway abnormalities, pleural effusion, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. All patients confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia had bilateral GGO- and peripheral-predominant lesions without airway abnormalities, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and pleural effusion. The five CT criteria showed moderate to excellent diagnostic performance with area under the curves (AUCs) ranging 0.77–0.88 for R1 and 0.78–0.92 for R2. The criterion (e) showed the highest AUC. Chest CT would play a supplemental role to differentiate COVID-19 pneumonia from other respiratory diseases presenting with similar symptoms in a clinical setting.

A 60-year old woman had been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital for 40 years for schizophrenia. An X-ray was performed when she fell, which showed needles in the abdominal field. After additional examinations and questioning, the patient was diagnosed with needles in the abdominal cavity, which were assumed to have been ingested and to have perforated the GI tract 40 years ago. They were removed by laparoscopic surgery. The needles were found in the omentum and near the left ovary. There were no inflammatory reactions around them. There have been previous reports about the removal of intra-abdominal foreign bodies, but foreign body reaction occurred in most of the reports. Our case had the longest period from ingestion of the foreign bodies to their removal. Laparoscopy and intraoperative fluoroscopy are useful for removing intra-abdominal foreign bodies because of their ability to help discriminate between structures and to navigate in real time.

A 60-year old woman had been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital for 40 years for schizophrenia. An X-ray was performed when she fell, which showed needles in the abdominal field. After additional examinations and questioning, the patient was diagnosed with needles in the abdominal cavity, which were assumed to have been ingested and to have perforated the GI tract 40 years ago. They were removed by laparoscopic surgery. The needles were found in the omentum and near the left ovary. There were no inflammatory reactions around them. There have been previous reports about the removal of intra-abdominal foreign bodies, but foreign body reaction occurred in most of the reports. Our case had the longest period from ingestion of the foreign bodies to their removal. Laparoscopy and intraoperative fluoroscopy are useful for removing intra-abdominal foreign bodies because of their ability to help discriminate between structures and to navigate in real time.

Rationale and Objectives Although spin-echo (SE) sequence has some advantages over gradient-echo sequence in brain imaging, gradient-echo sequence is commonly used for T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) at 3 T because contrast on SE T1WI is widely believed to be poor at 3 T. Recently, gray-white matter contrast on single-slice and multi-slice SE imaging with interslice gap was reported as better at 3 T than at 1.5 T. This study examined the feasibility of interleaved SE T1WI of the brain at 3 T. This study also examined whether presaturation pulse (PP) sufficiently suppresses intra-arterial signals because these signals tend to be hyperintense due to longer T1 at 3 T. Materials and Methods Subjects consisted of 18 healthy volunteers. Two sets of T1WI were performed using SE sequence. One set consisted of imaging without PP, and the other consisted of imaging with PP. Each set contained three types of gapless imaging as follows; sequential, 100% interleaved, and 200% interleaved imaging. In each subject, contrast-to-noise ratio between gray-matter and white-matter (CNRGM-WM) and intra-arterial signals were evaluated. Results CNRGM-WM was significantly higher on interleaved images than on sequential images, regardless of PP (P Conclusion CNRGM-WM on SE T1WI at 3 T can be improved by interleaved acquisition, and PP sufficiently suppressed intra-arterial signals. Interleaved SE T1WI with PP appears clinically feasible at 3 T.

OBJECTIVES Some white matter tracts, including the optic radiation (OR), have recently been reported to be delineated as low signal intensity bands (LSBs) on T2*-weighted images at 7 T, presumably because of susceptibility effects caused by myelin.Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is more sensitive to magnetic susceptibility than T2*-weighted imaging. This study examined whether the LSBs, lateral to the lateral ventricles (LVs) on 3-T SWI, represent the OR. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects comprised 17 healthy volunteers. Transaxial and oblique coronal SWIs orthogonal to the long axes of the inferior horns of the LVs were acquired covering the entire OR at 3 T. For quantification of the LSBs, breadth and thickness of LSBs were measured on planes including: (a) the tip of the inferior horn of the LV, (b) the lateral geniculate body, (c) the trigone of the LV, and (d) the posterior horn of the LV. Distances between the temporal pole and most anterior tip (D) of each LSB were also measured. Diffusion tensor tractography of the OR was also compared with the LSB on SWI in 10 of the 17 subjects. RESULTS Mean and SD of LSB measurements were breadth: (a) 8.8 +/- 1.8 mm, (b) 18.6 +/- 1.7 mm, (c) 20.5 +/- 3.1 mm, (d) 23.9 +/- 4.1 mm; and thickness: (a) 1.7 +/- 0.4 mm, (b) 2.4 +/- 0.5 mm, (c) 3.7 +/- 0.5 mm, (d) 3.3 +/- 0.4 mm, respectively. Mean D was 32.0 +/- 4.0 mm. These measurements were consistent with the anatomic literature regarding the OR. D on the diffusion tensor tractography was 40.3 +/- 7.7 mm, which was significantly longer than that of the LSB on SWI (31.8 +/- 3.4) for the 10 subjects (P = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS SWI at 3 T can constantly delineate the OR. The present study includes novelty in reporting that the entire length of the OR is constantly depicted on SWI, a 3-dimensional high-resolution imaging sequence, at a clinically more widely available 3-T magnetic field.

Although spin-echo (SE) sequence has some advantages over gradient-echo sequence in brain imaging, gradient-echo sequence is commonly used for T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) at 3 T because contrast on SE T1WI is widely believed to be poor at 3 T. Recently, gray-white matter contrast on single-slice and multi-slice SE imaging with interslice gap was reported as better at 3 T than at 1.5 T. This study examined the feasibility of interleaved SE T1WI of the brain at 3 T. This study also examined whether presaturation pulse (PP) sufficiently suppresses intra-arterial signals because these signals tend to be hyperintense due to longer T1 at 3 T.Subjects consisted of 18 healthy volunteers. Two sets of T1WI were performed using SE sequence. One set consisted of imaging without PP, and the other consisted of imaging with PP. Each set contained three types of gapless imaging as follows; sequential, 100% interleaved, and 200% interleaved imaging. In each subject, contrast-to-noise ratio between gray-matter and white-matter (CNR(GM-WM)) and intra-arterial signals were evaluated.CNR(GM-WM) was significantly higher on interleaved images than on sequential images, regardless of PP (P.0001). PP sufficiently suppressed intra-arterial signals (P.0001).CNR(GM-WM) on SE T1WI at 3 T can be improved by interleaved acquisition, and PP sufficiently suppressed intra-arterial signals. Interleaved SE T1WI with PP appears clinically feasible at 3 T.