Risk factors for a prolonged operative time in a single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background: A prolonged operative time is associated with adverse post-operative outcomes in laparoscopic surgery. Although a single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) requires a longer operative time as compared with a conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy, risk factors for a prolonged operative time in SILC remain unknown.Methods: A total of 20 clinical variables were retrospectively reviewed to identify factors for a prolonged operative time (longer than 3 h) in a total of 220 consecutive patients undergoing SILC.Results: The median operative time was 145 min (range, 55–435) and a prolonged operative time was required in 62 patients (28%). Independent factors that predict a prolonged operative time as identified through multivariate analysis were body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.009), acute cholecystitis (P < 0.001) and operator (resident or staff surgeon) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a prolonged operative time was significantly associated with an increased amount of intra-operative blood loss (P < 0.001) and a prolonged stay after surgery (P < 0.001).Conclusions: These findings suggest that a higher BMI, acute cholecystitis and a resident as an operator significantly increase the duration of SILC procedures.     

Ventral simultanagnosia and prosopagnosia for unfamiliar faces due to a right posterior superior temporal sulcus and angular gyrus lesion

We report a patient with ventral simultanagnosia, prosopagnosia for “unfamiliar faces” (dorsal prosopagnosia), spatial agraphia, and constructional disorder, particularly on the left spatial side, due to a lesion in the right posterior superior and middle temporal gyri and angular gyrus. The patient showed impairment of fundamental visual and visuospatial recognition, such as in object size, configuration, and horizontal point location, which probably underlay the mechanism of simultanagnosia and prosopagnosia. This case also suggests that the coexistence of simultanagnosia and prosopagnosia results from a right hemispheric insult, and damage to the temporoparietal area interrupts the incorporation of spatial information into object recognition. This disconnection of information flow, together with impaired object recognition per se, may impair the parallel processing of multiple objects, leading to object-by-object or part-by-part recognition.     

Analysis of lymph node metastasis in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) based on the tumor size and hormonal production

Background

Because of the rarity and variety of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs), there have been few reports regarding the indication for lymph node dissection in patients with these tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of lymph node metastasis of PNETs based on the tumor size and hormonal production.

Methods

Data for a total of 66 patients who had PNETs resected at our department between 1987 and 2010 were retrospectively studied. The clinicopathological features, including the disease-specific survival rate, were assessed based on the status of lymph node metastasis at the time of initial surgical resection. Then the cut-off point of tumor size to predict lymph node metastasis was estimated.

Results

There were 12 patients (18%) with lymph node metastasis. The frequency of lymph node metastasis tended to be higher in gastrinomas than that in other tumors (43 vs. 15%; P?=?0.08). The size of PNETs with lymph node metastasis was significantly larger than that of the PNETs without metastasis (P?=?0.04). The postoperative survival rate in the PNET patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that in the patients without metastasis (P?Conclusions Non-gastrinomas with a tumor size of ≥15?mm and all gastrinomas would be an indication for pancreatectomy with lymph node dissection.     

Successful treatment of a chronic-phase T-315I-mutated chronic myelogenous leukemia patient with a combination of imatinib and interferon-alfa

The T315I BCR-ABL mutation in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients is responsible for up to 20% of all clinically observed resistance. This mutation confers resistance not only to imatinib, but also to second-generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinases, such as nilotinib and dasatinib. A number of strategies have been implemented to overcome this resistance, but allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains the only established therapeutic option for a cure. A 61-year-old male was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic-phase CML in 2002. He was initially treated with imatinib and complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) was achieved 12 months later. However, after 18 months, a loss of CCyR was observed and a molecular study at 24 months revealed a T315I mutation of the BCR-ABL gene. At 30 months, imatinib/interferon-alfa (IFNα) combination therapy was initiated in an effort to overcome the resistance. Thirty months later, he re-achieved CCyR, and the T315I BCR-ABL mutation disappeared at 51 months. To our knowledge, this is the first case report showing the effectiveness of imatinib/IFNα combination therapy for CML patients bearing the T315I BCR-ABL mutation.