Intraoperative monitoring of cerebral blood oxygenation and hemodynamics during extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery by a newly developed visible light spectroscopy system

BACKGROUND: Cerebrovascular reconstruction procedures run the risk of changing the balance between oxygen supply and consumption during surgery. We assessed the value of visual light spectroscopy for detecting changes in cerebral blood oxygenation (CBO) during superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis. METHODS: We developed a VLS monitoring system which permits continuous monitoring of CBO changes during surgery. Using the VLS, we evaluated the CBO changes in the MCA territory on the lesion side in 18 patients who underwent STA-MCA anastomosis. RESULTS: Temporary occlusion of the MCA (M4 portion) did not change the CBO in 17 patients. However, in the patient with dissecting aneurysm, it caused decreases of oxyhemoglobin and cortical oxygen saturation (CoSo(2)) associated with an increase of deoxyhemoglobin, although these CBO changes were normalized by STA blood flow. In 5 patients, STA blood flow increased the oxyhemoglobin and CoSo(2) and decreased the deoxyhemoglobin, indicating that cortical blood flow (CoBF) was increased. The CoSo(2) before anastomosis was significantly low in the patients who showed an increase of CoSo(2) by STA blood flow (63.0% +/- 2.5%) as compared with those who did not (72.0 +/- 6.1%, P = .024). CONCLUSION: Temporary occlusion of a cortical artery during bypass surgery did not affect the CBO in patients who had chronic cerebral ischemia, but caused acute ischemia in the patient who did not. STA blood flow increased the CoBF during surgery more frequently in patients who showed a low perfusion pressure. The VLS monitoring system is considered useful for evaluating bypass function and facilitates safe and accurate bypass surgery.     

The growing teratoma syndrome report of a case

A 26-year-old man presented with a swelling of the right scrotal content, lumbago and exertional dyspnea. He underwent high inguinal orchiectomy. Histopathological examination of the specimen revealed yolk sac tumor and mature teratoma. Further evaluation revealed mediastinal and retroperitoneal lymph node metastases (stage IIIA). A single course of BEP (bleomysin, etoposide and cisplatin), two courses of chemotherapy consisting of nedaplatin and irinotecan, and three courses of TIP (paclitaxel, ifosfamide and cisplatin) were delivered. The previous abnormally elevated serum biomarkers (AFP, beta-hCG and LDH) returned to normal levels, but the mediastinal and retroperitoneal masses continued to enlarge slowly. The CT-guided biopsy of the mediastinal mass was performed, and histologic study revealed no evidence of malignancy. He underwent excision of the mediastinal masses and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Histologic examination of the resected specimens revealed mature teratoma without malignant components. These results were compatible with growing teratoma syndrome. 30 months after the first excision of mediastinal mass, he underwent the second excision of recurrent mediastinal mass in the absence of biomarker elevation. The resected specimens revealed mature teratoma without malignant components. He is alive for 49 months after high inguinal orchiectomy and free of carcinoma.     

Three cases of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare tumors that comprise only 1% of all malignancies. The retroperitoneum is an uncommon site of origin for them, accounting for about 10% of all STS. In case 1, a 30-year-old man complaining of chest pain was found to have a retroperitoneal tumor around the left kidney by computed tomography (CT). The tumor was removed along with the left kidney. Histologically, it was fibrosarcoma 3,000 g in weight. In case 2, a 31-year-old woman complaining of abdominal distension was found to have a retroperitoneal tumor by CT. The tumor was removed in the same way. It was undifferentiated sarcoma 2,000 g in weight. In case 3, a 73-year-old woman, who had no complaint was found to have mass in the left lateral region during follow up for cardiac failure. She was referred to our department for treatment of retroperitoneal tumor revealed by ultrasound and CT. The tumor was dedifferentiated liposarcoma 2,420 g in weight. All three patients had local recurrences, and two of them underwent a second surgical procedure.     

A case of primary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the bladder regressed after rituximab in combination with CHOP chemotherapy

Primary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the bladder is a rare disease, and the most effective therapeutic procedure remains unknown. We report a case of primary MALT lymphoma of the bladder regressed after rituximab in combination with CHOP chemotherapy (R-CHOP). The patient, a 84-year-old woman, presented with general fatigue and loss of weight. Computed tomography (CT) showed a solitary mass at the bladder. Histological diagnosis of the tissue obtained by transurethral biopsy was extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma of MALT. The patient was in complete remission after only one cycle of R-CHOP. This is the fourteenth case of MALT lymphoma of the bladder in Japan.     

Testicular cancer metastatic to multiple organs including the stomach, kidneys, and skin: a case report

A 39-year-old man whose chief complaints were general fatigue and bloody phlegm was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent left high orchiectomy at an affiliated hospital. The histopathologic diagnosis was chorio carcinoma. Several imaging examinations revealed the metastases in the lung, liver, brain, stomach, kidneys and skin. In spite of various chemotherapies, he died 17 months after the operation. Skin metastasis of testicular cancer is very rare and this is the twelfth case reported in the world, to our knowledge. The significance of skin metastasis in testicular cancer is discussed.     

Preoperative regional maximal removal rate of technetium-99m-galactosyl human serum albumin (GSA-Rmax) is useful for judging the safety of hepatic resection

BACKGROUND: For hepatic resection, the preoperative estimation of hepatic functional reserve in the predicted remnant liver may be more important than that of the entire liver. We evaluated the maximal removal rate of technetium-99m-galactosyl-human serum albumin (GSA-Rmax) in the remnant. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-eight patients were admitted for elective hepatectomy. Conventional liver function, and 15-minute retention rate of indocyanine green (ICGR15) were carried out preoperatively. The GSA-Rmax was calculated according to a radiopharmacokinetic model; then we used the single photon emission computed tomography images to calculate the regional GSA-Rmax in the predicted residual liver (GSA-RL), depending on the operative procedures. The volume of the predicted residual liver (LV-RL) was calculated on the basis of computed tomography images. RESULTS: The preoperative LV-RL correlated well with the GSA-RL in patients with normal liver; however, there was no such correlation in those with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. All of 7 postoperative hyperbilirubinemia occurred in the patients with GSA-RL < 0.15. Two patients died of postoperative liver failure 1 to 2 months after the operation. These 2 patients had GSA-RL values of 0.078 and 0.090, respectively, and severe discrepancies between the GSA-Rmax in the remnant liver and ICGR15. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that GSA-RL may be useful for determining the procedure of hepatectomy and that the value should be maintained at greater than 0.15 to avoid postoperative hyperbilirubinemia or hepatic failure.