Should sentinel lymph node mapping be performed for colorectal cancer?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Correct determination of lymphatic nodal statement is essential to stage correctly and to predict survival. As it is vital to make an assessment about the adjacent lymph node(s), this study was designed to compose a sensitive detection on the sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) indicating tumoral lymphatic basin using advanced pathologic examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2002 to June 2003, this prospective study was performed in 41 patients undergoing standard resection for colorectal cancer. In this study we employed the ex-vivo SLN mapping technique. RESULTS: At least one SLN in 37 of 41 patients was identified (90.2%). The lymph nodes (LN) from those patients were studied by hematoxylin and eosin dye (H&E) and multisectioning. Twenty of 37 patients with trace of the metastasis were found. The remaining 17 patients without any metastatic LN by H&E underwent clarification of micrometastases (MM) using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining technique. Two patients (11.7%) had MM in the SLN(s). Upstaging was evaluated in those two. The sensitivity of SLNs was obtained as 90%. Two patients with no metastatic SLN had metastasis in the non-sentinel LNs. CONCLUSIONS: In the LNs from the basin of tumor, MM exposed by IHC staining was still not obvious to indicate poor prognosis. The need for treatment adjustment in those patients is clear since the upstaging was evident.     

Single or multiple perforations with varying locations as a complication of intestinal Behçet's disease: report of three cases

Intestinal ulcers in Beh?et's disease (BD) tend to cause perforation with significant morbidity. The optimal surgical procedure in such cases is controversial and the postoperative period can be eventful with an unpredictable course. We report three cases of perforations with varying locations in three patients with long-standing Beh?et's disease. Two patients required two and one patient required four operations. It is emphasized that the clinician must be alert in a patient with BD when abdominal symptoms accompany the clinical picture. As soon as the diagnosis is reached, surgical intervention with limited resection must be performed. Endoscopic examination and careful medication play major roles in the follow-up.     

A study on inoculum density and reproducibility of drug susceptibility testing by BACTEC MGIT 960

OBJECTIVE: The BACTEC MGIT 960 drug susceptibility system (MGIT AST) has been recently introduced in Japan. The issue of discordant MGIT results compared with the conventionally used Ogawa method has been raised. It has been speculated that discordant results might be due to MGIT inoculum density since there is no standardization step other than dilution of growth for tubes beyond 2 days after MGIT turns out to be positive. In this study, we examined the reproducibility of the MGIT AST system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen sputum specimens from drug-resistant and susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis patients were processed with CCE pretreatment reagent (Japan BCG), inoculated into 3 MGIT tubes, and loaded into the MGIT 960. Inocula for MGIT AST were prepared 1, 3, and 5 days after MGIT tubes became positive. Cultures on day 3 and 5 were diluted 1: 5 with saline. Ten-fold dilutions from each positive culture were plated on Middlebrook 7H11 agar plates for CFU determination. MGIT AST results were compared with those of the conventional proportion method on Ogawa egg and Vite-spectrum (Kyokuto), or Pyrazinamidase (Pzase) assay and Kyokuto PZA test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 15 specimens were culture positive in all 3 tubes. Four of 19 cases were removed from the analysis because of negative cultures in one or more tubes. Three of 4 culture negative cases were MDR-TB. Colony counting showed the mean CFU/ml of inocula prepared from tubes 1, 3, and 5 days after MGIT tube became positive were 3.6 x 10(6), 1.6 x 10(6), 3.1 x 10(6), respectively. There was no significant difference although the CFU range was wide (8 x 10(4)-2 x 10(7)). MGIT AST results were consistent among 3 inocula. Moreover, overall concordance rates between MGIT AST and the conventional methods were over 90% for 5 first-line antituberculosis drugs. These results indicate that the BACTEC MGIT 960 system is very useful for rapid diagnosis of drug resistant tuberculosis.     

Single or multiple perforations with varying locations as a complication of intestinal Behçet's disease: Report of three cases

Intestinal ulcers in Behçet's disease (BD) tend to cause perforation with significant morbidity. The optimal surgical procedure in such cases is controversial and the postoperative period can be eventful with an unpredictable course. We report three cases of perforations with varying locations in three patients with long-standing Behçet's disease. Two patients required two and one patient required four operations. It is emphasized that the clinician must be alert in a patient with BD when abdominal symptoms accompany the clinical picture. As soon as the diagnosis is reached, surgical intervention with limited resection must be performed. Endoscopic examination and careful medication play major roles in the follow-up.     

Effectiveness and limitations of IABP or LVAD in right ventricular dysfunction

IABP and well functioning left ventricular assist device for a failing left ventricle have potential for altering the loading condition of the right heart. Depending on the extent of myocardial damage and the pulmonary vascular resistance, IABP and LVAD can have different degree of hemodynamic effect on the right ventricle. We examined 20 clinical cases who required IABP support to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass. In 10 cases (group I), CVP rose up above 20 cmH2O within 12 hrs of post operative period. In another 10 cases (group II), CVP rose less than 20 cm H2O. Then we compared hemodynamic change (m-PAP, PVR, CVP, PAWP, CI and RVSWI) between two groups until 72 hrs of post operative period. No significant differences were noted in PVR and CI between two groups, but CVP, m-PAP, PAWP and RVSWI were markedly higher in I group. Reduction of RV afterload produced with an IABP may probably be due to degree of recovery of failing left ventricular function. It is though that IABP has less favorable effect on right ventricular in the cases whose CVP elevate above 20 mmH2O within 12 hrs after operation than in those with CVP below 20 cmH2O. Clinical studies were made on 4 cases with biventricular failure in our experiences of 8 LVAD cases (LV aneurysmectomy + VSP closure, MVR + AVR + CABG + LV aneurysmectomy, CABG + LV aneurysmectomy and MVR + CABG). LVAD seems to have more beneficial effect on RV afterload, than IABP right ventricular dysfunction, however, is likely to continue in the cases whose CVP elevates above 30 mmH2O even if LVAD is used.