Carbon-ion radiotherapy of spinal osteosarcoma with long-term follow

Purpose

Primary spinal osteosarcoma is quite rare, and the 5-year survival rate is very low. Because of its rarity, successful treatment experience with spinal osteosarcoma is limited. The purpose of this study is to report the effect of therapy of primary osteosarcoma of spine by carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) and long-term follow.

Methods

A 70-year-old with primary spinal osteosarcoma who received CIRT underwent combined anterior artificial vertebral body replacement and posterior lumbar fusion (L1–L5) 3 years later.

Results

According to the surgical resection of tumoral lesion, pathological results showed that the intertrabecular space previously filled with tumor cells on the initial biopsy sample now contained necrotic tissue without tumor cells. This means that primary osteosarcoma of the spine was completely eliminated and achieved local control with CIRT, with a 7-year follow-up after the initial treatment.

Conclusions

Carbon ion beam treatment is an effective local treatment for patients with spinal osteosarcoma for whom surgical resection is not a feasible option, especially for elderly patients. However, more patients need to be evaluated over a longer term to assess the curative effect of CIRT.

     

Pancreatic pseudocyst arising from ectopic pancreas and isolated intestinal duplication in mesocolon caused hydronephrosis in a girl with horseshoe kidney

Ectopic pancreas is a relatively common congenital anomaly and is usually asymptomatic. Pancreatitis in the ectopic site and pseudocyst formation is extremely rare. To date, only 2 cases have been reported. We present a case of a 3-year-old girl with recurrent pancreatitis and unilateral hydronephrosis of the horseshoe kidney, which was produced by pancreatic pseudocyst arising from ectopic pancreas and isolated intestinal duplication in mesocolon. This is the first case of pancreatic pseudocyst that expanded to the retroperitoneal space and caused urinary tract obstruction.     

Detection of peripheral microemboli through collateral circulation by Doppler ultrasound monitoring-report of 2 cases

It is possible for a proximal arterial source to lead to distal atheroembolism even in the presence of chronic occlusive disease. However, no monitoring technique has been established regarding detection of peripheral emboli through the collateral circulation in the lower limbs. We report a 60-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with iliac stenosis and complete occlusion of the ipsilateral superficial femoral artery in whom Doppler ultrasound successfully detected microembolic signals (MES) at the tibioperoneal trunk during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent placement. By means of continuous Doppler ultrasound monitoring, 29 MES were successfully detected immediately after PTA or stent placement (MESp) and 64 MES were detected immediately after the contrast medium administration (MESc). MESc generated significantly higher intensities (median 28, range 7 to 38) as opposed to MESp (median 21, range 5 to 35, p = 0.017). In addition, the intensity of MES after prestent PTA (n = 8, 25 dB, 12-35 dB) and stenting (n = 18, 22 dB, 9-35 dB) was significantly higher than that of MES after poststent PTA (n = 3, 13 dB, range; 5-16 dB), respectively (p = 0.041, p = 0.034). Iliac PTA and stent placement were successful. Ankle/brachial pressure index and the symptoms improved in both patients, who showed no embolic symptoms after the procedure. This study suggested that it was possible to detect peripheral microemboli through the collateral circulation by Doppler ultrasound monitoring and that this technique would be helpful to investigate the mechanism of embolization in patients with PTA and stent placement.     

Augmentation ureterocystoplasty in children: 7-years follow-up

OBJECTIVES: We retrospectively reviewed our experience of augmentation ureterocystoplasty in children to evaluate its long-term results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 1996 to March 1999 four children (2 boys and 2 girls) with neurogenic bladder had augmentation cystoplasty using dilated ureter in our institute. After trans-uretero-ureterostomy the lower two thirds of the unilateral ureter was used to perform the augmentation cystoplasty. Follow-up varied between 59 and 96 months (mean 85). RESULTS: In early post-operative period bladder volume and compliance increased from 96 (64-150) to 113 (40-220) ml and from 2.7 (1.3-5.8) to 4.5 (2.0-11.0) ml/H2O respectively. Incontinence was improved in all children and two had dry interval of 3-hour catheterization. Although bladder volume and compliance kept increasing gradually (239 (237-241) ml, 11.5 (5.7-18.5) ml/H2O respectively) over 5 years postoperatively, 2 elder patients had repeat augmentation cystoplasty using gastrointestinal tract because of hydronephrosis and deterioration of renal function. CONCLUSION: Our long-term result of ureterocystoplasty was no good. Ureter is not an ideal material to provide adequate bladder capacity and compliance for elder children unless their bladder becomes as large as that of adults early post-operatively.     

Implications of arterial anatomy in patients with cancer of the periampullary region

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preoperative information on arterial anatomy in the peripancreatic and hepatic areas is valuable to any surgeon performing pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODOLOGY: Between 1994 and 1998, 49 patients with periampullary cancer (31 distal bile duct and 18 ampullary tumors) underwent visceral angiography and radical pancreatoduodenectomy with lymphadenectomy. Surgically "significant" arterial variations and their effects on operative management and results were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: Arterial variations were found in 18 patients (37%); 15 (31%) were "significant" and 3 (6%) were "nonsignificant." All 15 patients with "significant" variants required specific type of various preservations of the hepatic arterial system. Intraoperative blood loss, transfused blood units, and operation time were greater in patients with "significant" variations than in patients without (P<0.05). Histopathologic diagnosis, tumor staging, morbidity, and mortality did not differ between the 2 groups. The 5-year survival was 33% for patients with "significant" variations and 63% for patients without (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Information on arterial anatomy in the peripancreatic and hepatic areas is necessary for preoperative evaluation in patients requiring radical pancreatoduodenectomy. Presence of "significant" arterial variations may be considered as one of the negative prognostic factors in patients with periampullary cancer.     

Increased DNA-incorporated thiopurine metabolite as a possible mechanism for leukocytopenia through cell apoptosis in inflammatory bowel disease patients with NUDT15 mutation

Journal of Gastroenterology - Polymorphisms in the nucleotide diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15 (NUDT15) gene are associated with thiopurine-induced leukopenia in patients with inflammatory...     

Role of endoscopic ultrasound for gallbladder disease

Journal of Medical Ultrasonics - Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has excellent spatial resolution and allows more detailed examination than abdominal ultrasonography (US) in terms of qualitative...