A novel procedure combining transoral resection and set-back tongue flap for oropharyngeal cancer

Seven patients with advanced lateral oropharyngeal cancer (T3N2bM0, or T4N2bM0) underwent transoral lateral oropharyngectomy (TLO) with reconstruction performed through set-back tongue flap and polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet. TLO was performed following en bloc resection of tumors using endoscopy. To cover the resulting defect in the lateral oropharyngeal wall, the set-back tongue flap was moved posteriorly and laterally to the area of the tongue base and lateral pharyngeal wall. The tip of the set-back tongue flap was sutured to the lateral pharynx to reconstruct the elevated tongue base and altered anterior pillar. The defect on the floor of the mouth was reconstructed using a PGA sheet. Following surgery, the mean observation period was 24 months. The mean operating time was 4 h and 2 min, with an average blood loss of 68.1 ml. All oral intake resumed on the first postoperative day via gastric tube. The mean gastric tube removal time was 1.6 postoperative days as a result of sufficient oral intake. None of the patients received postoperative radiotherapy or displayed evidence of tumor recurrence. We conclude that this novel procedure is highly effective for treating advanced oropharyngeal cancer as it demonstrates good prognostic and functional outcomes.     

LONG‐TERM FOLLOW UP OF PATIENTS WITH SMALL GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMORS IN THE STOMACH USING ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASONOGRAPHY‐GUIDED FINE‐NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are one of the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. GIST are defined by positive immunohistochemical staining for KIT or CD34 and thus are generally diagnosed after surgery. Because small GIST are rarely diagnosed before surgery, the clinical course of these small tumors is not clear. The aim of the present study was to follow changes in size and configuration of small GIST that were pathologically confirmed using endoscopic ultrasonography‐guided fine‐needle aspiration biopsy (EUS‐FNAB). Methods: Between July 1997 and December 2003, 16 tumors in 16 patients (10 men and 6 women) with an immunohistochemical diagnosis of GIST were regularly followed in our hospital. The median patient age when EUS‐FNAB was performed was 62 years (range 26–82 years) and the median follow‐up period was 4.9 years (range 0.5–9.6 years). Results: Fourteen tumors showed no remarkable changes in size and shape during follow up compared with the initial diagnosis. Two tumors enlarged: one tumor approximately doubled its diameter in 8 years and the other tumor increased from 1.8 cm at diagnosis to up to 10 cm after only 2 years. Doubling time of the latter tumor was calculated as 3.1 months. Conclusions: We conclude that EUS‐FNAB might be a good modality for final diagnosis of GIST without surgery, and that GIST without rapid growth on follow up can be endoscopically followed.     

Regional effects of craniotomy on cerebral circulation and metabolism: PET study on the un-ruptured aneurysmal surgery

Regional effects of craniotomy on cerebral circulation and metabolism, such as regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), regional cerebral oxygen consumption (rCMRO2), regional oxygen extraction fraction (rOEF), and regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) were examined by a PET (positron emission tomography) study concerning surgery that was performed on unruptured aneurysm patients. Eight patients with intracranial un-ruptured aneurysms were studied pre- and post-operatively by the 15O labelled-gas steady-state method, using HEADTOME-III. All patients underwent aneurysmal surgery performed by the transsylvian approach. There was a significant increase in the mean OEF values taken from the whole-brains of 8 patients, but there was not a significant change in CBF, CMRO2 or CBV. The increase in OEF was caused by decrease of O2 content, which was caused by post-operative decrease in the Hb value. So, this OEF increase was not the direct effect of craniotomy. In 2 patients, the rCBF and rCMRO2, in the fronto-temporal region (where craniotomy was performed) increased post-operatively. This regional effect suggests transient reactive hyperemia following compressive ischemia during the operative procedure, and metabolic demands for recovery of brain function. In 2 other patients, who had relatively low rCBFs during the pre-operative study, rCBF and rCMRO2 in the bi-frontal region had decreased more at the post-operative study. This change appears to have been caused by removal of cerebrospinal fluid and depression of the frontal lobe. From this study, it becomes evident that the regional effect of craniotomy on cerebral circulation and metabolism is not so great, when adequate microsurgical techniques are used.     

A case of a small hepatoma with multicentric development in precirrhotic fibrosis

Multicentricity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered, especially in patients with liver cirrhosis. This paper describes an operative case of a male patient with probable multicentric development of HCC in precirrhotic fibrosis. The main tumors inside the capsule were completely necrotic due to transarterial embolization (TAE). Histologic examination disclosed discrete tiny nodules of HCC that were not detected grossly. They showed highly differentiated trabecular arrangements: Edmondson I. A scirrhous type was noted in the center of the tumors. At the borders of the tumors the carcinoma cells exhibited replacing growth patterns and it was thought that they developed multicentrically. Partial resection must be performed as extensively as possible in a case such as the present one.     

Bioavailability of mefenamic acid: influence of food and water intake

The influence of food and water intake on mefenamic acid (N-2,3-xylylanthranilic acid) bioavailability from commercial capsules of high bioavailability was studied in four healthy male volunteers. The drug was administered as a single oral dose of 250 mg, under fasting or nonfasting conditions, and a 4 X 4 Latin-square design was used. Eight blood samples were collected over a 24-h period following drug administration, and the drug plasma concentrations were determined by HPLC. The bioavailability of mefenamic acid from capsules was markedly influenced in the fasting subjects by the water but not by the food intake. A good correlation was found between the bioavailability and amount of water ingested with the drug in the fasting subjects. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-infinity) of mefenamic acid was highest when the capsule was taken with 50 mL of water or immediately after a meal. Increasing the amount of water from 50 to 500 mL in the fasting subjects caused a significant reduction in AUC0-infinity.     

Study on extensive lymph node dissection: metastatic lymph nodes in papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

Bilateral cervical lymph node dissection was performed in 71 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma, considered to be relatively early cases because of mobility, irrespective of the size of tumor or presence of node enlargement. Of these, 33 cases received additional node dissection of the anterosuperior mediastinum through longitudinal sternotomy. The number of lymph nodes examined per subject averaged 89.9, the number of metastatic nodes was 13.8, and metastasis was noted in 88.7% of all cases. Lymph node metastasis tended to be more frequent on the affected side, but was simultaneously scattered over the whole cervical area. As to sites, metastasis of paratracheal nodes on the affected side occurred at a frequency of 66.2%, inferior and superior jugular nodes at 62.0% and 59.0% respectively, pretracheal nodes at 50.7%, and tracheoesophageal nodes at 47.9%. The high incidence of para- and pretracheal nodes suggests that the lymph flow in this direction is of great importance in metastasis. In fact, lymph nodes in the mediastinum, which were directly continuous with these nodes, showed as high as 39.4% metastasis in cases of anterosuperior mediastinal extirpation. This extensive node dissection is considered to be very preferable as at least the agony of survival with carcinoma can be lessened.     

Changes in HRCT findings in patients with respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease after smoking cessation.

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in patients with respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) are varied and nonspecific. There is no known report of changes in HRCT findings and respiratory function test results for RB-ILD patients following the cessation of smoking. Five patients with RB-ILD, confirmed by surgical lung biopsy, were retrospectively studied. Each stopped cigarette smoking and did not receive corticosteroid therapy after diagnosis. The clinical symptoms, respiratory function test results and HRCT findings obtained at the final observation were compared with those from the time of diagnosis. Ground-glass opacity and centrilobular nodules corresponding to pathological respiratory bronchiolitis, as well as intralobular fine linear-reticular opacity corresponding to fibrosis involving the subpleural alveolar septa, showed computed tomography-pathological correlations. Both clinical symptoms and the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide improved significantly following smoking cessation, as did ground-glass opacity and centrilobular nodules seen during the initial HRCT examination. Centrilobular nodules and ground-glass opacity, which are the main features of high-resolution computed tomography of respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease patients and represent pathological respiratory bronchiolitis, can be improved by smoking cessation. The diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide in respiratory function tests can be also improved.