Acute valve malfunction with thrombosed bioprosthetic valve after surgical aortic valve replacement

Acute valve thrombosis after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement even under anticoagulation therapy is extremely rare. Cardiac computed tomography is a powerful imaging tool to detect valve thrombosis, and surgery is necessary in case of unstable hemodynamics.

Surgical, endovascular, and hybrid treatment of deep femoral artery aneurysm: Three case reports

Key Clinical Message

Deep femoral artery aneurysms (DFAA) are extremely rare. We treated four DFAAs with different procedures including surgical, endovascular, and hybrid surgery. The best treatment should be selected for each individual case.

Abstract

We report three cases of deep femoral artery aneurysms treated with different techniques. Case 1: A 69-year-old man with a huge deep femoral artery aneurysm underwent open reconstruction using a 6 mm expanded polytetrafluoroethylen graft. Case 2: A 67-year-old man presented with bilateral deep femoral artery aneurysms. The right-sided rupture was treated with hybrid embolization, while the left aneurysm was treated by endovascular stent-grafts deployment. Case 3: A 87-year-old man with a large deep femoral artery aneurysm underwent simply surgical aneurysmectomy. As there are many treatment options for deep femoral artery aneurysms, a comprehensive preoperative assessment is essential, encompassing an evaluation of symptoms, anatomy, and comorbidities.

Endovascular treatment after the fenestrated frozen elephant trunk technique

Recently, several centers have performed total arch replacement using the fenestrated frozen elephant trunk technique for acute Stanford type‐A aortic dissection. However, the long‐term results and need for additional treatment following this procedure are unclear. We report a case of a 54‐year‐old man who underwent endovascular therapy for endoleaks after total arch replacement using the fenestrated frozen elephant trunk technique for acute type‐A aortic dissection with an isolated left vertebral artery. After the surgery, the endoleak was resolved, and the patient was asymptomatic with no neurological deficits. This strategy might be effective in similar cases.

When endoleak occur after TAR using the fenestrated frozen elephant trunk technique in patients with rare anatomical subtypes, collaboration with other experts facilitates additional treatment.

[Early Structure Valve Deterioration after Aortic Valve Replacement with the Externally Mounted Bioprosthetic Valve( Trifecta):Report of Two Cases]

Trifecta valve is made from single bovine pericardial sheet, which is externally mounted on a titanium stent. This valve design provides good hemodynamic performance and wide effective orifice area. However, there have been some reports of early structural valve dysfunction which caused acute heart failure. Case 1:An 80-year-old man who had undergone aortic valve replacement (AVR) using Trifecta 21 mm five years ago. He presented with fever and diastolic murmur. Echocardiography showed prosthetic valve regurgitation, and the patient later developed prosthetic valve endocarditis. Case 2:An 80-year-old woman who had undergone AVR using Trifecta GT 21 mm two years ago developed sudden chest pain and dyspnea, prosthetic valve regurgitation. Both patients underwent re-AVR with a new bioprosthetic valve via re-sternotomy. Large tear was found in the right coronary cusp of the Trifecta in both cases. During Trifecta accomodation, we should avoid oversizing, and check the position of coronary ostia and sinus of Valsalva. Secure late outcome of Trifecta GT remains unproven and its use still needs caution.

[Closure of Multiple Ventricular Septal Defects by the Sandwich Technique and Pulmonary Artery Plasty after Arterial Switch Operation]

A 14-year-old girl had undergone a Jatene operation for double-outlet right ventricle with multiple muscular ventricular septal defects (VSD) at 12-day-old. During follow up periods, she was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary artery stenosis and multiple muscular VSDs by echocardiography. Cardiac catheterization revealed elevated right ventricular pressure up to 93% of left ventricle. Multiple times balloon angioplasty failed to improve pulmonary artery stenosis. She underwent closure of multiple VSDs by the sandwich technique and pulmonary artery plasty with translocation of superior vena cava. We present operative technique for the complicated lesions in these operation.

Repair of a unique sinus of Valsalva defect in an infant

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare disease characterized by the partial elevation of the aortic root. Few reports are available on the surgical treatment for infants. We report the repair of an extremely rare case of a sinus of Valsalva defect with a ventricular septal defect and right ventricular outflow tract stenosis in an infant. It was not a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm, but it exhibited abnormal partial bulging of the aortic root and forming an aneurysm-like cavity within the right ventricular myocardium. We performed direct closure of the sinus of Valsalva aneurysm-like cavities and intracardiac repair in two stages. Three years after total repair, the patient remained healthy and asymptomatic.

Surgical and endovascular treatment of a bilateral deep femoral artery aneurysm

We report the rare case of a 68-year-old man with a bilateral deep femoral artery aneurysm. Right-sided rupture was treated via plug embolization of the right deep femoral artery and ligation. In the following year, Viabahn® stent grafts were placed in the left superficial femoral artery to relieve occlusion and in the left deep femoral artery to treat the left aneurysm. The postoperative course of the patient was uneventful.

[Aortic Regurgitation and Stenosis Associated with Ventricular Septal Defect in the Elderly;Report of a Case]

A 63-year-old man had ventricular septal defect (VSD) and had been followed up without heart failure. Recently, he had palpitation caused by atrial fibrillation and the echocardiography revealed moderate aortic valve regurgitation and stenosis with right coronary cusp prolapse due to subpulmonary ventricular septal defect. He underwent patch closure of VSD, aortic valve replacement with mechanical valve, and maze procedure. In recent years, advanced case like this patient is rare because most of patients with subpulmonary VSD and right coronary cusp prolapse are operated in childhood.

Late Period Rastelli Take-Down and Arterial Switch Operation After Rastelli Operation

The Rastelli operation is a useful technique for treating the transposition of the great arteries. However, conduit stenosis of the right ventricular outflow tract is a late complication of the procedure. We report the case of a 35-year-old man for whom an arterial switch operation was performed to treat conduit stenosis and improve ventricular arterial alignment 28 years after he underwent a Rastelli operation to treat transposition of the great arteries with a ventricular septal defect. In the 8 years that followed the operation, he was asymptomatic and was treated with warfarin.

[Open Aortic Arch Surgery for Type Ⅰ Endoleak after Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair Using Fenestrated Stent Graft;Report of a Case]

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become a major procedure for thoracic aortic aneurysm and its indication is expanding. On the other hand, TEVAR specific complication is rather critical and its treatment is of increasing interest. Especially, open repair after TEVAR is sometimes demanding and case based strategy is mandatory. We experienced a case of open repair for aneurysm infection and endoleak after fenestrated TEVAR in 76-year-old man. He underwent initial aneurysmal repair using fenestrated graft 2 years ago. Five months later, debridment of infected tissue was performed because of aneurysmal infection. Type Ⅰ endoleak appeared after the surgery and expansion of the aneurysm made us decide extensive open repair. The operation was done under hypothermic circulatory arrest and selective cerebral perfusion. Partial removal of stent-graft and insertion of the open stent-graft, replacement of ascending aorta and reconstruction of neck vessels were done. Postoperative course was smooth. Open repair after TEVAR is often demanding. Sophisticated strategy for each case has to be planned.

Surgical treatment of cardiac fibroma in a child with left ventricular noncompaction

Surgical treatment of cardiac fibroma is rare in patients with left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC). Although several case reports regarding cardiac fibroma have been published, resection in a patient with LVNC has not been described. Here, we describe the surgical treatment of left ventricular fibroma in a child with LVNC. We resected a cardiac fibroma in a 10-year-old boy with LVNC to control ventricular arrhythmia. Partial resection with careful tumor dissection was performed to avoid endocardial damage and entering the ventricular cavity. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remains asymptomatic without heart failure or arrhythmia. Surgical excision of cardiac fibroma can be performed safely with excellent results, even in a child with LVNC.

[Aortopulmonary Fistula Caused by Rupture of an Aortic Arch Aneurysm Successfully Treated by Surgery;Report of a Case]

An 81-year-old woman who presented with chest and back pain was diagnosed as aortopulmonary fistula caused by rupture of an aortic arch aneurysm and was transferred to our hospital for surgical treatment. Additionally, she was diagnosed with aortic dissection( Stanford type B). Total arch replacement with open stent-grafting and direct closure of aortopulmonary fistula were performed because of her exacerbation of congestive heart failure. Manual compression of fistula during cardiopulmonary bypass was effective to control massive shunt. The patient recovered uneventfully and was transferred to other hospital for rehabilitation on postoperative day 24.

[Infective Endocarditis in Right Ventricle( RV)-Pulmonary Artery( PA) Conduit Late after the Ross Procedure;Report of a Case]

Ross procedure has been found to have a lower incidence of infective endocarditis compared to other aortic replacement procedure using prosthetic valves. We report a case of 25-year-old man who underwent Ross procedure for congenital aortic stenosis and regurgitation when he was 7 years old. He presented with fever and was highly suspected of infective endocarditis. All sets of blood cultures were positive for Heamophilus parainfluenzae. Autologous pericardial pulmonary valve was severely stenotic and computed tomography (CT) scan and radio isotope (RI) scan revealed infection at the stenotic valve. We performed right ventricle (RV)-pulmonary artery (PA) conduit replacement and he was discharged after completion of intravenous antibiotic treatment. We experienced a rare case of infective endocarditis in a patient late after Ross procedure. Prophylaxis against infective endocarditis is mandatory even in patients with infection resistant Ross procedure.

[Left Subclavian Artery Occlusion by Using Amplatzer Vascular Plug I During Thoracic Endovascular Repair]

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to report the use of Amplatzer Vascular Plug (AVP) I for left subclavian artery (LSCA) occlusion during thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) with extra-anatomical bypass.

METHODS

Retrospective review was undertaken in twelve patients who underwent transcatheter occlusion of the LSCA with AVP I as a part of TEVAR of thoracic aneurysm and aortic dissection at a single institution between Feb. 2014 and Jul. 2015.

RESULT

Mean age was 72.4±9.4 years old. Seven patients were diagnosed with aortic aneurysm and 5 with aortic dissection. Mean operative time was 207.8±43.1 minutes. An extra-anatomical bypass to LSCA was performed in all cases, of which 2 cases underwent an additional extra-anatomical bypass to left carotid artery. We used 12 mm size of AVP in 1 case, 14 mm in 7 cases, and 16 mm in 4 cases. Mean follow-up time was 6.3±4.6 months. There was no death and device-related or aorta-related complications after discharge.

CONCLUSION

We reported the use of AVP I for LSCA embolization during TEVAR with extra-anatomical bypass. This result suggested that this method was effective and could be used from here on.

[Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm after an Apical Approach Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation;Report of a Case]

A 79-years-old woman was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and referred to our institution for the purpose of an operation. We decided to perform transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation because of her high frailty due to her age and medication of long-term steroid for chronic rheumatoid arthritis. In the operation, left ventricular perforation occurred by the guide wire and cardiac tamponade was detected. We performed pericardial drainage and controlled bleeding through the 5th intercostal thoracotomy and trasncatheter aortic valve implantation was performed after that. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) demonstrated left ventricular pseudoaneurysm in the apex. We performed re-operation because of the enlargement of pseudoaneurysm. The operation was performed through median sternotomy and the pseudoaneurysm was repaired. The patient was discharged after postoperative CT demonstrated the left ventricular wall repaired.

Supravalvular aortic stenosis after arterial switch operation

Supravalvular aortic stenosis as a late complication of transposition of the great arteries is very rare, and only a few cases have been reported. We describe the case of a 14-year-old girl who developed supravalvular aortic stenosis as a late complication of the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries. The narrowed ascending aorta was replaced with a graft. The right pulmonary artery was transected to approach the ascending aorta which adhered severely to the main pulmonary trunk, and we obtained a good operative field.

[Successful management of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia after aortic valve replacement;report of a case]

Non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) is a fatal complication after cardiovascular surgery, but early diagnosis is difficult because the clinical symptoms are not specific. We report a case of NOMI with successful management due to early diagnosis and treatment. A 78-year-old male complained of sudden abdominal pain after aortic valve replacement. NOMI was suspected because his laboratory work-up showed elevated serum transaminase, and computed tomography showed no mesenteric artery obstruction. We started a continuous intravenous infusion of prostaglandin E1, and performed emergency arterial angiography. Since angiography showed vasospasm of the mesenteric artery, we also started a continuous intra-arterial infusion of papaverine. Each vasodilator drug was started within a few hours after the onset of NOMI. His subsequent hospital course was uneventful, and he was discharged without enterectomy or fatal intestinal necrosis.

Redo mitral valve replacement using the valve-on-valve method

Despite improvements in bioprosthetic valve function, increased human life-expectancy has led to a growing number of bioprosthetic valve deterioration cases requiring reoperation. We report 2 cases of primary tissue failure of a bioprosthetic valve, which were treated by mitral valve replacement using the valve-on-valve method. The reasons for the reoperations were a severely calcified valve annulus, and severe adhesion of a previous bioprosthetic valve. We removed only the leaflets of the bioprosthetic valve and sutured a Carbomedics OptiForm valve onto the sewing cuff of the previous bioprosthesis. No complications, including major cardiac events, were noted during the follow-up.

Rupture of right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into the pulmonary artery

Rupture of a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is an uncommon lesion that can occur in any cardiac chamber since the aortic valve occupies a central position in the base of the heart. However, rupture into the pulmonary artery is extremely rare. We describe a case of rupture of an aneurysm of right sinus of Valsalva into the pulmonary artery of a 51-year-old woman. She had been treated by patch closure of a sub-pulmonary ventricular septal defect and aortic valve replacement due to right coronary cusp prolapse 26 years previously. A massive shunt from Valsalva sinus into pulmonary artery indicated the need of radical operation. The defect in the pulmonary artery wall was closed through a pulmonary arteriotomy with a satisfactory outcome. As far as we know, a case of rupture of a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into pulmonary artery after the previous operation for VSD has not been reported.

Simplified model for end-stage liver disease score predicts mortality for tricuspid valve surgery

OBJECTIVES

The model for end-stage liver disease score (MELD = 3.8*LN[total bilirubin] + 9.6*LN[creatinine] + 11.2*[PT-INR] + 6.4) predicts mortality for tricuspid valve surgery. However, the MELD is problematic in patients undergoing warfarin therapy, as warfarin affects the international normalized ratio (INR). This study aimed to determine whether a simplified MELD score that does not require the INR for calculation could predict mortality for patients undergoing tricuspid valve surgery. Simplified MELD score = 3.8*LN[total bilirubin] + 9.6*LN[creatinine] + 6.4.

METHODS

A total of 172 patients (male: 66, female: 106; mean age, 63.8 ± 10.3 years) who underwent tricuspid replacement (n = 18) or repair (n = 154) from January 1991 to July 2011 at a single centre were included. Of them, 168 patients in whom the simplified MELD score could be calculated were retrospectively analysed. The relationship between in-hospital mortality and perioperative variables was assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The rate of in-hospital mortality was 6.4%. The mean admission simplified MELD score for the patients who died was significantly higher than for those surviving beyond discharge (11.3 ± 4.1 vs 5.8 ± 4.0; P = 0.001). By multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality included higher simplified MELD score (P = 0.001) and tricuspid valve replacement (P = 0.023). In-hospital mortality and morbidity increased along with increasing simplified MELD score. Scores <0, 0-6.9, 7-13.9 and >14 were associated with mortalities of 0, 2.0, 8.3 and 66.7%, respectively. The incidence of serious complications (multiple organ failure, P = 0.005; prolonged ventilation, P = 0.01; need for haemodialysis; P = 0.002) was also significantly higher in patients with simplified MELD score ≥ 7.

CONCLUSIONS

The simplified MELD score predicts mortality in patients undergoing tricuspid valve surgery. This model requires only total bilirubin and creatinine and is therefore applicable in patients undergoing warfarin therapy.

[Volume reduction surgery for giant coronary sinus with valvular heart disease; report of a case]

A 64-year-old male with giant left atrium and giant coronary sinus, who had aortic valve regurgitation, prosthesis valve paravalvular leakage in mitral position and prosthesis valve malfunction in tricuspid valve position, was successfully treated with double valve replacement, paravalvular leakage repair and volume reduction of left atrium and coronary sinus. Giant coronary sinus was about 70 mm in diameter and was thought to be induced by persistent left superior vena cava, high right atrium pressure and prosthesis valve malfunction in tricuspid valve position. Lung volume was so much increased by volume reduction of left atrium and coronary sinus and patient's symptoms were much improved.

[Full-thickness resection of the focus site for adolescent idiopathic ventricular tachycardia]

We present a case of a 14-year-old male with incessant idiopathic ventricular tachycardia for which both pharmacological and catheter ablation treatments failed. Curative surgery was performed on this patient. By intraoperative epicardial isochronous mapping, arrhythmogenic focus was identified in the right ventricular infundibulum between the large conus branch and the proximal right ventricular coronary branch. After cryoablation both from the epi- and endo-cardial sides failed to terminate the arrhythmia, subsequent full-thickness resection of the identified focus was performed. There was no postoperative recurrence of tachyarrhythmia In idiopathic ventricular tachycardia, arrhythmogenic focus is not always situated on the endo- or epicardial side. Full-thickness resection of the focus site might be necessary in such patients as we experienced this time.

[A case of rupture of the right femoral artery pseudo aneurysm occurring in the site of a port for hepatic arterial infusion]

A 77-year-old man diagnosed with rectal cancer and multiple liver metastases underwent transverse colostomy in June 2008, and subsequently underwent radiotherapy of the whole pelvis; chemotherapy was started with 5-FU+l-LV and then switched to mFOLFOX6+bevacizumab. In February 2009, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy was carried out because of the exacerbation of appetite loss with chemotherapy and importance of the control of liver metastases. In March 2009, he had redness and swelling of the site of a port and was admitted to our hospital. The port was removed, but a CT scan showed a pseudo aneurysm with impending rupture in the right femoral artery necessitating emergency surgery. The right femoral artery was closed and a bypass between right external iliac artery and popliteal artery through the obturator foramen was constructed. This case is a rare complication, but rapid diagnosis and treatment are required when a pseudo aneurysm is suspected.

[Reoperation for postoperative pseudoaneurysm after repair for acute aortic dissection associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation and chronic renal failure]

We report a very high risk case of reoperation for pseudoaneurysm after ascending aortic replacement for acute aortic dissection in a 78-year-old man with chronic renal failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Computed tomography 5 years after the 1st operation showed huge pseudoaneurysm originated from the distal anastomosis and the angiogram showed moderate aortic regurgitation. Hemodialysis and congestive heart failure associated with DIC complicated his general condition. Preoperative DIC score was 7 with D-dimer of 39.8 microg/ml. The patient underwent reoperation through night anterior thoracotomy. At 20 degrees C of urinary bladder temperature, we started re-median sternotomy and ablated the adhesion. When the pseudoaneurysm ruptured, we started hypothermic circulatory arrest with selective cerebral perfusion immediately. And Bentall operation and hemi-arch replacement were performed. Postoperative recovery required long period and he was transferred to another hospital at 3 months after the surgery. Postoperative data showed reduction of DIC score to 3.

[Valve-in-valve replacement of primary tissue valve failure of bovine pericardial valve minor]

A 73-year-old woman who underwent mitral valve replacement with a 31 mm Carpentier Edwards Pericardial Xenograft 19 years ago. She revealed sudden onset of a grade IV/VI a seagull like diastolic murmur at the apex, and severe hematuria. Echocardiography demonstrated severe mitral regurgitation. These findings were consistent with acute primary tissue valve failure. Therefore we performed emergency reoperation. At operation, valve leaflet was torn at the commissural stitch, and bioprosthesis strut was buried in the left posterior ventricular wall. The mitral prosthetic valve replaced with a 25 mm CarboMedics OptiForm using a technique of valve-in-valve replacement. This procedure would be one option for replacement of bioprosthetic mitral valve.

Clinical significance of serum S-100 beta protein level after pediatric cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVE

The serum S-100 beta protein level is a specific marker of damage to the central nerve system (CNS). We studied its significance in pediatric cardiac surgery as a possible marker of CNS damage.

METHODS

Subjects were 18 consecutive pediatric patients aged 12 days to 13 years (mean: 2.8 years) undergoing open-heart surgery. We measured the serum S-100 beta protein level using ELISA (SRL Co. Ltd., Tokyo) immediately after inducing anesthesia and immediately, 12 hours, and 24 hours after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

RESULTS

None had postoperative neurological symptoms. The prebypass serum S-100 beta protein level showed a significant logarithmic correlation with patient age. All patients showed increased S-100 beta protein immediately after weaning from CPB, and multiple regression analysis showed that bypass time and cyanosis were significant factors in such as increase. Cyanosis was the only factor in increased S-100 beta protein levels 12 and 24 hours after weaning from CPB. The peak S-100 beta protein level showed a significant exponential correlation with bypass time.

CONCLUSION

Serum S-100 beta protein elevated immediately after weaning from CPB correlated with bypass time but not with neurological symptoms. Physiological changes other than substantial brain damage caused by CPB may increase the serum S-100 beta protein level. Prebypass data on neonates and infants showed serum S-100 beta protein increased without brain damage supporting this hypothesis.

Prognostic factors of gastric cancer tumours of less than 2 cm in diameter: rationale for limited surgery

BACKGROUND

A recent trend in the surgical treatment of patients with early gastric cancer in Japan has been to limit surgery to an extent that ensures complete cure and improvement in the patient's quality of life. If a gastric cancer tumour can be completely eradicated by laparoscopic surgery, the patient can be cured of cancer without major operative stress. A small gastric cancer tumour of less than 2 cm in diameter is an indication for laparoscopic surgery, but little is known about what protocol of surgical treatment is appropriate for this type of tumour.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The clinicopathological features of 150 patients with gastric cancer tumour of less than 2 cm in diameter were reviewed retrospectively from hospital records between 1985 and 1995. The results of retrospective analysis of clinicopathological data of 24 patients with advanced cancer were compared with those of 126 patients with early cancer. Univariate and multivariate analyses of patients with small gastric cancer tumours were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of clinicopathological features.

RESULTS

A significant difference was seen between the gross tumour appearances in the two groups; Borrmann type-4 tumours were more common in the advanced group. Lymph-node metastasis, lymphatic vessel invasion and vascular invasion were found more frequently in the advanced cancer group than in the early cancer group. Scirrhous type was more common in the advanced cancer group. In univariate analysis, unfavourable prognostic factors included deep cancer invasion, presence of lymph-node metastasis, lymphatic invasion and vascular invasion. Using Cox's proportional hazard regression model, only nodal involvement emerged as an independent statistically significant prognostic parameter associated with long-term survival.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic surgery should not be performed on tumours that are Borrmann type in macroscopic appearance and scirrhous-type histologically. Lymph-node metastasis is an independent prognostic factor. We recommend laparoscopic surgery involving local resection of the stomach without lymphadenectomy for small, early gastric cancer tumours that satisfy the criteria mentioned above. However, the validity of this recommendation should be tested by a prospective randomized control trial in the future.

Will accident reports filed in hospitals in Japan be used in the future as evidence in malpractice lawsuits?

A major drawback of submission of so-called incident reports for medical institutions is that such reports may be able to be obtained on request by patients and to be used as evidence in malpractice lawsuits. In Japan, there are no established rules concerning the use of accident reports in medical lawsuits. More debate is needed for voluntary report systems to become established in medical institutions throughout Japan.

Probability of lymph node metastasis in small gastric cancer tumor: is it an indication for limited surgery?

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that are predictive of lymph node metastasis in a small gastric cancer tumor <2 cm in diameter. The clinicopathological features of 17 patients with node-positive small gastric cancer were reviewed from the database of gastric cancer at the Department of Surgery, Sendai National Hospital, Sendai, Japan, and they were compared with those of 131 patients with node-negative cancer. The independent risk factors influencing the lymph node metastasis were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Depth of invasion, macroscopic appearance, cancer-stromal relationship, and lymphatic microinvasion were found to be associated with lymph node metastasis. The variables found to be significant risk factors for lymph node metastasis were depth of invasion (P = 0.0250) and lymphatic microinvasion (P = 0.0028). It is possible for even a small gastric cancer tumor to have lymph node metastasis. A surgeon treating a small gastric cancer tumor must consider that although the cure rate is high, >10% of these tumors have lymph node metastases. Because of the possibility of lymph node metastasis, even with accurate knowledge of the depth of cancer invasion, selective performance of local resection or limited surgery with incomplete lymph node dissection is not justified. Accurate preoperative diagnosis and the appropriate decision for surgical indication are important. Large-scale randomized, controlled trials should be performed to show the advantage of limited surgery for gastric cancer.

[Study on the intensity of MMC and UFT in postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer--study report of JFMTC Study No. 10]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between efficacy and dose intensity of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with MMC and UFT. A total of 1,410 patients from 180 institutions were allocated into a low-dose group and a high-dose group. The patients in the low-dose group received MMC at 8 mg/m2 on the day of surgery and 3 capsules of UFT (300 mg in tegafur) daily for 6 months. The patients in the high-dose group received MMC at 8 mg/m2 on the day of surgery, and in weeks 4, 10, 16, and 22 after surgery and 6 capsules of UFT (600 mg in tegafur) daily for 6 months. The patients in the high-dose group tended to exhibit higher survival rates than those in the low-dose group, although the difference was not significant. For the n(+)ps(-) patients, however, the survival rates were significantly higher in the high-dose group (p = 0.043). The recurrence-free rates showed a similar tendency. The incidence rates of adverse events were significantly higher in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group. Compliance was poorer in the high-dose group. Although the number of adverse events increases, a better prognosis can be expected with a high dose. These results confirmed a dose-dependency in adjuvant chemotherapy with MMC and UFT.

[A case of total cavopulmonary connection by utilization of coronary sinus as a hepatic venous return]

A 2-year-old boy with polysplenia, double outlet right ventricle after pulmonary banding and unilateral bidirectional shunt was operated on. A modified total cavopulmonary connection was done by utilization of coronary sinus as a retrograde route for the hepatic venous return. Left SVC was transected and its distal end was anastomosed to the left pulmonary artery after PA angioplasty. An equine pericardial patch was placed over the ostia of the hepatic vein and coronary sinus. Two ostia of the coronary veins were excluded from the created route. The proximal end of the left SVC was anastomosed to the inferior side of the left pulmonary artery. Postoperative course was uneventful. The postoperative angiogram showed smooth hepatic venous return through the coronary sinus and no pressure gradient was recorded between hepatic vein and pulmonary artery.

Significant prognostic factors in patients with early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Early gastric cancer is defined as a gastric carcinoma confined to the mucosa or submucosa regardless of lymph node status, and it has an excellent prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of more than 90%. From 1985 to 1995, we encountered 266 cases of early gastric cancer in our hospital.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the 266 cases of early gastric cancer was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of clinicopathological features (age, gender, tumor size, tumor location, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, histological type, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, histological growth pattern, cancer-stromal relationship and type of operation).

RESULTS

The overall survival rate of all the patients with early gastric cancer was 95.7%. In univariate analysis, the statistical significant prognostic factors were regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0004), lymphatic invasion (P = 0.0053) and cancer-stromal relationship (P = 0.0016). Absence of lymph node metastasis and lymphatic invasion, and a medullary-type histopathology were associated with improved survival. In multivariate analysis, the statistically significant prognostic factors were lymph node metastasis and cancer-stromal relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Presence of lymph node involvement and a scirrhous type of gastric cancer are associated with poor prognosis. Lymph node dissection with gastric resection is necessary for patients with early gastric cancer who have a high risk of lymph node metastasis. Postoperative chemotherapy is recommended for a scirrhous type of early gastric cancer.

[A case of repeated surgical intervention for pulmonary venous obstruction after repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection]

A 3-month-old boy showed pulmonary venous obstruction after repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection. He was treated with a novel method of stureless in situ pericardium repair. Six weeks after this operation, he showed recurrence of venous obstruction and the same procedure was performed. Another six weeks after this operation, stenosis of the left pulmonary vein necessitated the same procedure again. Although he suffered from pneumonia and died of sepsis, this procedure revealed effectiveness for at least three months. This report showed clinical course after repeated stureless in situ pericardium repair. More experience will be necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of this procedure.

Lymph-node staining with activated carbon CH40: a new method for axillary lymph-node dissection in breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the usefulness of activated carbon particles (CH40) as a vital staining dye for visualizing lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes in breast cancer.

DESIGN

A retrospective evaluation.

SETTING

Department of Surgery in Sendai National Hospital, Japan, a 716-bed teaching hospital.

METHODS

To identify as many lymph nodes as possible in the axillary fat, by which we might decrease the possibility of the presence of undetected metastatic nodes, an emulsion of activated carbon particles (CH40) was injected into the centre of the mammary gland, close to the tumour site, 3 days before radical surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The number of lymph nodes found by the traditional method and by the CH40-injection method were recorded.

RESULTS

After injection, the CH40 was readily adsorbed into regional lymphatics and streamed along with the lymph flow to blacken regional lymph nodes. The CH40-guided method increased the mean number of nodes per case found in the axilla from 8.4, by the traditional method, to 14.0 nodes per case.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the CH40 technique has two technical advantages; one is that it allows surgeons to locate the blackened lymph nodes at the time of surgery and the other is that it allows pathologists to look for the nodes in fatty tissue. Lymph-node dissection with the aid of activated carbon particles is inexpensive, easy to perform and enables the smallest lymph nodes to be easily recognized. CH40 is the technique of choice for the detection of axillary lymph nodes in cases where the number of lymph nodes detected by the traditional method is too small for accurate surgery. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that CH40 could be an appropriate tool for more accurate staging of breast cancer axillary specimens.

[Interim report of JFMTC study no. 20 on the effectiveness of high dose CDDP plus 5-FU regimen as an adjuvant therapy for far-advanced cancer of the stomach]

This interim analysis of the JFMTC study as of May, 1998 covers 321 gastrectomized patients with far-advanced stomach cancer from 135 institutions between November, 1993 and March, 1996. The intensive therapy group (I-group) received CDDP i.p. administration on resective surgery with 70 mg/m2 followed by CDDP i.v. of 80 mg/m2 (day 1, i.v.), accompanying 5-FU of 350 mg/m2/day (day 1-5, c.v.i.) in the 4th, 8th and 12th weeks. The I-group was randomly compared with the standard therapy group (S-group) of MMC of 6 mg/m2 i.v. in the 4th, 8th and 12th weeks and UFT of 3-4 capsules daily for postoperative one year. The results obtained were that 1. adverse reactions were found more in the I-group than in the S-group, particularly notable in the decrease in blood cells, loss of appetite and nausea/vomiting, and incidence of grade 3 or more being 13% (neutrophile leukocytes), 26% and 21%, respectively; 2. there was no significant difference between I- and S-groups in terms of 3-year survival or disease-free survival rates. (JFMTC: Japanese Foundation of Multidisciplinary Treatment for Cancer).

[Interim report on JFMTC Study no. 21 on the effectiveness of UFT as an adjuvant therapy for semi-advanced cancer of the stomach]

This interim report, for findings as of May, 1998, covers data on 435 gastrectomized patients with semi-advanced stomach cancer collected from 144 institutions between November, 1993 and March, 1996. The active arm of the study involved CDDP i.p. administration of 70 mg/m2 at the time of resective surgery, followed by UFT oral administration for one year at 3-4 capsules daily. A randomized control involved no adjuvant therapy after CDDP i.p. administered as in the active arm. The results obtained indicated no significant difference between the groups in terms of 3 year survival or disease free survival rates. Reports appearing elsewhere have suggested that 3-4 capsules/day of UFT may be insufficient to reach the threshold of the effective tissue level, and that 6 capsules may be necessary to obtain the expected results. (JFMTC: Japanese Foundation of Multidisciplinary Treatment for Cancer).

Clinicopathologic prognostic factors in patients with Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer: univariate and multivariate analyses

BACKGROUND

Advanced gastric cancer is classified into four Borrmann types, types 1 to 4. Type 4 is a relatively undifferentiated carcinoma with little or no gland-forming capability. Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and surgical management of gastric cancer, most tumors of Borrmann type 4 are not detected at an early stage and the prognosis remains poor; the five-year survival rate after gastric resection ranges from 10 to 20 percent. We evaluated the affects of several clinicopathologic variables on the 5-year survival rate after resection of Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer.

METHODS

Data on clinical characteristics were obtained from the records of patients who underwent gastric resection between 1985 and 1995 at the Department of Surgery, Sendai National Hospital, and follow-up data were obtained from our tumor registry. Pathologic characteristics were determined from a detailed review of all available histopathologic slides. The relationship between clinicopathologic variables and 5-year survival rate was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier survival curve and the logrank test. Multivariate Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis was then performed to determine which variables were independent prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven patients with Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer underwent a resection during the study period at our hospital. The overall 5-year survival rate was 14.8%. The relationship between clinicopathologic variables and 5-year survival rate was determined by constructing a Kaplan-Meier survival curve. Tumor location (upper, middle and distal vs whole stomach, p=0.0214), lymph node metastasis, capillary microinvasion, and peritonitis carcinomatosa (absent vs present, p<0.05) significantly influenced survival. When multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazards regression of 5-year survival was performed, capillary microinvasion, peritonitis carcinomatosa (absent vs present) and tumor location (distal vs whole stomach) emerged as the statistically significant independent prognostic factors associated with long-term survival.

CONCLUSION

Capillary microinvasion and the presence or absence of peritonitis carcinomatosa are more powerful predictors of 5-year survival than is lymph node metastasis. Patients with gastric cancer of the whole stomach have a poorer prognosis than do those with carcinoma in the antrum of the stomach.

Borrmann's type IV gastric cancer: clinicopathologic analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether there is a specific pattern of clinicopathological features that could distinguish Borrmann's type IV gastric cancer from other types of gastric cancer.

DESIGN

A retrospective study of patients with advanced gastric cancer treated between 1985 and 1995.

SETTING

The Department of Surgery, Sendai National Hospital, a 716-bed teaching hospital.

PATIENTS

The clinicopathologic features of 88 patients with Borrmann's type IV carcinoma of the stomach were reviewed from the database of gastric cancer. The results were compared with those of 309 patients with other types of gastric carcinoma.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Gender, age, tumour size, depth of invasion, histologic type, cancer-stromal relationship, histologic growth pattern, nodal involvement, lymphatic and vascular invasion, type of operation, cause of death and 5-year survival.

RESULTS

Women were afflicted as commonly as men in the Borrmann's type IV group. These patients tended to be younger and to have larger tumours involving the entire stomach than patients with other types of cancer. Histologic type was commonly diffuse and scirrhous, and serosal invasion was prominent with infiltrative growth. Nodal involvement and lymphatic invasion were more common in patients with Borrmann's type IV than in those with other types of gastric cancer. The disease was advanced in most instances and a total gastrectomy was performed in 55% of the patients. The survival rate of patients with Borrmann's type IV tumour was lower than for patients with other types of gastric cancer (p < 0.005, log-rank test).

CONCLUSIONS

In Borrmann's type IV gastric cancer, early detection and curative resection are crucial to extend the patient's survival. Aggressive postoperative chemotherapy is recommended when a noncurative resection is performed.