Impact of preoperative endoscopy for predicting treatment response and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Background and study aims Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) have been the gold standard to preoperatively predict treatment response and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer (GC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC); however, methods for patients without evaluable lesions by RECIST are not yet confirmed. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of preoperative endoscopy for predicting treatment response and prognosis in patients with GC after NAC. Patients and methods This retrospective study included 105 patients with initially resectable GC who underwent NAC followed by surgical treatment. Preoperative factors for predicting treatment response and survival outcomes were analyzed. Results The number of patients classified as responders using preoperative endoscopic assessment, RECIST, and postoperative pathological evaluation were 25 (23.8 %), 28 (26.7 %), and 18 (17.1 %), respectively. Forty-three patients (41 %) were classified as non-targeted disease only, and their treatment responses were not evaluable by RECIST. Multivariate analysis identified endoscopic response as an independent preoperative factor to predict postoperative histological treatment response (odds ratio = 4.556, 95 % CI = 1.169–17.746, P = 0.029). Endoscopic treatment response was the only independent preoperative predictive factor for overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio = 0.419, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.206–0.849, P = 0.016). Further, endoscopic treatment response was available for 33 patients (76.7 %) with non-targeted disease only, which showed significantly different OS between endoscopic responders (80.0 %) and non-responders (43.5 %) (P = 0.025). Conclusions Endoscopic evaluation was an independent preoperative factor to predict treatment response and prognosis in patients with GC after NAC. Endoscopic assessment may be especially valuable for patients who could not be assessed by RECIST.

High Accommodative Convergence/Accommodation Ratio Consecutive Esotropia Following Surgery for Intermittent Exotropia: Clinical Feature, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Consecutive esotropia is a common and stereopsis-threatening consequence of surgery for intermittent exotropia. However, too little attention has been paid to the accommodative convergence per accommodation (AC/A) ratio in this condition. We aimed to describe the clinical features of patients who developed consecutive esotropia with a high AC/A following surgery for intermittent exotropia, compared to those with normal AC/A. In this retrospective cohort study, we identified 54 patients with consecutive esotropia who remained esotropic at one month after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: normal AC/A and high AC/A groups. Clinical features and outcomes were compared between the two groups. Fourteen (25.9%) of the 54 were classified as high AC/A consecutive esotropia. Good preoperative control at near was the only significant preoperative factor associated with the development of high AC/A consecutive esotropia. Bifocal glasses were prescribed for all patients with high AC/A consecutive esotropia, and 11 (78.6%) of them achieved satisfactory alignment at distance and near fixations using bifocals. Patients with high AC/A consecutive esotropia had a significantly more successful alignment (0.9 vs. 13.0 prism diopters, p < 0.001) and better stereopsis (67.9 vs. 670.0 arc seconds, p = 0.04) than the normal AC/A counterparts at the final follow-up. We suggest that high AC/A consecutive esotropia could be successfully managed by wearing bifocals in most cases. A high AC/A ratio in patients with consecutive esotropia may be considered as a clinical marker heralding a better prognosis.

Comparison of the selection of nasotracheal tube diameter based on the patient’s sex or size of the nasal airway: A prospective observational study

When selecting the nasotracheal tube diameter for nasotracheal intubation, atraumatic introduction of the tube through the nasal passage and a safe location of the tube’s cuff and tip should be ensured simultaneously. To maintain safety margin for the tube’s cuff and tip from the vocal cords and carina (2 cm and 3 cm, respectively), the maximum allowable proximal-cuff-to-tip distance was calculated as 5 cm less than the measured vocal cords-to-carina distance. The primary aim of this study was to find a single predictive preoperative factor of the nostril size and maximum allowable proximal-cuff-to-tip distance of nasotracheal tubes. The secondary aim was to compare the difference in the safety margin between the maximum allowable proximal-cuff-to-tip distance based on the patient’s airway and the actual proximal-cuff-to-tip distance of the selected tube. We used fiberoptic bronchoscope to measure the distance from the vocal cords to the carina for the calculation of the maximum allowable proximal-cuff-to-tip distance. We analyzed the association of preoperative characteristics such as age, sex, height, and weight with the nostril size and maximum allowable proximal-cuff-to-tip distance. The proportion of patients with appropriate locations of both the cuff and tip was evaluated. Sex and height were significant predictive factors of the nostril size and maximum allowable proximal-cuff-to-tip distance, respectively (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0048). The difference in the safety margin was significantly decreased when the tube diameter was selected based on the nostril size rather than by sex (p<0.0001). The proportion of patients who had the appropriate cuff/tip location was significantly larger (75.2%) when the tube diameter was selected by sex compared to when it was selected by the nostril size (65%) (p<0.0001). It is more suitable to select the nasotracheal tube diameter based on sex rather than by nostril size to ensure the safe location of the tube’s cuff and tip simultaneously.

Is left-sided involvement of hepatocellular carcinoma an important preoperative predictive factor of poor outcome?

Background The tumor location is the most simple clinical factor and important in liver surgery to make surgical procedure. However, no previous study has investigated the prognostic differences and clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma showing specific laterality. This study is the first report to focus on the laterality and aimed to lead to more simple and useful predictive factor rather than recent complicated predictive models. Methods Patients who underwent liver resection for the first time for single tumors located within each lobe between 2000 and 2018 were enrolled. We divided them into two groups based on tumor location: a right-sided group and a left-sided group. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to assess survival differences in relation to several other factors. Results There were 595 eligible patients; the 5-year survival rates and disease-free survival rates were 49.5% and 19.1% in the left-sided group and 55.6% and 24.5% in the right-sided group, respectively (p = 0.026). Statistical analyses revealed that the following preoperative prognostic factors were independently significant (p < 0.05) in the left-sided group: indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min, alpha fetoprotein, protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonists-II level, and larger tumor size. Conclusion The left-sided group had a poorer prognosis than the right-sided group. A left-sided tumor location is a significant preoperative factor predictive of poor outcome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lung Volume Reduction Surgery in Patients with Heterogenous Emphysema: Selecting Perspective

BACKGROUND: Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) was introduced to alleviate clinical conditions in selected patients with heterogenous emphysema. Clarifying the most suitable patients for LVRS remained unclear. AIM: This study was undertaken to specifically analyze the preoperative factor affecting to LVRS. METHODS: The prospective study was conducted at 103 Military Hospital between July 2014 and April 2016. Severe heterogenous emphysema patients were selected to participate in the study. The information, spirometry, and body plethysmographic pulmonary function tests in 31 patients who underwent LVRS were compared with postoperative outcomes (changing in FEV1 and CAT scale). RESULTS: Of the 31 patients, there was statistically significant difference in the outcome of functional capacity, lung function between two groups (FEV1 ≤ 50% and > 50%) (∆FEV1: 22.46 vs 18.32%; p = 0.042. ∆CAT: 6.85 vs 5.07; p = 0.048). Changes of the FEV1 and CAT scale were no statistically significant differences in three groups residual volume. Patients with total lung capacity < 140% had more improved than others (∆FEV1: 23.81 vs 15.1%; p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Preoperative spirometry and body plethysmographic pulmonary function tests were useful measures to selected severe heterogenous emphysema patients for LVRS. Patients with FEV1 ≤ 50%, TLC in the range of 100-140% should be selected.

Do Immunocompromised Children Benefit from Having Surgical Lung Biopsy Performed?

Background: Surgical lung biopsy is considered a gold standard for the evaluation of pulmonary disease in immunocompromised children. However, in the literature, its accuracy and the rate of complications vary. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the yield of surgical lung biopsies in the management of persistent pulmonary findings in immunocompromised children. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of clinical records of immunocompromised children who underwent surgical lung biopsies, and evaluated the impact that preoperative factors had on outcomes. Results: Twenty-five patients underwent 27 surgical lung biopsies. The underlying immunodeficiency included allogeneic stem cell transplantation (n = 12), chemotherapy for solid tumors (n = 6), hematologic malignancy (n = 4), primary immunodeficiency (n = 4) and chronic steroid use (n = 1). Biopsies provided a specific histopathologic or microbiologic diagnosis in 10 cases (37%). No preoperative factor predicted a diagnostic biopsy. Five of the 27 biopsies were beneficial for the patients (18%). A major complication related to the procedure was reported for 1 biopsy (4%). Conclusions: We conclude that surgical lung biopsy in pediatric immunocompromised patients appears to be safe, but has a relatively low diagnostic yield and an even lower yield with regards to the benefit it provides. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel