Aortitis is an inflammatory arteriopathy that often progresses to obliteration of multiple large arteries. Surgical treatment for obstructive lesions due to aortitis syndrome therefore is difficult in many cases. The patient was a 23-year-old female who at the age of 19 had been diagnosed as aortitis syndrome with cerebral vessel involvement, and she subsequently received steroids. She increasingly experienced syncopal attacks, and was indicated for surgical treatment. Angiography revealed obstruction of the left common carotid and left subclavian arteries, and severe stenosis of the right common carotid and right vertebral arteries. She underwent bilateral ascending aorta-carotid artery bypass operation with 7mm ring-supported EPTFE grafts. After the operation she developed clinical signs of temporary brain damage due to hyperperfusion syndrome, but she now completely recovered and maintains a good clinical condition.

A 13-year-old girl with congenital mitral incompetence had undergone valvoplasty using the De Vega technique at age 5. The patient was referred by the pediatric department due to recurrence of mitral incompetence. Transesophageal echocardiography indicated regurgitation from A2 and P3, mild mitral leaflet tethering and left ventricular dilatation. Intraoperative findings showed valvular agenesis of the posterior leaflet around P3. No leaflet prolapse was observed at A2, but leaflet P2 had fallen to the left ventricular side compared with leaflet A2, thereby inducing regurgitation due to coaptation gap. In a procedure similar to folding plasty, leaflet P3 was folded down and sutured to the annulus extending up to the posteromedial commissure. This technique not only controlled regurgitation at P3 but also improved the coaptation between A2 and P2. Annuloplasty was conducted using a 28-mm Physio-ring. Folding plasty may be an effective surgical option for patients with congenital mitral incompetence because a broad valve orifice area can be maintained because there is no need for annular plication.

We studied the incidence of associated ischemic heart disease (IHD) among 143 consecutive patients (male 118, female 25, mean age 68.5±6.9 years) operated upon for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), excluding ruptured aneurysms. The screening of IHD was routinely performed by using dipyridamole thallium scintigraphy, and when it was positive, the lesion was further confirmed by selective coronary angiography. More than 50% luminal stenosis of the major coronary arteries was judged positive for IHD. Sixty-two patients (43%) with AAA were simultaneously afflicated with IHD. We also compared the 62 AAA patients with IHD with the remaining 81 AAA patients in this series. The patients with IHD had higher incidences of risk factors such as diabetes mellitus (p=0.0031) and hyperlipidemia (p=0.0029) than those without IHD. Five patients were operated on for AAA after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 11 were operated on for AAA and IHD (CABG) simultaneously, 10 were operated on after PTCA, thirty-two patients underwent elective surgery for AAA and four had emergency procedures due to impending rupture of AAA with continuous infusion of nitroglycerin with or without diltiazem. There was no significant difference in surgical mortality between AAA patients with IHD and those without IHD (3%vs2%), and no cardiac death in this series. When both AAA and IHD are severe enough to warrant surgical treatments at the earliest opportunity, we recommend concomitant operations for AAA and IHD (CABG) since these have been performed quite successfully in our series.

Patients on chronic hemodialysis, undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have high perioperative mortality and morbidity. In order to reduce the perioperative risks, we performed intraoperative hemodiafiltration (HDF) during off-pump CABG (OPCAB). A 62 year-old-man, who had been on dialysis for 2 years, was admitted with a sensation of chest compression. A coronary angiography revealed 75% stenosis with severe calcification in the left anterior descending artery and 90% stenosis in the second diagonal branch. During the operation, veno-venous HDF was started, using a double lumen catheter that was introduced into the femoral vein at the same time that a skin incision was made. During the exposure of the diagonal branch by rotating the heart, the blood flow of HDF was decreased and dehydration was halted to avoid hemodynamic deterioration. The patient was extubated 1.5h after the operation and did not require continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Routine hemodialysis was restarted on the 3rd postoperative day. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged to home on the 11th postoperative day. HDF during OPCAB for this chronic dialysis patient was observed to be effective and yielded an excellent postoperative recovery without CHDF in the ICU.

The sudden onset of anuria in a 71-year-old man was found to be caused by the non-inflammatory (atherosclerotic) large abdominal aortic aneurysm compressing the bilateral ureters. A computed tomography scan demonstrated the bilateral extrinsic ureteral obstructions due to the large aneurysm of 13cm in diameter, left hydronephrosis and no thick layer of perianeurysmal fibrotic tissue. On the 9th day from the onset of anuria, an emergency operation was performed. There was no fibrotic adhesions around the aneurysm and mobilization of the aorta was easy. A straight Dacron prosthesis was inserted between the infrarenal aorta and the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta following resection of the aneurysm of the atherosclerotic origin. Soon after the operation, the patient had very good urinary output with adequate recovery of renal function. This case seems to be very uncommon, but very important in the surgical management of abdominal aortic aneurysm complicated by oliguria or anuria.

We studied the incidence of associated ischemic heart disease (IHD) among 110 consecutive patients (males 99, females 11, mean age 66.0±8.8 years) operated upon for arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). The screening of IHD was routinely conducted by using dipyridamole thallium scintigraphy, and when results were positive, the lesion was further confirmed by selective coronary angiography. More than 50% luminal stenosis of the major coronary arteries was judged as positive for IHD. Forty-eight patients (44%) of ASO were simultaneously afflicted with IHD. Ten patients were operated on for ASO after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), five for ASO and IHD (CABG) simultaneously, eight for ASO after PTCA. Twenty-five patients underwent surgery for ASO only with infusion of nitroglycerin, with or without diltiazem. We also compared 15 patients with thrombotic obliteration at the end of the abdominal aorta o: Leriche's syndrome with the remaining 95 patients in this series. The patients with Leriche's syndrome were younger and had higher incidences of hyperlipidemia (p=0.0254) and IHD (p=0.0225) than those without Leriche's syndrome. In surgical treatment for ASO, particularly for Leriche's syndrome, meticulous attention to complications is needed due to the frequent association of IHD. When both ASO and IHD are severe enough to warrant surgical treatment at the earliest opportunity, we recommend concomitant operations for ASO and IHD (CABG).

OBJECTIVESTo examine the effects of β(3)-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism on body weight change during a weight reduction program for middle-aged, overweight women with careful consideration of their energy intake and expenditure.

METHODS

DESIGNIntervention study of weight reduction for 12 weeks in a community setting.

SUBJECTSEighty overweight middle-aged women who completed the individualized lifestyle modification program.

MEASUREMENTSβ(3)-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism was identified by polymerase chain reaction and consecutive restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis. Anthropometrical parameters, lifestyle factors, blood lipid and glucose levels, physical activity level and energy intake were measured before and at the end of the program.

RESULTSThe numbers of subjects with the Trp64Trp, Trp64Arg, and Arg64Arg genotypes were 45, 30 and 5, respectively. Baseline characteristics among subjects with the 64Arg allele had significantly smaller decrease in body weight and energy intake than those without the 64Arg allele. The change of other clinical characteristics did not differ between the two groups. After adjusting for the %change of energy intake, the %change of body weight did not differ between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONThe 64Arg allele of the β(3)-AR gene is not likely to be the factor determining the difficulty in losing body weight in Japanese middle-aged, overweight women. Lifestyle factors, such as the decrease in energy intake, might mask the effect of the 64Arg allele on body weight loss. Specific considerations for the management of energy intake would be needed to promote body weight loss for those with the 64Arg allele.

A laser endoscopy system was developed in 2012. The system allows blue laser imaging (BLI), BLI-bright, and linked color imaging (LCI) to be performed as modes of narrow-band light observation; these modes have been reported to be useful for tumor detection and characterization. Furthermore, an innovative endoscopy system using four-light emitting diode (LED) multilight technology was released in 2016 to 2017 in some areas in which laser endoscopes have not been approved for use, including the United States and Europe. This system enables blue light imaging (this is also known as BLI) and LCI with an LED light source instead of a laser light source. Several reports have shown that these modes have improved tumor detection. In this paper, we review the efficacy of BLI and LCI with laser and LED endoscopes in tumor detection and characterization.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Endoscopes ; Endoscopy ; Europe ; United States

A 14-year-old girl (Case 1) with respiratory distress during exercise was referred to our department after a pancreatic mass was detected by computed tomography (CT). Contrastenhanced CT scan showed a low-density mass measuring 2.5 × 2 cm in the body of the pancreas. Low signal intensity was seen on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI. We suspected solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of the pancreas and performed laparoscopy-assisted spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on postoperative day 13. A 15-yearold girl (Case 2) with abdominal pain and fever was referred to our department after an abdominal cystic mass was detected by ultrasound examination. Contrast-enhanced CT showed a 4-cm well-circumscribed mass. Higher signal intensity was seen on T2-weighted MRI. We suspected SPN of the pancreas and performed laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on postoperative day 8. Laparoscopic or laparoscopy-assisted surgery should be considered for SPN of the pancreas.

Primary mesenteric neuroendocrine tumor is extremely rare. Here we describe 2 cases of this disease. Case 1 was a 66-year-old man with a working diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor or mesenteric tumor who underwent laparoscopic tumor resection. Immunohistochemically, the final diagnosis was primary mesenteric neuroendocrine tumor G1. There has been no recurrence as of 25 months after surgery. Case 2 was an 80-year-old man with a working diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor or mesenteric tumor who also underwent laparoscopic tumor resection. Immunohistochemically, the final diagnosis was primary mesenteric neuroendocrine tumor G1. This is recurrence-free as of 36 months after surgery. Several cases of primary mesenteric neuroendocrine tumor have been reported, but most have been treated with open surgery. To date, there has been only 1 case of primary mesenteric NET that was resected in a pure laparoscopic procedure. In all 3 cases (including our 2 cases), the largest tumor diameter was 4 cm. It appears that laparoscopic surgery can be used to treat primary mesenteric neuroendocrine tumor of small size (＜ 4 cm) with minimal invasion.