A 54-year-old man presented with constipation with a six-month duration and a 5 kg weight loss over 10 months. He had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy and chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer 13 years earlier. A colonoscopy revealed a firm, circular, in-growing mass in the rectum. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 3.0×1.2 cm invasive mass near the prostate, abutting the rectal wall and invading the right ureterovesical junction, causing hydroureteronephrosis. A positron emission tomography-CT scan indicated low fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the rectal or prostate area. The biopsy results showed poorly differentiated carcinoma. An immunohistochemistry study confirmed CK7 positive, CK20 negative, MUC2 negative, and CDX2 focally positive immune phenotype for cancer cells, suggesting a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma with a gastric origin rather than a prostate and rectal origin.

A 54-year-old man presented with constipation with a six-month duration and a 5 kg weight loss over 10 months. He had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy and chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer 13 years earlier. A colonoscopy revealed a firm, circular, in-growing mass in the rectum. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 3.0×1.2 cm invasive mass near the prostate, abutting the rectal wall and invading the right ureterovesical junction, causing hydroureteronephrosis. A positron emission tomography-CT scan indicated low fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the rectal or prostate area. The biopsy results showed poorly differentiated carcinoma. An immunohistochemistry study confirmed CK7 positive, CK20 negative, MUC2 negative, and CDX2 focally positive immune phenotype for cancer cells, suggesting a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma with a gastric origin rather than a prostate and rectal origin.

A 54-year-old man presented with constipation with a six-month duration and a 5 kg weight loss over 10 months. He had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy and chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer 13 years earlier. A colonoscopy revealed a firm, circular, in-growing mass in the rectum. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 3.0×1.2 cm invasive mass near the prostate, abutting the rectal wall and invading the right ureterovesical junction, causing hydroureteronephrosis. A positron emission tomography-CT scan indicated low fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the rectal or prostate area. The biopsy results showed poorly differentiated carcinoma. An immunohistochemistry study confirmed CK7 positive, CK20 negative, MUC2 negative, and CDX2 focally positive immune phenotype for cancer cells, suggesting a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma with a gastric origin rather than a prostate and rectal origin.

A 54-year-old man presented with constipation with a six-month duration and a 5 kg weight loss over 10 months. He had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy and chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer 13 years earlier. A colonoscopy revealed a firm, circular, in-growing mass in the rectum. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 3.0×1.2 cm invasive mass near the prostate, abutting the rectal wall and invading the right ureterovesical junction, causing hydroureteronephrosis. A positron emission tomography-CT scan indicated low fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the rectal or prostate area. The biopsy results showed poorly differentiated carcinoma. An immunohistochemistry study confirmed CK7 positive, CK20 negative, MUC2 negative, and CDX2 focally positive immune phenotype for cancer cells, suggesting a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma with a gastric origin rather than a prostate and rectal origin.

A 54-year-old man presented with constipation with a six-month duration and a 5 kg weight loss over 10 months. He had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy and chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer 13 years earlier. A colonoscopy revealed a firm, circular, in-growing mass in the rectum. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 3.0×1.2 cm invasive mass near the prostate, abutting the rectal wall and invading the right ureterovesical junction, causing hydroureteronephrosis. A positron emission tomography-CT scan indicated low fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the rectal or prostate area. The biopsy results showed poorly differentiated carcinoma. An immunohistochemistry study confirmed CK7 positive, CK20 negative, MUC2 negative, and CDX2 focally positive immune phenotype for cancer cells, suggesting a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma with a gastric origin rather than a prostate and rectal origin.

Purpose: The skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the L3 level is widely used to diagnose sarcopenia. The upper thigh (UT) also reflects changes in whole-body muscle mass, but no study has examined this using the UT to diagnose sarcopenia in liver transplantation (LT). This study aimed to determine an optimal cut-off value for UT-SMI and investigate how sarcopenia diagnosed by UT-SMI correlates with outcomes in LT recipients. Methods: In this retrospective study of 332 LT patients from 2018 to 2020, we investigated the association between sarcopenia diagnosed by UT-SMI and patient outcomes after LT. Results: The cut-off values for UT-SMI were 38.3 cm 2 /m 2 for females (area under the curve [AUC], 0.927; P < 0.001) and 46.7 cm 2 /m 2 for males (AUC, 0.898; P < 0.001). The prevalence of sarcopenia diagnosed by UT-SMI was 33.4% in our cohort. Patient and graft survival rates in the UT-SMI sarcopenia group were significantly poorer than those in the UT-SMI non-sarcopenia group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). UT-SMI was an independent prognostic factor for patient survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.182; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.183–4.025; P = 0.012) and graft survival (HR, 2.227; 95% CI, 1.054–4704; P = 0.036) in our multivariable Cox analysis. Conclusion We confirmed that sarcopenia diagnosed by UT-SMI is associated with outcomes in LT recipients. In addition, UT-SMI was identified as an independent prognostic factor for patient survival and graft survival. Therefore, UT-SMI could be a good option for CT-based evaluations of sarcopenia in LT recipients.

Background and Objectives: Identifying patients with high bleeding risk (HBR) is important when making decisions for antiplatelet therapy strategy. This study evaluated the impact of ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) according to HBR in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients treated with drug eluting stents (DESs). Methods: In this post-hoc analysis of the TICO trial, HBR was defined by 2 approaches: meeting Academic Research Consortium for HBR (ARC-HBR) criteria or Predicting Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Stent Implantation and Subsequent DAPT (PRECISEDAPT) score ≥25. The primary outcome was a 3–12 months net adverse clinical event (composite of major bleeding and adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events). Results: Of the 2,980 patients without adverse events during the first 3 months after DES implantation, 453 (15.2%) were HBR by ARC-HBR criteria and 504 (16.9%) were HBR by PRECISE-DAPT score. The primary outcome rate was higher in HBR versus non-HBR patients (by ARC-HBR criteria: hazard ratio [HR], 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76– 4.69; p<0.001; by PRECISE-DAPT score: HR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.92–4.98; p<0.001). Ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT was associated with lower primary outcome rate than ticagrelor-based 12-month DAPT regardless of HBR by ARC-HBR criteria, with similar magnitudes of therapy effect for HBR and non-HBR patients (p-interaction=0.400). Results were consistent by PRECISE-DAPT score (p-interaction=0.178). Conclusions In ACS patients treated with DESs, ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT was associated with lower rate of adverse clinical outcomes regardless of HBR, with similar magnitudes of therapy effect between HBR and non-HBR.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02494895

Background/Aims: Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)-positive donors are used as an extended donor pool, and current guidelines recommend the usage of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) as prophylaxis for preventing de novo hepatitis B virus infection (DNH). We analyzed the long-term outcomes of a large cohort of liver transplantation (LT) patients receiving anti-HBc-positive grafts and evaluated the risk of DNH when hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) monotherapy was used as prophylaxis. We also compared the cost-effectiveness of HBIG and NAs. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 457 patients with anti-HBc-positive grafts and 898 patients with anti-HBc-negative grafts who underwent LT between January 2001 and December 2018. We compared recipient characteristics according to the anti-HBc status of the donor, and compared the costs of using NAs for the rest of the patient’s life and using HBIG to maintain hepatitis B surface antibody titers above 200 IU/L. Results: The 1-, 5-, and 10-year patient survival rates were 87.7%, 73.5%, and 67.7%, respectively, in patients with anti-HBc-positive grafts, and 88.5%, 77.4%, and 70.3%, respectively, in patients with anti-HBc-negative grafts (P=0.113). Among 457 recipients with anti-HBc-positive grafts, 117 (25.6%) were non-HBV recipients. The overall incidence of DNH was 0.9%. When using HBIG under insurance coverage, the cumulative cost was lower compared with using NA continuously without insurance coverage in Korea. Conclusions Anti-HBc-positive grafts alone do not affect patient survival or graft survival. HBIG monoprophylaxis has good outcomes for preventing DNH, and the patient’s long-term cost burden is low in Korea because of the national insurance system in this cohort.

Hepatocellular adenoma is a benign tumor of the liver occurring predominantly in young women taking oral contraceptives. The malignant transformation of hepatocellular adenoma into hepatocellular carcinoma has rarely been reported. Herein, we report the case of an elderly male patient with hepatocellular carcinoma that developed from hepatocellular adenoma. The patient’s high risk for surgery and conflicting biopsy and imaging results made it difficult to determine the treatment direction. Eventually, the mass was completely removed by laparoscopic left hemi-hepatectomy without complications.

Background/Aims: Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)-positive donors are used as an extended donor pool, and current guidelines recommend the usage of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) as prophylaxis for preventing de novo hepatitis B virus infection (DNH). We analyzed the long-term outcomes of a large cohort of liver transplantation (LT) patients receiving anti-HBc-positive grafts and evaluated the risk of DNH when hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) monotherapy was used as prophylaxis. We also compared the cost-effectiveness of HBIG and NAs. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 457 patients with anti-HBc-positive grafts and 898 patients with anti-HBc-negative grafts who underwent LT between January 2001 and December 2018. We compared recipient characteristics according to the anti-HBc status of the donor, and compared the costs of using NAs for the rest of the patient’s life and using HBIG to maintain hepatitis B surface antibody titers above 200 IU/L. Results: The 1-, 5-, and 10-year patient survival rates were 87.7%, 73.5%, and 67.7%, respectively, in patients with anti-HBc-positive grafts, and 88.5%, 77.4%, and 70.3%, respectively, in patients with anti-HBc-negative grafts (P=0.113). Among 457 recipients with anti-HBc-positive grafts, 117 (25.6%) were non-HBV recipients. The overall incidence of DNH was 0.9%. When using HBIG under insurance coverage, the cumulative cost was lower compared with using NA continuously without insurance coverage in Korea. Conclusions Anti-HBc-positive grafts alone do not affect patient survival or graft survival. HBIG monoprophylaxis has good outcomes for preventing DNH, and the patient’s long-term cost burden is low in Korea because of the national insurance system in this cohort.