Penetration of a swallowed fish bone into pulmonary vein: diagnosis and management.

We present a case of a 71-year-old woman who accidently swallowed a large fish bone that penetrated into the pulmonary vein. She visited the hospital the next day with a complaint of mild chest discomfort with slight pain and fever of 37.4 °C.

Immune microenvironment in Barrett's esophagus adjacent to esophageal adenocarcinoma: possible influence of adjacent mucosa on cancer development and progression.

The immune microenvironment plays a pivotal role in cancer development and progression. Therefore, we studied the status of immune cells in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and adjacent Barrett's esophagus (BE) and their association with the clinical course of patients. We included 87 patients with EAC who underwent surgical resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Glucocorticoid receptor and serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase-1 in esophageal adenocarcinoma and adjacent Barrett's esophagus.

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and is predisposed to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). EAC is an exemplar model of inflammation-associated cancer. Glucocorticoids suppress inflammation through glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase-1 (Sgk1) expressions.

Thoracoscopic primary repair with mediastinal drainage is a viable option for patients with Boerhaave's syndrome.

Background: Spontaneous esophageal rupture (Boerhaave's syndrome) is an emergency that can cause life-threatening conditions. Various procedures have been used to treat Boerhaave's syndrome. However, a standard surgical procedure has not been established.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with situs inversus totalis: a case report and literature review.

A 63-year-old male visited our hospital, complaining of discomfort when swallowing. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor in the middle thoracic esophagus, which was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma by endoscopic biopsy. Computed tomography revealed situs inversus totalis (SIT).

Three-dimensional lymphoscintigraphy using SPECT/CT and 123I-BMIPP for the preoperative detection of anatomical anomalies of the thoracic duct.

Purpose: Orally administered I-labeled 15-(4-iodophenyl)-3(R,S)-methylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP), a fatty acid analog, is absorbed from the intestine and ascends to the venous angle through the thoracic duct (TD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of 3-dimensional (3D) TD scintigraphy using SPECT/CT and BMIPP for the detection of anatomical anomalies of TD.

Patients And Methods: This study included 35 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who underwent tumor resection after TD scintigraphy.

Esophagectomy using a thoracoscopic approach with an open laparotomic or hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal stage for esophageal cancer: analysis of survival and prognostic factors in 315 patients.

Unlabelled: Survival and prognostic factors were analyzed in 315 patients with esophageal cancer undergoing thoracoscopic-assisted esophagectomy (TAE). The 5-year survival rate of 57.8% was satisfactory, indicating the oncological feasibility of TAE.

Thoracic duct visualization: combined use of multidetector-row computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: The objective of the study was to assess the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and helical multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) to visualize the thoracic duct in esophageal cancer patients.

Methods: Sixty esophageal cancer patients underwent preoperative MDCT and MRI using 3-dimensional balanced turbo-field-echo sequence. The visualization grades by MDCT, MRI, and a combination of MDCT and MRI were scored in 4 segments of the thoracic duct (cervical, upper, middle, and lower).

Demonstration of the anatomy of the esophageal artery using multidetector-row helical computed tomography.

Objective: To assess the ability of multidetector-row helical computed tomography to depict the esophageal artery.

Methods: Patients with esophageal cancer (n = 88) underwent multidetector-row helical computed tomography. Degree of visualization, branching level, angle, and length of the esophageal artery were investigated.

[Simulation of thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer by three-dimensional computed tomography and usefulness for preservation of bronchial arteries].

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer was simulated preoperatively by 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT). The anatomical structures such as major vessels, bone, trachea and bronchi, esophagus, lymph nodes, and broncial arteries were extracted from multi-detector row CT scanning and integrated to build the virtual operative field by multi-volume fusion. The virtual thoracoscopy was helpful to understand the location of lymph nodes and bronchial arteries in relation to the adjacent anatomical structures.

Bronchial artery anatomy: preoperative 3D simulation with multidetector CT.

Purpose: To preoperatively evaluate anatomic variations of the bronchial arteries by obtaining three-dimensional (3D) simulations with multidetector computed tomography (CT).

Materials And Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Seventy-three consecutive patients with esophageal cancer underwent dynamic multidetector CT.

Prospective comparison of surgery alone and chemoradiotherapy with selective surgery in resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Purpose: Esophagectomy remains the mainstay treatment for esophageal cancer, although retrospective studies have suggested that chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is as effective as surgery. To determine whether CRT can substitute for surgery as the primary treatment modality, we performed a prospective direct comparison of outcomes after treatment in patients with resectable esophageal cancer who had received CRT and those who had undergone surgery.

Methods And Materials: Eligible patients had resectable T1-3N0-1M0 thoracic esophageal cancer.

Inhibitory effect of succinic acid on epithelial cell proliferation of colonic mucosa in rats.

Microbial breakdown of carbohydrates in the large intestine mainly produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA stimulate epithelial cell proliferation of the digestive tract in vivo. Succinic acid sometimes accumulates in the colonic lumen.

[Simulation of thoracoscopic esophagectomy by three-dimensional computed tomography].

The virtual operative field of thoracoscopic surgery for esophageal cancer was created by three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) imaging. Major vessels, bone, trachea, bronchi, lung, esophagus, lymph nodes and broncial arteries were constructed by a Zio M900 workstation from multidetector-row CT scanning data. The mediastinal lymph nodes and bilateral bronchial arteries were drawn by a free-hand tool.

Virtual CT thoracoscopy: preoperative simulation for thoracoscopic surgery of esophageal cancer.

Thoracoscopic esophageal surgery is a complex procedure requiring simultaneous dissection of the esophagus and lymph nodes while maintaining the surrounding vessels. Because of the difficulty in obtaining comprehensive views of the operative field, three-dimensional (3-D) images with preoperative information on the vascular system, esophagus, trachea, lungs, lymph nodes, skin, and bones would be extremely helpful in performing the surgery.

Gaps and fragmentation of the superficial cortex in the abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes of elderly Japanese.

Gaps and fragmentation of the superficial lymph node cortex are considered to provide intranodal shunt flow between the afferent and efferent vessels. Using serial sections of 205 nodes obtained from 27 donated cadavers more than 70 years of age, we examined the histological architecture of the abdominal and pelvic nodes in elderly Japanese. Secondary follicles were rare in the specimens.

Gastric or rectal instillation of short-chain fatty acids stimulates epithelial cell proliferation of small and large intestine in rats.

Short-chain fatty acids stimulate gut epithelial cell proliferation in vivo, although the difference between oral and rectal routes is unknown. Accordingly, we examined the effect of oral or rectal administration of these acids. We instilled a mixture of acetic acid, propionic acid, and n-butyric acid (150, 60, and 60 mmol/liter, respectively; pH 6.