Contrast-enhanced ultrasonograpic studies on pancreatic carcinoma with special reference to staining and muscular arterial vessels.

Comparative study of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CE-US) and histopathology of surgically resected specimens in 13 patients with pancreatic carcinoma. A time intensity curve was used to determine the percentage brightness increase in cancerous and normal regions and the patients were divided into two groups, hyperperfusion, with a percentage brightness increase over 80% (n=6) and hypoperfusion, with an increase of less than 80% (n=7) on CE-US. The hyperperfusion group included well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma, adenosquamous cell carcinoma and acinar cell carcinoma, while all 7 patients in the hypoperfusion group had moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma.

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan: Consensus-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines proposed by the Japan Society of Hepatology (JSH) 2010 updated version.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death not only in Japan but also worldwide. Clinical practice guidelines for HCC were first published in 2001 by the European Society of Study of the Liver (EASL) followed by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) published in 2005 and updated in 2010. However, these guidelines have proven to be somewhat unsuitable for Japanese patients.

Focal nodular hyperplasia-like nodule with reduced expression of organic anion transporter 1B3 in alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

We report a patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis who had a 15 mm focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)-like nodule in the liver. This FNH-like nodule was diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mainly based on hypervascularity during the hepatic arterial phase, washout pattern during the equilibrium phase and low signal intensity during the hepatobiliary phase in gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MRI; it was surgically resected. Its histology exhibited hepatocyte hyperplasia, fibrous septa containing unpaired small arteries accompanied by reactive bile ductules, remarkable iron deposits and sinusoidal capillarization, and was compatible with the diagnosis of an FNH-like nodule.

Effect of vitamin K2 on the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Unlabelled: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by frequent recurrence, even after curative treatment. Vitamin K2, which has been reported to reduce HCC development, may be effective in preventing HCC recurrence. Patients who underwent curative ablation or resection of HCC were randomly assigned to receive placebo, 45 mg/day, or 90 mg/day vitamin K2 in double-blind fashion.

Report of the 18th follow-up survey of primary liver cancer in Japan.

In the 18th Nationwide Follow-Up Survey of Primary Liver Cancer in Japan, 20 753 people were newly registered as patients with primary liver cancer at 544 medical institutions over a period of 2 years (from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2005). Of these patients, 94.0% had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 4.

Characteristic expression pattern of oxidative stress in livers with cryptogenic hepatocellular carcinoma.

The mechanism responsible for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the setting of oxidative stress has yet to be clearly defined. We studied the role of oxidative stress in hepatocarcinogenesis in subjects without underlying chronic viral hepatitis. The subjects were 24 patients negative for serum hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C antibody tests, who underwent hepatic resection for HCC (Group N).

Pathological diagnosis at early stage: reaching international consensus.

Distinguishing small well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from dysplastic nodules (DN) is frequently difficult, and the precise pathological diagnosis is a key issue in clinical management of the patients. However, the morphologic criteria for confident diagnosis of early HCC are still controversial. To improve the consistency of pathological diagnosis of early HCC, the International Consensus Group for Hepatocellular Neoplasia comprising 34 pathologists and 2 clinicians from 13 countries was convened in 2002, and the group met on several occasions until 2007.

Pathology of early hepatocellular carcinoma: conventional and molecular diagnosis.

Recently, an East-West consensus on the histopathologic criteria for the diagnosis of high-grade dysplastic nodules (HGDN) versus early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was reached. Next to classical morphologic criteria such as nucleocytoplasmic ratio, thickness of cell plates, mitotic index, and architectural disturbance like acinar structures, one of the most relevant criteria to diagnose early HCC is stromal invasion. Because a structured basement membrane is lacking along the hepatocytes in the liver, invasion cannot be defined as tumor growth through the basement membrane as in other tissues.

Overall survival after transarterial lipiodol infusion chemotherapy with or without embolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: propensity score analysis.

Objective: Although iodized oil transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been found to have survival benefit in the care of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, iodized oil infusion chemotherapy without embolization has not been clearly found inferior to or equal to TACE. The purpose of this study was to determine whether one of these therapies is superior to the other or the two are equal in survival benefit and whether embolization with gelatin sponge particles is indispensable to prolonging survival.

Subjects And Methods: A prospective nonrandomized observational cohort study was conducted over 8 years.

Angiosarcoma of the breast with silicone granuloma: a case report.

Angiosarcoma of the breast is a rare non-epithelial tumor and that accounts for less than 0.1% of primary malignancies of the breast. The disease has a relatively higher occurrence among young people, and its prognosis (3-year-survival of only 38%) is extremely poor compared to breast cancer.

Clinicopathological study of hepatocellular carcinoma with peliotic change.

Peliosis hepatis-like blood-filled cavities are frequently observed in the tumors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This finding is generally referred to as 'peliotic change' in HCC. However, the clinicopathological features of HCC with peliotic change (PHCC) are not fully understood.

Analysis of subendothelial leukocyte infiltration in the trabecular veins of septic spleen.

The splenic white pulp (WP) consists of CD20-positive lymph follicles (LFs) and CD3-positive periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths. Atrophy of the WP associated with a prolonged period of sepsis is a well-known pathological finding at autopsy. On the other hand, dense subendothelial leukocyte infiltration in the trabecular veins is also commonly observed in autopsy specimens of septic spleen.

Value of liver parenchymal phase contrast-enhanced sonography to diagnose premalignant and borderline lesions and overt hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: The objective of our study was to investigate whether liver parenchymal phase contrast-enhanced sonography can provide additional information for assessing histologic grades of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Subjects And Methods: Contrast-enhanced sonography using Levovist of 50 hepatic nodules was performed. The vascular and liver parenchymal perfusion patterns were evaluated.

[Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the liver diagnosed by laparoscopy guided biopsy].

A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for right upper quadrant pain and multiple liver tumor were detected by diagnostic imaging. Tumors located near the surface of the liver which accompanied capsular retraction. Diagnostic laparoscopy showed multiple white tone tumors with retraction of the adjacent liver capsule.

[A case of hepatic eosinophilic granuloma, which needs distinction with metastatic liver cancer].

A 68-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of eosinophilia in peripheral blood and pancreatic tumor on abdominal US. He was accustomed to eating the raw flesh of wild boar and keeping wild boar, and under medical treatment for Diabetes. Pancreatic tumor was diagnosed to the pancreatic ductal cancer by the imaging examination and endoscopic transpapillary brushing cytology for pancreatic duct.

Growth inhibitory effects of pegylated IFN-alpha2b and 5-fluorouracil in combination on renal cell carcinoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo.

We investigated the effects of pegylated IFN-alpha2b (PEG-IFN-alpha2b) alone and PEG-IFN-alpha2b plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in vitro on the proliferation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell lines. After the transplantation of RCC cells into nude mice, we administered IFN (PEG-IFN-alpha2b or IFN-alpha2b) alone, 5-FU alone, or IFN (PEG-IFN-alpha2b or IFN-alpha2b) plus 5-FU; and investigated tumor volume, tumor weight, the numbers of apoptotic cells and artery-like blood vessels, relative mRNA expression levels of enzymes which relate to 5-FU metabolism, angiogenesis factor, and type I interferon receptor. RCC cells in vitro were generally and relatively resistant to the anti-proliferative effects of PEG-IFN-alpha2b, but the addition of 5-FU augmented IFN-induced anti-proliferative effects with the induction of apoptosis.

Surgical resection vs. percutaneous ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a preliminary report of the Japanese nationwide survey.

Background/aims: The treatment of choice for HCC remains controversial. We evaluated the therapeutic impact of surgical resection, PEI, and RFA for HCC on outcomes.

Methods: A database derived from a Japanese nationwide survey of 17,149 patients with HCC treated by resection, PEI, or RFA between 2000 and 2003 was used to identify 7185 patients with no more than 3 tumors (< or = 3 cm) and a liver function of Child-Pugh class A or B.

Hepatocellular carcinoma with a "nodule-in-nodule" appearance reflecting an unusual dilated pseudoglandular structure.

We present a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), showing an atypical "nodule-in-nodule" appearance on ultrasonogram (US). In general, a "nodule-in-nodule" appearance is found as a hyperechoic tumor containing a hypoechoic nodule. In the present case, however, there was a hyperechoic subnodule in the center of the tumor, which was surrounded by a hypoechoic tumor area.

Fucoidan, a major component of brown seaweed, prohibits the growth of human cancer cell lines in vitro.

Fucoidan, the general term for sulfated polysaccharides, is reported to engage in various biological activities having anti-tumor, anti-coagulation and anti-viral effects. Though it has been investigated, the mechanism of its anti-tumor effects remains elusive. The current study examined the anti-tumor effects of fucoidan extracted from Okinawa mozuku on 15 human cancer cell lines (6 hepatocellular carcinomas, 1 cholangiocarcinoma, 1 gallbladder cancer, 2 ovarian cancers, 1 hepatoblastoma, 1 neuroblastoma and 3 renal cancers) using an MTT assay.

Diagnostic accuracy of imaging for liver cirrhosis compared to histologically proven liver cirrhosis. A multicenter collaborative study.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of liver cirrhosis by imaging modalities, including CT, MRI and US, compared to results obtained from histopathological diagnoses of resected specimens.

Materials And Methods: CT, MRI and US examinations of 142 patients with chronic liver disease who underwent surgery for complicated hepatocellular carcinoma (<3 cm in diameter) in 10 institutions were blindly reviewed in a multicenter study by three radiologists experienced in CT, MRI and US. The images were evaluated for five imaging parameters (irregular or nodular liver surface, blunt liver edge, liver parenchymal abnormalities, liver morphological changes and manifestations of portal hypertension) using a severity scale.

Clinicopathological study on cholangiolocellular carcinoma suggesting hepatic progenitor cell origin.

Unlabelled: Cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CLC), a subtype of cholangiocellular carcinoma (CC), is thought to originate from the ductules/canals of Hering, where hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are located. We investigated the clinicopathological features of 30 CLCs and their relationship to HPCs. We evaluated the expression of hepatocytic markers (hepatocyte paraffin-1, canalicular polyclonal carcinoembryonic antigen, and CD10), biliary/HPC markers (keratin [K]7, K19, and neural cell adhesion molecule), the adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporters: multidrug resistance protein 1, multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP)1, MRP3, and breast cancer resistance protein, using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.

Primary liver carcinoma exhibiting dual hepatocellular-biliary epithelial differentiations associated with citrin deficiency: a case report.

We report a 50-year-old male patient with primary liver carcinoma exhibiting dual hepatocellular and biliary epithelial differentiations associated with citrin deficiency (asymptomatic adult-onset type II citrullinemia, CTLN2). Although so far 14 CTLN2 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have been reported, this report describes a unique case of liver carcinoma showing the features of both hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma. In addition to the clinical data of the 14 patients reported previously, the findings in our patient suggest that the citrin deficiency might be one of the key disorders causing hepatocellular carcinoma especially at younger ages and can also play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis of the hepatic progenitor cells, which have the bipotential to differentiate into both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes.

Comparison of the outcomes between an anatomical subsegmentectomy and a non-anatomical minor hepatectomy for single hepatocellular carcinomas based on a Japanese nationwide survey.

Background: Although a surgical resection is an important modality for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the impact of the operative method on both the patient survival and disease-free survival (DFS) still remains controversial.

Methods: Using a nationwide Japanese database, 72,744 patients with HCC who underwent a curative liver resection between 1994 and 2001 were divided into two groups based on whether an anatomical subsegmentectomy (AS) or a non-anatomical minor hepatectomy (MH) was performed. A total of 5,781 patients with single HCCs were selected for the study and divided into 3 subgroups based on the size of the HCCs (less than 2 cm, 2 to 5 cm, and greater than 5 cm in diameter).