Modified technique for determining therapeutic response to radiofrequency ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma using US-volume system.

In radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), microbubbles appearing during the procedure make it difficult to determine effectiveness with ultrasonography (US) imaging. We developed a modified US-volume system and evaluated its efficacy for demonstrating response to therapeutic RFA. Our US-volume system displays multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) images providing a synchronized view with a US image along with past US-volume data in real-time side-by-side on a personal computer.

Radiofrequency ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in elderly patients.

Background And Aim: With the aging of society, the number of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing in Japan. The Government of Japan defines elderly as being over 65 and has divided the elderly into two stages: the first elderly stage (< 75 years old) and the second elderly stage (> or = 75). We investigated the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA) in patients in the second elderly stage in comparison with other HCC patients, retrospectively.

Risk factors for death in 224 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

Background/aims: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been reported as effective therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, few have described methods for predicting prognosis, especially in patients treated by repeated TACE. To determine risk factors for death and try to predict the prognosis, we evaluated clinical data.

Methodology: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical parameters of 224 patients with unresectable HCC treated with repeated TACE from January 1997 to December 2007.

Efficacy of radiofrequency ablation therapy compared to surgical resection in 164 patients in Japan with single hepatocellular carcinoma smaller than 3 cm, along with report of complications.

Background/aims: Radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA) has become widely used against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), mainly because of its ease of use, lower level of invasiveness, and high level of effectiveness. To compare the efficacy and safety of RFA with surgery, we retrospectively investigated relevant patient clinical data.

Methodology: The patients with a single HCC (3 cm > or =, Child-Pugh A or B) who were treated with RFA (RFA-group: n=105) or surgery (Surgery-group: n=59) from January 2000 to June 2007 were enrolled.

Three cases of liver abscesses complicated with colon cancer without liver metastasis: importance of screening for digestive disease.

We treated 3 patients complicated with colon cancer without liver metastasis, who were admitted to our hospital because of a high fever and diagnosed with liver abscesses. In a general screening after performing percutaneous transhepatic abscess drainage, colon cancer was detected in each, though hepatobiliary diseases were not found. Hepatobiliary diseases were the most common etiology of hepatic abscesses in our hospital in the past 41 cases from 1990 to 2005, 3 of which were due to colon cancer.

Prognosis following transcatheter arterial embolization for 121 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with or without a history of treatment.

Aim: To retrospectively evaluate the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with or without a history of therapy for HCC following transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE).

Methods: One hundred and twenty-one patients with HCC treated with TAE from 1992 to 2004 in our hospital were enrolled in this study. Eighty-four patients had a history of treatment for HCC, while 37 did not.

Efficacy of lamivudine therapy for decompensated liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis B virus with or without hepatocellular carcinoma.

The prognosis for patients with decompensated hepatitis B virus (HBV) related liver cirrhosis (LC-B), especially for those with LC-B complicated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is poor. We investigated the effects of lamivudine in patients with decompensated LC-B, with and without HCC. Decompensated LC-B patients (n=55) with Child-Pugh classification scores (CPS) >7 points were enrolled.

Isolated ACTH deficiency with Graves' disease: a case report.

A 60-year-old man was hospitalized with complaints of general malaise and weight loss. On admission, ACTH and cortisol levels were low, and thyroid function tests revealed hyperthyroidism. These findings and further examination led to a diagnosis of isolated ACTH deficiency (IAD) with Graves' disease.

Comparison of genotypes C and D of the hepatitis B virus in Japan: a clinical and molecular biological study.

The genotype-related differences between genotype C and genotype D of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) remain unknown. The relationship was studied between the HBV genotypes and their clinical features, paying special attention to genotypes C and D. Serum samples from 413 HBV carriers were genotyped using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and by restriction fragment length polymorphism.