[Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct:a case report].

A 78-year-old male patient came to our hospital with a chief complaint of fever. Computed tomography revealed an indistinct tumor in the pancreatic head, along with dilatation of the bile duct and main pancreatic duct. An endoscopic transpapillary biopsy demonstrated adenocarcinoma in the glandular epithelium and a dense formation of quasi-round cells.

For safe and fast surgery: Utilization of the SAND balloon catheter for acute cholecystitis.

Background: The utility of the SAND balloon catheter in laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis (AC) remains unclear.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent emergency cholecystectomy at Shinshu University was performed to evaluate the efficacy of the SAND balloon catheter in cases of AC (SAND balloon utilization: Group S, n = 44; non-utilization: Group non-S, n = 47).

Results: The duration of surgery was significantly shorter in Group S than in Group non-S (p = .