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A 57-year-old woman was discovered to have a cystic tumor, 8 cm in diameter, at the pancreas tail, during routine screening with ultrasonography. The patient did not complain of tenderness, and no abdominal mass was palpable at physical examination. Enhanced computed tomography(CT) revealed that the tumor had mural nodules in the cyst wall, and we suspected it to be a malignant tumor that had occurred in the mucinous cystic neoplasm(MCN). Therefore, surgical resection was attempted, upon which the tumor was found to be hard and the surrounding tissue adhered widely to the stomach. We separated it carefully from the stomach and then performed a distal pancreatectomy. The cut surface revealed that the posterior wall of the cystic tumor was partly thickened, and microscopic examination revealed it to be invasive ductal carcinoma. No ovarian-like stroma was involved and some degree of dysplasia(PanIN 1-3) was found in the neighboring tissues. Therefore, we re-diagnosed it to be invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas derived from intraductal papillary mucinous tumor(IPMT), not from MCN. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy, although 5 months later multiple lung metastases had appeared. The international consensus guidelines for management of IPMN and MCN of the pancreas suggest that they can usually be distinguished preoperatively, if there is a complete understanding of their clinical and imaging features. However, we sometimes find it difficult to distinguish the 2, because some IPMN or MCN cases have shared preoperative features. Herein, we report the case of invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas derived from IPMT that was originally misdiagnosed as a MCN.

Our patient was a 67-year-old man, with a chief complaint of brown urine. He subsequently underwent medical examination in June. Because the results of his blood examination revealed liver dysfunction, he was admitted to our hospital for further careful examination. An abdominal computed tomography(CT) scan showed the presence of a pancreas tumor, with a diameter of 2 cm, at the pancreas head, as well as common biliary duct dilatation and main pancreatic duct dilation from the head to the tail of the pancreas. The patient was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer[cT3( CH+, DU+), cN0, cM0, cStage III], with obstructive jaundice. After biliary drainage, we performed laparotomy in August. During the operation, other than the tumor on the pancreas head, identified at the preoperative diagnosis, we found 2 white nodules on the pancreas surface. One nodule was located at the body of the pancreas and the other, at its tail. On intraoperative pathological examination of the nodules, they were found to be invasive ductal carcinomas. On the basis of these findings, we suspected multiple cancers or overall pancreatic cancer; therefore, we performed total pancreatectomy, not pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We choose pancreatectomy over PD because it was impossible to confirm the cancerous area. Pathological examination of the resected specimen did not reveal any malignant lesion. Thus, if we had not performed pancreatectomy, assuming that the pancreas body or tail had no cancer lesion, based on the pathological examination result, the cancer would have persisted. Further, careful examination involving inspection and palpation is considered to be essential before resection of the pancreas tumor.

A 66-year-old man with multiple hepatocellular carcinomas(HCCs) underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) twice and radiofrequency ablation(RFA) twice at another hospital in June 2009. In November 2010, abdominal computed tomography(CT) revealed a solitary lymph node metastasis( 23 mm in diameter) in the hepatoduodenal ligament, after which he was admitted to our hospital in December 2010. In February 2011, ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaceric acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) showed revealed a growing solitary lymph node metastasis(33 mm in diameter) and good control of the intrahepatic lesion. Positron emission tomography(PET)-CT confirmed the solitary lymph node metastasis without any other extrahepatic recurrence. We performed lymph node resection in March 2011 because of good control of the intrahepatic lesion and the lack of extrahepatic recurrence. He was discharged from our hospital 11 days after surgery with a good postoperative course. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a lymph node metastasis of poorly differentiated HCC. Subsequent abdominal CT in January 2012 revealed multiple recurrent lesions, and he underwent TACE therapy in February 2012. Currently, the patient is alive 1 year 3 months after lymph node resection without any other extrahepatic recurrence.

A 59-year-old man had received medical treatment for alcoholic hepatopathy. He stopped drinking 3 years before visiting the hospital. On medical examination, the abdominal echo showed a hepatic mass lesion that was HBs-Ag (-) and HCV-Ab (-). Computed tomography (CT) revealed a tumor of more than 25 mm in diameter at S7 of the liver. Dynamic CT showed that it was stained in the early phase but washed out in the delay phase. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high intensity staining of the tumor in both T1-and T2-weighted images, and it was also stained in the EOB Primovist MRI hepatobiliary phase. The findings from the images were not typical for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) or other benign tumors. We therefore performed an S7 partial hepatectomy. We diagnosed the tumor as focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) by histology.

We report a case of 50-year-old man with refractory anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy, which was successfully treated with endoscopic triamcinolone injection therapy. He received a curative operation for advanced thoratic esophageal carcinoma (Mt, Type 3, cT3, cN1, MO, Stage III). Anastomotic leakage was occurred as post-operative adverse event, which recovered conservatively, and subsequently resulted in refractory anastomotic stricture. He had a recurrence of dysphagia despite of repeated bougienage and endoscopic balloon dilatation. Four years later, he received an intralesional triamcinolone injection in anastomotic stricture every four weeks. According to the 5 courses of treatment, anastomotic stricture was cured and there was no recurrence confirmed. Intralesional triamcinolone injection may be one of the promising options for the treatment of refractory anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy.

Case 1 was an 85-year-old man, who was pointed out a gallbladder tumor by screening CT scan after bladder cancer. The tumor was arisen in the gallbladder body, 1 .5 cm in diameter. He underwent a radical surgery; the gallbladder-bed was resected with more than 1 cm margin, and lymphadenectomy was done preserving biliary tract. Pathologically his tumor was papillary adenocarcinoma suspected to invade to the liver-bed minimally. A lymph node involvement was solitary located at right side of hepatoduodenal ligament (behind biliary tract). Case 2 was a 73-year-old man who was pathologically diagnosed to be advanced gallbladder carcinoma after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. CT scan and MRI revealed a mass sized 2 cm in diameter, at the gallbladder-bed, and PET exam showed a hot spot at this site only. Therefore, he underwent a radical surgery like case 1. Pathologically the tumor was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, and a lymph node involvement was solitary and located behind a biliary tract. Both patients have been recurrent free for more than 22 months and 15 months, respectively. Two lymphatic drainage routes have been suggested, one is the route which runs right side of hepatoduodenal ligament, another runs via left side of the ligament, along hepatic artery. Our two cases are considered to be solitary metastatic cases along the right side route. A clinical case of solitary node positive seems to be known for its relatively good prognosis. In order to justify our cases, we need a longer follow-up period, or we should have more cases to be experienced.

A 70-year-old man with type B hepatitis had ruptured HCC in segment 5, and he underwent with TAE at other hospital in June 2007. Then, he was introduced to our hospital in July 2007. Partial hepatectomy( S5) was performed in August 2007 (pT2N0M0, Stage II). Afterward, he underwent TACE therapy twice because of multiple intrahepatic recurrences. Abdominal CT revealed a viable recurrence lesion (S5), and peritoneal dissemination (surface of S3) in June 2009. We carried out partial hepatectomy (S5), and removal of peritoneal dissemination because of good liver function and without any other extra hepatic recurrence in July 2009. Histologically, the intrahepatic lesion( S5) and the S3 surface lesion were diagnosed as moderately differentiated HCC. In July 2010, abdominal CT revealed three lesions of peritoneal dissemination (right subphrenic lesion, hepatic flexure of the colon, neighborhood of left ureter, then the second removal of peritoneal dissemination was performed. In January 2011, he had multiple lung metastatic lesions, and multiple bone metastatic lesions were occurred in March 2011, then his general condition was getting worse. In April 2011, he was dead 46 months after the first TAE therapy for ruptured HCC, or 21 months after the first resection of peritoneal dissemination. Surgical resection of peritoneal dissemination of HCC may improve a survival for patients whose intrahepatic lesion is contorollable.

A 40s woman, who had undergone hepatic resection twice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was admitted to our hospital because of a tumor with pain on the right 9th rib. From the findings of chest computed tomography (CT), abdominal CT and bone scintigraphy, we diagnosed the rib metastasis of HCC without any other recurrences. Local resection of the right 9th rib was performed in July 2008. Histologically, the tumor of the rib was diagnosed as the metastasis of HCC. The patient's pain on the right rib was disappeared after the operation. After the rib resection, the recurrence of the remnant of the right 9th rib occurred in June 2009. Local resection of the rib was performed in July 2009. Afterward, the recurrence of the remnant of the right 9th rib occurred again in April 2010. Local resection of the tumor of the same rib was performed in May 2010. The patient is still alive five years after the first hepatectomy. For HCC patients whose intrahepatic lesion or other metastatic lesions are controllable and the metastatic bone lesion is solitary and easily resectable, a resection for bone metastasis from HCC is thus locally effective in patient's pain control.

A woman in her 50s was admitted to our hospital for the evaluation of liver masses. Low density areas at S5, S6 and S8 of the liver were revealed by enhanced abdominal CT scan. While exploring for the primary site, we observed a flat tumor, 10 mm in diameter, in the rectum at 10 cm from the anal ring, and local resection of the tumor was performed transanally. It was histologically diagnosed as a rectal carcinoid. During surgery, ultrasonography revealed eight hypoechoic masses at S4, S5, S6 and S8 of the liver. We conducted a partial hepatectomy (S8, S5/6) and microwave coagulation therapy. Histologically, the masses were diagnosed as liver metastases of rectal carcinoid. As of 27 months since surgery, liver metastases control is favorable, and no local recurrence has been observed. Hepatectomy with microwave coagulation therapy is believed to be locally effective in multiple liver metastases of rectal carcinoid tumor.

The patient was a 76-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer located in cardia, and was diagnosed to have an invasion to diaphragma and multiple lymph node metastases. We treated successfully with 12-course of S-1 chemotherapy. But second primary gastric cancer was detected in antrum 26 months after primary therapy. We treated with S-1/paclitaxel ( PTX) combined chemotherapy. S-1 (80 mg/m2) was orally administered for 2 weeks followed by a week interval and PTX (50 mg/m2) was also administered days 1 and 8. One course of chemotherapy was 21 days. GIF and abdominal CT revealed complete response (CR) after 3 courses of chemotherapy. We are now going on 6 courses of chemotherapy and the patient did not experience any grade 3 adverse effects.

In a 79-year-old man with ascending colon cancer, multiple liver metastases were detected by computer tomography. The patient underwent right hemicolectomy. Paraaortic lymph nodes metastases were found intraoperatively. After surgery, 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR) was administered orally at 600 mg daily. Abdominal CT showed disappearance of the liver metastases 6 months after operation. At a follow-up exam 24 months after the beginning of the chemotherapy, the patient remained in remission and reported no side effects. We consider oral administration of 5'-DFUR to be a useful treatment for advanced colon cancer.