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Abstract: A 56-year-old Japanese man with hypertension presented with a 10 days history of high fever, right and left upper quadrant tenderness. An abdominal ultrasonography and computerized tomographic scan revealed a large collection in the right lobe of the liver that was consistent with an abscess. A drainage catheter was placed and purulent fluid was drained. Cultures of the fluid and blood were positive for a strain of ampicillin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Six days after admission, paraplegia and urinary retention were found. On the neurological examination, deep tendon reflexes of the lower extremities were absent bilaterally. Magnetic resonance imaging scan detected thoracic spinal epidural abscess and paraspinal abscess. He received the emergent decompressive laminectomy. Culture of surgical specimen grew ampicillin-resistant K. pneumoniae. The patient was treated with biapenem intravenously. Thereafter, clinical symptoms improved gradually and he was removed to the professional hospital to continue rehabilitation for gait disturbance on hospital day 147. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A 69-year-old man consulted a local doctor because of a chief complaint of fever and anorexia. CT showed a giant liver mass of the right hepatic lobe and multiple pulmonary nodules. The patient was admitted to our hospital. We punctured the liver mass, obtaining pus, and as gram-negative bacilli were detected from both blood and pus cultures, a liver abscess with septic pulmonary embolism was diagnosed. Following a positive string test, we identified the pathogenic bacteria as hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae, which is highly invasive to the tissues. The patient showed improvement following the administration of an antimicrobial agent (Meropenem) and multiple abscess drainage procedures.

Portal hypertension induces collateral shunt formation between the portal and systemic circulation, decompressing the elevated portal pressure. Ectopic varices outside of the gastroesophageal region, such as jejunal varices, are rare conditions. This report describes the successful embolization of ruptured jejunal varices resulting from an extrahepatic portal obstruction. A 62-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with recurrent massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Fourteen months earlier, he had undergone a choledochojejunostomy and pancreatic cystojejunostomy for bile duct stenosis with an enlarged pancreatic pseudocyst due to severe chronic pancreatitis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed jejunal intramural dilated vessels close to the choledochojejunal anastomosis, but extravasation was not observed. Due to the lack of a rapid definitive diagnosis, the patient required massive blood transfusions. Hemorrhagic scintigraphy using 99m Tc-HSAD finally identified the site of the hemorrhage. Angiography and double-balloon endoscopy revealed the anastomotic jejunal varices to be the result of an extrahepatic portal obstruction. Laparotomic transcatheter variceal embolization with microcoils was successful in halting the refractory gastrointestinal bleeding. This surgery preserved hepatopetal portal venous flow by another route, and no complications were observed. At present, 4 years post-surgery, there has been no recurrence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The development of jejunal varices is often associated with postoperative adhesions. Some patients with a history of hepatico- or choledochojejunostomy may experience portal hypertension resulting from extrahepatic portal obstruction, leading to the formation of jejunal varices as hepatopetal portal collaterals. The choice of therapy in each patient should be based on the individual hemodynamics of the ectopic varices.

A 64-year-old man with a 2-month history of abdominal distension was admitted for transient cerebral ischemic attack. A CT scan revealed massive ascites. Laparoscopy showed multiple whitish nodules on the visceral peritoneum and the omentum. Peritoneal biopsy revealed tumor cells consistent with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM). Pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin was administered because it has been reported to be active in patients with MPeM. However his disease progressed. As second-line therapy paclitaxel was tried which yielded a complete response (CR). Eighteen months later he developed abdominal pain of the right upper region where a CT scan showed a mass with surrounding inflammation. As third-line therapy, gemcitabine was administered and again resulted in a CR. He is alive at 3 years from first presenting. Searches for case studies published in medical journals on MPeM were carried out, and 59 cases were analyzed in comparison with this case.