Objective. To compare the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of central pancreatectomy (CP) with distal pancreatectomy (DP). Methods. A systematic literature search was performed on electronic databases from MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed from 1998 to 2018. Statistical analysis and meta-analysis were performed using statistics/data analysis (Stata®) software, version 12.0 (StataCorp LP, College Station, Texas 77845, USA). Dichotomous variables were analyzed by estimation of relative risk (RR) with a 95 percent (%) confidence interval (CI) and continuous variables were analyzed by standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% CI. Results. Twenty-four studies with 593 CP and 1226 DP were included in the meta-analysis. CP had significantly longer operation time (SMD: 1.03; 95% CI 0.62 to 1.44; P<0.001) and lengthier postoperative hospital stay (SMD: 0.63; 95% CI 0.20 to 1.05; P<0.01). Estimated blood loss was significantly lower in CP (SMD: −0.34; 95% CI −0.58 to −0.09; P=0.007). Overall postoperative morbidity (RR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.50; P<0.001), overall pancreatic fistula (RR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.66; P<0.001), clinically relevant fistula (RR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.16; P<0.001), and postoperative hemorrhage (RR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.18 to 3.06; P<0.05) were all significantly higher after CP. On long-term follow-up, DP patients were more likely to have postoperative exocrine (RR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.84; P<0.05) and endocrine (RR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.40; P<0.001) insufficiency. There was no statistically significant difference in transfusion requirement, postoperative mortality, reoperation, and tumor recurrence. Conclusion. CP is associated with significantly higher morbidity and clinically relevant pancreatic fistula. CP should only be reserved for selected patients who require postoperative pancreatic function preservation.

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Background To outline our experience with the radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) combined with the partial resection of the pancreatic head (RRHCCAPRPH) as a treatment for HCCA with distal bile duct involvement and to appraise the feasibility of this challenging procedure. Methods Between 2007 and 2017, 205 patients with HCCA who underwent curative surgery at our hospital were included. Among the patients, extrahepatic bile duct resection combined with hepatectomy (EBDRH), RRHCCAPRPH and hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy (HPD) was performed in 168, 21 and 16 patients, respectively. Clinical pathological factors, post‐operative complications and survival were compared between the three groups. Results There was a significant difference in operative blood loss, operative time, post‐operative hospital stay and tumour size between EBDRH group, RRHCCAPRPH group and HPD group (P < 0.05). In terms of post‐operative complications, there was no statistical difference between the three groups (P = 0.177). Further analysis showed that the incidence of pancreatic fistula (43.8%) and delayed gastric emptying (25%) after HPD were significantly higher than the other two groups. The median survival time and overall survival rate for 172 patients with R0 resection were 33 months and 85.5% at 1 year, 47.7% at 3 years, 28.4% at 5 years. Furthermore, the 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year survival rates of patients with EBDRH, RRHCCAPRPH and HPD after R0 resection were 86.2%, 48.7%, 29.2%; 85.0%, 44.0%, 24.7% and 78.6%, 42.9%, 22.9%, respectively (P = 0.948). Conclusion The RRHCCAPRPH in some selected patients can actually replace HPD as a surgical treatment for HCCA with distal bile duct involvement.

Rational:Lymphoepithelioma-like hepatocellular carcinoma (LEL-HCC) is a rare variant of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To date, few cases have been reported in the literature, and almost no report in analyzing the different features of LEL-HCC.Patient concerns:We describe a 37-year-old female patient with a 32 × 30 mm mass in the right liver.Interventions:Complete surgical resection of the lesion was performed.Diagnoses:Histopathological examination of the resected tumor revealed undifferentiated HCC cells with significant lymphocytes infiltration. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for AFP (alpha fetoprotein), hepatocyte, CK8, and glypican-3. The patient was diagnosed with LEL-HCC.Outcomes:The patient had a favorable clinical outcome, and was free from tumor recurrence after a 52-months follow-up.Lessons:Our case was the youngest patient of all the reported cases, and the third case who was infected with both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). LEL-HCC is a rare variant of HCC, with a relatively favorable prognosis. Further research recruiting more patients is required to determine the accurate causes and mechanism of LEL-HCC.

Rationale: Schwannomas are mesenchymal tumors with low malignant potential that originate from Schwann cells. They can occur in most parts of the body, such as the head, neck, and extremities. Schwannoma in the hepatoduodenal ligament is extremely rare, and only four cases have been reported in the literature. Patient concerns: Herein, we describe a 58-year-old female who presented with right epigastric pain for 10 days. Preoperative computed tomographic (CT) revealed a 4.5 cm × 3.8 cm tumor in the hepatic hilar area. Diagnoses: Schwannoma in the hepatoduodenal ligament with portal vein invasion. Interventions: Intraoperative findings revealed that the tumor was identified in the hepatoduodenal ligament, and the left branch of the portal vein was compressed. Complete tumor resection with reparation of the portal vein was performed for the patient. Postoperative pathological examination confirmed the final diagnosis of benign schwannoma, characterized by abundant spindle-shaped cells and positive reactivity for S-100 protein. Outcomes: The patient had a good prognosis and had no recurrence after 37 months of follow-up. Lessons: Our case of schwannoma in the hepatoduodenal ligament is unique owing to the portal vein invasion, aimed at helping recognize the difficulty of preoperative diagnosis.