Purpose The prospective pilot study was designed to evaluate the preventive effects of amino-acid-rich elemental diet (ED), Elental ® , on chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with colorectal cancer. The factors influencing its efficacy are also investigated. Methods A total of 22 eligible patients with colorectal cancer experiencing grade 1–3 oral mucositis during treatment with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy entered the current study. Their average age was 67 years. There were 10 male and 12 female. The PS was 0 in the majority of patients. Patients received two courses of the same chemotherapy regimen and Elental ® concurrently after recovery to grade 0 or 1 oral mucositis. Results FOLFOX6 + bevacizumab in 8 patients, FOLFIRI + bevacizumab in 8 patients, FOLFIRI + panitumumab in 1 patient, FOLFIRI in 1 patient, XELOX + bevacizumab in 2 patients, and S-1 + cetuximab in 2 patients were used as first-line (16 cases) or as second-line (6 cases) chemotherapy. Dose reduction of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or oral fluoropyrimidine was performed in the 2 patients achieving grade 3 oral mucositis and in the 3 patients achieving grade 2 oral mucositis. The maximum grade of oral mucositis decreased in 18 of the 22 patients during the first treatment course with Elental ® ( p = 0.0002) and in 20 of the 22 patients in the second course ( p < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses found that the dose reduction in 5-FU or oral fluoropyrimidine, ED intake, and the prior administration of ED were each a significant factor for the preventive efficacy on oral mucositis. Conclusion The amino-acid-rich elemental diet Elental ® may be useful as a countermeasure for 5-FU-based chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with colorectal cancer.

DESCRIPTIONA 59-year-old man with no history of abdominal or intestinal surgery, trauma or psychiatric illness presented to our hospital with abdominal pain and vomiting. Physical examination revealed hyperactive bowel sounds and lower abdominal tenderness. Abdominal CT revealed a small bowel obstruction in the lower abdominal space, possibly due to obstruction of the fusiform low attenuation (-162 Hounsfield units) region (figure 1, arrows), and suspected ileal stricture on the anal side of the low-attenuation region. The region was similar to that of fat to air attenuation. Insertion of a nasogastric tube did not improve his condition, blood pressure decreased, and his symptoms were ingravescent. Emergency surgery was conducted to release the obstruction. Operative and pathological findings revealed mucosal damage and necrosis in the small intestine with no ileal stricture and adhesion; approximately 50 cm of the affected region was resected and an ingested 7.5 cm diameter shiitake mushroom was found (figure 2). The small bowel obstruction disappeared upon removal of the mushroom and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 17.Given that mushrooms are rich in fibre, they absorb consumed oils, intestinal fluids and intestinal gases, and show very low attenuation on CT. Moreover, as in the present case, unintentionally swallowing one whole can cause bowel obstruction. Bowel obstruction most likely occurs in the small intestine, given its diameter and weak movements.

Limited surgery should be performed in patients with an occluded TPVR > or =900 dynes.

Background/Aim: Surgical resection is the standard treatment for bile duct cancer. However, even when surgical resection is possible, the 5-year survival rate is reportedly 25.0-55.0%. Therefore, bile duct cancer is associated with poor prognoses. We conducted a clinicopathological investigation, focusing on the histological phenomenon of tumour budding, which has previously been reported to be correlated with the survival of patients with a variety of cancers. Patients and Methods: To investigate the significance of tumour budding in distal bile duct cancer, we recruited 65 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy at our institution between 1995 and 2011. Tumour budding was observed and evaluated using the 'hot spot method'. The 'low' budding group comprised 0-4 cell clusters and the 'high' budding group ≥5 cell clusters. Additionally, immunostaining was performed in high-budding areas. Results: Tumour budding and stage were confirmed using a Cox proportional hazards model as independent prognostic factors for overall survival (p<0.05) in all patients. There was a significant association between budding and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 expression, an endothelial-mesenchymal transition-induced transcription factor. In stage II cases, the prognosis was significantly worse in the 'high' budding group compared to that in the 'low' budding group. Conclusion: The budding phenomenon is an independent prognostic factor for patients with distal bile duct cancer. Understanding the mechanisms underlying tumour budding in distal bile duct cancer and its relationship with poor prognoses may be useful for the development of novel treatments for this disease.

Background Pancreatic trauma is a rare condition with a wide presentation, ranging from hematoma or laceration without main pancreatic duct involvement, to massive destruction of the pancreatic head. The optimal diagnosis of pancreatic trauma and its management approaches are still under debate. The East Association of Surgery for Trauma (EAST) guidelines recommend operative management for high-grade pancreatic trauma; however, several reports have reported successful outcomes with nonoperative management (NOM) for grade III/IV pancreatic injuries. Herein, we report a case of grade IV pancreatic injury that was nonoperatively managed through endoscopic and percutaneous drainage. Case presentation A 47-year-old Japanese man was stabbed in the back with a knife; upon blood examination, both serum amylase and lipase levels were within normal limits. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed extravasation of the contrast medium around the pancreatic head and a hematoma behind the pancreas. Abdominal arterial angiography revealed a pseudo aneurysm in the inferior pancreatoduodenal artery, as well as extravasation of the contrast medium in that artery; coil embolization was thus performed. On day 12, CT revealed a wedge-shaped, low-density area in the pancreatic head, as well as consecutive pseudocysts behind the pancreas; thereafter, percutaneous drainage was performed via the stab wound. On day 22, contrast radiography through the percutaneous drain revealed the proximal and distal parts of the main pancreatic duct. The injury was thus diagnosed as a grade IV pancreatic injury based on the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma guidelines. On day 26, an endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage tube was inserted across the disruption; on day 38, contrast-enhanced CT showed a marked reduction in the fluid collection. Finally, on day 61, the patient was discharged. Conclusions Although the EAST guidelines recommend operative treatment for high-grade pancreatic trauma, NOM with appropriate drainage by endoscopic and/or percutaneous approaches may be a promising treatment for grade III or IV trauma.