Background-In the treatment of type B acute aortic dissection without complications, better results are obtained if surgery is performed before enlargement of the aorta in patients who are predicted to show aortic enlargement and if drug-based treatment is continued for patients who are predicted to show no enlargement. The purpose of this study was to predict the acute-phase factors that may affect chronic-phase aortic enlargement by studying chronic-phase enlargement of dissections in patients without complications during the acute phase. Methods and Results-In 101 patients with type B acute dissection who had no complications, univariate and multivariate factor analyses were performed to determine the predictors for chronic-phase enlargement (Ն60 mm) of the dissected aorta. The independent predominant predictors for aortic enlargement in the chronic phase were a maximum aortic diameter of Ն40 mm and a patent false lumen during the acute phase. The values of actuarial freedom from aortic enlargement for the patients with a maximum aortic diameter of 40 mm and a patent false lumen at 1, 5, and 10 years were 43%, 33%, and 22%, respectively, whereas in patients with a maximum aortic diameter of Ͻ40 mm and a closed false lumen, the values were 97%, 94%, and 84%, respectively. Conclusions-These results suggest that patients with type B acute aortic dissection who show a maximum aortic diameter of Ն40 mm and a patent false lumen should undergo surgery earlier during the chronic phase before enlargement of aorta, whereas patients with a maximum aortic diameter of Ͻ40 mm and a closed false lumen should continue to receive hypotensive therapy.

Background:Tumour necrosis reflects the presence of hypoxia, which can be indicative of an aggressive tumour phenotype. The aim of this study was to investigate whether histological necrosis is a useful predictor of outcome in patients with pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDC).Methods:We reviewed histopathological findings in 348 cases of PDC in comparison with clinicopathological information. We counted small necrotic foci (micronecrosis) as necrosis, in addition to massive necrosis that had been only defined as necrosis in previous studies. The reproducibility of identifying histological parameters was tested by asking five independent observers to blindly review 51 examples of PDC.Results:Both micronecrosis and massive necrosis corresponded to hypoxic foci expressing carbonic anhydrase IX detected by immunohistochemistry. Multivariate survival analysis showed that histological necrosis was an independent predictor of poor outcome in terms of both disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) of PDC patients. In addition, metastatic status, and lymphatic, venous, and intrapancreatic neural invasion were independent prognostic factors for shorter DFS and metastatic status, margin status, lymphatic invasion, and intrapancreatic neural invasion were independent prognostic factors for DSS. The interobserver reproducibility of necrosis identification among the five independent observers was ‘almost perfect' (κ-value of 0.87).Conclusion:Histological necrosis is a simple, accurate, and reproducible predictor of postoperative outcome in PDC patients.

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✓ The authors describe a case of delayed aortic rupture following the application of a smooth-rod Kaneda (SRK) instrument. This is a rare but critical complication of anterior spinal fusion in which instrumentation is placed, and the authors wish to draw attention to the possible complications arising from such surgery. A few cases of this complication were reported in 1986. No reports have been published since then; perhaps because techniques and implant design have improved. In this case, a 53-year-old man suffered a T-11 fracture and related paraparesis, and he underwent decompression and anterior fusion in which an iliac bone graft was placed using an SRK device. Although his neurological deficit resolved postoperatively, nonunion of the grafted bone caused progressive kyphosis of the thoracolumbar spine. Twenty months after surgery, he complained of progressive gastrointestinal symptoms, and a delayed aortic rupture with a pseudoaneurysm was found surrounding the implant. The aortic pseudoaneurysm was replaced with an artificial vessel, and the SRK device was removed immediately. Delayed aortic rupture associated with anterior instrumentation is extremely rare but can occur. Even if the design of the implants can be improved, the placement of implants near the aorta and subsequent changes in the close anatomical relationship between the aorta and the implant eventually may result in this life-threatening complication. Careful follow-up examination and early removal of the implant, if necessary, are important.

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