The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rising worldwide. Spontaneous rupture of HCC occasionally occurs, and ruptured HCC with intraperitoneal hemorrhage is potentially life-threatening. The most common symptom of ruptured HCC is acute abdominal pain. The tumor size in ruptured HCC is significantly greater than that in non-ruptured HCC, and HCC protrudes beyond the original liver margin. In the acute phase, hemostasis is the primary concern and tumor treatment is secondary. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) can effectively induce hemostasis. The hemostatic success rate of TAE ranges 53-100%. A one-stage surgical operation is a treatment modality for selected patients. Conservative treatment is usually given to patients in a moribund state with inoperable tumors and thus has poor outcomes. Patients with severe ruptures of advanced HCC and poor liver function have high mortality rates. Liver failure occurs in 12-42% of patients during the acute phase. In the stable phase, tumor treatment, such as transarterial chemoembolization or hepatic resection should be concerned. The combination of acute hemorrhage and cancer in patients with ruptured HCC requires a two-step therapeutic approach. TAE followed by elective hepatectomy is considered an effective strategy for patients with ruptured HCC.

Partial splenic embolization (PSE) is a non-surgical procedure developed to treat hypersplenism as a result of hepatic disease and thus avoid the disadvantages of splenectomy. A femoral artery approach is used for selective catheterization of the splenic artery. Generally, the catheter tip is placed as distally as possible in an intrasplenic artery. After an injection of antibiotics and steroids, embolization is achieved by injecting 2-mm gelatin sponge cubes suspended in a saline solution containing antibiotics. PSE can benefit patients with thrombocytopenia, esophagogastric varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, encephalopathy, liver dysfunction, splenic aneurysm, and splenic trauma. The contraindications of PSE include secondary splenomegaly and hypersplenism in patients with terminal-stage underlying disease; pyrexia or severe infections are associated with a high risk of splenic abscess after PSE. Complications of PSE include daily intermittent fever, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, abdominal fullness, appetite loss, and postembolization syndrome. Decreased portal-vein flow and a rapid increase in the platelet count after excessive embolization may cause portal-vein or splenic-vein thrombosis.

Multiple injections of MINO are safe, definitive treatments for symptomatic solitary hepatic cyst.

Obliteration of PSS followed by PSE benefit patients with portal-systemic encephalopathy.

Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) is a safe and simple procedure now being used on a widening scale. Yet most patients who undergo endoscopic treatment for esophageal varices eventually require additional treatment for recurrent varices. In this study, we investigated and compared the efficacy and long-term results of EVL performed in three treatments with a total of sixteen O-rings at two different intervals; bi-weekly (once every 2 wk: the conventional interval) and bi-monthly (once every 2 months). A total of 63 patients with esophageal varices were randomly assigned to groups receiving bi-weekly or bi-monthly EVL treatment. Optimal medical therapy was assessed by one medical doctor who was unaware of the patients' treatment assignments. Three parameters of treatment outcome were evaluated: the rate of recurrence, rate of additional treatment, and overall survival. The overall rates of variceal recurrence and additional treatment were both higher in the bi-weekly group than in the bi-monthly group (p < 0.001). In conclusion, EVL performed for the treatment of esophageal varices at bi-monthly intervals brought about better results than the same treatment performed at bi-weekly intervals. The treatments intercalated by the longer interval obtained a higher total eradication rate, lower recurrence rate, and lower rate of additional treatment.

Background: We retrospectively identified the prognostic factors in cases of synchronous

Survival rates after elective hepatectomy in patients with ruptured HCC are good, even if the disease is classified as stage 4.

Our training curriculum using a virtual reality simulator improved the operative skills of medical students as objectively evaluated by assessment using an augmented reality simulator instead of an actual operation. We hope that these findings help to establish an effective training program for medical students.