BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cells and NK T cells (NKT) are vital parts of tumour immunosurveillance. However, their impact on prognosis and chemotherapy response in periampullary adenocarcinoma, including pancreatic cancer, has not yet been described. METHODS Immune cell-specific expression of CD56, CD3, CD68 and CD1a was analysed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays with tumours ...

BACKGROUND Adjuvant therapies for pancreatic and periampullary cancer reportedly achieve only a marginal survival benefit. In this randomized controlled trial, 120 patients with resected pancreatic or periampullary cancer received either adjuvant celiac axis infusion chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (CAI/RT) or no adjuvant treatment. The objective of the study was to compare the quality ...

PURPOSE Cholecystectomy in patients with an intact gallbladder after endoscopic removal of stones from the common bile duct (CBD) remains controversial. We conducted a case-control study to determine the risk of recurrent CBD stones and the benefit of cholecystectomy for prevention of recurrence after endoscopic removal of stones from the CBD in Korean patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS To identify potential preoperative prognostic factors in resected pancreatic and periampullary neuroendocrine tumours. METHODS Clinico-pathological data for 54 consecutive patients with pancreatic or periampullary neuroendocrine tumours referred to our institution over a 10-year period were identified from a prospective database. RESULTS 34 patients underwent pancreatic rese...

The results of 250 consecutive ERCP examinations were analysed in order to assess whether or not juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula are associated with choledocholithiasis. Cholangiography showed common bile duct stones in 71 patients of whom 25 (35%) had periampullary diverticula. Clear bile ducts were shown in 99, of whom only 12 had diverticula (12%) (p less than 0.05). After allowing for t...

Introduction Tumours arising in the periampullary region are diverse but share the common trait of having a poor prognosis. Anatomical origins for periampullary adenocarcinomas include the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, the common bile duct and the ampulla of Vater. For pancreatic cancer, the five-year overall survival rate is only 5 %, with a median survival rate of 6 months. Approximatel...

Introduction. Several histopathologic features of periampullary tumors have been shown to be correlated with prognosis. We evaluated their association with mortality at multiple time points. Methods. A retrospective chart review identified 207 patients with periampullary adenocarcinomas who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2009. Clinicopathologic featur...

BACKGROUND/AIMS We sought to investigate the roles of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) in predicting the histopathological features of periampullary tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-four patients with histologically confirmed periampullary tumors were classified into two groups, according to the localizations of their tumors (ampulla...

The ampulla of Vater is an important anatomic landmark where the common bile duct and main pancreatic duct converge in the major duodenal papilla. Imaging evaluation of the ampulla and periampullary region poses a unique diagnostic challenge to radiologists because of the region's complex and variable anatomy and the variety of lesions that can occur. Lesions intrinsic to the ampulla and involv...