Adipose tissue imaging as nutritional predictors in patients undergoing enterocutaneous fistula repair

Marked loss of adipose tissue during neoadjuvant therapy as a predictor for poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The influence of body composition changes during neoadjuvant treatment (NT) on long-term survival in patients with gastric cancer (GC) undergoing radical gastrectomy remains unclear. The present study aimed to explore the association between changes in body composition during NT and survival in patients with GC.

METHODS

GC patients treated with NT and radical gastrectomy between 2015 and 2018 were included in this retrospective study. Skeletal muscle mass, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured by computer tomography before and after NT. Body composition changes during NT were compared with Kaplan-Meier curves. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were applied to determine the predictors of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

In total, 157 GC patients were studied. A marked loss of adipose tissue was associated with poor nutritional status. The median follow-up time for all patients was 25 months. Patients with marked VAT loss (≥ 35.7%) during NT had significantly shorter OS (p = 0.028) and DFS (p = 0.03). Similarly, poorer OS (p = 0.033) and DFS (p = 0.003) were observed in patients with marked SAT loss (≥ 30.1%) during NT. Changes in skeletal muscle mass and body weight during NT were not associated with survival. Marked VAT loss accompanied by marked SAT loss was an independent predictor of OS (hazards ratio = 2.447; p = 0.045) and DFS (hazards ratio = 2.674; p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with locally advanced GC have a worse survival when they experienced marked loss of adipose tissue during NT.

The ratio of abdominal depth to body mass index is a preoperative predictor of postoperative complications after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: a retrospective propensity score matched analysis

BACKGROUND

Postoperative complication rates after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) remain high despite improvements in perioperative management. Measurements on computed tomography imaging of intra-abdominal tissue have not been thoroughly investigated as predictors of mortality and morbidity following LPD. The aim of this study was to assess whether the ratio of abdominal depth and body mass index (AD/BMI ratio) could predict postoperative complications following LPD.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 231 patients who underwent LPD and had a computed tomography scan between 2014 and 2018. Demographic, radiologic, and pathologic data were correlated to the occurrence of postoperative complications. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize selection biases associated with the comparison of retrospective data between the high and low AD/BMI ratio groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were also performed to assess the risk factors for postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Of the 102 patients identified for propensity score matching analysis, 29 patients (28.4%) experienced postoperative complications. Patients with a high AD/BMI ratio had a higher prevalence of overall complications (45.1% vs. 11.8%, P < 0.001), postoperative pancreatic fistula (17.6% vs. 2.00%, P = 0.008), delayed gastric emptying (33.3% vs. 3.90%, P < 0.001), and intra-abdominal abscess (17.6% vs. 0, P = 0.002). In the multivariate analysis, an AD/BMI ratio greater than 2.7 (m³/[kg·10³]; OR = 6.16, 95% confidence interval [1.04-36.4], P = 0.045) was the only independent predictive factor of postoperative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative AD/BMI ratio is a predictor of postoperative complications following LPD.

Nutritional Management of Patients With Enterocutaneous Fistulas: Practice and Progression

The management of enterocutaneous fistulas (ECF) can be challenging because of massive fluid loss, which can lead to electrolyte imbalance, severe dehydration, malnutrition and sepsis. Nutritional support plays a key role in the management and successful closure of ECF. The principle of nutritional support for patients with ECF should be giving enteral nutrition (EN) priority, supplemented by parenteral nutrition if necessary. Although total parenteral nutrition (TPN) may be indicated, use of enteral feeding should be advocated as early as possible if patients are tolerant to it, which can protect gut mucosal barrier and prevent bacterial translocation. A variety of methods of enteral nutrition have been developed such as fistuloclysis and relay perfusion. ECF can also be occluded by special devices and then EN can be implemented, including fibrin glue application, Over-The-Scope Clip placement and three-dimensional (3D)-printed patient-personalized fistula stent implantation. However, those above should not be conducted in acute fistulas, because tissues are edematous and perforation could easily occur.