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Lymph nodes around the posterior gastric artery: their existence, frequency, and clinical implications

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Abstract

Purpose

The lymphatic flow along the posterior gastric artery (PGA) is considered of possible clinical importance in terms of lymphatic metastasis; however, little is known about the lymph nodes (LNs) around this artery. The purpose of this study was to establish if LNs exist around the PGA and to evaluate their clinical implications.

Methods

We examined the tissues surrounding the PGA from 21 cadavers to search for LNs. We also investigated the patterns of lymphatic metastases in patients who underwent surgery for gastric neoplasms at our institute to detect their presence along the PGA.

Results

The PGA was identified in 11 cadavers, and LNs around the PGA were detected microscopically in 2 of these. Lymphatic metastasis directly to the LNs at the splenic artery without any metastases was regarded as skip metastasis along the PGA. Skip metastasis was found in two of ten patients who underwent surgery for remnant gastric cancer.

Conclusions

The existence of LNs around the PGA was confirmed, and based on our findings, lymphatic metastasis through the PGA is possible in patients with remnant gastric cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aobaku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8574, Japan

    Kentaro Ishii, Masaharu Ishida, Norihiko Sugisawa, Megumi Murakami, Tomoyuki Ono, Tomoyoshi Tachibana, Hirofumi Imoto, Takeshi Aoki, Katsuyoshi Kudoh, Shinobu Ohnuma, Naoaki Sakata, Hiroaki Musha, Takanori Morikawa, Fuyuhiko Motoi, Takashi Kamei, Takeshi Naitoh & Michiaki Unno

Authors
  1. Kentaro Ishii
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  2. Masaharu Ishida
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  3. Norihiko Sugisawa
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  4. Megumi Murakami
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  5. Tomoyuki Ono
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  6. Tomoyoshi Tachibana
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  7. Hirofumi Imoto
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  13. Takanori Morikawa
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  14. Fuyuhiko Motoi
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  15. Takashi Kamei
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  16. Takeshi Naitoh
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  17. Michiaki Unno
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masaharu Ishida.

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Ishii, K., Ishida, M., Sugisawa, N. et al. Lymph nodes around the posterior gastric artery: their existence, frequency, and clinical implications. Surg Today 48, 916–920 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-018-1677-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-018-1677-0

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