Reappraisal of the Role of Ascitic Fluid Adenosine Deaminase for the Diagnosis of Peritoneal Tuberculosis in Cirrhosis / 대한소화기학회지

Background/Aims@#Although peritoneal tuberculosis (TB) is one of the important differential diagnoses among cirrhotic patients with ascites, a peritoneal biopsy is not always available. High ascitic fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) has been indicative of peritoneal TB. On the other hand, studies to assess its diagnostic utility based on the confirmation of peritoneal biopsy in cirrhotic patients are scarce. @*Methods@#Patients with new-onset ascites were enrolled prospectively from a tertiary hospital. Peritoneal biopsy was applied according to clinical judgment when required. Based on pathology diagnosis of the peritoneum, the diagnostic efficacy of ascitic fluid ADA for peritoneal TB was evaluated in total and cirrhotic patients, respectively. @*Results@#Among 286 patients enrolled, 78 were diagnosed with peritoneal TB. One hundred and thirty-two patients had cirrhosis, and 30 of those were diagnosed with peritoneal TB. The mean ADA was 72.2 U/L and 22.7 U/L in the peritoneal and non-peritoneal TB group, respectively, among the total study population, and 64.0 U/L and 19.1 U/L in the peritoneal and non-peritoneal TB group, respectively, among the subgroup with cirrhosis. The area under the curve for ADA to diagnose peritoneal TB was 0.96 in the total study population with a cutoff value of 41.1 U/L, and 0.93 in cirrhotic patients with a cutoff value of 39.9 U/L. @*Conclusions@#The ascitic fluid ADA measurements showed high diagnostic performance for peritoneal tuberculosis in patients with ascites regardless of cirrhosis at a similar cutoff value.

Reappraisal of the Role of Ascitic Fluid Adenosine Deaminase for the Diagnosis of Peritoneal Tuberculosis in Cirrhosis / 대한소화기학회지

Background/Aims@#Although peritoneal tuberculosis (TB) is one of the important differential diagnoses among cirrhotic patients with ascites, a peritoneal biopsy is not always available. High ascitic fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) has been indicative of peritoneal TB. On the other hand, studies to assess its diagnostic utility based on the confirmation of peritoneal biopsy in cirrhotic patients are scarce. @*Methods@#Patients with new-onset ascites were enrolled prospectively from a tertiary hospital. Peritoneal biopsy was applied according to clinical judgment when required. Based on pathology diagnosis of the peritoneum, the diagnostic efficacy of ascitic fluid ADA for peritoneal TB was evaluated in total and cirrhotic patients, respectively. @*Results@#Among 286 patients enrolled, 78 were diagnosed with peritoneal TB. One hundred and thirty-two patients had cirrhosis, and 30 of those were diagnosed with peritoneal TB. The mean ADA was 72.2 U/L and 22.7 U/L in the peritoneal and non-peritoneal TB group, respectively, among the total study population, and 64.0 U/L and 19.1 U/L in the peritoneal and non-peritoneal TB group, respectively, among the subgroup with cirrhosis. The area under the curve for ADA to diagnose peritoneal TB was 0.96 in the total study population with a cutoff value of 41.1 U/L, and 0.93 in cirrhotic patients with a cutoff value of 39.9 U/L. @*Conclusions@#The ascitic fluid ADA measurements showed high diagnostic performance for peritoneal tuberculosis in patients with ascites regardless of cirrhosis at a similar cutoff value.

Endovascular interventions for central vein stenosis

Central vein stenosis is common because of the placement of venous access and cardiac intravascular devices and compromises vascular access for dialysis. Endovascular intervention with angioplasty and/or stent placement is the preferred approach, but the results are suboptimal and limited. Primary patency after angioplasty alone is poor, but secondary patency can be maintained with repeated angioplasty. Stent placement is recommended for quick recurrence or elastic recoil of stenosis. Primary patency of stents is also poor, though covered stents have recently shown better patency than bare metal stents. Secondary patency requires repeated intervention. Recanalization of occluded central veins is tedious and not always successful. Placement of hybrid graft-catheter with a combined endovascular surgical approach can maintain patency in many cases. In the presence of debilitating symptoms, palliative approach with endovascular banding or occlusion of the access may be necessary. Prevention of central vein stenosis is the most desirable strategy.

p53 and beta-catenin expression in gallbladder tissues and correlation with tumor progression in gallbladder cancer

The inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene and activation of the proto-oncogene are key steps in the development of human cancer. p53 and beta-catenin are examples of such genes, respectively. In the present study, our aim was to determine the role of these genes in the carcinogenesis of the gallbladder by immunohistochemistry. Sections from paraffin-embedded blocks of surgically resected specimens of gallbladder cancer [GBC] [80 cases], chronic cholecystitis [60 cases], and control gallbladders [10 cases] were stained with the monoclonal antibody p53, and polyclonal antibody beta-catenin. Results were scored semiquantitatively and statistical analysis performed. p53 expression was scored as percentage of the nuclei stained. Beta-catenin expression was scored as type of expression-membranous, cytoplasmic, and nuclear staining. Beta-catenin expression was correlated with tumor invasiveness, differentiation, and stage. Over-expression of p53 was seen in 56.25% of GBC cases and was not seen in chronic cholecystitis or in control gallbladders. p53 expression in gallbladder cancer was significantly higher than in inflammatory or control gallbladders [P < 0.0001]. p53 expression increased with increasing tumor grade [P = 0.039]. Beta-catenin nuclear expression was seen in 75% cases of gallbladder cancer and in no case of chronic cholecystitis and control gallbladder. Beta-catenin nuclear expression increased with tumor depth invasiveness, and grade [P = 0.028 and P = 0.0152, respectively]. p53 and beta-catenin nuclear expression is significantly higher in GBC. p53 expression correlates with increasing tumor grade while beta-catenin nuclear expression correlates with tumor grade and depth of invasion, thus suggesting a role for these genes in tumor progression of GBC

Non-familial double malignancy of the colon and ampulla of vater: a case report and review of literature

Apart from their association in familial and hereditary cancer syndromes, sporadic double malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract involving the ampulla of Vater and colon are extremely rare. Although synchronous resection of the two by adding a colectomy to a pancreaticoduodenctomy can be accomplished with minimal increase in the surgical morbidity, a few patients, however, are best managed by a staged resection. We report a case of sporadic double malignancy of the ampulla of Vater and right colon who despite the best attempts continued to bleed and remained malnourished and was successfully managed by staged right hemicolectomy followed by a pancreaticoduodenectomy

Pseudocyst of ectopic pancreas of the duodenal wall masquerading as malignant cystic tumor of Pancreas

We report a patient who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for a cystic lesion in the region of the pancreatic head and duodenum. Preoperatively, we had suspected a malignant lesion; however, it turned out to be ectopic pancreatic tissue in the duodenal wall, with the changes of chronic pancreatitis and pseudocyst formation. With this report we seek to highlight the rarity of this particular pathologic combination and the difficulties in its correct preoperative diagnosis and management