Gastrointestinal leiomyomas in a developing country.

Twenty one consecutive patients with leiomyoma of the gastrointestinal tract were studied. Recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding was found in 18 (85.7%) and recurrent intestinal obstruction in 3 (14.3%) patients. The commonest site of the lesion was the stomach followed by ileum, jejunum and duodenum. Barium meal examination and gastrointestinal endoscopy were suggestive of the diagnosis in 8 and angiography in 2 patients. The remaining patients were diagnosed peroperatively. All patients underwent excision and remained asymptomatic on follow up except two patients who had a recurrence of the tumor as leiomyosarcoma.

Colonoscopy for unexplained lower gastrointestinal bleeding in a tropical country.

Two hundred and forty consecutive patients with recurrent lower gastrointestinal bleeding were studied by colonoscopic examination. These included 187 adults and 53 children. The procedure was successful either in identifying the lesion or in excluding it up to the cecum in 216 (90% patients). The source of bleeding was identified in 138 (74%) adults and 43 (81%) Children. Predominant lesions in adults were nonspecific colitis and ulcers (58%), polyps (19%), cancer (10%), rectal varices (4%) and tuberculosis (3%). Juvenile polyps (77%) and nonspecific colitis and ulcers (23%) were the cause of bleeding in children. Both in adults and children, 92% of these lesions involved the left colon. Rectum and sigmoid colon were mainly involved. Diffuse lesions were seen when nonspecific colitis and ulcers were the source of bleeding. Thus colonoscopic examination was useful in localizing the cause of rectal bleeding and the predominant lesions were different from those reported in the Western hemisphere.

Endoscopic sclerotherapy versus propranolol in prevention of recurrent variceal bleeding in patients with child's B and C cirrhosis: a preliminary report.

Thirty two patients with cirrhosis of the liver of Child's B and C class and an episode of endoscopically proven variceal bleed were randomly assigned to receive endoscopic sclerotherapy (EST) or oral propranolol for the prevention of recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding. EST was performed at 3 week intervals using 1% polidocanol intravariceally, till eradication of varices. Propranolol dose was adjusted to reduce the resting heart rate by 25% of the basal value (mean +/- SD, 194.3 +/- 63.9 mg/day) Two patients in the propranolol group were excluded within 48 hours due to side effects of the drug. Thirty patients (EST-16, propranolol-14) completed the trial. Patients were followed up for a maximum of 480 days. Mean follow-up in the EST and propranolol groups was 217 and 243 days respectively. The median bleeding free intervals were 480 and 194 days and number of rebleeding episodes was eight and 16 respectively in the EST and propranolol groups (both p = ns). Our study suggests a trend in favor of EST in preventing variceal rebleeding in patients with hepatic cirrhosis who belong to Child's B and C classes.

Laparoscopic & histological features of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Laparoscopic findings in 17 patients of proven hepatocellular carcinoma are reported. The laparoscopic appearance was of two types viz., solitary mass (in 12) and a multinodular lesion (in 5). Five patients with a solitary lesion involving the right lobe of the liver had associated satellite lesions. There was no evidence of cirrhosis in 8 (47%) patients. Ascites, peritoneal metastasis and splenomegaly were observed in 24, 12 and 17 per cent patients respectively. The commonest histological pattern seen was trabecular (65%) followed by anaplastic (17%), acinar (12%) and fibrolamellar (6%).

Dieulafoy's lesion: a rare cause of massive upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

Out of 900 cases of Upper Gastrointestinal haemorrhage seen during 1985-1989, 6 (0.67%) cases had Dieulafoy's lesion as the causative factor. All patients presented with massive upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The mean age of the patients was 46.3 year (32-60 yrs) and 4 were males and 2 females. No consistent associated medical factors could be identified. The diagnosis was established by emergency endoscopy which showed an active arterial spurter in 4 patients and located the bleeding site to be close to the fundus in other 2 patients. Injection sclerotherapy tried in 3 patients was not successful. Four patients had bleeding lesion along the greater curvature close to the fundus and two had on posterior wall but all within 6 cm. of gastroesophageal junction. All patients underwent curative emergency surgery with wedge resection of the lesion. We conclude that Dieulafoy lesion should be suspected in a patient with massive, recurrent and obscure upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Emergency endoscopy for diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention can cure the lesion which is potentially fatal if untreated.

Endoscopic polypectomies in upper gastrointestinal tract.

Nine polyps retrieved from the upper gastrointestinal tract by endoscopic polypectomy in nine patients are reported. Polyps were removed from the distal esophagus (1), stomach (7) and duodenum (1). Dysphagia, obstructive jaundice and upper gastrointestinal bleeding were the presenting features in four patients. In five patients gastric polyps were detected incidentally at endoscopy. Of the nine polyps, six were adenomas, two were hyperplastic polyps and one in the esophagus was inflammatory. All the polyps could be retrieved completely and there were no complications. Thus polyps do occur in the upper gastrointestinal tract in India; their electrosurgical removal is easy and safe and allows histopathological examination of the entire polyp.

Endoscopic injection treatment of non-variceal bleeding lesions of upper gastro-intestinal tract.

Endoscopic injection of actively bleeding non variceal lesions with polidocanol was performed in 15 patients. Eleven of them had associated diseases. Haemostasis was achieved in 12 (80%). Three of them rebled. However, bleeding stopped by reinjection in two and spontaneously in one patient. No significant local or systemic complication was observed. This therapy avoided emergency surgery in 12 of 15 patients. Thus endoscopic injection treatment can be utilized for managing bleeding due to non variceal lesions.

Lipids changes in alcoholic & non-alcoholic cirrhotics.

Fasting plasma samples from 29 patients of cirrhosis were analysed for cholesterol and triglycerides and their lipo-protein fractions. The patients included 11 alcoholic cirrhotics consuming over 130 g/day of absolute ethanol and 18 non-alcoholic cirrhotics. The difference in lipid values between the two patient groups was not significant except that VLDL cholesterol was raised in alcoholic cirrhotics (P less than 0.05). However, in comparison to normal healthy controls, the values were significantly altered. The dietary intake, in the two groups showed no difference, except that non-alcoholic cirrhotics consumed more animal proteins. Low intake of exogenous fat and reduced synthesis of endogenous cholesterol in cirrhotic patients seemed to influence the total lipid values.