On-demand Versus Continuous Maintenance Treatment With a Proton Pump Inhibitor for Mild Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Study

Background/Aims@#It remains unclear which maintenance treatment modality is most appropriate for mild gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).We aimed to compare on-demand treatment with continuous treatment using a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in the maintenance treatment for patients with non-erosive GERD or mild erosive esophagitis. @*Methods@#Patients whose GERD symptoms improved after 4 weeks of standard dose PPI treatment were prospectively enrolled at 25 hospitals.Subsequently, the enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either an on-demand or a continuous maintenance treatment group, and followed in an 8-week interval for up to 24 weeks. @*Results@#A total of 304 patients were randomized to maintenance treatment (continuous, n = 151 vs on-demand, n = 153). The primary outcome, the overall proportion of unwillingness to continue the assigned maintenance treatment modality, failed to confirm the noninferiority of on-demand treatment (45.9%) compared to continuous treatment (36.1%). Compared with the on-demand group, the GERD symptom and health-related quality of life scores significantly more improved and the overall satisfaction score was significantly higher in the continuous treatment group, particularly at week 8 and week 16 of maintenance treatment. Work impairment scores were not different in the 2 groups, but the prescription cost was less in the on-demand group. Serum gastrin levels significantly elevated in the continuous treatment group, but not in the on-demand group. @*Conclusions@#Continuous treatment seems to be more appropriate for the initial maintenance treatment of non-erosive GERD or mild erosive esophagitis than on-demand treatment. Stepping down to on-demand treatment needs to be considered after a sufficient period of continuous treatment.

Real-world Prescription Patterns and Patient Satisfaction Regarding Maintenance Therapy of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: An Observational, Cross-sectional, Multicenter Study

Background/Aims@#Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common chronic gastrointestinal disorder that typically requires long-term maintenance therapy. However, little is known about patient preferences and satisfaction and real-world prescription patterns regarding maintenance therapy for GERD. @*Methods@#This observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study involved patients from 18 referral hospitals in Korea. We surveyed patients who had been prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for GERD for at least 90 days with a minimum follow-up duration of 1 year. The main outcome was overall patient satisfaction with different maintenance therapy modalities. @*Results@#A total of 197 patients were enrolled. Overall patient satisfaction, patient preferences, and GERD health-related quality of life scores did not significantly differ among the maintenance therapy modality groups. However, the on-demand therapy group experienced a significantly longer disease duration than the continuous therapy group. The continuous therapy group demonstrated a lower level of awareness of potential adverse effects associated with PPIs than the on-demand therapy group but received higher doses of PPIs than the on-demand therapy group. The prescribed doses of PPIs also varied based on the phenotype of GERD, with higher doses prescribed for non-erosive reflux disease than erosive reflux disease. @*Conclusion@#Although overall patient satisfaction did not significantly differ among the different PPI maintenance therapy modality groups, awareness of potential adverse effects was significantly different between the on-demand and continuous therapy groups.

Efficacy and Safety of Fexuprazan in Patients with Acute or Chronic Gastritis

Background/Aims@#Fexuprazan is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker that could be of benefit to patients with gastric mucosal injury. The aim of this study was to assess the 2-week efficacy and safety of fexuprazan in patients with acute or chronic gastritis. @*Methods@#In this study, 327 patients with acute or chronic gastritis who had one or more gastric erosions on endoscopy and subjective symptoms were randomized into three groups receiving fexuprazan 20 mg once a day (q.d.), fexuprazan 10 mg twice a day (b.i.d.), or placebo for 2 weeks. The posttreatment assessments were the primary endpoint (erosion improvement rate), secondary endpoints (cure rates of erosion and edema and improvement rates of redness, hemorrhage, and subjective symptoms), and drug-related adverse events. @*Results@#Among the patients, 57.8% (59/102), 65.7% (67/102), and 40.6% (39/96) showed erosion improvement 2 weeks after receiving fexuprazan 20 mg q.d., fexuprazan 10 mg b.i.d., and placebo, respectively. Both fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. showed superior efficacy to the placebo (p=0.017 and p<0.001, respectively). Likewise, both fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. also showed higher erosion healing rates than the placebo (p=0.033 and p=0.010, respectively). No difference was noted in the edema healing rate and the improvement rates for redness, hemorrhage, and subjective symptoms between the fexuprazan and placebo groups.No significant difference was noted in the incidence of adverse drug reactions. @*Conclusions@#Fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. for 2 weeks showed therapeutic efficacy superior to that of placebo in patients with acute or chronic gastritis (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04341454).

Eosinophil and Mast Cell Counts in the Stomach and Duodenum of Patients with Functional Dyspepsia without a Helicobacter pylori infection / 대한소화기학회지

Background/Aims@#Symptom-based subtyping of functional dyspepsia (FD) is used to segregate patients into groups with homogenous pathophysiological mechanisms. This study examined whether subtyping could reflect the duodenal and gastric microinflammation in FD patients. @*Methods@#Twenty-one FD patients without Helicobacter pylori infection were recruited. An endoscopic biopsy was performed in the duodenum 2nd portion, stomach antrum, and body. The eosinophil and mast cell counts per high-power field (×40) were investigated by H&E and c-kit staining, respectively. The degree of inflammatory cell infiltration, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia was also determined by H&E staining in the stomach. The baseline characteristics and eosinophil and mast cell infiltrations were compared among the three groups (epigastric pain syndrome, postprandial distress syndrome, and overlap). @*Results@#According to the symptom assessment, seven subjects were classified into the epigastric pain syndrome group, 10 into the postprandial syndrome group, and four into the overlap group. The baseline variables were similar in the three groups. Eosinophil infiltration was more prominent in the duodenum than in the stomach. In contrast, mast cell infiltration was similar in the duodenum and stomach. The eosinophil counts in the duodenum were similar in the three groups. The eosinophil counts in the stomach and mast cell counts in the duodenum and stomach were also similar in the three groups. @*Conclusions@#Duodenal eosinophil infiltration was prominent in FD patients, but the eosinophil counts were similar regardless of the symptom-based subtypes of FD. Hence, the current symptom-based subtyping of FD does not reflect duodenal eosinophil and mast cell infiltration.

Clinical comparison of low-volume agents (oral sulfate solution and sodium picosulfate with magnesium citrate) for bowel preparation: the EASE study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study compared the efficacy, compliance, and safety of bowel preparation between sodium picosulfate with magnesium citrate (SPMC) and oral sulfate solution (OSS). METHODS: A prospective randomized multicenter study was performed. Split preparation methods were performed in both groups; the SPMC group, 2 sachets on the day before, and 1 sachet on the day of the procedure, the OSS group, half of the OSS with 1 L of water on both the day before and the day of the procedure. The adenoma detection rate (ADR), adequacy of bowel preparation using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score, patient satisfaction on a visual analog scale (VAS), and safety were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: This study analyzed 229 patients (121 in the SPMC group and 108 in the OSS group). ADR showed no differences between 2 groups (51.7% vs. 41.7%, P>0.05). The mean total BBPS score (7.95 vs. 8.11, P>0.05) and adequate bowel preparation rate (94.9% vs. 96.3%, P>0.05) were similar between the 2 groups. The mean VAS score for taste (7.62 vs. 6.87, P=0.006) was significantly higher in the SPMC group than in the OSS group. There were no significant differences in any other safety variables between the 2 groups except nausea symptom (36.1% vs. 20.3%, P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Bowel preparation for colonoscopy using low volume OSS and SPMC yielded similar ADRs and levels of efficacy. SPMC had higher levels of satisfaction for taste and feeling than did OSS.

Importance of the Size of Adenomatous Polyps in Determining Appropriate Colonoscopic Surveillance Intervals

No abstract available.

Frequency and Characteristics of Interval Colorectal Cancer in Actual Clinical Practice: A KASID Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of the present study were to determine the frequency of interval colorectal cancers (CRCs) after surveillance colonoscopy and to compare the clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes with those of non-interval CRCs. METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2013, 66,016 follow-up colonoscopies for 38,412 patients performed within recommended time were reviewed retrospectively based on data from 11 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. To compare clinicopathologic features and survival rates for interval CRC, 106 patients with non-interval CRC matched in age and gender were included. RESULTS: Among the 66,016 colonoscopies performed within the surveillance period, 63 cases (63/66,016) of interval CRC were detected, and 53 were finally included in the analysis. The mean age was 69.9±8.8 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.94:1. Although the occurrence rate of cancer in the right side colon was higher than that of non-interval CRC, interval CRCs were predominantly left sided. Other clinicopathologic features and overall survival were not significantly different between the two groups. Missed lesion was suspected to be the most common cause (29 cases, 54.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of interval CRC among patients who had undergone a surveillance colonoscopy was 0.095%. While sharing some similar clinical features and survival outcomes, interval CRCs in Korea developed more often in males and on the left side in contrast to results from Western studies.

Comparing the clinical outcomes of young-onset and adult-onset ulcerative colitis: a multi-center Korean Association for the Study for Intestinal Diseases study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical features and outcomes of ulcerative colitis (UC) according to the age of onset in Korea. METHODS: A total of 1,141 patients who were diagnosed with UC between July 1987 and November 2013 at 11 tertiary hospitals were enrolled. The baseline disease characteristic and disease state at onset, treatment during the disease course were retrospectively reviewed among patients with young-onset (YO, < 20 years) and adult-onset (AO, ≥ 20 years). Severe outcome was defined as use of intravenous (IV) steroids, infliximab, immunosuppressant, or UC-related operation. RESULTS: There were 55 YO patients (mean age, 17.8 ± 2.4) and 1,086 AO patients (mean age, 43.0 ± 13.6). High Mayo scores (7.7 ± 3.0 vs. 5.6 ± 2.7, p = 0.000), extensive UC (52.7% vs. 25.8%, p = 0.000) and IV steroid (41.8% vs. 18.0%, p = 0.000), immunosuppressant (47.3% vs. 26.9%, p = 0.002), and infliximab (20.0% vs. 7.2%, p = 0.001) use were more frequent in the YO than in the AO group. According to multivariate analysis, severe outcomes were related to YO disease (hazard ratio [HR], 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27 to 3.71), body mass index < 23 kg/m² (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.00), severe (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.36 to 3.38), and moderate (HR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.67 to 3.67) disease, extensive UC (HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.79 to 4.69), UC-related admission (HR, 63.89; 95% CI, 20.41 to 200.02), and oral steroid use (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.67). CONCLUSIONS: UC with YO presented with more advanced clinical features at onset and more severe outcomes than the AO. YO cases require careful management and intense treatment strategies.

Clinical and Biological Features of Interval Colorectal Cancer

Interval colorectal cancer (I-CRC) is defined as a CRC diagnosed within 60 months after a negative colonoscopy, taking into account that 5 years is the “mean sojourn time.” It is important to prevent the development of interval cancer. The development of interval colon cancer is associated with female sex, old age, family history of CRC, comorbidities, diverticulosis, and the skill of the endoscopist. During carcinogenesis, sessile serrated adenomas/polyps (SSA/Ps) share many genomic and colonic site characteristics with I-CRCs. The clinical and biological features of I-CRC should be elucidated to prevent the development of interval colon cancer.

The Effect of Naïve Tenofovir Dipivoxil Fumarate Monotherapy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B: 2-Year Results of a Real-world Single-center Study / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: An incomplete virological response has been observed to tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate (TDF) in nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA)-experienced chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This study investigated the efficacy of TDF in NA-naïve CHB patients 96 weeks after treatment. METHODS: CHB patients treated with TDF were enrolled retrospectively between November 2012 and January 2016. We assessed virological and biochemical parameters. RESULTS: The study enrolled 179 NA-naïve patients with a median follow-up duration of 59.6 weeks. The serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level decreased significantly during treatment. The complete virological response (CVR) rate was 83.21% at week 96. In univariate analyses, the predictors of a CVR at 96 weeks were the baseline HBV DNA level (CVR vs. no-CVR, HBV DNA log10 mean value 7.34 vs. 7.86, 95% confidential interval [CI]: -7.89 to -7.37; p < 0.001) and male sex (CVR vs. no-CVR, 49.1% vs. 81.3%, odds ratio [OR] 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.87; p = 0.025). In the multivariate analysis, male sex predicted a CVR at week 96. The CVR was significantly lower in males than in females (OR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.96; p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: TDF was effective for treating CHB for more than 2 years in NA-naïve patients.

Efficacy of DA-9701 (Motilitone) in Functional Dyspepsia Compared to Pantoprazole: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Non-inferiority Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in Asian functional dyspepsia (FD) patients has not been well established as in Western countries. DA-9701, a novel prokinetic agent, stimulates gastric emptying and modulates visceral hypersensitivity in vivo and in human studies. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of DA-9701 with a conventional PPI in mono or combination therapy in patients with FD. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, non-inferiority trial, 389 patients diagnosed with FD using Rome III criteria were allocated among 3 groups: 30-mg DA-9701 t.i.d (means 3 times a day), 40-mg pantoprazole, and 30-mg DA-9701 t.i.d + 40-mg pantoprazole. The primary efficacy end-point was a global assessment of the patient binary response or response on a 5-Likert scale after 4 weeks. RESULTS: The global symptomatic improvement was 60.5% in the DA-9701 group, 65.6% in the pantoprazole group, and 63.5% in the DA-9701 + pantoprazole group using a 5-Likert scale at week 4 with no significant difference among 3 groups (P = 0.685). Symptom improvement measured by binary outcome was significantly achieved in each of the 3 groups, but not different among groups. Patients in all treatment groups reported significant improvement in the response rate and symptoms according to FD subtypes and dyspepsia-related quality of life (P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences among the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: DA-9701 improves global and individual symptoms and increases dyspepsia-specific quality of life in patients with FD. The efficacy of DA-9701 monotherapy is comparable with pantoprazole and there is no additive effect with combination of DA-9701 and pantoprazole in patients with FD.

Diagnosis and treatment of functional dyspepsia

Functional dyspepsia is defined as the presence of the symptoms that originate from the gastroduodenal area, without evidence of any organic, systemic, or metabolic disease that could explain these symptoms. The pathophysiology of functional dyspepsia includes chronic duodenal inflammation, Helicobacter pylori, excessive gastric acid secretion, dietary factors, and psychosocial, genetic, and environmental factors. However, gastric dysmotility and visceral hypersensitivity are thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia, and other factors may affect gastric motility and visceral hypersensitivity. In the diagnosis of functional dyspepsia, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is important to rule out organic diseases; an H. pylori test-and-treat strategy is currently not recommended for the initial diagnostic step in Korea where both H. pylori prevalence and gastric incidence are very high. Anti-secretory drugs (proton pump inhibitors and histamine 2 receptor antagonists) and prokinetics can be used as a first-line treatment depending on the patient's symptoms (postprandial distress syndrome vs. epigastric pain syndrome). If initial treatment is not effective, tricyclic antidepressants and/or anxiolytics (fundic relaxants) could be used in selected patients.

Septic Shock in Pyogenic Liver Abscess: Clinical Considerations / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a life-threatening condition, despite advances in diagnostic technology and strategies for treatment. A strong predictor of mortality in this condition is septic shock. This study describes clinical, biochemical, and radiologic features in patients with PLA with or without septic shock, with the intent of describing risk factors for septic shock. METHODS: Of 358 patients with PLA enrolled, 30 suffered septic shock and the remaining 328 did not. We reviewed the medical records including etiologies, underlying diseases, laboratory, radiologic and microbiologic findings, methods of treatment and treatment outcomes. RESULTS: The case fatality rate was 6.1%. In univariate analysis, the presence of general weakness, mental change, low platelet level, prolonged PT, high BUN level, high creatinine level, low albumin level, high AST level, high CRP level, abscess size >6 cm, the presence of gas-forming abscess, APACHE II score ≥20, and the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae infection were significantly associated with septic shock. Multivariate analysis showed the presence of mental change (p=0.004), gas-forming abscess (p=0.012), and K. pneumoniae infection (p=0.027) were independent predictors for septic shock. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of mental change, gas-forming abscess, and K. pneumoniae infection were independent predictors for septic shock in patients with PLA.

Gastric lesions in patients with Crohn's disease in Korea: a multicenter study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric pathology and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection among Asian patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are still unclear. We evaluated gastric histologic features and frequency of H. pylori infection in Korean patients with CD. METHODS: Among 492 patients with CD receiving upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic evaluation in 19 Korean hospitals, we evaluated the endoscopic findings and gastric histopathologic features of 47 patients for our study. Histopathologic classification was performed using gastric biopsy tissues, and H. pylori infection was determined using the rapid urease test and histology. RESULTS: There were 36 men (76.6%), and the median age of patients at the time of upper GI endoscopy was 23.8 years (range, 14.2-60.5). For CD phenotype, ileocolonic disease was observed in 38 patients (80.9%), and non-stricturing, non-penetrating disease in 31 patients (66.0%). Twenty-eight patients (59.6%) complained of upper GI symptoms. Erosive gastritis was the most common gross gastric feature (66.0%). Histopathologically, H. pylori-negative chronic active gastritis (38.3%) was the most frequent finding. H. pylori testing was positive in 11 patients (23.4%), and gastric noncaseating granulomata were detected in 4 patients (8.5%). Gastric noncaseating granuloma showed a statistically significant association with perianal abscess/fistula (P=0.0496). CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori-negative chronic active gastritis appears to be frequent among Korean patients with CD. The frequency of H. pylori infection was comparable with previous studies. An association with perianal complications suggests a prognostic value for gastric noncaseating granuloma in patients with CD.

Incidence and Clinical Outcomes of Clostridium difficile Infection after Treatment with Tuberculosis Medication

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the incidence and clinical characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) medication-associated Clostridium difficile infection. METHODS: This multicenter study included patients from eight tertiary hospitals enrolled from 2008 to 2013. A retrospective analysis was conducted to identify the clinical features of C. difficile infection in patients who received TB medication. RESULTS: C. difficile infection developed in 54 of the 19,080 patients prescribed TB medication, representing a total incidence of infection of 2.83 cases per 1,000 adults. Fifty-one of the 54 patients (94.4%) were treated with rifampin. The patients were usually treated with oral metronidazole, which produced improvement in 47 of the 54 patients (87%). Twenty-three patients clinically improved with continuous rifampin therapy for C. difficile infection. There were no significant differences in improvement between patients treated continuously (n=21) and patients in whom treatment was discontinued (n=26). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of C. difficile infection after TB medication was not low considering the relatively low TB medication dosage compared to other antibiotics. It may not be always necessary to discontinue TB medication. Instead, decisions concerning discontinuation of TB medication should be based on TB status.

Meta-analysis of Predictive Clinicopathologic Factors for Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Early Colorectal Carcinoma

The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to determine risk factors that may facilitate patient selection for radical resections or additional resections after a polypectomy. Eligible articles were identified by searches of PUBMED, Cochrane Library and Korean Medical Database using the terms (early colorectal carcinoma [ECC], lymph node metastasis [LNM], colectomy, endoscopic resection). Thirteen cohort studies of 7,066 ECC patients who only underwent radical surgery have been analysed. There was a significant risk of LNM when they had submucosal invasion (> or = SM2 or > or = 1,000 microm) (odds Ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-6.62, P = 0.007). Moreover, it has been found that vascular invasion (OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.95-3.74; P or = SM2 or > or = 1,000 microm submucosal invasion, vascular invasion, lymphatic invasion, poorly differentiated carcinomas or tumor budding, it is deemed that a more extensive resection accompanied by a lymph node dissection is necessary. Even if the lesion is completely removed by an endoscopic resection, an additional surgical resection should be considered in patients with poorly or moderately differentiated carcinomas or lymphovascular invasion.

Sodium Picosulfate with Magnesium Citrate (SPMC) Plus Laxative Is a Good Alternative to Conventional Large Volume Polyethylene Glycol in Bowel Preparation: A Multicenter Randomized Single-Blinded Trial

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated whether sodium picosulfate with magnesium citrate (SPMC) plus bisacodyl compares favorably with conventional polyethylene glycol (PEG) with respect to bowel cleansing adequacy, compliance, and safety. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, prospective, single-blinded study in outpatients undergoing daytime colonoscopies. Patients were randomized into a split preparation SPMC/bisacodyl group and a conventional split PEG group. We compared preparation adequacy using the Boston bowel preparation scale (BBPS), ease of use using a modified Likert scale (LS), compliance/satisfaction level using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and safety by monitoring adverse events during the colonoscopy between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 365 patients were evaluated by intention to treat (ITT) analysis, and 319 were evaluated by per protocol (PP) population analysis (153 for SPMC/bisacodyl, 166 for PEG). The mean total BBPS score was not different between the two groups in both the ITT and PP analyses (p>0.05). The mean VAS score for satisfaction and LS score for the ease of use were higher in the SPMC/bisacodyl group (p<0.001). The adverse event rate was lower in the SPMC/bisacodyl group than in the PEG group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The SPMC/bisacodyl treatment was comparable to conventional PEG with respect to bowel preparation adequacy and superior with respect to compliance, satisfaction, and safety.

Pyogenic Liver Abscess: Changes in Clinical Features over the Last 10 Years / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A pyogenic liver abscess is an acute bacterial infection that can potentially lead to life-threatening sepsis. This study examined the clinical features and changing trends of pyogenic liver abscess over the last 10 years. METHODS: We investigated patient characteristics, laboratory findings, blood and abscess culture results, location and characteristics of the abscess, and treatment modality in the medical records of 146 patients. We divided them into three groups by period: period 1, 23 patients in 2002-2003; period 2, 46 patients in 2007-2008; and period 3, 77 patients in 2012-2013. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 64.3 +/- 15.1 years and 87 of the 146 patients were male (59.6%). Period 2 had a higher prevalence of chronic alcoholics (30.4% vs. 10.4%) and lower prevalence of fever and chills (73.9% vs. 92.2%) compared with period 3. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most commonly cultured bacteria and the microbiological findings did not differ among the three periods. Pyogenic liver abscesses were more common in the right liver. The lengths of hospital stay and treatment modalities were similar in all three periods. CONCLUSIONS: Although there were slight differences in symptoms among the periods, there were no changes in the liver abscess characteristics, i.e., location, size, and culture results. As there were no changes, the treatment strategy also did not change. We should continue to investigate the clinical features of liver abscess.

Characteristics of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Korea: Comparison with EUROKIDS Data

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been increasing worldwide. The characteristics of pediatric-onset IBD have mainly been reported in Western countries. We investigated the clinical characteristics of pediatric IBD in Korea and compared these with the data from the 5-year European multicenter study of children with new-onset IBD (EUROKIDS registry). METHODS: Children who were diagnosed with IBD between July 1987 and January 2012 were investigated at five Korean university hospitals. Their clinical characteristics were retrospectively evaluated by medical record review. The results were compared with the EUROKIDS data. RESULTS: A total of 30 children with Crohn's disease (CD) and 33 children with ulcerative colitis (UC) were enrolled. In comparison with the EUROKIDS group, Korean pediatric IBD patients showed a male predominance (86.7% vs 59.2%, p=0.002 in CD; 75.8% vs 50%, p=0.003 in UC). Korean pediatric CD patients had a higher prevalence of terminal ileal disease (36.7% vs 16.3%, p=0.004) and perianal disease (33.3% vs 8.2%, p<0.001) than patients in the EUROKIDS group. Korean pediatric UC patients had a higher prevalence of proctitis than patients in the EUROKIDS group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the characteristics of Korean pediatric IBD patients and European pediatric IBD patients may be different.

Stricture Occurring after Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Esophageal and Gastric Tumors

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a widely accepted treatment for early gastric and esophageal cancer. Compared to endoscopic mucosal resection, ESD has the advantage of enabling en bloc removal of tumors regardless of their size. However, ESD can result in a large artificial ulcer, which may lead to a considerable deformity. Circumferential mucosal defects of more than three-fourths the esophageal circumference, long longitudinal mucosal defects (>30 mm), and lesions in the upper esophagus are significant risk factors for the development of post-ESD strictures of the esophagus. In the stomach, a circumferential mucosal defects more than three-fourths in extent and longitudinal mucosal defects >5 cm are risk factors of post-ESD stricture. If scheduled early, regular endoscopic balloon dilation is effective in controlling and preventing post-ESD stricture. Moreover, intralesional steroid injections or oral steroids can achieve remission of dysphagia or reduce the need for repeated endoscopic balloon dilation. However, further study is needed to improve the prevention of stricture formation.