A Prospective Study of Factors Influencing on the Clinical Characteristics of Colonic Diverticulosis / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in Korea is increasing in conjunction with the adoption of western dietary pattern, extension of lifespan, and advances in diagnostic modalities. The clinical characteristics of colonic diverticulosis seem to be gradually becoming similar to those of Western societies. Therefore, factors associated with the clinical characteristics of colonic diverticulosis in Korea were investigated. METHODS: The data of 200 patients diagnosed with colonic diverticulosis using colonoscopy between May 2010 and April 2012 at Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital (Seoul, Korea) were prospectively collected. Clinical parameters acquired through a questionnaire include age, body mass index, waist circumference, exercise, diet, smoking, drinking habits, etc. Correlation between these factors and the clinical features of diverticulosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 54.9+/-11.9 (range 17-79) years and male to female ratio was 2.2:1. Most diverticula were located on the right side of the colon (83%) and the mean number of diverticulum was 4.07+/-3.9. Factor associated with the location of diverticulum on the left side was age (p=0.001). There was a positive correlation between the waist circumference and the number of diverticulum (partial correlation coefficient r'=0.143, p=0.047). Diverticulitis occurred more frequently in younger patients than in older patients (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Colonic diverticulosis in older patients is found more frequently on the left colon, and the number of diverticulosis is associated with central obesity.

Prognostic Significance of Ki-67 Expression in Rectal Carcinoid Tumors / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Rectal carcinoid tumors can be resected with endoscopy, and it is important to assess their prognostic factors. We evaluated the potential of Ki-67 expression as a prognostic factor in rectal carcinoid tumors. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 37 patients with rectal carcinoid tumors who got endoscopic resection from January 2001 to January 2011 at Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital. We analyzed their endoscopic and histologic findings, Ki-67 expression, clinical outcome, and prognosis. RESULTS: The mean age (+/-SD) of the patients was 56.3+/-10.7 years, and the male : female ratio was 3.6:1. The mean tumor size was 0.5+/-0.4 cm, 33 patients showed grade 1 tumors (89.2%) and the average Ki-67 expression was 0.7+/-1.2%. Thirty five patients underwent endoscopic mucosal resection, and two required endoscopic submucosal dissection. Eight patients had positive margins after resection, but no cases of lymphovascular invasion were identified. The median follow-up duration was 21.4+/-25.4 months, and no recurrences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In low grade rectal carcinoid tumors which are lack of central depression on colonoscopy, the expression of a molecular marker of malignant potential, Ki-67, was low. Therefore, endoscopic resection seemed to be a safe and effective treatment for these tumors.

Clinical Significance of Erosive or Ulcerative Lesions Isolated in Terminal Ileum

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although terminal ileal erosive or ulcerative lesions are frequently observed on colonoscopic examination, their clinical significance are unclear. We evaluated clinical course and significance of isolated terminal ileal erosive or ulcerative lesions. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical features, number, size and histologic findings of 186 patients with isolated terminal ileal erosive or ulcerative lesions on colonoscopic examination from December 2003 to February 2012. RESULTS: The indications for colonoscopy included screening for colorectal cancer or surveillance in 122 patients (65.6%), evaluations for symptoms in 64 patients (34.4%). Of the 186 patients, 170 underwent biopsy at the terminal ileal lesions. Histologic findings were mostly non-specific chronic inflammation except two cases of Crohn's disease, one case of cytomegalovirus ileitis, and one case of intestinal tuberculosis. Forty six patients underwent follow-up colonoscopy and the mean duration was 17.8+/-14.2 months (range, 1-64 months). Of those who showed non-specific ileitis (44 patients), 35 (79.5%) showed resolution of lesions without specific treatment. In the remaining 9 (20.5%) patients, lesions were continued and two patients were diagnosed as Crohn's disease and Behcet's ileitis, respectively. There were no significant differences in the duration of follow-up, presence of symptoms, number and size of terminal ileal lesions between the patients who resolved and not resolved. CONCLUSIONS: Most isolated terminal ileal erosive or ulcerative lesions reveal non-specific histological findings and have a propensity to resolve without treatment. However, in small portions of patients, isolated terminal ileal lesions need careful attention because it is possible to be early inflammatory bowel diseases.

A Case of Conservatively Resolved Intramural Esophageal Dissection Combined with Pneumomediastinum / 대한소화기학회지

Intramural esophageal dissection (IED) is a rare form of esophageal injury. We report a rare case of spontaneous IED complicated with pneumomediastinum and successfully improved by conservative management. A 46-year-old man presented to the emergency department with chest pain and hematemesis. The endoscopic diagnosis was suspicious of IED. Chest CT scan performed to rule out complication noted IED combined with pneumomediastinum. He was managed conservatively with nil per oral, intravenous antibiotics and parenteral nutrition. Follow up study after 2 weeks later showed near complete resolution of IED. IED should be included in the differential diagnosis for unexplained acute chest pain, especially, associated with dysphagia and hematemesis. IED with pneumomediastinum or mediastinitis require prompt surgery. So far, there is no case report of IED combined with pneumomediastinum which resolved without surgical treatment. In this case, IED combined with pneumomediastinum has improved by conservative management, so we present a case report.

A Case of Hemolytic Anemia Following Mitral Valve Repair

Hemolytic anemia is one of the findings representative of prosthesis dysfunction after valve surgery. A 67-year-old man, who underwent mitral annular ring plasty one week ago, was admitted with shortness of breath and fatigue. Hematological studies revealed a Coombs'-negative hemolytic anemia with a hemoglobin 7.9 g/dl, hematocrit of 17.1%, haptoglobin of 1.0 mg/dl, LDH 5148 U/L, total bilirubin of 3.1 mg/dl (direct of 0.71 mg/dl), and a peripheral blood smear demonstrating mechanical hemolysis with red cell fragmentation. Transesophageal echocardiogram revealed a turbulent jet of mitral regurgitation hitting the annuloplasty ring. The patient returned to the operating room for mitral valve replacement, and thereafter which the hemolytic anemia resolved.

A Case of Endoscopic Unroofing after Detachable Snare Ligation of a Duodenal Duplication Cyst / 대한소화기내시경학회지

A duodenal duplication cyst is rare congenital anomaly, which accounts for 5% of all gastrointestinal duplication cysts. Most of the duodenal duplication cysts are usually found during infancy or early childhood, and present with obstructive symptoms. The most common clinical manifestations are an intestinal obstruction or, less commonly, hemorrhage, perforation, biliary obstruction or pancreatitis. The traditional treatment of a duodenal duplication cyst has been complete surgical resection, but very few cases of endoscopic treatment of a duodenal duplication cyst have been previously reported recently in the literature. Moreover, endoscopic treatment of a duodenal duplication cyst has not been reported in Korea. We report our first experience of a duodenal duplication cyst, including diagnosis and endoscopic management with a detachable snare.