A Comparative Study of Complications after Endoscopic Sphincterotomy according to the Types of Electrosurgical Current / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy (EST) has a very important role in the treatment of pancreatico-biliary diseases, but it has complications. We retrospectively investigated whether the types of electrosurgical currents affect occurence of complications. MEHTODS: In pancreatico-biliary diseases, consecutive 150 patients undergoing EST with pure cutting current (cutting group) and then consecutive 150 patient with blend current (blended group) were studied in respect to post-EST complications and the presence of periampullary diverticulum and papillitis in major papilla. Major bleeding was defined as a decrease in hemoglobin of at least 2 g/dL. Clinical pancreatitis was defined as abdominal pain with elevated serum amylase above three times about the upper normal limit after 48 hour. RESULTS: Major bleeding has not occurred. Minor bleeding occurred in 25/300 patients (8.3%), but was not different in cutting group (n=150) and blended group (n=150). Except 54 patients with elevated amylase before procedure, pancreatitis occurred in 13/246 patients (5.3%), but was not different in cutting group (n=122) and blended group (n=124). Two cases in blended group had moderate pancreatitis. There was no differences of bleeding, pancreatitis, in patients with diverticulum (n=112) and without diverticulum (n=188). Minor bleeding was more common in patients with papillitis (n=24) than without papillitis (n=276) (p=0.000), but the incidence of post EST pancreatitis was similar. In 235 patients with choledocholithiasis, there was no difference in terms of bleeding, pancreatitis in cutting group (n=120) and blended group (n=115). CONCLUSIONS: Post- EST bleeding and pancreatitis were not affected by the types of electrosurgical current used. When EST was performed in patient with papillitis, minor bleeding was observed commonly.

A Case of Lower Esophageal Muscular Ring Presenting with Dysphagia / 대한소화기학회지

There are diverse ring-like narrowings in the lower esophagus: mucosal ring, muscular ring, ring-like annular peptic stricture. Esophageal muscular ring is extremely rare and generally asymptomatic. It occurs at the proximal border of the esophageal vestibule that corresponds to the upper end of the lower esophageal sphincter. We experienced a case of lower esophageal muscular ring with a symptom of intermittent mild dysphagia for 40 years and report the findings with a review of the literature.

Implantation Metastasis of Lung Cancer to Chest Wall after Percutaneous Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy / 결핵

The implatnation of malignant cells along the needle tract is an extremely rare complication after a percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy(FNAB). However, it is very serious and may result in a change in the prognosis of lung cancer, especially in the curable early stage(T1-2,N0,M0). Recently, we experienced two cases of such complications. A 43 years old female underwent a fine needle aspiration biopsy and a right middle lobectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy due to an adenocarcinoma(T2N0M0). Two years later, a new tumor developed at the site of the needle aspiration biopsy. It had the same pathological findings as the previous lung cancer. Therefore, it was concluded to be an implantation metastasis, and she was treated successfully by a right pneumonectomy and a resection of the chest wall mall with adjuvant radiotherapy. In another case, a 62 years old man was diagnosed with squamous cell lung cancer by a fine needle aspiration biopsy and underwent a right upper lobectomy(T2N0M0) with adjuvant chemotherapy. eight months later, a protruding chest wall mass developed at the aspiration site. It showed the same pathological findings as the previous lung cancer. Consequently, a total excision of the mass with adjuvant radiotherapy was done. Two years after the second operation, although the right lung was intace a metachronous squamous cell lung cancer was found at the left lower lobe. The two patients were still alive 15 and 37 months after thenresection of the chest wall mass, respectively.