Endoscopic Diagnosis of Primary Intestinal Lymphangiectasia Using a High-fat Meal in a 20-Month-Old Boy / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

We experienced a case of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia in a 20-month-old boy, which was confirmed gastrofiberscopically and histologically only after a high-fat meal before the procedure. A characteristic endoscopic finding was the appearance of tiny white dots scattered in the duodenal mucosa, which were proved dilated lymph vessels in the lamina propria on histological examination. Treatment with low-fat diet and medium chain triglycerides supplementation was satisfactory.

Quantitative Analysis of Small Intestinal Mucosa Using Morphometry in Cow's Milk-Sensitive Enteropathy / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

PURPOSE: To make objective standards of small intestinal mucosal changes in cow's milk-sensitive enteropathy (CMSE) we analyzed histological changes of endoscopic duodenal mucosa biopsy specimens from normal children and patients of CMSE. METHODS: We review the medical records of patients who had been admitted and diagnosed as CMSE by means of gastrofiberscopic duodenal mucosal biopsy following cow's milk challenge and withdrawal. Thirteen babies with CMSE, ranging from 14 days to 56 days of age, were studied. Five non-CMSE patients were used as control, ranging from 22 days to 72 days of age. The morphometric parameters under study were villous height, crypt zone depth, ratio of villous height to crypt zone depth, total mucosal thickness and length of surface epithelium by using H & E stained specimens under the drawing apparatus attached microscope. In addition, the numbers of lymphocytes in the epithelium and eosinophil cells in the lamina propria and epithelium were measured. RESULTS: In the duodenal mucosal biopsy specimens in CMSE we found partial and subtotal villous atrophy with an increased number of interepithelial lymphocytes. The mean villous height(135+/-59 micrometer), ratio of villous height to crypt zone depth (0.46+/-0.28), total mucosal thickness (499+/-56 micrometer), length of surface epithelium of small intestinal mucosa (889+/-231 micrometer) in CMSE was significantly decreased compared with the control (p0.05). The small intestinal mucosa in treated CMSE showed much improved enteropathy of villous height, crypt zone depth, interepithelial lymphocytes compared with the control as well as untreated CMSE. CONCLUSION: Quantitation of mucosal dimensions confirmed the presence of CMSE. It seems to be a limitation in the capacity of crypt cells to compensate for the loss of villous epithelium in CMSE. Specimens obtained by gastrofiberscopic duodenal mucosal biopsy were suitable for morphometric diagnosis of CMSE. Improvement of CMSE also can be confirmed histologically after the therapy of protein hydrolysate.

A Case of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Concomittantly Presented with GI Bleeding and Its Gastrofiberscopic Findings / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (T~EN) is a severe mucocutaneous disease characterized by epidermal necrosis possibly extended to the entire body surface and involving multiple internal organs. Digestive tract may be involved too, but there is few report about gastrointestinal lesion in patient with TEN. Recently we experienced a case of TEN with gastrointestinal bleeding in previously healthy 32-year-old woman. The condition developed three days after the initiation of treatment with NSAID and progressed caudally, involving 60 percent of the skin surfaces. During a period of admission gastrointestinal bleeding was noticed. The gastrofiberscopy showed diffuse superficial mucosal lesion with oozing from swollen friable and erythematous mucosa. The skin lesion was progressed inspite of withdrawal of causative agents. The patient was expired due to combined septic shock 10 days later. We report this case with gastrofiberscopic findings and a brief review of literature.

A Case of Systemic Amyloidosis with Intestinal Pseudoobstruction / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Deposition of amyloid in ststemic amyloidosis may cause widespread dysfunction of the entire gastrointestinal tract, Intestinal pseudoobstruction is an uncommon but well-recognized complication of systemic amyloidosis, and its prognosis is poor and conventional treatment is ineffective. We report a case of intestinal pseudoobstruction secondary to systemic amyloidosis diagnosed by endoscopic mucosal biopsy in a patient with multiple myeloma.