Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder Presenting as Intractable Vomiting and Ascites in a Young Girl / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder (EGID) is a rare disease in children that affects the bowel wall, with eosinophilic infiltration in the absence of any other causes for eosinophilia. The etiology remains unknown, but allergies and immunological imbalance are suspected triggers. We encountered a case of serosal EGID presenting as intractable vomiting and ascites in a 9-year-old girl, after influenza virus infection. Peripheral eosinophilia was not present. The diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy of the bowel wall through laparotomy and endoscopy, and controlled by 2 courses of steroid therapy due to recurring symptoms. Influenza virus infection was assumed to play a role in the onset of EGID through a Th2 response that stimulated eosinophilic infiltration in the GI tract. We therefore report this case along with a literature review.

Prognostic significance of intraoperative macroscopic serosal invasion finding when it shows a discrepancy in pathologic result gastric cancer

PURPOSE: Depth of wall invasion is an important prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer, whereas the prognostic significance of intraoperative macroscopic serosal invasion (mSE) findings remain unclear when they show a discrepancy in pathologic findings. This study, therefore, assessed the prognostic significance of mSE. METHODS: Data from cohort of 2,835 patients with resectable gastric cancer who underwent surgery between 1990 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of mSE and pathologic results was 83.4%. The accuracy of mSE was 75.5% in pT2. On the other hand, the accuracy of pT3 dropped to 24.5%. According to mSE findings (+/-), the 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rate differed significantly in patients with pT2 (+; 74.2% vs. -; 92.0%), pT3 (+; 76.7% vs. -; 91.8%) and pT4a (+; 51.3% vs. -; 72.8%) (P < 0.001 each), but not in patients with T1 tumor. Multivariate analysis showed that mSE findings (hazard ratio [HR], 2.275; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.148-4.509), tumor depth (HR, 6.894; 95% CI, 2.325-20.437), nodal status (HR, 5.206; 95% CI, 2.298-11.791), distant metastasis (HR, 2.881; 95% CI, 1.388-6.209), radical resection (HR, 2.002; 95% CI, 1.017-3.940), and lymphatic invasion (HR, 2.713; 95% CI, 1.424-5.167) were independent predictors of 5-year DSS rate. CONCLUSION: We observed considerable discrepancies between macroscopic and pathologic diagnosis of serosal invasion. However, macroscopic diagnosis of serosal invasion was independently prognostic of 5-year DSS. It suggests that because the pathologic results could not be perfect and the local inflammatory change with mSE(+) could affect survival, a combination of mSE(+/-) and pathologic depth may be predictive of prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.

Histology of the parotid salivary gland of the african palm squirrel (epixerus ebii) / Histología de la glándula parótida salival de la ardilla de la palma africana (epixerus ebii)

The parotid salivary gland microscopic morphology of the adult African Palm squirrel (Epixerus ebii) was investigated. This study was carried out to provide the basic histology of this organ in the palm squirrel, as there is dearth of information of its microscopic morphology from available literature. This becomes more important as the increasing use of this species of rodent as a pet and animal of importance in African game reserves for tourist attraction. The possibility of its domestication as a ready source of animal protein is also growing. Hence the need to understand the digestive biology to help animal nutritionist in feed formulation. The histology revealed the presence of only serous secretory acini cells. The serous cells were triangular to polyhedral shaped with a roundish basally located nucleus inside the mostly pinkish granulated cytoplasm. Myoepithelial cells were seen around the secretory cells and the intercalated ducts. The intralobular ducts of intercalated and striated ducts were lined by simple cuboidal and simple columnar cells, respectively. The excretory duct seen in the surrounding connective tissue was lined by stratified cuboidal cells. The granules in the cytoplasm of serous cells must be the digestive enzyme amylase that initiates carbohydrate digestion. This well developed serous parotid salivary gland reflects the need for efficient carbohydrate digestion since the animal forages on fruits and nuts that are rich in carbohydrates. The granules could also contain lysozymes which serve in local defense against pathogenic agents in the oral cavity. This study for the first time documents the normal histology of the parotid salivary gland in this species, hence filling the knowledge gap that will help biologists to investigative more profundly. It will also help wild life veterinarians in diagnosis disease.

Se investigó la histología de la glándula parótida salival de la ardilla adulta de la palma Africana (Epixerus ebii). Este estudio se realizó para proporcionar la histología básica de este órgano en esta especie animal, ya que hay escasez de información relacionada con su morfología microscópica proveniente de la literatura disponible. Esto constituye un aspecto importante, por el incremento en el uso de esta especie de roedor como mascota y como animal de importancia en las reservas animales africanas de atracción turística. También está creciendo la posibilidad de su domesticación como una fuente rápida de proteína animal. De allí, la necesidad de entender la biología digestiva para ayudar al nutricionista en la formulación alimenticia. Los resultados de los estudios histológicos solamente revelaron la presencia de células acinares secretoras serosas. La forma de las células serosas varió de triangular a poliédrica, con un núcleo redondeado, localizado basalmente dentro de un citoplasma granulado predominantemente rosáceo. Se observaron células mioepiteliales alrededor de las células secretoras y de los ductos intercalados. Los ductos intralobulares de los ductos intercalados y estriados estaban alineados respectivamente en células cúbicas simples y en células columnares simples. El ducto excretor observado en el tejido conectivo circundante estaba alineado por células cúbicas estratificadas. Los gránulos en el citoplasma de las células serosas pudieran corresponderse con la enzima amilasa que inicia la digestión de carbohidratos. Esta glándula salival parótida bien desarrollada, refleja la necesidad de una eficiente digestión de carbohidratos, ya que el animal se alimenta de frutos y nueces ricos en estos principios inmediatos. Los gránulos también pudieran contener lisozimas que sirven para la defensa contra agentes patógenos presentes en la cavidad oral. Este estudio documenta por primera vez, la histología normal de la glándula parótida de esta especie, llenando por consiguiente, la brecha de conocimiento que ayudará a los biólogos a investigar más profundamente, y a los veterinarios que trabajan en fauna silvestre, en el diagnóstico de enfermedades.