Duodenal amyloidosis secondary to ulcerative colitis

Amyloidosis is defined as the extracellular deposition of non-branching fibrils composed of a variety of serum-protein precursors. Secondary amyloidosis is associated with several chronic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatologic or intestinal diseases, familial Mediterranean fever, or chronic infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. Although the association of amyloidosis with inflammatory bowel disease is known, amyloidosis secondary to ulcerative colitis (UC) is rare. A 36-year-old male patient with a 15-year history of UC presented with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. He had been treated with infliximab for 6 years. At the time of admission, he had been undergoing treatment with mesalazine and adalimumab since the preceding 5 months. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed mucosal erythema, edema, and erosions with geographic ulcers at the 2nd and 3rd portions of the duodenum. Duodenal amyloidosis was diagnosed using polarized light microscopy and Congo red stain. Monoclonal gammopathy was not detected in serum and urine tests, while the serum free light chain assay result was not specific. An increase in plasma cells in the bone marrow was not found. Secondary amyloidosis due to UC was suspected. The symptoms were resolved after glucocorticoid therapy.

Difference in Tumor Area as a Predictor of a Pathological Complete Response for Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to discover the clinical factors that can predict pathologically complete remission (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), so that those factors may help in deciding on a treatment program for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: A total of 137 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were retrospectively enrolled in this study, and data were collected retrospectively. The patients had undergone a total mesorectal excision after neoadjuvant CRT. Histologic response was categorized as pCR vs. non-pCR. The tumor area was defined as (tumor length) × (maximum tumor depth). The difference in tumor area was defined as pre-CRT tumor area – post-CRT tumor area. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to find the factors affecting pCR. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (16.8%) achieved pCR. On the univariate analysis, endoscopic tumor circumferential rate <50%, low pre-CRT T & N stage, low post-CRT T & N stage, small pretreatment tumor area, and large difference in tumor area before and after neoadjuvant CRT were predictive factors of pCR. A multivariate analysis found that only the difference in tumor area before and after neoadjuvant CRT was an independent predictor of pCR (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The difference in tumor area, as determined using radiologic tools, before and after neoadjuvant CRT may be important predictor of pCR. This clinical factor may help surgeons to determine which patients who received neoadjuvant CRT for locally advanced rectal cancer should undergo surgery.

Efficacy of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Gastric Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT (F-18 FDG PET/CT) for patients with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and examined the association between FDG avidity and the clinical factors affecting lesions. METHODS: Among the patients diagnosed with gastric MALT lymphoma, 16 who underwent a PET/CT for gastric MALT lymphoma were semi-quantitatively and qualitatively tested for FDG avidity of lesions in the stomach. Retrospectively collected data was analyzed to investigate the clinicoradiological factors and endoscopic findings between the patients with positive F-18 FDG PET/CT scans and those with negative scans. RESULTS: Eight of the 16 patients showed FDG avidity. When comparing the size of lesions in the stomach, the patients with FDG avidity had significantly larger lesions than those without (28.8 mm vs. 15.0 mm, p=0.03). The FDG-avid group has a significantly higher rate of positive CT scans than the non-avid group (75% vs. 13%, p=0.03). According to the endoscopic finding of the lesions, FDG avidity was pronounced with 75% of the protruding tumors, and 100% of the erosive-ulcerative types, which are a type of depressed tumors. CONCLUSIONS: When gastric MALT lymphoma is large, when lesions are found using abdominal CT scans, and the macroscopic appearance of a lesion is that of a protruding tumor or erosive-ulcerative type of depressed tumor, there is a high probability that such patients may have a positive F-18 FDG PET/CT scan.

A Case of Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome in a 16-year-old Girl Presented with Iron Deficiency Anemia / 임상소아혈액종양

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a rare condition that is most commonly characterized by rectal pain and bleeding. It can be accompanied by diarrhea or constipation, tenesmus, and rectal prolapse. Considering its non-specific symptoms, it is often difficult to diagnose, particularly in children. The underlying etiology of SRUS is not fully understood; however, it may be secondary to ischemic changes in the rectum associated with paradoxical contraction of the pelvic floor and external anal sphincter muscles and rectal prolapse. The macroscopic appearance of the rectal lesion may vary from hyperemia to ulceration or a polypoid lesion that can mimic carcinoma, although the histological findings are characteristic, with fibromuscular obliteration of the lamina propria and disorientation of muscle fibers. We report an adolescent case of SRUS developed in a 16-year-old adolescent girl who presented with iron deficiency anemia.

Oncologic safety of self-expanded metal stent insertion as a bridge to elective surgery in malignant colorectal obstruction

PURPOSE: Colorectal obstruction develops most frequently by carcinoma, and 7%–30% of these colorectal carcinomas are acute cases. The oncologic safety of self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) insertion as a bridge to surgery has not yet been established. Thus, we investigated the oncologic safety of SEMS insertion as a bridge to surgery in patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.METHODS: This retrospective had 56 patients enrolled requiring emergency management for obstructive colorectal cancer at stage II or III, who had undergone curative surgery between July 2008 and June 2011. These subjects were divided into two groups: patients who had undergone emergency surgery without SEMS insertion (non-stent group) and those who had undergone elective surgery after preoperative decompression with SEMS insertion (stent group). The two groups were compared for clinicopathologic characteristics, postoperative complications, and survival rate.RESULTS: Enterostomy was performed in 25 patients (100.0%) in the non-stent group and 1 patient (3.2%) in the stent group; laparoscopic surgery was carried out in 7 patients (28.0%) in the non-stent group and 19 patients (61.29%) in the stent group, each showing statistically significant differences. There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative complications and 5-year disease-free survival rate (72% vs. 74.19%, P=0.87, respectively).CONCLUSION: In treatment of malignant colorectal obstruction, elective operation after stent insertion had similar oncologic outcomes compared with emergency operation. Preoperative stent insertion not only lowers the incidence of enterostomy but also makes laparoscopic surgery possible, thereby enhancing patients' quality of life. Therefore, preoperative stent insertion is a useful method that may replace emergency surgery in treatment of malignant colorectal obstruction.

A Case of Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome in a 16-year-old Girl Presented with Iron Deficiency Anemia / 임상소아혈액종양

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) is a rare condition that is most commonly characterized by rectal pain and bleeding. It can be accompanied by diarrhea or constipation, tenesmus, and rectal prolapse. Considering its non-specific symptoms, it is often difficult to diagnose, particularly in children. The underlying etiology of SRUS is not fully understood; however, it may be secondary to ischemic changes in the rectum associated with paradoxical contraction of the pelvic floor and external anal sphincter muscles and rectal prolapse. The macroscopic appearance of the rectal lesion may vary from hyperemia to ulceration or a polypoid lesion that can mimic carcinoma, although the histological findings are characteristic, with fibromuscular obliteration of the lamina propria and disorientation of muscle fibers. We report an adolescent case of SRUS developed in a 16-year-old adolescent girl who presented with iron deficiency anemia.

A Case of Esophageal Carcinosarcoma Treated by Endoscopic Resection

Esophageal carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm that is composed of both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. A 78-year-old man with esophageal carcinosarcoma presented with dysphagia, and was treated by endoscopic resection. Although surgery is the standard treatment for esophageal carcinosarcoma, endoscopic resection is an excellent alternative when the tumor is superficial and has no metastasis.

A Case of Early Gastric Cancer Resected Completely by Diagnostic Endoscopic Mucosal Resection Presented as Large Gastric Ulcer Bleeding

During the life cycle of early gastric cancer, some malignant ulcers may undergo partial or complete mucosal repair. Endoscopic visualization alone cannot reliably discriminate benign from malignant gastric ulcers. A 45-year-old man visited our hospital complaining of hematemesis. Endoscopy revealed a 2x2 cm sized, deep ulcer with adherent clots at the posterior wall of the gastric body. Proton pump inhibitor was prescribed for 2 months. Diagnostic endoscopic mucosal resection was performed. Histology revealed an early gastric cancer involving the lamina propria which was resected completely.

ERCC1 as a Predictive Marker for FOLFOX Chemotherapy in an Adjuvant Setting

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) as a predictive marker for FOLFOX adjuvant chemotherapy in stages II and III colon cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 166 high risk stages II and III colon cancer patients were retrospectively enrolled in this study, and data were collected prospectively. They underwent a curative resection followed by FOLFOX4 adjuvant chemotherapy. We analyzed ERCC1 expression in the primary colon tumor by using immunohistochemical staining. The oncological outcomes included the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate. The DFS was analyzed by using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazard model was used for the prognostic analysis. RESULTS: ERCC1-positive expression was statistically significant in the older patients (P = 0.032). In the multivariate analysis, the prognostic factors for DFS were female sex (P = 0.016), N stage (P = 0.009), and postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level (P = 0.001), but ERCC1 expression was not a statistically significant prognostic factor for DFS in the univariate analysis (P = 0.397). The 5-year DFS rate was not significantly associated with the ERCC1 expression in all patients (P = 0.396) or with stage III disease (P = 0.582). CONCLUSION: We found that ERCC1 expression was not significantly correlated with the 5-year DFS as reflected by the oncologic outcomes in patients with high-risk stages II and III colon cancer treated with FOLFOX adjuvant chemotherapy.

A Rare Coincidence of Esophageal Intramural Pseudodiverticulosis with Esophageal Web

We report a rare case of esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis (EIPD) associated with esophageal web in a 67-year-old man presenting with dysphagia. EIPD is characterized by multiple tiny flask-shaped outpouchings of the mucosa that extend into the muscular layer on esophagography. EIPD commonly presents with stricture and less commonly with esophageal web. Although etiologies of both EIPD and esophageal web are unclear, a chronic inflammatory condition has been proposed. Treatment of EIPD is usually directed at the associated conditions rather than at the pseudodiverticulosis itself. In our case, dysphagial was successfully relieved by endoscopic dilatation with incision methods for the esophageal web.

Risk Factors for the Presence of Residual Bile Duct Stones after Endoscopic Treatment of Stones of the Common Bile Duct / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Stones remaining after endoscopic treatment of common bile duct (CBD) stones may evolve into recurrent CBD stones or serve as nuclei for the growth of new CBD stones. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors for the presence of residual stones after endoscopic treatment of CBD stones. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case-control study; 55 patients with residual stones were enrolled as the case group and 281 patients without such stones served as a control group. We collected information on age, sex, stone characteristics, laboratory findings, the presence/absence of a periampullary diverticulum, use of mechanical lithotripsy, use of (single-procedure) endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation (EPBD), presence/absence of multiple CBD stones, CBD stone size, CBD stone diameter, whether CBDs were associated with gall bladder stones, and histories of prior cholecystectomy and cholecystectomy performed after endoscopic treatment. RESULTS: Upon univariate analysis, mechanical lithotripsy, single-procedure EPBD, the presence of multiple CBD stones (more than four), and CBD stone diameter greater than 1 cm were risk factors for the presence of residual stones. Upon multivariate analysis, single-procedure EPBD (odds ratio [OR], 3.174; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.68-6.00; p = 0.000), and more than four CBD stones (OR, 2.459; 95% CI, 1.24-4.86; p = 0.010), were significant risk factors for the presence of residual stones. CONCLUSIONS: Single-procedure EPBD and the presence of more than four CBD stones were independent risk factors for the presence of residual stones. Particular care, featuring meticulous inspection, is necessary when treating patients with these risk factors. A second procedure, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, may be required.

A Case of Growing Endobronchial Glandular Papilloma / 결핵및호흡기질환

Pulmonary papillomas are rare benign epithelial neoplasms arising in bronchial surface epithelium. They are categorized by a variety of cell types including squamous, glandular, and mixed squamous and glandular type. Among them, glandular papilloma is extremely rare and has not been reported in Korea. The patient was a 52 year-old man presenting with a 4-months' history of recurrent hemoptysis. Bronchofiberoscopy revealed a whitish, glistening, and polypoid mass lesion at the proximal bronchus in the basal segment of the left lower lung. Bronchoscopic biopsy was performed; papillary fronds lined by ciliated or nonciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium were noted on histologic findings. We present the first case of glandular papilloma in Korea. Two years later, the patient visited our hospital again due to hemoptysis. On follow-up bronchoscopy, a mass that had been found previously showed an increase in size.

The Effects of Jendrassik Maneuver on the T-reflex and the H-reflex of Soleus Muscle

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Jendrassik maneuver on latency and amplitude of the T-reflex and H-reflex of the soleus muscle in normal adults. METHOD: The T-reflex and H-reflex tests were performed on sixty normal adults with standardized technique using the soleus muscle. The shortest latency and the largest peak-to-peak amplitude were chosen for representative values. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) There was a significant difference in latency of the T-reflex between with and without Jendrassik maneuver. 2) The increment ratio of the amplitude with Jendrassik maneuver was 88% in the T-reflex and 18% in the H-reflex. There were a significant difference in the amplitude of both reflexes between with and without Jendrassik maneuver. 3) A high correlation was present between the latency of H- & T-reflex and the length. CONCLUSION: According to these results, we suggest that Jendrassik maneuver primarily increases the sensitivity of muscle spindles and decreases the presynaptic inhibition of the Ia terminals at cortical, subcortical and spinal levels. Jendrassik maneuver can be a useful tool in cases of clinically decreased or absent deep tendon reflex.