A Large Polypoid Vascular Ectasia Removed by Using a Polypectomy With a Detachable Snare in an Asymptomatic Patient

Vascular ectasia is a well-known cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly. Endoscopically, it usually appears as a flat or elevated bright red lesion. We report on an extremely rare case of a large, pedunculated, polypoid vascular ectasia in an asymptomatic patient. A large pedunculated polypoid mass in the sigmoid colon was observed on colonoscopy during a regular health check-up, and a polypectomy was performed using a detachable snare. In histology, vessels with massive dilation were found mainly in the submucosa, which was consistent with vascular ectasia.

A case of hemophagocytic syndrome in a patient with fulminant ulcerative colitis superinfected by cytomegalovirus

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is an uncommon hematological disorder that manifests as fever, splenomegaly, and jaundice, with hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow and other tissues pathologically. Secondary HPS is associated with malignancy and infection, especially viral infection. The prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients is approximately 16%. Nevertheless, HPS in UC superinfected by CMV is very rare. A 52-year-old female visited the hospital complaining of abdominal pain and hematochezia for 6 days. She was diagnosed with UC 3 years earlier and had been treated with sulfasalazine, but had stopped her medication 4 months earlier. On admission, her spleen was enlarged. The peripheral blood count revealed pancytopenia and bone marrow aspiration smears showed hemophagocytosis. Viral studies revealed CMV infection. She was treated successfully with ganciclovir. We report this case with a review of the related literature.

A case of metastatic malignant melanoma of the stomach and liver / 대한내과학회지

Malignant melanoma is a common malignancy that has potential to metastasize to any site. Metastatic disease involving the stomach and liver are difficult clinical problem and presenting symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, and nonspecific epigastric pain. Laboratory results, barium X-ray study, endoscopy, CT, arteriography, and MRI suggest a metastatic malignant melnoma of the stomach and liver. The diagnosis may be confirmed by endoscopic biopsy of the stomach and aspiration needle biopsy of the liver. Metastatic melanoma is generally incurable, with survival in patients with visceral metastases generally <1 year. A case is reported of a metastatic malignant melanoma of the stomach and liver in a 60-year-old male patient, that was discovered 11 years after an enucleation of a choroidal melanoma of the right eye.

A Case of Sarcomatoid Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Young Female without Risk Factor / 대한소화기학회지

A previously healthy 22-year-old woman was admitted with a complaint of right upper quadrant abdominal pain for 2 weeks. Her past history was not remarkable. On admission, HBsAg and anti-HCV were negative and alpha-FP was within normal range. Abdominal sonography and CT showed a mass in liver measuring 10 11 cm with features of central necrosis and hemorrhage. On 6th hospital day, hemoperitoneum developed suddenly. She underwent emergency laparotomy and trisegmentectomy. Intraoperative finding revealed a hemoperitoneum with a tumor filled with liquefied necrotic tissues. Microscopically, the tumor was mostly composed of pleomorphic spindle cells with abundant anastomosing vascular channels and partly composed of tumor cells with trabecular arrangement. On immunohistochemical staining, tumor cells reacted with cytokeratin and vimentin, while CD34 and hepatocyte staining revealed negative. She died 2 months after the operation. We report a case of rapidly deteriorated primary sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma in a young female without any risk factor.