Biliary stent: a report of experience in 25 Thai patients.

Biliary stent insertion was done in 25 patients. Eighteen were successful, 14 by endoscopic method and 4 by combined endoscopic percutaneous method. Twelve with malignant diseases and 4 with benign diseases had satisfactory drainage. Failed stent insertion occurred in 7 cases. Stent malfunction was found in 30 per cent and occlusion was the most common problem. Complications occurred in 32 per cent and most were mild. The 4 per cent mortality of the procedure is acceptable. Biliary stent should be considered as an alternative or as an adjunctive treatment to surgery.

Endoscopic removal of stone in patients with retained common bile duct stone and T-tube after cholecystectomy. Is it justified?

Fifteen patients with retained common bile duct (CBD) stones and T-tube and twenty patients with CBD stones without T-tube had stones removed by endoscopic method. The result of endoscopic sphincterotomy, stone extraction, stone clearance and complication in patients with T-tube was similar to the results in patients without T-tube. The presence of T-tube did not create much difficulty in stone removal and the successful rate of 86.6 per cent (13/15) was satisfactory. Endoscopic removal of retained stones in patients with T-tube is recommended when retrieval via T-tube is not available since the later has fewer reported complications with very low mortality compared to the endoscopic technique.

Primary lymphoma of the esophagus: a case report.

A case of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the esophagus was reported. The macroscopic manifestation from esophagography, computed tomography and esophagoscopy were demonstrated. Pathological findings were demonstrated. The tumour responded well to combined therapy of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Experience with oesophageal carcinoma in Songklanagarind Hospital.

Clinical data from 175 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus or cardia admitted to Songklanagarind Hospital between 1982 and 1988 were analysed to evaluate the effects on survival of various tumour and treatment variables. Most tumours (greater than = 86%) were in stage III or IV. Forty-seven percent of stage-IV tumours and 99 per cent of those in stages I, II or III were resectable. One-year and 3-year survival rates of resected stage-III patients (57.3% and 27.5%) were significantly higher than those of resected stage-IV patients (33.3% and 0%). Resection conferred no benefit over radiotherapy chemotherapy or no treatment on the survival of stage-IV cases beyond one year. Combined chemotherapy/radiotherapy/resection of stage-III and stage-IV patients gave no statistically significant improvement in survival. Among resected patients, only lymph node involvement was associated with significantly lower survival (relative risk compared to no involvement = 2.3, 95% CL: 1.2, 4.6), while the fungating type of tumour was possibly associated with improved survival (relative risk compared with all other types = 0.24, 95% CL: 0.05, 1.1).

Palliative endoscopic electrocautery of esophageal cancer.

Six patients with obstructing esophageal carcinoma who were poor candidates for surgery were treated by endoscopic electrocautery. All of them were able to swallow well after 3 sessions of treatment. Endoscopic electrocautery is effective in palliative management of esophageal carcinoma, inexpensive and can be done with acceptable complications.