Simultaneous Occurrence of Gallbladder Cancer in a Laundry Couple: Association between Gallbladder Cancer and Benzene / 대한소화기학회지

Gallbladder (GB) cancer occurs predominately as a biliary tract malignant tumor. It generally has a very poor prognosis, and early detection is often difficult. A variety of carcinogens have been implicated as an important cause for GB cancer. Benzene is a well-known carcinogen for hematologic malignancy, and its casual relationship with GB cancer has been suggested. We report a case of two patients who had operated a laundry cleaning facility together and later simultaneously got GB cancer after prolonged benzene exposure.

Gastric Schwannoma Diagnosed by Endoscopic Ultrasonography-Guided Trucut Biopsy

Schwannomas of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are rare subepithelial tumors comprising approximately 3.3% to 12.8% of all mesenchymal tumors of the GI tract. On endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) they are seen as hypoechoic tumors arising most commonly from the 4th proper muscle layer. Although EUS helps to distinguish tumor characteristics, tissue sampling is required for differentiation with other more common tumors such as GI stromal tumors. Both EUS-guided fine needle aspiration and EUS-guided trucut biopsy (EUS-TCB) can be used for tissue sampling. However, only EUS-TCB allows core biopsy and a high yield of immunohistochemical staining. We report a case of a gastric schwannoma diagnosed by EUS-TCB.

Analysis of Colonoscopy Quality in Clinical Practices of Korea: Cohort Study of Patients Referred to Tertiary Hospital after Colonoscopy Examinations

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although the quality of colonoscopy is considered important to improve screening efficacy, there is little evidence and few statistical reports which properly reflects the colonoscopy quality of clinical practices in Korea. We aimed to investigate the quality indicators of colonoscopy performing in clinical practice. METHODS: We analyzed the computerized photo-documentation files of patients who were transferred to tertiary academic hospital from private clinics or primary and secondary hospitals from January 2012 to October 2012. Quality indicators including cecal intubation rate, withdrawal time, bowel preparation status, colonoscopy report form were analyzed. Bowel preparation was assessed by 4 steps on the preparation scale (excellent, good, fair, poor). RESULTS: A total of 198 patients (134 male, 64 female) were enrolled and analyzed. Cecal intubation rate was 91.4% (181/198) and photo-documentation of appendiceal orifice and ileocecal valve was achieved as 84.3% (167/198) and 71.7% (142/198), relatively. Overall, 83.3% of cases were adequate bowel preparation state (excellent 52%, good 31.3%). Withdrawal time could be estimated at 94.4% (187/198) of cases and mean withdrawal time of diagonostic colonoscopy (n=165) was 8.6 minutes. However, the rate of cases which withdrawal time was more than 6 minutes was 69.7% (115/165). Total of 30 institution's colonoscopy report forms were analyzed and among nearly half enrolled institutions (46.6%, 14/30) were just recording patient's information and colonoscopic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable portion of colonoscopy examination in the primary clinical practice has been performed with low procedure quality. We thus need careful attention to maintain the quality of colonoscopy in daily practice routines.

Endoscopic Resection of Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Hypopharyngeal cancers are often diagnosed at an advanced stage and have a poor prognosis. Even when they are diagnosed at an operable stage, surgery often results in substantial morbidity and decreased patients' quality of life. Although the endoscopic diagnosis of early hypopharyngeal cancer is difficult, recent developments in advanced imaging endoscopy have enabled easier diagnosis of these lesions. Endoscopic resection of early hypopharyngeal cancer is a potential minimally invasive treatment that can preserve the function and quality of life of patients. Reports of this procedure are limited, however. We report a case of hypopharygeal cancer treated with endoscopic resection.

Two Cases of the Endoscopic Treatment of Type I Mirizzi Syndrome / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Mirizzi syndrome is commonly defined as a common hepatic duct obstruction caused by extrinsic compression from an impacted stone in the cystic duct. Mirizzi syndrome has traditionally been treated surgically. However, there are several case reports and small series describing endoscopic and percutaneous alternatives to open surgery. We encountered two cases of type I Mirizzi syndrome that was successfully treated endoscopically. We report these cases with a review of the relevant literature.