Helicobacter pylori Infection with Atrophic Gastritis Is an Independent Risk Factor for Advanced Colonic Neoplasm

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori is a major risk factor for atrophic gastritis (AG) and gastric cancer. The correlation between H. pylori, AG and colorectal neoplasm (CRN) has only been examined in a limited number of studies, and findings have been inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the association between H. pylori infection status, AG and advanced CRN. METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between the presence of serum anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies, AG, and advanced CRN in 6,351 consecutive asymptomatic subjects who underwent a screening colonoscopy. RESULTS: A total of 316 participants (5.0%) had advanced CRN. H. pylori seropositivity was 61.3%. In a univariate analysis, the presence of H. pylori infection was associated with advanced CRN (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 1.91; p=0.001). H. pylori infection was associated with an increased risk of advanced CRN after adjusting for clinically relevant confounders (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.72; p=0.023). H. pylori-related AG was significantly associated with the risk of advanced CRN (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.91; p=0.030), whereas H. pylori infection without AG was not. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection increased the risk of advanced CRN, especially when it was combined with AG. Strict colonoscopy screening and surveillance may be warranted in those with H. pylori-positive AG.

Helicobacter pylori Infection with Atrophic Gastritis Is an Independent Risk Factor for Advanced Colonic Neoplasm

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori is a major risk factor for atrophic gastritis (AG) and gastric cancer. The correlation between H. pylori, AG and colorectal neoplasm (CRN) has only been examined in a limited number of studies, and findings have been inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the association between H. pylori infection status, AG and advanced CRN. METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between the presence of serum anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies, AG, and advanced CRN in 6,351 consecutive asymptomatic subjects who underwent a screening colonoscopy. RESULTS: A total of 316 participants (5.0%) had advanced CRN. H. pylori seropositivity was 61.3%. In a univariate analysis, the presence of H. pylori infection was associated with advanced CRN (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 1.91; p=0.001). H. pylori infection was associated with an increased risk of advanced CRN after adjusting for clinically relevant confounders (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.72; p=0.023). H. pylori-related AG was significantly associated with the risk of advanced CRN (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.91; p=0.030), whereas H. pylori infection without AG was not. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection increased the risk of advanced CRN, especially when it was combined with AG. Strict colonoscopy screening and surveillance may be warranted in those with H. pylori-positive AG.

EUS-Guided Multitransgastric Endoscopic Necrosectomy for Infected Pancreatic Necrosis with Noncontagious Retroperitoneal and Peritoneal Extension

Endoscopic necrosectomy was introduced as a safe and effective treatment modality for infected pancreatic necrosis. Although there have been many reports of endoscopic drainage of retroperitoneal pancreatic necrosis, the optimal endoscopic management of pancreatic necrosis extending to the noncontagious retroperitoneal and peritoneal spaces has yet to be established. We report herein a patient with infected pancreatic necrosis with noncontagious retroperitoneal and peritoneal extension who was treated successfully by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided multiple cystogastrostomy and endoscopic necrosectomy. EUS-guided multitransgastric necrosectomy may be technically feasible and effective for the management of infected pancreatic necrosis with noncontagious retroperitoneal and peritoneal extension that demonstrates suitable anatomy. Further studies to assess the efficacy and safety of this technique are needed before its routine clinical use can be recommended.

Poor Outcomes for IgD Multiple Myeloma Patients Following High-Dose Melphalan and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single Center Experience

Immunoglobulin (Ig) D multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for 2% of all MM cases and has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis compared with other MM subtypes. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of high-dose melphalan treatment and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on the survival of patients with IgD MM and patients with other MM subtypes. Between November 1998 and January 2005, a total of 77 patients with MM who underwent ASCT at the Asan Medical Center were enrolled in this study. High-dose melphalan (total 200 mg/m2) was used as high-dose chemotherapy. The study population was divided into two groups based on MM subtype: those with IgD MM; and those with other MM subtypes. A total of 8 patients with IgD MM were identified, accounting for about 10% of the study population. Thirty-six patients (47%) had IgG MM, 17 patients (22%) had IgA MM, and 16 patients (20%) had free light-chain MM. The two groups were similar in baseline characteristics. The median follow-up was 17 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 39 months. In the IgD MM group, median eventfree survival (EFS) and OS were 6.9 and 12 months, respectively. In the patients with other MM subtypes, median EFS and OS were 11.5 and 55.5 months (p=0.01, p<0.01), respectively. Multivariate analysis of all patients identified IgD subtype (p=0.002) and Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) stage 2 or greater at the time of ASCT (p=0.01) as adverse prognostic factors for survival. In this small study at a single center in Korea, patients with IgD MM had poorer outcomes after ASCT than did patients with other MM subtypes.

Hepatic myelopathy as a presenting neurological complication in patients with cirrhosis and spontaneous splenorenal shunt / 대한간학회지

Hepatic myelopathy is a rare complication of chronic liver disease that is associated with extensive portosystemic shunts. The main clinical feature of hepatic myelopathy is progressive spastic paraparesis in the absence of sensory or sphincter impairment. Early and accurate diagnosis of hepatic myelopathy is important because patients with early stages of the disease can fully recover following liver transplantation. Motor-evoked potential studies may be suitable for the early diagnosis of hepatic myelopathy, even in patients with preclinical stages of the disease. Here we describe two patients who presented with spastic paraparesis associated with a spontaneous splenorenal shunt and without any previous episode of hepatic encephalopathy. One patient experienced improved neurologic symptoms after liver transplantation, whereas the other patient only received medical treatment, which did not prevent the progression of spastic paraparesis.

Primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A clinical analysis of 76 patients with special application of International Prognostic Index for survival / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Primary gastrointestinal lymphoma is one of the most common extranodal lymphomas. The purpose of this study was to collect information on the clinical features and treatment of patients with primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) at a single healthcare facility in Korea. METHODS: Between May 1998 and December 2003, 76 primary gastrointestinal DLBCL patients at Asan Medical Center were identified and evaluated. RESULTS: Male patients accounted for 40 cases. The median age was 53 years. A total of 38 patients had primary gastric DLBCL. With a median follow-up of 25 months, the five year overall survival (OS) rate was 61.4% and the five year event free survival (EFS) rate was 59.3%. B symptoms, performance status, LDH levels and involved sites did not affect survival. Twenty-seven patients who underwent primary surgical resection did not demonstrate a difference in survival when compared to patients who did not undergo surgery. However, for intestinal lymphoma, primary surgical resection had a significant influence on EFS (p=0.030). Age (p=0.038), sex (p=0.017), stage (p=0.048), and the number of extranodal sites (p=0.002) were significant factors for EFS. The three year EFS rate for each International Prognostic Index (IPI) risk group was as follows: 78.4% for low risk, 63.7% for low-intermediate risk, 30.0% for high-intermediate risk and 0% for high risk (p=0.002). Cox multivariate analysis revealed that the IPI was the only independent prognostic factor for EFS (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Here we report on the unique pattern of clinical features of primary gastrointestinal DLBCL from a single healthcare center in Korea. The IPI system had prognostic value for primary gastrointestinal DLBCL.

Low-dose All-trans Retinoic Acid for Remission Induction of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in Acute Renal Failure

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is the standard induction treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Renal involvement sometimes necessitates a dose reduction or discontinuation of induction therapy for hematological malignancies. We report here on a case of APL that achieved complete remission with low-dose ATRA treatment despite the patient's acute renal failure. A 42-year-old woman presented with a 2 month history of ecchymosis and she was subsequently diagnosed with APL. During induction treatment with ATRA and idarubicin, oliguria developed and her azotemia rapidly progressed. Because of the progressive deterioration in her general condition, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit. We started renal replacement therapy for her acute renal failure and we discontinued ATRA treatment. Her urine output started to increase, and there was an improvement in the patient's general condition. We resumed low-dose ATRA treatment. She achieved complete remission after 52 days of treatment.

ESHAP Salvage Therapy for Refractory and Relapsed Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma: A Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND: The ESHAP chemotherapy regimen, that is, the combination of the etoposide, methylprednisolone, high-dose cytarabine and cisplatin, has been shown to be active against relapsing or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in previous therapeutic trials. We attempted to determine whether ESHAP therapy would be effective and well-tolerated in Korean patients. METHODS: Twenty two patients with refractory or relapsed NHLs (all aggressive types) were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively evaluated the treatment response, the survival rate and the time to progression. RESULTS: Six patients (27.3%) attained complete remission and eight patients (36.4%) attained partial remission. The overall response rate was 63.6%. The median survival duration was 15.5 months (95% confidence interval; 10.7 to 20.3 months), and the median duration of the time to progression was 8.3 months (95% confidence interval; 0.3 to 16.3 months). Myelosuppression was the major toxicity, but severe neutropenia or thrombocytopenia was rare, and renal toxicity was also infrequent. CONCLUSIONS: ESHAP regimen is effective in Korean patients suffering with relapsed or refractory NHLs, but a more effective salvage modality is needed because of the short duration of remission and the insignificant impact on long-term survival.

Three Cases Treated with High-dose Cytarabine and Etoposide followed by Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Relapsed Primary CNS Lymphoma

The treatment outcomes with conventional second-line chemotherapy or radiotherapy aregenerally very poor for patients with relapsed primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). We treated three relapsed PCNSL patients with high-dose cytarabine plus etoposide (CYVE) chemotherapy, and this was followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The salvage CYVE chemotherapy consisted of cytarabine 2g/m2/d on days 2 to 5 in a 3-hour infusion and 50mg/m2/d on days 1 to 5 in a 12-hourinfusion, and etoposide 200mg/m2/d on days 2 to 5 in a 2-hour infusion. After two cycles of CYVE chemotherapy, two patients achieved a complete response (CR), and one patient achieved a partial response (PR). All three patients experienced febrile neutropenia and grade 4 thrombocytopenia with the CYVE chemotherapy. However, the hematologic toxicities were well managed without any complications. The conditioning regimen for ASCT consisted of BCNU 300mg/m2 on day -7, etoposide 100mg/m2 on days -6 to -3, cytarabine 100mg/m2 on days -6 to -3, and cyclophosphamide 35mg/kg on days -6 to -3 (BEAC). After ASCT, the patient who initially showed a PR with CYVE chemotherapy then achieved a CR. At the time of this report, one patient remained alive in CR for 41 months after CYVE chemotherapy. The remaining two patients experienced relapse 5 months and 4 months after ASCT, respectively, and they ultimately died of disease progression 18 months and 8 months after ASCT, respectively. In our cases, the CYVE chemotherapy+ASCT was well tolerated, and this induced the complete disappearance of the tumor, and one patient showed prolonged disease-free survival. CYVE chemotherapy+ASCT could be a treatment option for relapsed PCNSL.