Cholangiocarcinoma presenting as pseudoachalasia and gastroparesis.

Cholangiocarcinoma most commonly presents as painless progressive jaundice. We report a case occurring in a 56-year-old Chinese woman with an unusual presentation of progressive dysphagia and vomiting. Oesophageal manometric and barium studies were indicative of achalasia, and computed tomography confirmed the presence of cholangiocarcinoma extending to the gastroesophageal junction and proximal lesser curve of the stomach. In this case, a constricting tumour at the gastroesophageal junction with probable invasion of the vagus nerves led to features of achalasia and gastroparesis.

Ultrasonographic features of pseudotumorous form of ascariasis.

We report the ultrasonographic findings of a 60 year old woman with pseudotumorous form of ascariasis. Real-time ultrasonographic examination using a curved array transducer revealed grossly thickened small bowel loops, multiple small circular deposits throughout the peritoneal cavity, and a moderate amount of ascites. The English literature on the different forms of abdominal ascariasis is reviewed. Specific signs, which include the 'strip' sign, the 'four-lines', 'inner tube', or 'double tube' sign, the 'bull's eye' or 'target' sign, a 'worm mass' or 'spaghetti-like' appearance, and the 'zig-zag' sign can be present in any form of abdominal ascariasis, as they represent the image of the Ascaris worms visualized under ultrasonographic examination. However, the non-specific signs are not peculiar to A. lumbricoides infections, but are results of secondary changes due to A. lumbricoides infections in the corresponding organs.

Appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma presenting as "porcelain" appendix with myxoglobulosis--a rare cause of a right lower quadrant mass.

Mucinous cystadenoma is a rare tumour of the vermiform appendix and is associated with cystic dilatation of the appendix, to which the more general term of mucocoele has been applied. Mucocoele of the appendix is only a descriptive term for abnormal mucus accumulation causing distension of the appendiceal lumen, irrespective of the underlying cause. Pre-operative diagnosis of appendix mucocoele, though infrequently made, is important as some of these lesions may be malignant, and also is essential in order to avoid the risk of rupture at surgery with subsequent development of pseudomyxoma peritonei. The appearances of mucocoele of the appendix and its uncommon variant of myxoglobulosis on plain radiograph, ultrasound and barium study are presented, together with review of the literature.

Percutaneous needle aspiration in the treatment of hepatic abscess: factors influencing patients' outcome.

Sixty-four consecutive cases of hepatic abscess diagnosed over a 6-year period and all treated by ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle aspiration and systemic antibiotics were retrospectively reviewed to ascertain factors influencing the outcome in these patients. The 64 patients had in total 101 liver abscesses which averaged 4.7 cm in diameter. Two patients (3.1%) required surgery for associated biliary tract disease. Five patients (7.8%) died from septicaemia and/or serious condition or malignancy. The remaining 57 patients (89.1%) were successfully treated--45 cases (70.3%) showed fully-resolved abscess/es after a mean period of 69.9 days after initial aspiration; 12 patients (18.8%) showed markedly-shrunken abscess cavity size over an average of 30.7 days and all were asymptomatic on discharge from hospital. No correlation was demonstrated between number of abscesses and successful patient recovery--42 of 46 patients (91.3%) with solitary hepatic abscess recovered, 6 of 8 patients (75.0%) with 2 abscesses and 9 of 10 patients (90.0%) with more than 2 abscesses were successfully treated. No correlation was detected between abscess size and number of aspirations required, majority of abscesses (73.3%) requiring no more than two aspirations irrespective of their sizes. Of the 57 patients cured, no significant correlation between abscess size and degree of abscess healing was evident. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of percutaneous needle aspiration and it should be considered a first-line treatment in the management of liver abscess, irrespective of their number and sizes.

Prevalence of dementia in Chinese elderly in Hong Kong.

This study examines the prevalence of dementia in elderly Chinese aged 70 years and older in Hong Kong using a two-phase design. In phase 1, 1,034 elderly were interviewed with the Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Those who scored below the cutoff points and a subsample of those with scores in the normal range were interviewed in phase 2 to identify those with dementia. The overall weighted prevalence of dementia in our subjects was 6.1 +/- 0.7%, which is at the lower end of the range of rates reported in whites. Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounted for 64.6% and vascular dementia, 29.3%. Our results, together with previous studies in Chinese populations, suggest that the rates of AD in Chinese are low compared with those in whites. Substantial differences are possible in the epidemiology of dementia across cultures related to interactions of genetic and environmental factors.

Pyogenic liver abscess: treatment with needle aspiration.

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous needle aspiration as an alternative to continuous percutaneous catheter drainage in combination with systemic antibiotics for the treatment of pyogenic liver abscess has never been popular. The authors report their experience with needle aspiration and evaluate its safety, effectiveness and role in treating pyogenic liver abscess. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of needle aspiration performed in 101 liver abscesses of 64 unselected consecutive patients with male to female ratio of 2.5:1 and average age 56.3 +/- 16 years were reviewed. The abscesses were pyogenic in 63 patients (98.4%), and multiple in 18 patients (28.1%). Thirty-nine abscesses (38.6%) were > or = 5 cm in diameter. Complete pus removal from each abscess was attempted with 18 gauge thin-walled trocar needles and ultrasound guidance. RESULTS: The percentage of abscesses requiring one, two and three, or more sessions of aspiration was 49.5%, 23.7% and 26.7%, respectively. The overall success rate was 96.8%. The success rate was unrelated to the largest size or number of abscess in the patient. Two patients died from uncontrolled sepsis. One serious complication of liver laceration requiring laparotomy occurred. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous needle aspiration in combination with systemic antibiotics is safe and effective in treating pyogenic liver abscess, it should be considered as a first line alternative to catheter drainage, especially for multiple abscesses. The need for repeat aspirations follows a 'fifty per cent rule'.