Clinicopathological features of colorectal polyps in 2002 and 2012.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are few comparative studies on the historical changes in the clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal polyps in Korea. This retrospective study compared the clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal polyps treated at our institution in 2002 and 2012. METHODS: The medical records of 1,816 patients who underwent colonoscopy and were found to have colorectal polyps in 2002 (n = 597) or 2012 (n = 1,219) were reviewed retrospectively. Patient characteristics and polyp sizes, gross morphologies, locations, and pathologic results were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Mean age was older in the 2002 group than in the 2012 group (67.3 ± 11.1 years vs. 55.4 ± 10.8 years, p < 0.001). The 1,816 study subjects had a total of 3,723 colorectal polyps, with a mean of 2.05 polyps per patient. Mean polyp size was larger in the 2002 group than in the 2012 group (0.6 ± 0.4 cm vs. 0.4 ± 0.3 cm, p < 0.001). The most common histology was tubular adenoma and they were more common in the right colon in both study groups. Although the distribution of total adenoma was not significantly different between groups, the location of advanced adenoma differed significantly and was more common in the right colon in the 2012 group (30.4% vs. 63.2%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: No significant change in total polyps and adenoma distribution was found between 2002 and 2012. However, advanced adenoma was more common in the right colon in 2012, which cautiously suggests a locational shift from the left to right colon. These findings indicate that right colon polyps require more attention.

Risk Factors of Advanced Adenoma in Small and Diminutive Colorectal Polyp.

The aims of this study were to review the clinicopathological characteristics of diminutive (≤ 5 mm) and small polyps (> 5 mm but < 10 mm) and to evaluate the risk factors of advanced adenoma for polyps of diameter < 10 mm in the colon. The medical records of 4,711 patients who underwent first colonoscopy at outpatient clinics or health promotion center were reviewed retrospectively. We analyzed the presence and risk factors of advanced adenoma, which was defined as a villous or tubulovillous polyp, high-grade dysplasia or intramucosal carcinoma histologically. Total 5,058 polyps were detected in the 4,711 patients, and 93.0% (4,704/5,058) polyps were < 10 mm in size. Among them, advanced adenoma was noted in 0.6% (28/4,704) with a villous component in 19, high-grade dysplasia in 3, and adenocarcinoma in 6. Advanced and non-advanced adenomas differed significantly in age group, gender, and polyp size. Multivariate analysis showed that an advanced age (> 65 years), a male gender, and a polyp size of > 5 mm were risk factors of advanced adenoma. The incidence of advanced adenoma in polyps of < 10 mm was 0.6%. Polyp size, male gender, and age of > 65 years are independent risk factors of advanced adenoma.

Prediction of the indication criteria for endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.

AIM: To find risk factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early gastric cancer (EGC) and to find proper endoscopic therapy indication in EGC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the 2270 patients who underwent curative operation for EGC from January 2001 to December 2008. EGC was defined as malignant lesions that do not invade beyond the submucosal layer of the stomach wall irrespective of presence of lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Among 2270 enrolled patients, LNM was observed in 217 (9%) patients. LNM in intramucosal (M) cancer and submucosal (SM) cancer was detected in 38 (2.8%, 38/1340) patients and 179 (19%, 179/930) patients, respectively. In univariate analysis, the risk factors for LNM in EGC were size of tumor, Lauren classification, ulcer, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, and depth of invasion. However, in multivariate analysis, size of tumor, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, and depth of invasion were risk factors for LNM in EGC. Size of tumor, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, and depth of invasion were risk factors for LNM in cases of intramucosal cancer and submucosal cancer. In particular, there was no lymph node metastasis in cases of well differentiated early gastric cancer below 1 cm in size without ulcer regardless of lymphovascular invasion. CONCLUSION: Tumor size, perilymphatic-vascular invasion, and depth of invasion were risk factors for LNM in EGC. There was no LNM in EGC below 1 cm regardless risk factors.

Multiple rectal neuroendocrine tumors: report of five cases.

Carcinoids are slow growing neuroendocrine tumors (NET) originating in the enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal tract. In previous studies, rectal NET comprised only about 1% of all anorectal neoplasms; however, the incidence of rectal NET has shown a recent increase. Typically, rectal NET presents as a single subepithelial nodule, and multicentricity of rectal NETs is rare, with reported incidence of 2-4.5%. Due to the rarity of multiple rectal NETs, there is no consensus or guidelines for treatment of multiple rectal NETs. However, NETs of the rectum that are less than 10 mm in diameter and do not infiltrate the muscularis propria, without distant metastasis, can be removed by endoscopy, as with solitary rectal NET. We encountered five cases of multiple rectal NETs which were treated successfully by endoscopy.

A case of plummer-vinson syndrome associated with Crohn's disease.

Plummer-Vinson syndrome manifests as cervical dysphagia, iron deficiency anemia, an upper esophageal web, and atrophic glossitis. The cause of the esophageal web is thought to be iron deficiency anemia; however, the cause of Plummer-Vinson syndrome has not been established. Crohn's disease is usually accompanied by malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia; however, no case of concomitant Crohn's disease and Plummer-Vinson syndrome with aggravated malnutrition and anemia has been previously reported. Here, we report on a rare case of Plummer-Vinson syndrome in a Crohn's disease patient, which caused malnutrition and constipation.

[Trends in the eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori infection in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea: multicenter study over 13 years].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori infection have been reported to have decreased over the years due to antibiotics resistance. The aim of this study is to investigate the trend of eradication rates of first-line triple therapy for H. pylori over the past 13 year period, and to evaluate factors affecting H. pylori eradication in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. METHODS: A total of 2,982 patients with H. pylori infection who were treated with either 1 week or 2 weeks first-line therapy (proton pump inhibitor [PPI], amoxicillin, and clarithromycin) from January 1999 through December 2011 were included in this study. Data were collected by retrospectively reviewing the medical records. RESULTS: The overall H. pylori eradication rate was 87.2%. The eradication rates from 1999 to 2011 fluctuated between 78.0% and 95.7%, but no definite evidence of a decreasing tendency was seen over the 13 year period (p=0.113). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the eradication rate according to the duration of therapy (p=0.592). However, there was a significant difference in the eradication rate among various PPIs (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: There was no decreasing trend in the H. pylori eradication rate over the past 13 years in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. There also was no difference in the eradication rates depending on duration of therapy. However, a significant difference was noted among various PPIs.