Detection of Spinal Tuberculosis by F-18 FDG PET/CT as a Cause of Unusual Referred Pain in the Right Upper Quadrant of Abdomen.

Tuberculous involvement of the spine (tuberculosis [TB] spine) can cause severe morbidity unless detected and treated early. Apart from the constitutional symptoms, it can present with back pain, kyphosis, gait abnormality, and paraplegia secondary to the bone or spinal cord involvement. There had been instances of TB spine presenting directly as abdominal pain due to psoas abscesses. Herein, we report a very rare clinical manifestation of TB spine as referred pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant due to right epidural phlegmon associated with T7 vertebra, detected by positron emission tomography.

SX-Ella Danis stent in massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhosis - a case series.

We report our experience of three cases of decompensated cirrhosis with massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding, which required insertion of an SX-Ella Danis stent for hemostasis. The procedure is safe and effective.

Cannulation in patients with large periampullary diverticulum using SpyBite miniforceps.

INTRODUCTION: Cannulation is difficult in patients with periampullary diverticulum (PAD). The described success rate varies from 61% to 95.4%. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four cases with PAD in which, despite repeated attempts, we were unable to locate the papilla and cannulate. To overcome this difficulty, we used SpyBite forceps (Boston Scientific) to pull out the papillary orifice and then perform the cannulation using a sphincterotome introduced through the same working channel. RESULTS: This method reduced the time required for cannulation. In all four of our cases, we had 100% success in cannulation. CONCLUSIONS: Use of SpyBite miniforceps in difficult cannulations in patients with PAD is useful and has an excellent success rate.

Endoscopic Removal of Granular Cell Tumors of Stomach: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Gastrointestinal granular cell tumors (GCTs), usually benign, soft-tissue tumors, are thought to arise from Schwann cells that may occur at many sites. Only 5-7% of these lesions are detected in the gastrointestinal tract. Histologically, it is composed of sheets or nests of plump round or polygonal cells having abundant slightly amphophilic granular cytoplasm with centrally located uniform pyknotic nuclei and immunohistochemical staining for S-100 protein supports the proposed derivation from Schwann cells. In this study, we reported a case of a solitary GCT of the stomach that was completely removed after endoscopic submuscosal resection.

EUS-guided endoscopic necrosectomy and temporary cystogastrostomy for infected pancreatic necrosis with self-expanding metallic stents.

Pancreatic pseudocyst with infected necrotic tissue is associated with necrotizing pancreatitis and carries a high rate of complications and death. Open cystogastrostomy with removal of necrotic material and necrosectomy is the standard treatment for infected pancreatic necrosis but is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stay. Endoscopic cyst drainage with necrosectomy is an alternative and less invasive technique. We report a case of endoscopic ultrasound-guided cystogastrostomy with a fully covered 15-mm-diameter self-expandable metal stent and staged endoscopic necrosectomy through the stent. This is the first case, so far, to use this technique with complete removal of necrotic material without any complications.