[Gastric pyloric stenosis caused by submucosal hematoma in a patient with vascular type Ehlers-Danlos syndrome:a case report].

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a relatively rare syndrome characterized by excessive stretching of the skin and joints and hemorrhage and increased tissue fragility due to abnormal collagen. Particularly, vascular type EDS has been associated with type III collagen-rich aorta and intestinal tract fragility, owing to which young people are at a risk of spontaneous arterial rupture, aneurysm, aortic dissection, and gastrointestinal perforation. However, there have been few reports regarding gastric submucosal hematoma caused by EDS. Herein, we presented the case of a 29-year-old man who was diagnosed with EDS during his childhood and used to attend another hospital. He visited our hospital after developing epigastralgia and vomiting. The patient presented with pyloric stenosis caused by gastric antrum submucosal hematoma as revealed via abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and endoscopic ultrasonography. He was admitted and underwent conservative therapy in addition to fasting, drip infusion, and tube feeding. The follow-up CT and EGD revealed hematoma shrinkage, after which he was discharged as no further deterioration was observed. Thus, based on the observed EDS characteristics, an accurate diagnosis is warranted to avoid unnecessary invasive therapy.

Use of Immunostaining for the diagnosis of Lymphovascular invasion in superficial Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma (BEA) is increasing in Japan. Accurate assessment of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) after endoscopic resection or surgery is essential in evaluating treatment response. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of immunostaining in determining the extent of LVI in superficial BEA. METHODS: We retrospectively included 41 patients who underwent endoscopic resection or surgery between January 2007 and July 2018. In all cases, 3-µm serial sections from paraffin-embedded resected specimens were used for hematoxylin and eosin (H-E) staining and immunostaining for D2-40 and CD31. Two specialized gastrointestinal pathologists (T.Y. and T.T.), blinded to clinical information, independently evaluated the extent of LVI from these specimens. The LVI-positivity rate was evaluated with respect to the depth of invasion, changes in the positivity rate on immunostaining, pathological characteristics of patients with LVI, lymph node metastasis or relapse, and course after treatment. RESULTS: H-E staining alone identified LVI in 7 patients (positivity rate: 17.1%). Depths of invasion were categorized based on extension to the submucosa (SM) or deeper. On immunostaining for D2-40 and CD31, additional positivity was detected in 2 patients with SM1 and 1 SM3, respectively; LVI was detected in 10 patients (positivity rate: 24.4%). LVI-positivity rates with invasion of the superficial muscularis mucosa (SMM)/lamina propria mucosa (LPM)/deep muscularis mucosa (DMM), SM 1, 2, and 3 were 0, 75, 28.6, and 55.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Combined H-E staining and immunostaining is useful in diagnosing LVI in superficial BEA, particularly in endoscopically resected specimens.