A Case of Peribiliary Cysts / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Hepatic peribiliary cysts are characterized by multiple tiny cysts of peribiliary glands located in the hilum of the large portal tracts. A 54-year-old man was diagnosed as multiple peribiliary cysts by a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram. A course of observation was taken, since surgery due to misdiagnosis of peribiliary cysts as a malignancy is a possibility. The present case highlights the need for precise diagnosis and observation of peribiliary cysts.

The Usefulness of Applying an Additional Clip When Using a Double-layered Pyloric Stent to Treat Gastric Outlet Obstruction / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been reported the placement of a double-layered pyloric combination stent can overcome the disadvantage of the increased ingrowth observed for an uncovered stent and the increased migration for a covered stent. But this did not satisfactorily prevent stent migration and it caused stent migration more frequently than with using the uncovered stent. This study evaluated the usefulness of applying a clip in an effort to reduce stent migration. METHODS: Fifteen patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction were treated with endoscopic placement of a double-layered combination pyloric stent. Three endoscopic clips were then applied to fix the proximal end of the enteral stent to the gastric or duodenal mucosa. The clinical efficacy and especially the rate of migration were analyzed. RESULTS: The technical and clinical success rate was 100% (15/15) and 93.3% (14/15), respectively. No stent migration was observed in any of the patients. Three patients (20%) experienced complications such as stent collapse. The median stent patency period was 83.4 days. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic clipping for enteral stent placement is effective for preventing stent migration in patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction.

The Clinical Significance of Extraluminal Compressions According to the Site of the Stomach / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It can be difficult to differentiate an extraluminal compression from a true submucosal tumor (SMT) in the stomach. The best method for differentiating an extraluminal compression from a true SMT is endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). Extragastric compression is frequently observed, but its clinical significance has rarely been reported on. We evaluated the clinical findings of extraluminal compression according to the site of the stomach. METHODS: Ninety-one patients were diagnosed by EUS as having extragastric compressions from January 2006 to July 2008. Abdominal sonography or computed tomography was performed in some cases. RESULTS: The causes of normal structures (64 cases) were the vessels, spleen, intestine, gallbladder, liver, mesentery, pancreas and kidney. The causes of pathologic lesions (27 cases) were hepatic cyst, distended gallbladder with sludge, splenic cyst, hepatic hemangioma, polycystic hepatic and renal disease, pancreatic cyst, renal cyst, calcified lymph node and hepatocelluar carcinoma. The great curvature of the fundus was the most frequent site of extraluminal compressions. The lesions in the anterior wall of the body showed a higher frequency of pathologic lesions than did those lesions in other sites. CONCLUSIONS: EUS is useful for finding the causes of extragastric compression. Careful evaluation is needed because many lesions in the anterior wall of the body of the stomach were due to pathologic causes.

Catheter Probe Endoscopic Ultrasonography Using the Jelly-Filled Method for Esophageal Subepithelial Lesions / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The catheter probe endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) system is widely used to evaluate upper gastrointestinal tract lesions. The depiction of the esophageal wall by probe EUS remains problematic due to the difficulty of the filling of water in the esophageal lumen. In addition, filling the esophagus with water can be associated with an increased risk of aspiration. To resolve such problems, we recently applied the use of probe EUS with the jelly-filled method for the evaluation of subepithelial lesions. The procedure is characterized by filling the esophageal lumen with jelly. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of probe EUS by using the jelly-filled method for esophageal subepithelial lesions. METHODS: We analyzed the records of the patients with suspected subepithelial lesions at the time of endoscopy that was performed from November 2005 to June 2007. Esophageal subepithelial lesions with both EUS findings and pathological reports were retrospectively compared. RESULTS: The study included 181 patients (96 males, 85 females), with an average age of 55.5 years (age range, 29~78 years). Sixty-eight patients had lesions in the upper esophagus, 60 patients had lesions in the middle esophagus and 53 patients had lesions in the lower esophagus. Secondary layers of esophageal lesions were predominant (91/181) in the cases. Pathological findings were available for 34 patients. Compared with the pathological findings, the diagnostic accuracy of EUS was 91.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Probe EUS by using the jelly-filled method is convenient and safe to perform and provides clear and full-circumferential imaging of a lesion. It is an alternative method to use in place of previously used probe-EUS procedures for the assessment of esophageal subepithelial lesions.

A Case of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Associated with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

A 69-year-old female was referred to our institution due to abdominal pain and palpable purpura on both buttocks and legs. A skin biopsy of her purpura revealed granulocyte infiltration and leucocytoclasia around the arterioles and venuoles at the dermis, as well as an elevated serum immunoglobulin A level, hematuria and proteinuria. Therefore she was diagnosed with Henoch-Schonlein purpura. She had been diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma after a biopsy of her left inguinal lymph node 12 years ago and received 6 cycles of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) chemotherapy, which was followed by a complete remission. Abdominal and chest CT revealed multiple lymph node enlargement and bowel wall thickening at the ileocecal area, and lesions were observed in a whole body PET CT scan. Recurrence of the diffuse large B cell lymphoma was confirmed by a biopsy of the ileocecal area via colonoscopy. The purpura was improved after oral prednisolone therapy and etoposide, oxaliplatin and ifosfamide salvage combination chemotherapy was used to treat the lymphoma.

Usefulness of Double Esophageal Stent for Malignant Esophageal Stricture / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic self expandable metallic stent (SEMS) has become the palliative treatment of choice for inoperable malignant esophageal stricture. However, covered and uncovered stents carry limitations such as stent migration and tumor ingrowth, respectively. A double esophageal stent has been developed to overcome these problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of double esophageal stent (outer uncovered stent and inner covered stent) for palliation of malignant esophageal stricture. METHODS: Between February 2001 and November 2006, 32 patients with malignant esophageal stricture were treated with double esophageal stents. The patients were retrospectively assessed for the technical outcome, the clinical outcome and the complications of the process. RESULTS: Stent implantation was successful in all 32 patients (100%). The dysphasia score significantly improved from a mean of 3.22 to 1.63 (p<0.001) for all 32 patients. Eight patients had recurrent dysphagia due to stent overgrowth (6/32, 18%), stent migration (1/32, 3%) and tumor ingrowth (1/32, 3%). Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux occurred in six patients (18%). Aspiration pneumonia occurred in two patients (6%). CONCLUSIONS: Double esophageal stent is effective for symptomatic relief of malignant esophageal stricture. It seems to reduce tumor ingrowth and stent migration, but it has limitations such as tumor overgrowth and GERD.

A Case of Pancreatogastric Fistula Associated with Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm / 대한소화기내시경학회지

There have been an increasing number of reports of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas since its first report by Ohhasi et al. in 1982. However, fistula formation associated with IPMN to other organs is rare. A 79-year-old woman visited our hospital due to diarrhea and dyspepsia for 3 months. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed IPMN of the pancreas and fistula formation in the stomach. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography after injecting a dye through the pancreatic duct showed dye flowing out into stomach. An endoscopic biopsy was carried out through the pancreatogastric fistula and this tumor was confirmed to be IPMN. We report a case of pancreatogastric fistula associated with IPMN that was confirmed by histology.