The role of EUS-guided iodine-125 seed implantation in patients with unresectable ampullary cancer after relief of obstructive jaundice.

Purpose: Few studies have focused on the management of inoperable ampullary carcinoma (AC), and patients with jaundice suffer from biliary stents replacement frequently. Iodine-125 (125I) brachytherapy has been used in the treatment of malignant tumors owing to its curative effect, minimal surgical trauma, and tolerable complications. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of 125I seed implantation in patients with unresectable ampullary carcinoma after relief of obstructive jaundice. Material and methods: A total of 44 patients with obstructive jaundice resulting from unresectable ampullary carcinoma from January 1, 2010 to October 31, 2020 were enrolled in the study. Eleven patients underwent implantation of 125I seeds under endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) after receiving biliary stent placement via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (treatment group), and 33 patients received a stent alone via ERCP (control group). Cox regression model was applied in this single-center retrospective comparison study. Results: The median maximum intervention interval for biliary obstruction was 381 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 204-419 days) in the treatment group and 175 days (IQR: 126-274 days) in the control group (p < 0.05). Stent occlusion rates at 90 and 180 days in the control group were 12.9% and 51.6%, respectively. No stent occlusion occurred in the treatment group. Patients in the treatment group obtained longer survival time (median, 26 vs. 13 months; p < 0.01) and prolonged duodenal obstruction (median, 20.5 vs. 11 months; p < 0.05). No brachytherapy-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Longer intervention interval for biliary obstruction and survival as well as better stent patency and prolonged time to duodenal obstruction could be achieved by implanting 125I seeds combined with biliary stent in patients with unresectable ampullary cancer.

Balloon-assisted enteroscopy-based endoscopic stricturotomy for deep small bowel strictures from Crohn's disease: First cohort study of a novel approach.

BACKGROUND: There is little data on the role of endoscopic stricturotomy (ES) in treating deep small bowel strictures. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of balloon-assisted enteroscopy-based ES (BAE-based ES) for deep small bowel strictures associated with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: This multicentre retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients with CD-associated deep small bowel strictures treated with BAE-based ES between 2017 and 2023. The outcomes included technical success, clinical improvement, surgery-free rate, reintervention-free rate, and adverse events. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients with CD underwent 58 BAE-based ES procedures for non-passable deep small bowel strictures, with a median follow-up time of 519.5 days (interquartile range, 306-728 days). Fifty-six (96.0%) procedures were technically successful in 26 (92.9%) patients. Twenty patients (71.4%) showed clinical improvement at week 8. The cumulative surgery-free rate at 1 year was 74.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 60.3-92.9%). A higher body mass index was associated with a decreased need for surgery (hazard ratio = 0.084, 95% CI, 0.016-0.45, P = 0.0036). Postprocedural adverse events (bleeding and perforation) requiring reintervention occurred in 3.4% of the procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The novel BAE-based ES provides high technical success, favorable efficacy, and safety in CD-associated deep small bowel strictures, which may provide an alternative for endoscopic balloon dilation and surgery.

Delayed diagnosis of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome due to pathological information loss or mistake in family/personal history.

OBJECTIVE: To report Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) cases with non-definitive clues in the family or personal history and finally diagnosed through pathological examination and STK11 gene mutation test. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: PJS was suspected in 3 families with tortuous medical courses. Two of them had relatives departed due to polyposis or colon cancer without pathological results, and the other one had been diagnosed as hyperplastic polyposis before. Diagnosis of PJS was confirmed by endoscopy and repeated pathological examinations, and the STK11 mutation test finally confirmed the diagnosis at genetic level, during which 3 novel mutation were detected (536C > A, 373_374insA, 454_455insGGAGAAGCGTTTCCCAGTGTGCC). CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of PJS is important and may be based on a family history with selective features among family members, and the pathological information is the key. The novel mutations also expand the STK11 variant spectrum.

Balloon-assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection for treating small intestinal lipomas: Report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Most small intestinal lipomas are treated surgically, and some require repeated surgeries for multiple lipomas. However, application of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) technology in the deep small intestine is rarely reported owing to the special anatomical structure of the small intestine, medical equipment limitations, and the lack of relevant experience among endoscopists. CASE SUMMARY: Two patients with small intestinal lipomas treated at the Air Force Medical Center from November 2015 to September 2019 were selected to undergo balloon-assisted ESD to treat the lipomas and explore the technical feasibility and safety of ESD for treating small intestinal lipomas. The two patients successfully underwent balloon-assisted ESD to treat four small intestinal lipomas, with a complete resection rate of 100% (4/4), without intraoperative or postoperative bleeding, perforation, or other complications. After 3-6 mo of postoperative follow-up, the clinical symptoms caused by the lipomas were significantly relieved or disappeared after treatment. CONCLUSION: Balloon-assisted ESD is a safe and reliable new method for treating deep intestinal lipomas and shows good clinical feasibility.

Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) using flexible endoscope with laparoscopic assistance: a pilot study in porcine models.

BACKGROUND: Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) is routinely performed to excise low rectal tumors. TaTME often relies on transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) or transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) platform, all using rigid endoscopes. Our study reported a novel approach to TaTME which was completed using flexible endoscope, and we named it F-TaTME. METHODS: The feasibility of rectum resection using F-TaTME was evaluated in five pigs. Firstly, the superior rectal artery and vein were managed under the assistance of laparoscopy. Secondly, the flexible endoscope was used to complete the full-thickness rectotomy and rectal mobilization. Finally, the specimen was removed and the manual colon-rectal anastomosis was performed under direct vision. RESULTS: F-TaTME was accomplished in all 5 pigs. The mean procedure time was 136.6 min (97-162 min). The mean length from the lower edge of the lesion to circumferential dissection line was 1.4 cm (1.0-1.8 cm) and mean length of exteriorized rectum was 12.6 cm (11-14 cm). No injury to colorectal wall, adjacent pelvic or abdominal organs was found. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data suggested that F-TaTME may be a feasible method for TaTME.

Small intestinal hemolymphangioma treated with enteroscopic injection sclerotherapy: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Hemolymphangiomas are rare malformations composed of both lymphatic and vascular vessels and are located in the pancreas, spleen, mediastinum, etc. Small intestinal hemolymphangioma is extremely rare and often presents as obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. It is rarely diagnosed correctly before the operation. Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy is usually used as a management of bleeding in esophageal varices and was occasionally reported as a treatment of vascular malformation. The treatment of small intestinal hemolymphangioma with enteroscopic injection sclerotherapy has not been reported. CASE SUMMARY: A 42-year-old male complained of recurrent episodes of melena and dizziness, fatigue and reduced exercise capacity for more than 2 mo. Gastroduodenoscopy and blood test revealed a gastric ulcer and anemia. Treatment with oral proton-pump inhibitors and iron did not improve symptoms. We then performed a capsule endoscopy and anterograde balloon-assisted enteroscopy and revealed a hemolymphangioma. Considering it is a benign tumor without malignant potential, we performed enteroscopic injection sclerotherapy. He was discharged 4 days later. At follow-up 3 mo later, the melena disappeared. Balloon-assisted enteroscopy revealed an atrophied tumor atrophied and no bleeding. Argon plasma coagulation was applied to the surface of the hemolymphangioma to accelerated healing. When he returned for follow-up 1 year later, anemia was resolved and the tumor had been cured. CONCLUSION: Balloon-assisted enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy are effective methods for diagnosis of hemolymphangioma. Enteroscopic injection sclerotherapy is an effective treatment.

Predictors for Small Bowel Stenosis in Balloon-Assisted Enteroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Predictors besides symptoms of obstruction indicating small bowel stenosis are little known. AIMS: To detect predictors of small bowel stenosis in balloon-assisted enteroscopy. METHODS: Over a 6-year period, 461 patients had enteroscopy for suspected small intestinal disease. Details of clinical manifestations, medical history, demographic characteristics, findings of examinations, information on enteroscopy, and treatment were retrospectively collected based on medical records. Small bowel stenosis was defined as stricture that over-tube cannot go through in enteroscopy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors for small bowel stenosis. RESULTS: A total of 314 patients had definite diagnosis after enteroscopy, imaging modalities, and/or even surgical exploration. They were included in this study for analyses. Mean age for them was 48.2 years old (range 15-81 years). Small bowel stenosis was present in 59 patients (18.8%). Analyses showed that CT/MRI indicating stenosis was significantly associated with severe stenosis (p = 0.014) but insignificant related to general stenosis (p = 0.097). Predictive factors that accompanied stenosis were age ≥ 60 years (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-4.0), underweight (BMI ≤ 18.5) (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.4-8.4), symptoms of obstruction (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.8-7.4), and overt small bowel bleeding (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-0.9). CONCLUSIONS: Small bowel stenosis more tended to occur to patients with symptoms of obstruction, no overt small bowel bleeding, age ≥ 60 years, or underweight.

Risk Factors and Nomogram for Pancreatic Stone Formation in Chronic Pancreatitis over a Long-Term Course: A Cohort of 2,153 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic stones are pathognomonic of chronic pancreatitis (CP). This study aimed to determine the incidence, identify risk factors, and develop a nomogram for pancreatic stones in CP patients. METHODS: Patients with CP admitted to our center from January 2000 to December 2013 were enrolled. Cumulative rates of pancreatic stones after the onset of CP and after the diagnosis of CP were calculated. Patients were randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, to the training and validation cohort. Based on the training cohort, risk factors were identified through Cox proportional hazards regression model, and nomogram was developed. Internal and external validations were performed based on the training and validation cohort, respectively. RESULTS: With a total of 2,153 CP patients, pancreatic stones were detected in 1,626 (75.5%) patients, with a median follow-up of 7.8 years. Age at the onset of CP, body mass index, smoking, diabetes mellitus, pancreatic pseudocyst, biliary stricture, severe acute pancreatitis, and type of pain were identified risk factors for pancreatic stones development. The nomogram with these 8 factors achieved good accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram achieved an individualized prediction of pancreatic stones development in CP. It may help the management of pancreatic stones.

Primary experience of small bowel polypectomy with balloon-assisted enteroscopy in young pediatric Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients.

For Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) patients, small bowel polyps develop and result in symptoms at an early age. Balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) is verified as a safe and efficient choice to evaluate and remove small intestinal polyps in adult PJS. But the safety of BAE, especially BAE-facilitated polypectomy for young pediatrics, is little known. This prospective study focused on the effectiveness and safety of BAE-facilitated polypectomy in small bowel for young pediatric PJS. PJS patients (aged 0-14 years old) with BAE (including both single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopies) were included from 1 September 2012 to 30 April 2018. The demographic data, medical history, and details of BAE were recorded. BAE-related complications and symptom relief after BAE were evaluated and compared between the PJS patients aged 5-10 years old (the younger pediatric group) and those aged 11-14 years old (the older pediatric group). A total of 41 pediatric PJS patients (5-14 years old) subjected to 82 BAEs were included. BAE-facilitated polypectomy was performed for 33 children (80.5%), and 242 polyps in small bowel were removed. For 10 (24.4%) patients, one or more giant polyps (maximum diameter larger than 5 cm) were removed. For eight patients, no polypectomy was done as no polyps were observed (six subjects) or not suitable for BAE-facilitated polypectomy (two subjects) because of high risk of perforation. The complication rates of BAE and BAE-facilitated polypectomy were 1.2% (1/82) and 1.8% (1/55), and the symptom relief rate was 70.8% (17/24). Compared with the older pediatric group, the younger pediatric group showed no increased BAE complication rate (0.0% vs. 5.0%, p = 0.488) and a comparable rate of symptom relief after BAE therapy (80.8% vs. 55.6%, p = 0.356).Conclusion: BAE-facilitated polypectomy in young pediatric PJS is safe and effective.What is known:• Small bowel evaluation and prophetic polypectomy are important for pediatric PJS patients to avoid polyp-related intussusception, obstruction, and bleeding.• BAE polypectomy was a recommended intervention for removing small bowel polyps in adult PJS patients.What is new:• BAE-facilitated small bowel polypectomy is safe and effective for young pediatric PJS, even for those aged less than 10 years old.

Risk factor for diabetes mellitus in pediatric chronic pancreatitis patients.

Pediatric patients suffer from chronic pancreatitis (CP), especially those with diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aimed to identify the incidence of and risk factors for DM in pediatric CP.CP patients admitted to our center from January 2000 to December 2013 were assigned to the pediatric (<18 years old) and adult group according to their age at onset of CP. Cumulative rates of DM and risk factors for both groups were calculated and identified.The median follow-up duration for the whole cohort was 7.6 years. In these 2153 patients, 13.5% of them were pediatrics. The mean age at the onset and the diagnosis of CP in pediatrics were 11.622 and 19.727, respectively. DM was detected in 13.1% patients and 31.0% patients in the pediatric group and adult group, respectively. Age at the onset of CP, smoking history, body mass index (BMI), and etiology of CP were identified risk factors for DM in pediatrics.DM was detected in 13.1% pediatric patients. Age at the onset of CP, smoking history, BMI, and etiology of CP were identified risk factors for the development of DM in pediatric CP patients. The high-risk populations were suggested to be monitored frequently. They could also benefit from a lifestyle modification.

Early screening the small bowel is key to protect Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients from surgery: a novel mutation c.243delG in STK11 gene.

BACKGROUND: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a Mendelian disease, whose causative gene is STK11, mainly characterized by gastrointestinal polyposis and increased cancer risk. Clinical observation reveals intussusception in childhood are more frequent and severe than in adults, and it is difficult to prevent this knotty complication. CASE PRESENTATION: A boy without a positive family history grew oral MP after birth and developed abdominal pain and bloody stood at 7 years old. Endoscopy revealed multiple polyps within the colon and the ileum, and endoscopic polypectomy and regular surveillance protected him from severe complications and open surgeries. A heterozygous deletion in STK11, c.243delG, was detected in the proband but not in his parents. This mutation has not been documented in databases. CONCLUSIONS: We suspect a child of PJS may need a more thorough endoscopic examination including enteroscopy or capsule endoscopy to take care of small bowel when PJS related symptoms comes up.

Autoantibody detection is not recommended for chronic pancreatitis: a cross-sectional Study of 557 patients.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune factor was regarded as one of the risk factors in the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP), especially for autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). However, whether autoimmune factor plays a role in non-AIP CP or not was unknown. METHODS: Hospitalized patients with non-AIP CP from January 2010 to October 2016 were detected for 22 autoantibodies at the time of hospital admission. Autoantibodies with frequency > 0.5% were enrolled to calculate the frequency in historial healthy controls through literature search in PubMed. Differentially expressed autoantibodies were determined between patients and historial healthy controls, and related factors were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In a total of 557 patients, 113 cases were detected with 19 kinds of positive autoantibodies, among them anti-ß2-glycoprotein I (ß2-GPI) antibody was most frequent (9.16%). Compared with historial healthy controls, the frequencies of serum ß2-GPI and anti SS-B antibody in patients were significantly higher, while frequencies of anti-smooth muscle antibody and anticardiolipin antibody were significantly lower (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis result showed that diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.515) and common bile duct stricture (OR = 2.844) were the risk factors of positive ß2-GPI antibody in patients while diabetes mellitus in first-/second-/third-degree relatives (OR = 0.266) was the protective factor. There were no related factors for other three differentially expressed autoantibodies. CONCLUSIONS: Four autoantibodies were expressed differentially between patients with non-AIP CP and historial healthy controls. Due to limited significance for diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis, autoantibodies detection is not recommended conventionally unless suspected of AIP.

Risk Factors and Nomogram for Common Bile Duct Stricture in Chronic Pancreatitis: A Cohort of 2153 Patients.

GOALS: To identify the risk factors and develop nomograms for common bile duct (CBD) stricture in chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients. BACKGROUND: CBD stricture is a common complication in CP and has a variable clinical presentation ranging from asymptomatic to overt jaundice and cholangitis. STUDY: Patients with CP admitted to Changhai Hospital (Shanghai, China) from January 2000 to December 2013 were enrolled. Cumulative rates of CBD stricture after onset and diagnosis of CP were calculated. Patients were randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, to the training and validation cohort. On the basis of the training cohort, risk factors for CBD stricture and symptomatic CBD stricture were identified through Cox proportional hazards regression model, and nomograms was developed, respectively. Internal and external validations were performed based on the training and validation cohort, respectively. RESULTS: With a total of 2153 patients, the median duration of follow-up was 7.0 years. CBD strictures were detected in 340 (15.8%) patients, whereas 159 of them were symptomatic. Male gender, age at onset of CP, smoking, body mass index, and morphology of main pancreatic duct were identified risk factors for CBD stricture development. Age at onset of CP, body mass index, and type of pain were identified risk factors for symptomatic CBD stricture development. Both nomograms achieved good concordance indexes with well-fitted calibration curves. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram achieved an individualized prediction of symptomatic CBD stricture development in CP patients. It may help the early diagnosis and intervention of symptomatic CBD stricture and reduce the rates of severe adverse events.

STK11 gene analysis reveals a significant number of splice mutations in Chinese PJS patients.

BACKGROUND: The combination of direct sequencing and multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) has resulted in an 80% detection rate of serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11) gene mutations in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS); however, this rate varies in different ethnicities. AIMS: To test the efficacy of the combination in Chinese patients with PJS. METHODS: PJS probands visiting our center during one year were enrolled. Sanger sequencing and MLPA were used to detect STK11 mutations. Associations between the occurrence of severe complications and risk factors were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: We identified 47 PJS probands. Among them, 34 received an STK11 mutation test, revealing 23 point mutations and 2 exonic deletions. Nine of the mutations were splicing errors, reflecting a significantly higher proportion (p < 0.05). Laparotomy history existed for 33 of the probands, and seven families had a history of cancer. Statistical analysis revealed no associations between the occurrence of severe complications or cancers and risk factors. CONCLUSION: The strategy achieved a high detection rate in Chinese people, validating its effectiveness. This cohort comprised a significantly higher proportion of splicing errors, reflecting the unique genetic characteristics Chinese people. No specific genotype-phenotype relationship was noted, while the wide usage of enteroscopy would benefit PJS surveillance.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is safe and effective for geriatric patients with chronic pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (P-ESWL) is a first-line treatment for chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients with pancreatic stones. However, the performance of P-EWSL in geriatric patients remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of P-ESWL for them. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in painful CP patients who underwent P-ESWL. Patients aged over 65 years were included in geriatric group; patients aged under 65 years were assigned to control group. For the long-term follow-up investigation, geriatric patients were matched with patients from the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Primary outcomes were complications of P-ESWL and pain relief. Secondary outcomes included stone clearance, physical and mental health, quality of life score, changes in exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function, and survival. RESULTS: From March 2011 to March 2016, P-ESWL was performed in 1404 patients (72 in the geriatric group and 1332 in the control group). No significant differences were observed in complications of P-ESWL between the two groups (P = 0.364). Among the 67 (67/72, 93.1%) geriatric patients who underwent follow up for 4.02 years, complete pain relief was achieved in 53 patients, which was not significantly different from that of matched controls (54/70; P = 0.920). The death in the geriatrics was significantly higher (P = 0.007), but none of them were correlated with P-ESWL. CONCLUSIONS: P-ESWL is safe and effective for geriatric CP patients with pancreatic stones. It can promote significant pain relief and stone clearance and improve quality of life and mental and physical health.

Risk factor for steatorrhea in pediatric chronic pancreatitis patients.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients always suffer from chronic pancreatitis (CP), especially those with steatorrhea. This study aimed to identify the incidence of and risk factors for steatorrhea in pediatric CP. To our best knowledge, there is no pediatric study to document the natural history of steatorrhea in CP. METHODS: CP patients admitted to our center from January 2000 to December 2013 were enrolled. Patients were assigned to the pediatric (< 18 years old) and adult group according to their age at onset of CP. Cumulative rates of steatorrhea in both groups were calculated. Risk factors for both groups were identified, respectively. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration for the whole cohort was 7.6 years. In a total of 2153 patients, 13.5% of them were pediatrics. The mean age at the onset and the diagnosis of CP in pediatrics were 11.622 and 19.727, respectively. Steatorrhea was detected in 46 patients (46/291, 15.8%) in the pediatric group and in 447 patients (447/1862, 24.0%) in the adult group. Age at the onset of CP (hazard ratio [HR], 1.121), diabetes mellitus (DM, HR, 51.140), and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP, HR, 13.946) was identified risk factor for steatorrhea in the pediatric group. CONCLUSIONS: Age at the onset of CP, DM and SAP were identified risk factors for the development of steatorrhea in pediatric CP patients. The high-risk populations were suggested to be followed up closely. They may benefit from a full adequate pancreatic exocrine replacement therapy.

Adenoma miss rate determined by very shortly repeated colonoscopy: Retrospective analysis of data from a single tertiary medical center in China.

Adenoma miss rate (AMR) has been calculated in several tandem colonoscopy studies, but it costs overmuch to carry out a clinical trial.We aimed to put forward AMR by taking advantage of retrospective data, and to judge the comparability between AMRs from prospective and retrospective data.Data of the patients accepting repeated colonoscopies during January to September 2016 was retrospectively collected and analyzed. Information was recorded, including bowel preparation quality of the first colonoscopy, size, location, histology and whether missed within the first colonoscopy of each single adenoma. AMR was compared by different risk factors through χ test and multivariable logistic regression.Around 267 adenomas were detected during 309 pairs of repeated colonoscopies, of which 66 were missed during the first colonoscopies. AMRs of the lesions small in size, nonadvanced in histology, in poor bowel preparation context and located in the proximal colon, were significantly higher than the opposite ones, and old age and male were related to adenoma missing (P < .05). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, adenoma-related factors (diminutive in size, poor bowel preparation and located in ascending colon, transverse colon or sigmoid colon), and patient-related factors (older than 60 years, male and poor bowel preparation) were found to be independently associated with missing adenomas (P < .05).AMR of retrospective data is comparable to that of tandem studies. Several risk factors influence AMR dramatically, which should be paid attention to.

The altered activity of P53 signaling pathway by STK11 gene mutations and its cancer phenotype in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is caused by mutations in serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11) gene. The increased cancer risk has been connected to P53 pathway. METHODS: PJS probands with STK11 mutation were included in the function analysis. P53 activity elevated by STK11 mutants was investigated using dual-luciferase reporter assay in vitro after constructing expression vectors of STK11 wild type and mutants generated by site-directed substitution. The association between the P53 activity and clinicopathological factors was analysis, especially the cancer history. RESULTS: Thirteen probands with STK11 mutations were involved, and within the mutations, c.G924A was novel. P53 activity elevation caused by 6 truncating mutations were significantly lower than that of STK11 wild type (P < 0.05). Family history of cancer was observed in 5 families. Within them, P53 activity was reduced and cancer occurred before 40 in 2 families, while it was not significantly changed and cancers happened after 45 in the other 3 families. CONCLUSIONS: The affected P53 activity caused by STK11 mutations in PJS patients is significantly associated with protein truncation, while cancer risk in PJS can be elevated through pathways rather than P53 pathway. P53 activity test is probably a useful supporting method to predict cancer risk in PJS, which could be helpful in clinical practice.

Spatial Distribution of Pancreatic Stones in Chronic Pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to establish a standard to describe the spatial distribution of pancreatic stones in chronic pancreatitis (CP). METHODS: Two hundred forty-seven CP patients with pancreatic stones from June to December 2012 were enrolled. Two-dimensional images from coronal projection of 3-dimensional computed tomography images of pancreatic stones were gained. The number (n) of all stones and the geometric standard deviation (σ) of distances between the centroid of all stones and the centroids of every stone that represented the spatial distribution nonuniformity were calculated by Stone Reconstruction and Identification Programming System. RESULTS: The mean value of n and σ were 13.6 and 22.5; n > 13.6 and σ > 22.5 were determined as "multistones" and "nonuniform," respectively. Compared with alcoholic CP, idiopathic CP was less prone to multistones (odds ratio [OR], 0.310) and more prone to nonuniform (OR, 3.247). Pancreatic pseudocyst (OR, 2.211) in CP course was a risk factor of multistones, whereas diabetes mellitus in first-/second-/third-degree relatives (OR, 0.382) was a protective factor. Age at diagnosis of pancreatic stones (OR, 1.022) was a risk factor of nonuniformity. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with idiopathic CP, alcoholic CP patients were prone to more pancreatic stones that distribute more uniformly.