Elevated Risk for Sessile Serrated Polyps in African Americans with Endometrial Polyps.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal and endometrial lesions increase with age. It is not known if these two precursor lesions in sporadic cases associate with each other. AIM: To determine the association between colorectal polyps and endometrial polyps (EP) in African Americans. METHODS: We reviewed records of patients referred to gynecology clinics and had colonoscopy at Howard University Hospital from January 2004 to December 2015. We defined cases as all patients who had EP and underwent colonoscopy. For controls, we used EP-free patients who underwent colonoscopy. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between colon polyps and EP. RESULTS: The median age was 60 years in 118 Cases and 57 years in 664 Controls. The overall colorectal polyps prevalence in the two groups was not statistically different (54% in controls vs. 52% in cases, P = 0.60). Sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (SSPs) were more frequent in cases (8% vs. 2% in controls, P = 0.003). Sigmoid and rectal locations were more prevalent in controls than cases. In multivariate analysis and after adjusting for age, diabetes mellitus (DM), and BMI, SSPs were associated with EP occurrence with an odds ratio of 4.6 (CI 1.2-16.7, P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Colorectal polyp prevalence was similar in EP patients compared to EP-free controls. However, we observed a significant association between higher-risk SSPs in patients with EP. The prevalence of smoking and DM was higher in these patients. Females with EP might benefit from a screening for colonic lesions in an age-independent manner.

Clinical Characteristics of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy and Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment Response in Caucasians.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To identify the clinical characteristics of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Caucasian patients and assess the prevalence of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) resistance. METHODS: This involved a retrospective chart review of Caucasian patients diagnosed with PCV and utilizing indocyanine green angiography with the scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Data collected included patients' demographics, disease characteristics, and treatment response. RESULTS: There were 54 eyes of 49 patients with PCV; 51.0% were male and 49.0% were female with a mean age of 72.9 years. Forty-four patients (89.8%) had PCV unilaterally and 10.2% (5 patients) had PCV bilaterally. PCV was located in the macula in 79.6%, in the peripapillary region in 16.7%, and in both regions in 3.7%. PCV commonly presents with serous detachment (66.7%), retinal pigment epithelial detachment (RPED) (51.9%) and subretinal hemorrhage (37.0%). Twenty-nine eyes were included in the treatment response analysis, with 18 eyes (62.1%) showing persistent disease activity after 3 initial injections of anti-VEGF treatment. CONCLUSION: PCV in Caucasian patients is more often unilateral and presents more commonly in the macular region than the peripapillary region. Serous detachment and RPED are the 2 most common findings. Resistance to current anti-VEGF treatment was noted frequently; it is thus extremely important to identify this subtype of type I subretinal neovascularization.

Characteristics of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy in OCT Angiography in Latin American Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To describe the imaging characteristics of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and demonstrate its use as diagnostic method for this pathology in a Latin American population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case series. RESULTS: Fourteen eyes were evaluated. At baseline, the most frequent morphology was the "oval" type (76.9%), obtaining a reduction of 53.8% after treatment. The intrinsic finding of the polyps was hyporeflective content prior to treatment (80.8%), which reduced after treatment (7.7%) (P = .016). CONCLUSIONS: OCTA is a useful imaging tool for detecting findings that can guide the diagnosis of PCV without contrast medium. Likewise, it provides signs that can suggest the behavior of the lesion prior to and after treatment, enriching the understanding of the pathology and therefore aiming to an efficient therapy. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study in a Latin American population. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:748-756.].

Color Fundus Photography, Optical Coherence Tomography, and Fluorescein Angiography in Diagnosing Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

PURPOSE: To determine sensitivity and specificity of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) diagnosis using color fundus photography (CFP), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) without indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). DESIGN: Validity analysis. METHODS: Treatment-naïve eyes with serous/serosanguinous maculopathy undergoing CFP, OCT, FFA, and ICGA imaging before treatment at a university hospital in Thailand (January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015) were identified. Images of each subject were categorized into 4 sets (set A: CFP; set B: CFP+OCT; set C: CFP+FFA; set D: CFP+OCT+FFA). Six graders, 3 from Thailand (PCV endemic area) and 3 from the United States (nonendemic area), individually reviewed each set (without ICGA), and determined if the presumed diagnosis was PCV. In parallel, 2 other graders confirmed if each case had PCV or not using EVEREST criteria (including ICGA). Sensitivity and specificity of a PCV diagnosis with each set (without ICGA) were analyzed compared with diagnoses including ICGA. RESULTS: Of 119 study eyes (113 subjects, 57% male, mean age ± SD 59.9 ± 13.8 years), definite PCV diagnosis was 40.3%. Sensitivity of sets A, B, C, D: 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-0.76), 0.83 (95% CI: 0.69-0.92), 0.54 (95% CI: 0.39-0.68), 0.67 (95% CI: 0.51-0.79); specificities: 0.93 (95% CI: 0.84-0.97), 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72-0.91), 0.97 (95% CI: 0.89-0.99), 0.92 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97); accuracies: 0.81 (95% CI: 0.73-0.88), 0.83 (95% CI: 0.76-0.90), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73-0.87), 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74-0.88). Discrepancies between Thai and US graders existed through sets A, C, and D. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that without ICGA, fundus photography combined with OCT provides high sensitivity and high specificity to diagnose PCV; adding FFA does not improve accuracy.

The ethnic distribution of sessile serrated polyps in the United States is inversely associated with Helicobacter pylori prevalence.

AIM: Little is known about the epidemiology of sessile serrated polyps (SSP). Our study aimed to investigate the influence of Helicobacter pylori gastritis and patient demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity) on the prevalence of SSP using a large national database of patients undergoing bi-directional endoscopy. METHOD: De-identified patient data were extracted from the Miraca Life Sciences electronic database of histopathological reports. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the influence of H. pylori gastritis and demographic characteristics on the occurrence of SSP were expressed as odds ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The total study population comprised 228 506 subjects, of whom 28 890 carried a diagnosis of H. pylori gastritis and 11 285 SSP. Age (OR 4.35, 95% CI: 3.82-4.96), female gender (0.92, 0.88-0.95) and H. pylori gastritis (0.94, 0.88-0.99) exerted the strongest influence on the occurrence of SSP. In comparison with the population comprising Caucasians and African Americans, SSP were less common among subjects of Hispanic (0.67, 0.62-0.73), East Asian (0.59, 0.50-0.69), Indian (0.43, 0.27-0.64) or Middle Eastern descent (0.61, 0.41-0.87). All these ethnic subgroups were also characterized by a higher prevalence of H. pylori than the comparison group. A low prevalence of H. pylori was significantly associated with a high prevalence of SSP (R2  = 0.82, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of SSP within the United States is characterized by a marked ethnic variation. The inverse correlation between the prevalence of H. pylori and SSP suggests that gastric infection with H. pylori may be partly responsible for the observed ethnic distribution of SSP.

Management and follow-up of gallbladder polyps : Joint guidelines between the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR), European Association for Endoscopic Surgery and other Interventional Techniques (EAES), International Society of Digestive Surgery - European Federation (EFISDS) and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE).

OBJECTIVES: The management of incidentally detected gallbladder polyps on radiological examinations is contentious. The incidental radiological finding of a gallbladder polyp can therefore be problematic for the radiologist and the clinician who referred the patient for the radiological examination. To address this a joint guideline was created by the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR), European Association for Endoscopic Surgery and other Interventional Techniques (EAES), International Society of Digestive Surgery - European Federation (EFISDS) and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE). METHODS: A targeted literature search was performed and consensus guidelines were created using a series of Delphi questionnaires and a seven-point Likert scale. RESULTS: A total of three Delphi rounds were performed. Consensus regarding which patients should have cholecystectomy, which patients should have ultrasound follow-up and the nature and duration of that follow-up was established. The full recommendations as well as a summary algorithm are provided. CONCLUSIONS: These expert consensus recommendations can be used as guidance when a gallbladder polyp is encountered in clinical practice. KEY POINTS: • Management of gallbladder polyps is contentious • Cholecystectomy is recommended for gallbladder polyps >10 mm • Management of polyps <10 mm depends on patient and polyp characteristics • Further research is required to determine optimal management of gallbladder polyps.

High-dose ranibizumab monotherapy for neovascular polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in a predominantly non-Asian population.

PURPOSE: To determine safety and efficacy of intravitreal high-dose ranibizumab in the treatment of active neovascular polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). METHODS: In this Phase I/II, single-center, randomized, controlled, double-masked study, predominantly non-Asian, previously treated or treatment-naive, male and female adult patients were randomized to receive high-dose (1.0/0.1 ml or 2.0 mg/0.05 ml; n=15) or standard-dose (0.5 mg/0.05 ml; n=5) ranibizumab in 3 monthly loading doses, followed by 9 months of criteria-based, as-needed retreatment. Safety was evaluated by a descriptive analysis of all non-serious and serious adverse events, angiographic assessments, physical examinations, vital signs, ocular examinations, and visual acuity measurements. Visual acuity and anatomic outcomes are described for the high-dose group. RESULTS: Twenty patients (aged 35-76 years; 8 Black, 11 White, 1 Asian) were enrolled. At baseline, in the high-dose group, mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 63.5 letters (Snellen equivalent ~20/50), and mean baseline central foveal thickness (CFT) was 253.7 µm. High-dose ranibizumab was generally well tolerated without evidence of ocular or systemic severe adverse events, including arterial thromboembolic events. At month 12, in the high-dose group, the mean overall change from baseline in BCVA was +6.7 letters and in CFT was -49.7 µm. CONCLUSION: High-dose ranibizumab monotherapy is safe and efficacious for treating patients with PCV.

CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN CAUCASIAN PATIENTS WITH LONGSTANDING CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY.

PURPOSE: To report the frequency of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in Caucasian patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: Retrospective consecutive series of 272 eyes (136 patients) who were diagnosed as having chronic CSC based on clinical and multimodal fundus imaging findings and documented disease activity for at least 6 months. The CNVs were mainly determined by indocyanine-green angiography. RESULTS: Patients were evaluated and followed for a maximum of 6 years, with an average follow-up of 14 ± 12 months. Distinct CNV was identified in 41 eyes (34 patients). Based on fluorescein angiography, 37 eyes showed occult with no classic CNV, 3 eyes showed predominantly classic and 1 eye had a disciform CNV. Furthermore, indocyanine-green angiography revealed polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy lesions, in 27 of the 37 eyes, classified as occult CNV on fluorescein angiography. In total, 17.6% of our patients with chronic CSC were found to have CNV that upon indocyanine-green angiography were recognized as being polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. CONCLUSION: In our series of Caucasian patients, we found a significant correlation between chronic CSC and CNV, in which the majority of patients with CNV were found to have polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Our findings suggest that indocyanine-green angiography is an indispensable tool in the investigation of chronic CSC.

The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the long-term natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in untreated patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational case series. Patients with symptomatic PCV who did not receive any treatment for at least 12 months were included from the records of three ophthalmic clinics in Asia. The medical records and imaging data were reviewed. Visual outcomes at month 12 and at last follow-up were analyzed. The influence of demographics and presenting features on visual outcome was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 32 eyes (32 patients) were included in this analysis. The mean follow-up was 59.9 months (range, 18-119 months), the mean age was 65.7 years and 21 (65.6 %) patients were male. The mean presenting logMAR visual acuity was 0.79 (Standard deviation [SD] 0.49). The center of the fovea was involved by the PCV complex in 25 eyes (78.1 %). The mean greatest linear dimension (GLD) of the PCV complex was 2584 µm (SD 880). Twenty-three eyes (71.9 %) had a cluster-of-grapes configuration on indocyanine green angiography. Leakage of fluorescein angiography was present in 29 eyes (90.6 %). The mean logMAR vision deteriorated from 0.79 at baseline to 0.88 at month 12 (p = 0.11), and further to 1.14 (p = 0.003) at the last follow-up. The proportion of eyes that improved, remained unchanged and worsened was 21.9 %, 31.3 % and 46.9 %, respectively, at month 12; and 28.1 %, 9.4 % and 62.5 %, respectively, at last follow-up. The proportion of eyes with logMAR vision worse than 1.0 was 28.1 % at presentation, and increased to 31.3 % at month 12 and further to 53.1 % at last follow-up. Reasons for poor vision were due to retinal, subretinal or vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy and scarring. None of the presenting features were found to significantly influence visual outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Half of eyes presenting with symptomatic PCV had a relatively benign course without treatment and some even had vision improvement. However, in the remaining eyes, vision deteriorated significantly, mainly due to hemorrhage and scarring. There may be subtypes of PCV with divergent natural history.

Characteristics of fundus autofluorescence and drusen in the fellow eyes of Japanese patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and area of soft drusen among the fellow eyes of unilateral typical age-related macular degeneration (typical AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Japanese patients. METHODS: FAF images were obtained from the fellow eyes of unilateral typical AMD (n = 64), unilateral PCV (n = 95), unilateral retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) (n = 4) and 56 control subjects, then classified into normal, minimal-change, and abnormal patterns by two graders. Interobserver variability between two graders and intraobserver variability were assessed for FAF classifications, and cases with inconsistent decisions were finally classified by the third grader. Soft drusen were segmented and their total areas were compared between the fellow eyes of typical AMD and PCV. Area(s) with increased autofluorescence were segmented to assess the relationship with soft drusen area(s). RESULTS: Assessment for interobserver variability between two graders and intraobserver variability in one grader showed substantial agreement (κ = 0.70) and almost perfect agreement (κ = 0.85), respectively. In the final decision mediated by third grader, the proportions of eyes with either minimal-change FAF pattern or abnormal FAF pattern in the fellow eyes of both typical AMD (37 cases, 58 %) and PCV (47 cases, 49 %) were significantly higher than that of the control cases (15 cases, 27 %; p < 0.01). The proportion of abnormal FAF pattern in the fellow eyes of typical AMD (20 cases, 31 %) was higher than that of PCV (15 cases, 16 %; p < 0.05). Total soft drusen areas in the fellow eyes of typical AMD (0.369 ± 0.718 mm(2)) were larger than those of PCV (0.173 ± 0.408 mm(2); p < 0.05), and those in the eyes with abnormal FAF pattern were larger than those with minimal-change FAF pattern or normal FAF pattern (p < 0.01). Image analysis revealed a relationship between increased autofluorescence and soft drusen, especially in the cases with large total soft drusen areas. CONCLUSIONS: FAF characteristics were different between the fellow eyes of unilateral typical AMD and PCV in Japan, which might be due to the difference of total soft drusen areas between them.

Factors predictive of outcomes 1 year after 3 monthly ranibizumab injections and as-needed reinjections for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Japanese patients.

PURPOSE: To determine baseline factors predictive of outcomes 1 year after 3 monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections followed by as-needed injections for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. METHODS: A nonrandomized prospective 1-year trial collected data from 144 Japanese patients (144 eyes) with symptomatic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy who received one 0.5-mg intravitreal ranibizumab injection monthly for 3 months followed by as-needed retreatments. Statistical analysis evaluated baseline independent factors predictive of better visual acuity and the need for fewer injections 1 year after the first injection. RESULTS: After the initial 3 monthly injections, a mean ± standard deviation of 1.2 ± 1.1 as-needed injections was administered. The mean visual acuity improved significantly (P < 0.01) from 20/80 to 20/50. Better visual acuity and no history of photodynamic therapy or clusters of grape-like polypoidal lesions were significant independent baseline factors predictive of better visual acuity 1 year after the first injection. No factors were significantly associated with a need for fewer ranibizumab reinjections during follow-up. CONCLUSION: The baseline clinical characteristics predicted favorable visual acuity outcomes. These findings might be useful to explaining the prognosis of ranibizumab treatment to the patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Treatment and surveillance of polypoid lesions of the gallbladder in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVES: The increase in the routine use of abdominal imaging has led to a parallel surge in the identification of polypoid lesions in the gallbladder. True gallbladder polyps (GBP) have malignant potential and surgery can prevent or treat early gallbladder cancer. In an era of constraint on health care resources, it is important to ensure that surgery is offered only to patients who have appropriate indications. The aim of this study was to assess treatment and surveillance policies for GBP among hepatobiliary and upper gastrointestinal tract surgeons in the UK in the light of published evidence. METHODS: A questionnaire on the management of GBP was devised and sent to consultant surgeon members of the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons (AUGIS) of Great Britain and Ireland with the approval of the AUGIS Committee. It included eight questions on indications for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and surveillance based on GBP (size, number, growth rate) and patient (age, comorbidities, ethnicity) characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 79 completed questionnaires were returned. The vast majority of surgeons (>75%) stated that they would perform surgery when a single GBP reached 10 mm in size. However, there was a lack of uniformity in the management of multiple polyps and polyp growth rate, with different surveillance protocols for patients treated conservatively. CONCLUSIONS: Gallbladder polyps are a relatively common finding on abdominal ultrasound scans. The survey showed considerable heterogeneity among surgeons regarding treatment and surveillance protocols. Although no randomized controlled trials exist, national guidelines would facilitate standardization, the formulation of an appropriate algorithm and appropriate use of resources.

The changing histological pattern of gastric polyps in an ethnically heterogeneous population.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Variation in the prevalence of various types of gastric polyps worldwide may reflect different etiologies. Here, the authors report the dynamic changes in histological distribution of gastric polyps over time and by ethnicity for individuals who underwent gastroscopies between 1994 and 2009 at two hospitals in Jerusalem, Israel. During this time period, the proportion of patients receiving proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increased while the proportion of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) decreased. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pathological reports of biopsies from 50,071 consecutive gastroscopies were reviewed. RESULTS: Gastric polyps were detected in 727 individuals. The yearly prevalence of gastric polyps was ≤ 1% between 1994 and 2001 and ≥ 2% from 2004 to 2009, of which overall 66% were hyperplastic polyps and 23% fundic gland polyps (FGPs). FGPs were diagnosed exclusively in the Jewish population. From 2001 to 2004, an increase in the absolute number of newly discovered hyperplastic and FGPs per year was observed. However from 2005, a divergent trend of changes was observed: While the proportion of patients with hyperplastic polyps dropped from 0.72 during the 2001-2004 period to 0.62 during the 2005-2009 period (p = 0.02), the proportion of patients with FGPs at these time periods increased from 0.16 to 0.33 (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The yearly prevalence of gastric polyps in Jerusalem has recently doubled. This occurred mainly due to the increasing prevalence of FGPs. The changing epidemiology of gastric polyps is probably related to the interaction between genetic factors and fluctuating environmental factors like H. pylori infection rates and exposure to PPIs.

Gastric adenocarcinoma with chief cell differentiation: a proposal for reclassification as oxyntic gland polyp/adenoma.

Gastric adenocarcinoma with chief cell differentiation (GA-CCD) has been reported as a new, rare variant of gastric adenocarcinoma. Only 12 cases in Japanese patients have been described to date, but they demonstrate distinct clinicopathologic features. To further characterize these lesions, we have collected 10 additional cases. Patients ranged in age from 44 to 79 years (mean, 64.2 y) with a relatively equal sex distribution (6 women and 4 men). Stratified by race, 4 patients were Hispanic, 2 were White, 2 were African American, 1 was Asian (Chinese), and the race was unknown for 1 patient. All patients presented with gastroesophageal reflux that prompted an endoscopic examination. The majority of GA-CCDs were identified in the fundus (7 of 10, 70%) and the remaining in the cardia (n=3). Grossly, they were solitary and polypoid, ranging in size from 0.2 to 0.8 cm (mean, 0.4 cm). Histologically, all cases were centered in the deep mucosa, with focal involvement of surface foveolar epithelium in 3 (30%) cases but not the submucosa. The tumors consisted of clustered glands and irregular branching cords of oxyntic epithelium. Thin wisps of radiating smooth muscle separated the epithelium, but desmoplasia was distinctly absent in all cases. The oxyntic mucosa was 1 to 2 cells thick and composed of a mixture of mucous neck, parietal, and chief cells. In 7 of 10 (70%) cases, chief cells were the predominant cell type, whereas the remaining 3 cases consisted primarily of mucous neck cells. The nuclei were mildly enlarged with slight nuclear pleomorphism, but no mitotic figures were identified. In addition, necrosis, lymphovascular invasion, and perineural invasion were absent. Immunohistochemically, GA-CCDs were diffusely positive for MUC6 (10 of 10, 100%) and negative for MUC5AC (0%) and MUC2 (0%). Ki-67 immunolabeling demonstrated variable expression, with the highest areas ranging from 0.2% to 10%. Clinical follow-up was available for 9 of 10 (90%) patients and ranged from 6 to 39 months. One patient had persistence of lesion at 6 months because of incomplete removal, whereas the other 8 were disease free. In summary, GA-CCDs are solitary, mucosal lesions of the gastric cardia/fundus that arise in patients from multiple ethnic backgrounds. Considering that patients within this study and those reported previously have had neither true recurrence nor progression of disease, these lesions are best regarded as benign. Consequently, the term GA-CCD is contradictory and we prefer the descriptive term "oxyntic gland polyp/adenoma" until further studies can clarify the pathogenesis of these lesions and their natural history.

Gastric lesions in patients with autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis (AMAG) in a tertiary care setting.

Autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis (AMAG) is an early manifestation of pernicious anemia that precedes the hematologic changes by years to decades. It is associated with metaplastic changes and neoplasms, including pyloric gland adenomas (PGAs). We investigated the frequency of PGAs and other lesions in all nonconsultation gastric biopsies and resections (1988 to 2008) diagnosed as AMAG. We further selected cases confirmed as AMAG by immunohistochemical identification of the gastric body (negative gastrin) and linear and nodular enterochromaffin-like cell hyperplasia (chromogranin). From this subset, all polyps and neoplasms were reviewed. We identified a total of 41,245 patients with gastric biopsies or resections from 46.7% males and 53.3% females comprising patients self-identified as 67.0% white, 23.6% African-American, 1.4% Asian, 0.8% non-White Hispanic, and 7.2% other or unknown. AMAG was diagnosed in 461 patients (1.1%), and had the following percentages based on race: 1.1% White, 1.3% African-American, 1.4% Asian, and 2.7% non-White Hispanic. The female:male ratio was 2:1 with an overall median age at presentation of 67.0 years. Of the 461 patients with AMAG, 143 had endoscopically identifiable lesions. These lesions (n=240) consisted of 179 polyps (138 hyperplastic polyps, 20 oxyntic mucosa pseudopolyps, 18 intestinal-type gastric adenomas, and 3 PGAs), 46 well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (carcinoid), 1 gastrointestinal stromal tumor, 3 lymphomas, and 11 adenocarcinomas. In summary, AMAG occurred with similar frequency across all racial groups. Although PGAs are associated with AMAG, they remain rare in the setting of AMAG.

The risk of gallbladder cancer from polyps in a large multiethnic series.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is assess whether patients with Indian ethnic background are at an increased risk of developing gallbladder cancer (GBC) if they have been diagnosed with ultrasonic abnormalities of the gallbladder. METHODS: Between January 1998 and July 2006, 137,655 abdominal ultrasound examinations were performed in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. After the exclusion of repeat scans and those performed for renal or pelvic disease, 71,431 reports were included in this analysis. Patients in whom the diagnosis of GBC has been made without histology have been identified from the database of Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and the presence of GBC was correlated with ultrasonic gallbladder abnormalities. RESULTS: Gallbladder polyps (GBP) were detected in 3.3% of patients and these were larger than 10 mm in 0.1% of the cases. Age above 60 years, Indian ethnic background, single GBP larger than 10mm, the presence of gallstones, severe gallbladder wall thickening and irregular thickening were independently associated with the higher odds of developing GBC. The prevalence of malignancy in those with GBP was significantly higher among patients with Indian ethnic background compared to Caucasian patients, 5.5% versus 0.08%, p<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of GBP, irrelevant of size, amongst patients of Indian ethnic decent, is an indication for further investigation and/or cholecystectomy.

Prevalence of and risk factors for gallbladder polyps detected by ultrasonography among healthy Chinese: analysis of 34 669 cases.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gallbladder (GB) polyps are tumor or tumor-like projections arising from GB mucosa. Although most polyps are benign, some early GB carcinomas present as polypoid lesions. The diagnosis of GB polyps is relatively easy by ultrasonography. Although numerous studies have investigated GB polyps, few studies have addressed the prevalence of and factors associated with GB polyps for specific ethnic populations. This study analyzes the prevalence and factors associated with GB polyps in a Chinese population who can afford a paid general checkup. METHODS: The prevalence of and risk factors for GB polyps diagnosed by ultrasonography were retrospectively investigated in 34 669 Chinese patients who underwent a general checkup at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) between 2000 and 2003. Demographic, hemogram, serum biochemistry, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody, and ultrasonography study data was available for all the patients. The correlations between the prevalence of GB polyps and age, sex, body height, body weight, body mass index, hemogram, serum biochemistry, and viral markers were examined for all the patients. RESULTS: Excluding the patients who underwent cholecystectomy, the overall prevalence of GB polyps was 9.5% and highest for middle-aged males. The analyzed risk factors with increased odds ratios (OR) for the development of GB polyps were male sex (OR 0.646, P < 0.0005) and hepatitis B virus surface antigen positivity (OR 1.113, P < 0.0005). Other demographic characteristics and biochemical parameters, including body height, body weight, body mass index, lipid profile, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, and liver function did not correlate with the presence of GB polyps. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of GB polyps among the Chinese in this study is higher than that reported for other populations. Chinese males and other patients with chronic hepatitis B viral infections have a high risk for developing GB polyps.

The risk factors for gallstone disease among senior citizens: an Oriental study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Few Occidental studies have addressed the risk factors for gallstone disease (GSD), among aged people. It is unknown whether these factors also present in the Orientals. Therefore, we studied the prevalence and risk factors for GSD among aged people in Taiwan. METHODOLOGY: 1441 aged subjects (> or = 60 years) who received a paid physical checkup at this hospital were investigated. Their demographic characteristics and biochemical parameters were recorded and compared. Ultrasonographic diagnosis revealed a normal gallbladder in 1092 subjects, gallbladder stones in 171, cholecystectomy for gallstones in 65, gallbladder polyps in 83, mixed gallbladder stones/polyps in 10, and miscellaneous results in 20. We enrolled 236 subjects showing either gallbladder stones or cholecystectomy for gallstones as the GSD group. RESULTS: Excluding those subjects with mixed gallbladder stones/polyps, the overall prevalence of GSD in our series was 16.6%. Using multivariate analysis, the encountered factors manifesting risk for the development of GSD were old age (p<0.001), lower serum high-density lipoprotein level (p<0.01), diabetes mellitus (adjusted odds ratio: 2.127; p<0.001) and glucose intolerance (adjusted odds ratio: 1.954; p<0.001), whereas past history of alcohol consumption (adjusted odds ratio: 0.335; p<0.01) exhibited a protective effect against the development of GSD. Other demographic characteristics and biochemical parameters, such as body mass index, ABO blood type, cigarette smoking, blood pressure, serum cholesterol level, hepatitis B virus carrier, liver function, and parity, did not have any correlation to GSD. CONCLUSIONS: Among the aged senior citizens in Taiwan, individuals with old age, lower serum high-density lipoprotein level, diabetes and glucose intolerance are at high risk for developing GSD.

Risk factors for gallbladder polyps in the Chinese population.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of and risk factors for gallbladder (GB) polyps in the Chinese population. METHODS: A prospective ultrasonographic study of GB polyps was conducted in 3647 Chinese subjects who received a paid physical checkup at this hospital. Their demographic characteristics and biochemical parameters were recorded. Ultrasonographic diagnosis revealed a normal GB in 2946 subjects (1838 men, 1108 women), polyps in 243 (174 men, 69 women), gallstones in 286 (196 men, 90 women), a history of cholecystectomy in 100 (56 men, 44 women), mixed gallstones/GB polyps in 17 (10 men, seven women), and miscellaneous results in 35. RESULTS: Excluding subjects with cholecystectomy and mixed gallstones/GB polyps, the overall prevalence of GB polyps in the study group was 6.9%. The studied risk factors manifesting an increased odds ratio (OR) for the development of GB polyps were glucose intolerance (OR 1.506, p < 0.05) and male gender (OR 1.723, p < 0.05) in multivariate analysis. Other demographic characteristics and biochemical parameters, such as age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, lipid profile, hepatitis B virus carrier, liver function, and parity, did not exhibit any correlation to GB polyps. CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese of higher socioeconomic status, men and individuals with glucose intolerance tend to have a high risk for developing GB polyps.

Ultrasound in the diagnosis of gall-bladder carcinoma in Chinese patients.

A review of the ultrasound (US) findings with clinical and pathological correlation in 18 Chinese patients with gall-bladder carcinoma (GBCa) showed that the most frequent appearance was that of diffuse infiltration and thickening of the GB wall (8/18 patients, 44%). Polypoid protrusion into the GB lumen (5/18 patients, 28%) and massive replacement of the entire GB (5/18 patients, 28%) accounted for the remainder. The infiltrating type of tumour was poorly-detected by US (1/8) and was more frequently seen than has been reported in the Western population. Frequent associations with GB calculi (13/18) and synchronous presentation of biliary sepsis (6/18) also contributed to a modest overall US detection rate of 50% (9/18) in this series. Most tumours detected by US were hyperechoic in appearance (6/9). Biliary obstruction was detected by US in 5/6 patients, but only thought to be malignant in 3/6. It most often occurred due to spread of tumour to peripancreatic lymph nodes. Hepatic metastases were seen by US in 4/5 patients. Discontinuous GB wall calcification and non-dependent stones due to elevation by tumour (the 'elevated stone' sign) were infrequent but reliable signs of GBCa, seen in 5/18 and 3/18 respectively. This study suggests that GBCa is as difficult to detect sonographically in Chinese patients as in the Western population. GBCa must be included in the differential diagnosis of causes of both the acutely-presenting 'hot' gall-bladder and lymph node masses in the peripancreatic region if the US detection rate of this important biliary malignancy is to be improved.