Results of the interim analysis of a prospective, multicenter, observational study of small subepithelial lesions in the stomach.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term outcomes of gastric subepithelial lesions have not been elucidated. To reveal the natural history, we initiated a prospective, 10-year follow-up of patients with small (≤20 mm) gastric subepithelial lesions in September 2014. Here, we report the results of an interim analysis of a prospective observational study. METHODS: In total, 567 patients with 610 lesions were prospectively registered between September 2014 and August 2016. The location, size, morphology, and number of subepithelial lesions were recorded on a web-based case report form. This study has been conducted as an Academic Committee Working Group of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society. RESULTS: The endoscopic follow-up period was 4.60 ± 1.73 years (mean ± standard deviation), and survival data were investigated for 5.28 ± 1.68 years. This interim analysis revealed that the estimated cumulative incidence of a size increase ≥5 mm, after accounting for patients' death and resection of the tumor as competing risk events, was 4.5% at 5 years. In addition, the estimated cumulative incidence of lesion size increase ≥5 mm or resection of lesions was 7.9% at 5 years, and that of size increase ≥10 mm or resection of lesions was 4.5% at 5 years. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that approximately one in 13 patients with small (≤20 mm) gastric subepithelial lesions may require resection or further investigation for increased tumor size (≥5 mm) within 5 years.

Predictive Factors for Recovery from Alcoholic Liver Failure.

Alcoholic liver disease is a risk factor for non-virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is increasing in prevalence. This study aimed to identify the factors for recovery from alcoholic liver failure. Sixty-two consecutive patients hospitalized for alcoholic liver failure at Okayama City Hospital were enrolled. The characteristics of patients who survived to the 1-month follow-up and whose liver function improved to Child-Pugh A at 3 months (CPA3) and 12 months (CPA12) were compared with the rest of the patients. The survivors at 1 month (50 patients) were significantly younger than the deceased patients and had better liver and renal function with higher levels of γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT). The same factors, except renal function, were correlated with achieving CPA3. High AST, ALT, and GGT levels as well as short spleen length, total abstinence, and good Child-Pugh scores at admission were identified as factors for achieving CPA12. The extent of alcohol intake before admission was not identified as a risk factor in any analysis. In conclusion, baseline liver function is crucial for survival and achieving CPA3, whereas high transaminase and γ-GTP levels, the absence of splenomegaly, and total abstinence are significant factors for achieving CPA12.

Endoscopic Manifestations and Clinical Characteristics of Localized Gastric Light-Chain Amyloidosis.

To determine the endoscopic and clinical features of localized gastric amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, we retrospectively examined the characteristics of nine patients (eight men and one woman) encountered by the hospitals in our network. Lesions were predominantly flat and depressed with surface vascular dilatation (n=5); others were characterized by subepithelial lesions (n=2), mucosal color change (n=1), and a mass-like morphology with swollen mucosal folds (n=1). Colonoscopy (n=7), video capsule enteroscopy (n=2), serum (n=5) and urine immunoelectrophoresis (n=4), and bone marrow examination (n=3) were performed to exclude involvement of organs other than the stomach. As treatment for gastric lesions of AL amyloidosis, one patient each underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (n=1) and argon plasma coagulation (n=1), while the remaining seven patients underwent no specific treatment. During a mean follow-up of 4.2 years, one patient died 3.2 years after diagnosis, but the cause of death, which occurred in another hospital, was unknown. The remaining eight patients were alive at the last visit. In conclusion, although localized gastric AL amyloidosis can show various macroscopic features on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, flat, depressed lesions with vascular dilatation on the surface are predominant.

Expanding on the professional role of dental hygienists as key managers of medical-dental and hospital-dental clinic collaboration in a local Japanese hospital without a dentistry department: From a questionnaire survey after a web seminar.

INTRODUCTION: Perioperative oral management (POM) was introduced into the Japanese universal health insurance system in 2012. Collaboration with dental clinics is important for hospitals without a dentistry department. A dental hygienist newly assigned as a member of the patient flow management centre led a seminar to promote collaboration via the web. This study represents the first step to explore the possible role of the hospital-based dental hygienist in the field of regional medical-dental cooperation of POM by assessing their willingness to participate in providing this type of care by a survey. METHODS: The rate of attendees' satisfaction and the current problems of the collaboration for POM were evaluated through a questionnaire survey after the web seminar. RESULTS: All respondents reported satisfaction with the web seminar although it was the first experience of an online seminar for half of the respondents. All hospital dentists, but only 47.8% of dentists working at clinics, had participated in POM. Dental hygienist tended to show greater desire to participate in POM than dentists. All respondents appreciated the role played by the dental hygienist as a key manager of medical-dental collaboration between the hospital and local clinics. CONCLUSION: The hospital-based dental hygienist can play a role in planning and management of web seminars for POM, to raise awareness and promote regional medical-dental cooperation of POM.

Comparison of anticoagulants and risk factors for bleeding following endoscopic sphincterotomy among anticoagulant users: Results from a large multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Bleeding is an inevitable and often severe complication after endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST). We aimed to investigate the factors associated with post-EST bleeding in patients treated with anticoagulants. METHODS: The data of patients who underwent EST at 15 hospitals between July 2015 and June 2017 were extracted. We investigated the incidence of post-EST bleeding and risk factors for bleeding in patients treated with anticoagulants. RESULTS: One hundred forty-nine patients undergoing EST who met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. The total-EST bleeding (bleeding occurring during or after EST) rate did not differ between the heparin replacement (8.0%, 6/75) and continuation (16.6%, 2/12; P = 0.37) groups of warfarin users. The total-EST-bleeding rate in the heparin replacement group (12.9%, 4/31) was significantly higher than that in the continuation group (0%, 0/31; P = 0.016) in direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) users. The rate of total-EST bleeding with continuation of DOAC (0%, 0/31) was significantly lower with continuation of warfarin (16.6%, 2/12; P = 0.021). During-EST bleeding (bleeding occurring during EST) (P = 0.0083) and precut (P = 0.033) were significant risk factors for post-EST bleeding in all 149 patients. Heparin replacement was only a significant risk factor for total-EST bleeding (P = 0.033) in DOAC users. CONCLUSION: Heparin replacement was a significant risk factor for post-EST bleeding in DOAC users; however, there was no significant difference between the bleeding rate of heparin replacement and that of continuation groups in patients taking warfarin. During EST and precut were significant risk factors for post-EST bleeding in all patients treated with anticoagulants.

Long-term outcomes of patients with Crohn's disease who received infliximab or adalimumab as the first-line biologics.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although previous studies compared the efficacy of infliximab (IFX) versus adalimumab (ADA) as the first-line biologics for Crohn's disease (CD), the difference in long-term prognosis based on which biologic was used first has scarcely been reported. In particular, the clinical courses after loss of response (LOR) of the first-line biologics are largely unknown. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective study was performed. Disease courses of biologic-naïve CD patients who were started on IFX or ADA treatment were evaluated, even after LOR of the initial biologics. RESULTS: In total, 263 CD patients were eligible for analysis, 183 were treated with IFX first, and 80 were treated with ADA first. The median observation period was 64.2 months. The cumulative steroid-free remission rates and surgery-free rates did not differ significantly between the patients treated with IFX first and those treated with ADA first (log-rank test P = 0.42 and P = 0.74, respectively). In addition, no significant difference was observed in the rate of occurrence of events associated with ineffectiveness (modification of anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment including intensification, switch, discontinuation, or surgery) between the patient groups (log-rank test P = 0.62). The patients treated with IFX first were likely to discontinue the agent due to adverse events, whereas those treated with ADA first were likely to discontinue due to treatment failure or LOR. CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was observed in the long-term prognosis between biologic-naïve patients with CD who were started treatment with IFX first and ADA first.

Intravascular lymphoma with a gastric submucosal tumor.

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for further examination of swollen lymph nodes and a possible gastric submucosal tumor. He had persistent fever and anorexia. Blood examination showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase and soluble interleukin 2 receptor levels. Swollen lymph nodes and splenomegaly were evident on computed tomography, and the submucosal tumor was revealed by esophagogastric endoscopy. Cervical lymph node biopsy and endoscopic biopsy were performed, which revealed a diagnosis of intravascular lymphoma. In Asian countries, patients with intravascular lymphoma often have hemophagocytic syndrome without lesions of the central nervous system or skin, which is called the Asian variant of intravascular lymphoma. In this case, the patient had no indicative lesions and had no evidence of the hemophagocytic syndrome. He also had lymph node swelling and a gastric submucosal tumor, which are rare in intravascular lymphoma. The patient was treated with chemotherapy (R-CHOP;rituximab-cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone), and complete response was demonstrated (based on the Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumours [RECIST] guideline). In cases of possible intravascular lymphoma, gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy should be considered because they are a useful diagnostic strategy.

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation for Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Radiofrequency ablation plays a key role in the treatment of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. However, it is not recommended for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. The objective of this study was to clarify the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation for treating intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: We examined the outcome of 65 consecutive patients who were treated with radiofrequency ablation with or without transarterial chemoembolization for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 37 months, overall survival rates of 65 cases at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years were 90, 70, 51, and 36%, respectively. Multivariate analysis of clinical parameters revealed that the multicentric occurrence (MC)/intrahepatic metastasis (IM) was the only significant prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence intervals, 2.1-11.4). Tumor size and tumor number were not significant factors for survival. The overall survival rates of patients with MC (n = 33) at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years were 97, 90, 80, and 59%, respectively; those for patients with IM (n = 32) were 86, 55, 14, and 8%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Two cases (4.9%) had complications of hemothorax and diaphragmatic burn; however, no major complications were observed. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency ablation is safe and effective for the treatment of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma, especially for patients with MC.

Liver Sarcoidosis with Unique MRI Images Using Gadolinium Ethoxybenzyl Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease characterized by the formation of non-caseating granulomas in multiple organs. In the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, imaging modalities such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are useful;however, there are few reports of MRI imaging using gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB) MRI. A 46-year-old Japanese female with suspected pulmonary sarcoidosis was admitted to our hospital because low-density mottles in the liver were observed incidentally by chest CT. The low-density mottles were not enhanced at the arterial phase or portal phase by abdominal CT and MRI, and decreased uptake was observed in the hepatobiliary phase of Gd-EOB MRI. No hematological disorder was observed except for a slight increase of biliary enzymes. The lesion was diagnosed as liver sarcoidosis by the liver biopsy. Since the patient refused steroid therapy, we prescribed ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). 600mg/day. The serum levels of biliary enzymes were normalized and the abdominal CT findings gradually improved after the initiation of UDCA medication. Gd-EOB MRI showed unique hypointense areas in the liver at the hepatobiliary phase, which might be useful in the diagnosis of liver sarcoidosis.

Serum oxidative-anti-oxidative stress balance is dysregulated in patients with hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: Oxidative stress is associated with progression of chronic liver disease (CLD). This association is best established in chronic hepatitis C. However, the anti-oxidative state is not well characterized. The objective of the present study was to investigate the balance of oxidative and anti-oxidative stress in CLD patients. METHODS: We recruited a study population of 208 patients, including healthy volunteers (HV; n = 15), patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related CLD without or with hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-non-HCC, n = 25, and HBV-HCC, n = 50, respectively), and patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related CLD without or with HCC (HCV-non-HCC, n = 49, and HCV-HCC, n = 69, respectively). Serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and anti-oxidative markers (OXY-adsorbent test; OXY) were determined, and the balance of these values was used as the oxidative index. Correlations among ROM, OXY, oxidative index and clinical characteristics were investigated. RESULTS: Patients with CLD exhibited elevated ROM and oxidative index compared to HV. Among patients with CLD, HCV positive status correlated with increased ROM. In CLD, HCV-HCC patients exhibited the highest ROM levels. Among HCV-related CLD patients, lower OXY correlated with HCC positive status, but was recovered by eradication of HCC. In HCV-HCC, lower OXY correlated with high PT-INR. CONCLUSION: HCV positive CLD patients displayed higher oxidative stress and HCV-HCC patients displayed lower anti-oxidative state. Anti-oxidative state depression was associated with liver reservoir-related data in HCV-HCC and could be reversed with HCC eradication.

Long-term outcomes of patients with primary intestinal follicular lymphoma managed with watch-and-wait strategy.

Patients with primary intestinal follicular lymphoma are often followed-up without a specific treatment, and this approach is called the "watch-and-wait approach." However, the long-term outcomes of this patient group have not been sufficiently investigated. We enrolled patients with primary intestinal follicular lymphoma who were diagnosed before 2016 and managed with the watch-and-wait approach in 20 institutions. We retrospectively investigated the overall, disease-specific, and event-free survival rates as well as the rate of spontaneous regression. Among the 248 patients with follicular lymphoma with gastrointestinal involvement, 124 had localized disease (stage I or II1). We analyzed the data of 73 patients who were managed using the watch-and-wait approach. During the mean follow-up period of 8.3 years, the follicular lymphoma had spontaneously resolved in 16.4% of the patients. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 92.9% and 87.1%, respectively. With disease progression (n = 7), initiation of therapy (n = 7), and histologic transformation to aggressive lymphoma (n = 0) defined as events, the 5-year and 10-year event-free survival rates were 91.1% and 86.9%, respectively. No patient died of progressive lymphoma. Thus, both 5-year and 10-year disease-specific survival rates were 100%. In conclusion, an indolent long-term clinical course was confirmed in the patients with primary intestinal follicular lymphoma. The watch-and-wait strategy is a reasonable approach for the initial management of these patients.

Safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation with artificial ascites for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The artificial ascites technique is often used during radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment because it prevents visceral damage and improves visualization by minimizing interference of the lungs and mesentery. This study determined the efficacy and safety of RFA using the artificial ascites technique in HCC patients. We examined 188 HCC patients who were treated by RFA and fulfilled the Milan criteria. Treatment outcomes (complete ablation rate, local recurrence rate, complication rate, liver function including total bilirubin level, alanine aminotransferase level, albumin level, and prothrombin time) were compared among patients divided into 3 groups based on the volume of artificial ascites injected:Group I (n = 86), no artificial ascites injected;Group II (n = 35), < 1,000 ml artificial ascites injected;and Group III (n = 67), > 1,000 ml artificial ascites injected. No significant difference was observed in complete ablation or local recurrence rates among the 3 groups, or in the extent of liver function damage after RFA. Artificial ascites disappeared within 7 days; additional diuretics were needed only in 5 (all from Group III) of 102 patients. No serious complications such as intestinal perforation or intraperitoneal bleeding were observed. Thus, we found that artificial ascites injection during RFA is effective and safe, and can be used to prevent major procedural complications.

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Superficial Barrett's Adenocarcinoma in a Japanese Population: A Retrospective, Multicenter Study.

Objective Although Barrett's adenocarcinoma (BA) remains a minor disease in Japan, its incidence has been gradually increasing. We analyzed the characteristics of BA in Japanese populations. Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records and analyzed the clinicopathological differences between short-segment Barrett's esophagus (SSBE) and long-segment Barrett's esophagus (LSBE), as well as metastasis. Local recurrence and metachronous lesions were analyzed only in patients who underwent endoscopic resection (ER). Patients Consecutive patients who had pathological T1 BAs resected by ER or surgery from January 2003 to December 2017. Results A total of 168 patients were analyzed, including 139 with SSBE and 29 with LSBE. In total, 67% of the SSBE lesions and 32% of the LSBE lesions were located between 0 and 3 o'clock (p=0.0014). No patients who achieved pathological margin-free resection (pR0) and 17% of patients who did not achieve pR0 experienced local recurrence (p=0.0131). None of the patients without lymphovascular involvement, a poorly differentiated component, lesion size of >30 mm, and submucosal invasion of >500 µm experienced metastasis. The 5-year cumulative incidence rate of metachronous BA after ER was 0% in patients with SSBE and 40% in patients with LSBE (p=0.0005). Conclusion Superficial BA was likely to be detected at the right anterior wall of SSBE in the Japanese population. The risk for metachronous BA after ER was high in Japanese patients with LSBE, as in Western patients.

Radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with decompensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is used to treat early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but is sometimes avoided in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis because of the possible side effect of deterioration of liver function. AIMS: In this study, we report the safety and effects of RFA for treating HCC patients with Child-Pugh B/C liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Sixty-six consecutive HCC patients with Child-Pugh B/C cirrhosis, who were treated by RFA, were enrolled in this study. We analyzed patient outcomes, the complications of RFA, and changes in liver function and tumor markers. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients were classified as Child-Pugh class B, and 10 were classified as class C. The overall survival rates in patients with Child-Pugh B and C cirrhosis were 82 and 83% at 1 year and 47 and 31% at 3 years, respectively. Serum total bilirubin (T.Bil), albumin, prothrombin time, ascites, and encephalopathy were unchanged at 1, 3, and 6 months after RFA in patients with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis; however, serum T.Bil levels increased significantly at 6 months after RFA in 6/10 (60%) patients with Child-Pugh C cirrhosis. Hemothorax and rupture of esophageal varices were observed in 2 patients; however, there were no complications related to poor liver function. CONCLUSION: RFA is a useful modality for treating HCC in patients with poor liver function such as Child-Pugh B and C, but careful monitoring after RFA must be needed.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the caudate lobe, where RFA is considered to be difficult. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of a total of 810 patients treated by ultrasound-guided radiotherapy between July 2002 and May 2010, medical records of 50 consecutive patients with HCC in the caudate lobe were reviewed in this retrospective study. Twenty-two tumors were found to be in the paracaval portion and 28 in the Spiegel lobe. We retrospectively reviewed the procedures, treatment effect, and complications. RESULTS: For all paracaval tumors and eight Spiegel lobe tumors, we used the intercostal approach, and for the remaining Spiegel tumors (n = 20) we used the pass-the-left approach. We found that all tumors were successfully treated, and the local recurrence rate after 2 years was 12%. Cases of mortality or major complications after RFA were absent. CONCLUSION: RFA appears to be an effective treatment modality for HCC in the caudate lobe.

Diagnostic Role of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Gastric Mesenchymal Tumors.

There have been no comparative studies investigating the results of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with gastric mesenchymal tumors, including leiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas, schwannomas, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). We retrospectively reviewed the data of 142 patients with pathologically diagnosed gastric mesenchymal tumors treated at 11 institutions. We analyzed the correlation between the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) evaluated using fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and the tumor size. The correlation between the SUVmax and mitotic index was also investigated in GISTs. The SUVmax (mean ± standard deviation) was 0.5 ± 0.6 in very low-risk GISTs (n = 42), 2.1 ± 0.7 in low-risk GISTs (n = 26), 4.9 ± 0.8 in intermediate-risk GISTs (n = 22), 12.3 ± 0.8 in high-risk GISTs (n = 20), 1.0 ± 1.0 in leiomyomas (n = 15), 6.9 ± 1.2 in schwannomas (n = 10), and 3.5 in a leiomyosarcoma (n = 1). The SUVmax of GISTs with an undetermined risk classification was 4.2 ± 1.3 (n = 8). Linear associations were observed between the SUVmax and tumor size in GISTs, leiomyomas, and schwannomas. The SUVmax of GISTs with a high mitotic index was significantly higher than that of GISTs with a low mitotic index (9.6 ± 7.6 vs. 2.4 ± 4.2). In conclusion, we observed positive correlations between the SUVmax and tumor size in GISTs, leiomyomas, and schwannomas. The SUVmax also positively correlated with the mitotic index and risk grade in GISTs. Schwannomas showed a higher FDG uptake than GISTs and leiomyomas.

Continued Aspirin Treatment May Be a Risk Factor of Delayed Bleeding after Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection under Heparin Replacement: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Objective Gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) under heparin replacement (HR) of warfarin reportedly has a high risk of delayed bleeding (24-57%). It is possible that the delayed bleeding risk may have changed over the years. We evaluated the current risk of delayed bleeding after gastric ESD under HR of anticoagulant agents. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the delayed bleeding rate and analyzed the risk factors for delayed bleeding. Patients Consecutive patients who underwent gastric ESD under HR of anticoagulant agents from July 2015 to June 2017. Results A total of 32 patients with a solitary early gastric cancer and taking anticoagulant agents were analyzed, including 24 patients on warfarin (the warfarin group) and 8 patients on direct oral anticoagulants (the DOAC group). Three (9.4%) patients experienced delayed bleeding: three (12.5%) patients in the warfarin group and no patients in the DOAC group. Continued aspirin treatment was identified to be a risk factor of delayed bleeding (p=0.01). Conclusion Careful management may be required for patients undergoing gastric ESD under continued aspirin treatment in addition to HR of anticoagulant agents; although the delayed bleeding risk after gastric ESD under HR of anticoagulant agents might have decreased over the years.

Fibrosis progression rates between chronic hepatitis B and C patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the annual rate of fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis B and C patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. METHODS: Forty-nine chronic hepatitis B patients and 21 chronic hepatitis C patients, each of whom had undergone two or more liver biopsies at an interval of more than 1 year, were enrolled in this retrospective clinical research protocol. The annual rate of fibrosis progression was calculated by dividing the change in fibrosis stage between the first and second liver biopsies by the interval in years between them. RESULTS: The median interval in chronic hepatitis B and C was 3.4 (first and third quartiles, 1.8-4.7) and 3.2 (2.1-6.5) years, respectively. Overall, the mean fibrosis progression rate was 0.21 +/- 0.31 (mean +/- SD) fibrosis units (FU) per year in 49 patients with chronic hepatitis B, and 0.13 +/- 0.18 FU/year in 21 patients with chronic hepatitis C. The ALT level was an independent variable correlating with fibrosis progression. In patients whose median ALT level was 70 IU/l or more, the mean fibrosis progression rate was 0.28 +/- 0.32 FU/year in 36 patients with chronic hepatitis B, and 0.22 +/- 0.23 FU/year in eight patients with chronic hepatitis C. CONCLUSION: This paired-biopsy study of untreated chronic hepatitis B or C demonstrated that fibrosis progression occurred largely in patients with continuously elevated ALT levels even over a relatively short period, and that liver fibrosis might progress by one stage within an average of 4-5 years of follow-up in patients with elevated ALT of 70 IU/l or more.

[Case with hepatic artery aneurysm discovered after suffering from infectious endocarditis].

A 53-year-old man suffering from infectious endocarditis developed a rupture of the mitral valve tendinous cord. Consequently a mitral valvoplasty was performed. Forty days later, the patient presented with sudden and severe epigastralgia and hematemesis, and was rushed to our hospital. An arterial phase of an abdominal contrast-enhanced CT showed a mass 3 cm in diameter which was strongly enhanced along the side of the hepatic portal region and therefore it was thought to be an aneurysm. An abdominal angiography revealed an aneurysm of the right hepatic artery. As a result, an embolization with coils was performed. Nine months after treatment, CT examination of the abdomen revealed that the aneurysm had completely disappeared.

A multicenter survey of enteroscopy for the diagnosis of intestinal follicular lymphoma.

The importance of enteroscopy examinations to investigate the entire length of the small intestines has been emphasized in follicular lymphoma patients with intestinal involvement. The aim of the present study was to determine the current state of enteroscopy examinations, including the performance rate, and the prevalence of small intestinal lesions in a patient population in Japan. A retrospective multicenter survey of 17 institutions collected the case information of 110 follicular lymphoma patients with gastrointestinal involvement. The results of the enteroscopy examinations were reviewed, and in order to identify potential factors affecting the performance rate of enteroscopy, patient gender, age at lymphoma diagnosis, histopathological grade, clinical stage, the date of the initial diagnosis and the annual volume of enteroscopy at the institution were compared between the patients who underwent one or more enteroscopy procedures and the patients who did not undergo enteroscopy. A total of 34 patients (30.9%) underwent enteroscopy, and 24 of these (70.6%) presented with involvement in the jejunum and/or ileum. It was found that more patients diagnosed in recent years and more patients treated at an ultra-high volume institution (≥101 enteroscopy examinations/year) underwent an enteroscopy. In conclusion, although the prevalence of small intestinal lesions was high (70.6%) in the follicular lymphoma patients presenting with intestinal involvement, the performance rate of enteroscopy was only 30.9%, and thus the majority of the patients have not undergone enteroscopy examinations. Further investigation is required to define the clinical significance of enteroscopy at the initial diagnostic work-up and during the follow-up period of these patients.