Various applications of endoscopic scissors in difficult endoscopic interventions.

Endoscopic scissors offer a benefit over other devices by avoiding potential complications related to thermal and mechanical injury of surrounding structures. We describe our experience with endoscopic scissors in three difficult endoscopic interventions. A fishbone embedded in the esophageal wall penetrated very close to the pulsating aorta and the bronchus. The fishbone was cut in half by endoscopic scissors and removed without injury to adjacent organs. A gastric submucosal tumor with an insulated core that could not be resected by electrosurgical devices was cut using endoscopic scissors following endoloop placement. Extravascular coil migration after transcatheter arterial embolization resulted in a duodenal ulcer. The metallic coil on the duodenal ulcer was cut by endoscopic scissors without mechanical or thermal injury.

[The changes in incidence of Crohn's disease and intestinal tuberculosis in Korea].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) has been steadily increasing in Korea due to westernized life style and widely used imaging studies such as colonoscopy. There were few studies about the status of longterm trend of CD and intestinal tuberculosis (IT). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the trend of CD and IT in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of newly diagnosed 65 patients with CD and 54 patients with IT at Chonnam National University Hospital between January 1998 and August 2007. RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2002, 16 and 40 patients were newly diagnosed as having CD and IT respectively, but between 2003 and 2007, 39 and 14 patients were newly diagnosed as having CD and IT respectively. CD patients (28.2+/-15.2 years) were younger than IT (46.2+/-18.5 years) (p=0.001). The male to female ratio of CD and IT were 2:1 and 1.1:1, respectively. The most common symptom of CD and IT was abdominal pain. Longitudinal ulceration, hyperemia, luminal narrowing, pseudopolyp, and cobble stone appearance were more common in CD than in IT (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: While the incidence of CD has increased, the incidence of IT has fallen over the last decade.

A case of colonic pseudoobstruction related to bacterial overgrowth due to a sigmoidocecal fistula.

Colocolic fistulas are usually a complication of an inflammatory or neoplastic process. Development of these abnormal bowel communications may lead to bacterial overgrowth. We report on a 71-year-old man with a one-year history of recurrent abdominal distension and irregular bowel habits. Abdominal X-rays and computed tomography showed multiple air-fluid levels and loops of distended bowel without evidence of mechanical obstruction or diverticulitis. Colonoscopy showed a fistulous tract between the sigmoid colon and cecum. Results of a lactulose breath test showed high fasting breath CH4 levels, which were thought to be the result of intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The patient was diagnosed with a colonic pseudo-obstruction associated with bacterial overgrowth due to a sigmoidocecal fistula. We recommended surgical correction of the sigmoidocecal fistula; however, the patient requested medical treatment. After antibiotic therapy, the patient still had mild symptoms but no acute exacerbations.

Expression of c-FLIP in gastric cancer and its relation to tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: The expression of c-FLIP (cellular Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (FLICE)-inhibitory protein), which is a member of the family of inhibitors of apoptosis, has been associated with tumor development and progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of c-FLIP in gastric cancer and its correlation with tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis and the clinicopathologic features. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining with anti-c-FLIP antibody was performed in 98 tissue samples obtained from gastric cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment. The apoptotic cells were visualized by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and the proliferative cells were visualized by staining with Ki-67 antibody. RESULTS: The positive expression of c-FLIP in the gastric cancer tissues was demonstrated in 57.1% of the cases. The expression of c-FLIP was increased in the gastric cancer tissues compared with the matched normal gastric mucosa. The expression of c-FLIP was significantly associated with histologic differentiation (p = 0.038). However, there was no association between the c-FLIP expression and the other clinicopathological parameters, including patient survival. The Ki-67 labeling index (KI) for the 98 tumors ranged from 7.6 to 85.0 with a mean KI of 50.4 +/- 15.7. The mean KI value of the c-FLIP positive tumors was 54.1 +/- 15.3 and this was significantly higher than that of the c-FLIP negative tumors (p = 0.005). The apoptotic index (AI) for the 98 tumors ranged from 0.0 to 10.0 with a mean AI of 7.4 +/- 2.3. There was no significant difference between the c-FLIP expression and the AI (p = 0.347). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the c-FLIP expression may be associated with tumor cell proliferation of gastric cancer.