Clinicopathological Characteristics of Colon Cancer Diagnosed at Primary Health Care Institutions

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of colon cancers detected at the SOK Sokpeynhan Internal Medical Network, a nationwide system of primary health care institutions. METHODS: We analyzed 579 colon cancer patients diagnosed using colonoscopy at the SOK network from January 2011 through December 2012. Cancers from the rectum to the splenic flexure were classified as left colon cancer. Patients over 65 were classified as senior. RESULTS: The mean age (+/-SD) of subjects was 60.9+/-10.5 years and 61.1% were men. More than one quarter (28.2%) of patients were asymptomatic. The prevalence of left colon cancer was higher (77.9%) than that for right colon cancer. The most frequent macroscopic and histologic types were depressed (58.9%) and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (52.2%), respectively. Asymptomatic subjects displayed protruding or well differentiated adenocarcinoma, while symptomatic patients were more likely to display depressed or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (P0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Study results indicated an increase of colon cancer amongst younger demographics in recent years. The effectiveness of colonoscopy screening was also evident, as asymptomatic patients demonstrated frequent findings of well differentiated adenocarcinomas. Study results also suggested a need for closer examination of older patients, as right colon cancer tended to increase with age.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Superficial Gastric Cancer Diagnosed at Primary Health Care Institutions in 2011 / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Stomach cancer is prevalent in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of superficial gastric cancers detected at SOK Sokpeynhan Internal Medical Network, the nationwide primary health care institutions. METHODS: We prospectively analysed the clinicopathologic and endoscopic characteristics of 218 superficial gastric cancer patients diagnosed using gastric endoscopy at SOK network from January 2011 through December 2011. RESULTS: The mean age was 58.5 years old and male to female ratio was 1.7 : 1. Asymptomatic patients were most common (45.0%). The macroscopic classification revealed that simple types (63.8%) were more common than complex types (36.2%). The most common type was IIc (28.4%) and other types were as follows; IIb (16.1%), IIb+IIc (13.3%), IIa (10.6%), III (9.2%), IIa+IIc (7.3%), IIc+IIa (6.0%), IIc+IIb (5.0%). The most commonly involved sites were the body (53.1%) and greater curvature (32.6%) of the stomach. The size of lesion was less than 1 cm (69.3%) and less than 5 mm (33.5%) in diameter. The most common pathologic type was tubular adenocarcinoma (75.7%). Helicobacter pylori infection rate was 50.2%. Fifty five percent of the cases were diagnosed via endoscopy of National Health Insurance Corporation screenings. CONCLUSIONS: Superficial gastric cancers in 2011 at primary health care SOK network were different from those of previous reports. Type IIc was most common but type IIb was more prevalent and the body and greater curvature of the stomach were the most commonly involved sites. Therefore, careful observation of the proximal gastric mucosa and mucosal color change is needed.

A Case of Protein Losing Enteropathy Caused by Primary Intestinal Lymphangiectasia / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare congenital cause of protein losing enteropathy that is characterized by chronic diarrhea, generalized edema, ascites, hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and lymphopenia. We encountered an 18-year-old woman who suffered from longstanding diarrhea and progressive leg edema. The laboratory findings showed the typical features of this disorder. The presence of enteric protein loss was documented with the 24 hour fecal clearance of alpha(1)-antitrypsin and (99m)Tc human serum albumin scintigraphy. A duodenoscopy and biopsy showed scattered white spots and markedly dilated lymphatics in the tips of the villi, respectively. The patient's clinical symptoms improved after placing her on a high protein and low fat diet with medium chain triglyceride supplements.

Comparison of Hemostatic Efficacy between Epinephrine Injection Alone and a Combined Therapy with Hemoclip for Bleeding Peptic Ulcers / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many studies have been performed to find the differences between using epinephrine injection alone and a combination therapy with hemoclip for bleeding peptic ulcer, but the results have been controversial. We retrospectively evaluated the hemostatic efficacy for epinephrine injection alone and injection combined with hemoclip for bleeding peptic ulcers. METHODS: Four hundred patients were enrolled. They were assigned to one of the two groups: endoscopic hemostasis with injection of epinephrine (group I, n=156) and combined epinephrine injection with hemoclip (group II, n=244). RESULTS: The continuous bleeding rate was significantly higher in group I than in group II. The recurrent bleeding rate was also significantly higher in group I than in group II. There were no statistical differences in the rates of death, emergency surgery and arterial embolization. The rates of continuous bleeding and the initial failure of hemostasis were higher for the patients with active bleeding on the initial endoscopy irrespective of the applied hemostatic methods. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of epinephrine injection and hemoclip is more effective than epinephrine injection alone for treating bleeding peptic ulcers.

A Case of Primary Pancreatic Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Primary pancreatic lymphoma is rare, comprising 0.2~4.9% of all pancreatic malignancies and less than 1% of cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Many patients are diagnosed with lymphoma after radical resection. We report a rare presentation of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, appearing as a primary tumor of the pancreas. A 61-year old female was admitted to the hospital with the complaint of right upper abdominal pain. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a well defined mass located at the head of the pancreas. A frozen section of pancreas, during laparotomy, revealed lymphoma. The patient received 6 cycles of chemotherapy and is currently in complete remission. This case underscores the importance of differentiating primary lymphoma from the more common adenocarcinoma of the pancreas as treatment and prognosis differ significantly. Primary pancreatic lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumors and an attempt to obtain a tissue diagnosis is always necessary before proceeding to radical surgery, especially on young patients.

Clear Cell Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Spontaneous Regression of Primary and Metastatic Lesions

The prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tends to be poor. Spontaneous regression of this lesion is extremely rare. In this report, we describe a case of HCC which spontaneously regressed along with a metastatic lesion of the chest wall. A huge HCC in the right lobe, the largest diameter of which was about 15x12 cm, developed in a 72-year-old man. He and his family refused further treatment. Three months after the diagnosis, metastasis to the chest wall was detected. We prescribed a painkiller for him in order to alleviate chest pain. Fourteen months after the diagnosis, the tumor size of the primary lesion was downsized to 3x4 cm in diameter. A biopsy taken from the chest wall proved to be clear cell HCC (CHCC). Since then, the metastatic lesion has also disappeared. Here, we report this unusual histologically proven CHCC with literature reviews.

Risk Factors Related to Bleeding after Endoscopic Mucosal Resection of Gastric Tumors / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been widely used for treatment of gastric mucosal tumors because of its relative safety and minimal invasiveness. However, the bleeding after EMR has been regarded as a major complication. Herein, we assessed the bleeding rates and risk factors related to bleeding after EMR. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of two hundred and fortynine patients with 283 lesions who underwent EMR for flat adenoma (78.8%), hyperplastic polyp (4.9%), and early gastric cancer (16.3%) from January 1999 to August 2003. Bleeding during EMR was defined as an immediate bleeding while bleeding on follow-up day endoscopy after EMR was considered as an delayed bleeding We evaluated risk factors related to bleeding using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Bleeding after EMR occurred in 99 patients (35%). Immediate bleeding occurred in 31.8% and was more frequent in the case of beginners, upper part of the stomach or EMR prcedures using needle knife. Delayed bleeding occurred in 7.1% and was more frequent in the case of flat or depressed lesions, or occurrence after the incidence of immediate bleeding. Risk factors related to EMR bleeding were experience of operator (beginner vs. expert, p= 0.001), anatomical location (upper vs. lower, p=0.018), and methods of procedure (needle-knife vs. snare or band, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that experience of operator, anatomical location, and method of procedure were the risk factors related to bleeding after EMR.

The Factors Related to the Prognosis of Solitary Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Radiofrequency Ablation / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several risk factors, such as size and location, are related to local recurrence after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objectives of this study were to clarify factors related to prognosis. METHODS: From October 1999 to December 2002, we performed RFA for 107 consecutive patients with solitary HCC. We evaluated spiral computed tomography and serum alpha-fetoprotein level every 3 months after RFA. Seven possible factors for prognosis were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model: tumor size, tumor location, age, sex, etiology, platelet count, and Child-Pugh classification. Overall survival and disease free survival rate were estimated using the Kaplan- Meier method, and differences between two groups were compared using the log rank test. RESULTS: The Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival after radiofrequency ablation were 90.5% at 12 months, 67.4% at 24 months and 46.4% at 36 months and disease free survival were 71.4%, 46.7% and 20.9%, respectively. Using the Cox proportional hazards regression model, it was shown that with regard to overall survival and disease free survival, Child-Pugh classification (P=0.001, P=0.026) and platelet count (P<0.001, P=0.002) were statistically significant factors. The other factors did not have a statistically significant relationship to overall survival and disease free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The size and location known as local recurrence factors were not statistically significant with regard to survival and disease free survival. The Child-Pugh classification and platelet count, that reflect the liver function at the time of RFA, were significant factors for prognosis.

Clearance rate of inhaled 99mTc-DTPA in systemic sclerosis / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: We measured the clearance rate of inhaled 99mTc-diethyl triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) aerosol in patients with systemic sclerosis. We also investigated its correlation with respiratory function test and acute phase reactant proteins. METHODS: Ten patients with systemic sclerosis, ten patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and ten healthy controls were included. Dynamic scintigrams (20 seconds/frame, up to 30 minutes) were obtained following inhalation of 99mTc-DTPA aerosol through a radioaerosol delivery system. The time to half clearance (T1/2) was calculated from the time-activity curves. High resolution computed tomography, pulmonary function test and laboratory tests such as ESR, CRP, and complement (C3/C4) were performed. RESULTS: 1) Mean T1/2 values of 99mTc-DTPA clearance after inhalation were 28.1+/-3.8, 57.9+/-20.9, and 64.3+/-13.0 minutes in systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and normal controls, respectively. Mean T1/2 value in systemic sclerosis was significantly reduced compared with those of rheumatoid arthritis group (p<0.001) and normal controls (p=0.001).2) No significant correlations were found between mean T1/2 and FEV1/FVC, FVC or DLco in patients with systemic sclerosis. 3) There was no significant correlation between mean T1/2 and ESR or CRP in patients with systemic sclerosis. And in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, mean T1/2 value correlated significantly with ESR and CRP. CONCLUSION: The clearance rate of inhaled 99mTc-DTPA was significantly increased in patients with systemic sclerosis and had no significant correlation with pulmonary function test and acute phase reactants, but was found to have significant correlations with ESR and CRP in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus complicated with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: a report of two cases

A rare manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), in which early diagnosis and aggressive therapy are of prime importance for favorable outcome. The pathogenesis of CVST is largely unknown, but it is thought to be caused by cerebral vasculitis, antiphospholipid antibodies or other conditions associated with enhanced coagulability. We describe two cases of SLE with CVST which were not associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. Both cases were treated with immunosuppressants (intravenous methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide pulse therapy) and anticoagulant drugs (heparin and subsequent maintenance therapy with warfarin). There was a marked improvement of neurologic symptoms with the disappearance of thrombus in a follow-up MRI. The possibility of CVST should be considered in any patients with SLE who show neuropsychiatric manifestations.

A Case of Behcet's Disease Complicated with Deep Vein Thrombosis and Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis / 대한류마티스학회지

Behcet's disease is a multisystemic disease, in which vascular involvement occurs in 7. 7-60% of patients. There are three forms of vascular involvement such as venous occlusion, arterial occlusion and arterial aneurysm. Venous lesions are more common than arterial lesions and the common sites of venous thrombosis are inferior vena cava, superior vena cava, and superficial or deep veins of extremities. Thrombosis of cerebral venous sinus is an infrequent complication of Behcet's disease and it seems to be rare that both deep vein thrombosis and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis occured at the same time. We experienced a case of Behcet's disease complicated with thromboses of left common femoral vein and right transverse sinus. A 29-year-old man presented with persistent dull nature headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and left lower leg swelling. Duplex ultrasonography of lower extremity showed thrombus in the left common femoral vein. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain showed isodense signal intensity lesions in right transverse sinus on Tl weighted image. On magnetic resonance angiography, the right transverse, sigmoid sinus and right internal jugular vein were not visualized. The patient showed substantial improvement after treatment with steroid, cyclosporine A and anticoagulants.