[A case of amebic colitis that developed after corticosteroid therapy in which perforation occurred during metronidazole treatment].

Although amebiasis is usually asymptomatic, fulminant amebic colitis is associated with a high mortality rate. Here, we report the case of a patient with amebic colitis in which bowel perforation occurred despite treatment with metronidazole. A man in his 70s underwent steroid pulse therapy to treat serious acute hepatitis A. After corticosteroid therapy, he developed acute abdomen because of amebic colitis. We immediately administered metronidazole and his symptoms improved. After completing treatment, he developed colon perforation. Amebic colitis can progress to bowel perforation even after administering the appropriate medication, so this abdominal symptom requires careful attention.

Suitability of the expanded indication criteria for the treatment of early gastric cancer by endoscopic submucosal dissection: Japanese multicenter large-scale retrospective analysis of short- and long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The criteria for endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer include absolute and expanded indications. Consensus already exists for the absolute indications. However, the suitability of the expanded indications must be validated by long-term outcome analyses since such lesions have only recently become resectable with the development of endoscopic submucosal dissection. The aim of this study is to clarify the suitability of the expanded indications for the treatment of early gastric cancer with endoscopic submucosal dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 1161 patients with early gastric cancers (1332 lesions) treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection and meeting the criteria for absolute or expanded indications without additional treatment with gastrectomy were divided into absolute indication group or expanded indication group. RESULTS: Complete resection rates were 96.4% and 93.4% in absolute and expanded indication groups, respectively, with no significant differences between the groups. Delayed bleeding rates were significantly higher in the expanded indication group, whereas all cases were successfully managed conservatively. The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free rates were 93.7%/99.77% and 90.49%/98.90% in the absolute and the expanded indication groups, respectively, with no significant differences between the groups for either measure. Multivariate analyses revealed that affected horizontal margin and tumor location were independent predictive factors for recurrence. CONCLUSION: The expanded indication group showed excellent post-endoscopic submucosal dissection short-term and long-term outcomes compared with the absolute indications group, demonstrating that expanded indications are suitable for endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer.

Gastric glomus tumor diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy: report of a case.

A glomus tumor of the stomach is rare. It is difficult to diagnose the tumor before surgery by only endoscopic biopsy and radiography, and there is no established method of diagnosis before surgical treatment. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) on a 50-year-old Japanese woman revealed a 10 mm submucosal tumor in the anterior wall of the gastric angle. Follow-up EGD revealed an increase in the size of the tumor to 15mm. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) demonstrated a 15mm subepithelial hypoechoic solid tumor with continuity to the proper muscle layer. Histologic diagnosis by endoscopic ultrasonography guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) was glomus tumor. The tumor was treated by laparoscopic local resection. The histologic diagnosis of the resected tumor was similar to the preoperative EUS-FNA results. EUS-FNA would appear to be an effective histologic test for early diagnosis of gastric glomus tumor.

Exceptional Response to Pembrolizumab in HER2-Positive Gallbladder Carcinoma with High Tumor Mutational Burden.

PURPOSE: Patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma, including gallbladder cancer, typically have a poor prognosis owing to limited effective chemotherapy options. The field of genotype-directed therapy in patients with cholangiocarcinoma is advancing. However, limited clinical data are currently available to evaluate the efficacy of molecularly targeted therapy. METHODS: Herein, we report the case of a 67-year-old man diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive and tumor mutation burden-high (TMB-H) cholangiocarcinoma. The HER2-positive and TMB-H characteristics were identified using comprehensive genomic profiling after showing resistance to gemcitabine and S-1 therapy. In the absence of clinical trials for HER2-positive cancer at that time, the patient was treated with pembrolizumab, which is used for TMB-H solid tumors in clinical practice. RESULTS: After receiving pembrolizumab, the patient experienced significant shrinkage in the primary tumor and liver metastases. Thus far, the patient has been receiving pembrolizumab for approximately 10 months. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the efficacy of pembrolizumab in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma harboring both HER2-positive and TMB-H.

Therapeutic Effects of CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Gastric and Colonic Metastases From Breast Cancer: A Case Report.

Breast cancer often metastasizes to the lungs, bones, liver, and brain; however, gastric and colonic metastases from breast cancer are rare. Nevertheless, here, we present the case of a 50-year-old woman diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer, exhibiting gastric and colonic metastases that were detected when she experienced intermittent abdominal pain. The differentiation between primary gastric cancer and metastasis from breast cancer was made through immunohistochemical staining. The patient underwent treatment with palbociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 inhibitor, and anastrozole, with no significant adverse effects. Subsequent upper and lower endoscopic examinations following the initiation of these treatments revealed tumor shrinkage in both gastric and colonic metastases. This case report presents the first instance in which morphological changes in gastrointestinal metastasis induced by CDK4/6 inhibitors could be evaluated.

Rapid tumor progression complicated with liver abscess in a patient with gastric cancer receiving nivolumab therapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for treating various cancer types. However, several studies reported rapid tumor progression, a condition known as hyperprogressive disease, after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We present the case of a 73-year-old man diagnosed with recurrent gastric cancer with liver and lymph node metastases detected in the presence of obstructive jaundice. Concomitant administration of nivolumab with cytotoxic chemotherapy as first-line chemotherapy effectively controlled the tumor. Nevertheless, once cytotoxic chemotherapy was discontinued and nivolumab monotherapy was initiated to treat liver abscess complications, the tumor rapidly progressed, ultimately leading to the patient's death. This is the first report on rapid tumor growth observed during subsequent treatment with nivolumab after initial antitumor effects were confirmed. This case report describes the possibility of rapid tumor growth in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, including in cases where this therapy showed antitumor efficacy in the initial therapeutic evaluation. Therefore, patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy need to be monitored.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection using the "Clutch Cutter" for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: To reduce the risk of complications related to the use of knives in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), we developed the Clutch Cutter which can grasp and incise targeted tissue using electrosurgical current, similarly to a biopsy technique. The study aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESD using the Clutch Cutter for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ESD using the Clutch Cutter was performed on 32 consecutive patients with early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Therapeutic efficacy and safety were assessed. RESULTS: All lesions were treated easily and safely without unintended incision. En bloc resection was obtained in all patients. Histologically negative margins were obtained in 26/32 patients (81%). Endoscopic perforation due to the hood in one patient (3%), mediastinitis without endoscopic perforation in one patient (3%), and post-ESD stricture in 5 patients (16%) were observed. All were successfully managed conservatively. CONCLUSIONS: ESD using the Clutch Cutter appears to be a safe, easy, and technically efficient method for resecting early esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Preserved gastric motility in patients with early gastric cancer after endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is now accepted as a minimally invasive treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC). To our knowledge, however, the functional effects of ESD have not been determined in patients with EGC. We therefore investigated whether gastric motility was affected by ESD. METHODS: Using the (13) C-octanoic acid breath test, gastric emptying of solid test meals was examined in 26 EGC patients and 18 healthy controls, with EGC patients assayed before and about 2 months after ESD. Based on (13) CO2 breath-excretion curves, the lag-phase time (T(lag) ), half-emptying time (T(1/2) ), and gastric emptying coefficient (GEC) were calculated as indices of gastric emptying. RESULTS: In healthy controls, the mean T(lag), T(1/2), and GEC were 85.5 ± 4.9 min, 148.5 ± 8.0 min, and 3.01 ± 0.09 h, respectively. Before ESD, the mean T(lag) , T(1/2), and GEC in the EGC patients were 90.1 ± 5.5 min, 174.7 ± 10.4 min, 2.64 ± 0.08 h, respectively. GEC, but not T(lag) or T(1/2), differed significantly in the two groups, with gastric emptying slower in EGC patients than in controls. Relative to before ESD, the mean T(lag), T(1/2), and GEC in EGC patients after ESD were 109.2% ± 7.8%, 107.9% ± 9.6%, 108.4% ± 4.7%, respectively, indicating that ESD did not significantly affect any of these gastric emptying parameters in EGC patients. CONCLUSION: ESD is an effective treatment for EGC both in preserving organs and gastric motility.

Eldest gastric cancer patient with high microsatellite instability responding to pembrolizumab.

Pembrolizumab has been associated with a high tumor response rate among high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) cancer patients. The efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in the treatment of MSI-H gastric cancer (GC) patients aged ≥ 85 years have not been reported. This study reports the case of an 89-year-old woman diagnosed with stage IIA MSI-H GC based on her chief complaint of abdominal pain. We considered surgery, but it was contraindicated due to the patient's age and cardiovascular comorbidity. Therefore, we administered pembrolizumab after receiving approval from the ethics committee, and no significant adverse events were noted. The tumor was markedly responsive to pembrolizumab, and the computed tomography and endoscopic findings revealed a complete response. This is the first report on the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in the treatment of GC in an "oldest old" patient with MSI-H.

Sustained effect of leukocytapheresis/granulocytapheresis versus anti-human TNF-α monoclonal antibody on ulcerative colitis: A 2-year retrospective study.

Although anti-tumor necrosis factor-α monoclonal antibody biological preparations (BP) agents are widely used as an established treatment tool for refractory ulcerative colitis (UC), whether leukocytapheresis/granulocytapheresis (L/G-CAP) has similar beneficial impact on the disease activity remains undetermined. Furthermore, the costs defrayed for the treatment with these 2 modalities have not been compared. We retrospectively evaluated whether L/G-CAP offered sustained beneficial effects over 2-year period. The patients who had moderately to severely active UC (Rachmilewitz clinical activity index (CAI) ≧ 5) and were treated with a series (10 sessions) of L/G-CAP (n = 19) or BP (n = 7) as an add-on therapy to conventional medications were followed. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness pertaining to the treatment with L/G-CAP and BP was assessed over 12 months. At baseline, L/G-CAP and BP groups manifested similar disease activity (CAI, L/G-CAP; 7.0 [6.0-10.0], BP; 10.0 [6.0-10.0], P = .207). The L/G-CAP and BP treatment suppressed the activity, with CAI 1 or less attained on day 180. When the L/G-CAP group was dichotomized into L/G-CAP-high and L/G-CAP-low group based on CAI values (≥3 or < 3) on day 365, CAI was gradually elevated in L/G-CAP-high group but remained suppressed in L/G-CAP-low group without additional apheresis for 2 years. Anemia was corrected more rapidly and hemoglobin levels were higher in BP group. The cost of the treatment with L/G-CAP over 12 months was curtailed to 76% of that with BP (1.79 [1.73-1.92] vs 2.35 [2.29-3.19] million yen, P = .028). L/G-CAP is as effective as BP in a substantial number of patients over 2 years. The cost for the treatment of UC favors L/G-CAP although the correction of anemia may prefer BP. Thus, L/G-CAP can effectively manage the disease activity with no additional implementation for 2 years although further therapeutic modalities might be required in a certain population with high CAI observed on day 365.

A new approach: endoscopic submucosal dissection using the Clutch Cutter® for early stage digestive tract tumors.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is accepted as minimally invasive therapy for early stage digestive tract tumors. It has allowed the achievement of histologically curative en-bloc resection of early stage digestive tract tumors regardless of size, including the resection of previously non-resectable tumors. Although numerous electrosurgical knives have been developed for ESD, technical difficulties and high complication rates (bleeding and perforation) have limited their use worldwide. Furthermore, conventional ESD usually needs several devices for each session. We developed the Clutch Cutter® (CC), which can grasp and incise the targeted tissue using electrosurgical current, to resolve such ESD-related problems. The ESD procedure using the CC is as follows: after marking using the CC and the injection of a solution into the submucosa, the lesion is separated from the surrounding normal mucosa by complete incision around the lesion using the CC. A piece of submucosal tissue is grasped and cut with the CC using electrosurgical current to achieve submucosal exfoliation. Intraoperative bleeding is also treated by the CC. Reported clinical studies showed that ESD using the CC is a safe, simple, easy-to-learn, technically efficient (en-bloc resection rate 100%), and a single-device method for the dissection of early stage digestive tract tumors. This new approach is promising to become the worldwide method of choice for early stage digestive tract tumors because it is technically simple and safe to perform.

Intraductal papillary neoplasm of bile duct with invasive carcinoma as an intrahepatic cystic lesion, with successful preoperative diagnosis.

An 82-year-old man presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and febrile symptoms that had been present for 4 days. Blood tests showed elevated liver enzymes and white blood cell count, and abdominal contrast-enhanced CT revealed a 35 mm cystic lesion in the left lateral liver lobe. On closer examination, the cystic lesion was found to have contiguous bile duct dilatation and internal nodules. Furthermore, mucus production was observed during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, which led to the diagnosis of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB), with cystic infection. Although the patient was an older adult, there was no background disease that would have prevented surgery, and resection was performed. Pathological examination revealed type 1 IPNB, with invasive carcinoma. The number of reports of IPNB is expected to increase with an increasing older population in Asia, and we report the findings of this case.

Transcatheter arterial embolization for postoperative hemorrhage complicating surgical repair of incarcerated umbilical hernia subsequent to Denver peritoneovenous shunting: A case report.

A 50-year-old man with a refractory ascites was inserted a peritoneovenous shunt under local anesthesia. On the fifth postoperative day, abdominal pain occurred and were diagnosed as incarcerated umbilical hernia. Due to unsuccessful manual reduction, emergent hernia repair was performed. Postoperatively, wound bleeding was not controlled, and endovascular treatment was planned because enhanced computed tomography detected arterial extravasations. Bilateral inferior epigastric arteries were embolized with a 33.3% n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate lipiodol mixture. The patient's symptoms subsequently improved without complications. Patients with refractory ascites develop incarcerated umbilical hernia after the decompression procedure, such as a peritoneovenous shunt. The coagulopathy caused by the Denver peritoneovenous shunt makes perioperative bleeding control difficult. Therefore, physicians should be aware that laparotomy performed after Denver peritoneovenous shunting sometimes requires transarterial embolization for hemostasis.

Exceptional response to alectinib for duodenal carcinoma with ALK fusion: A case report and literature review.

Patients with advanced duodenal carcinoma usually have a poor prognosis due to limited effective chemotherapy options. The study for genotype-directed therapy in patients with duodenal carcinoma is progressing. However, no clinical data assessing the efficacy of molecularly targeted therapy are presently available. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman who was diagnosed with anaplastic lymphocyte kinase (ALK) fusion-positive advanced duodenal carcinoma. Echinoderm microtubule associated protein like-4 (EML4)-ALK rearrangement was detected by comprehensive genomic profiling after resistance to first-line chemotherapy. The patient received alectinib, an ALK inhibitor, with marked shrinkage in primary tumor and liver metastases. She is currently being treated with alectinib for 6 months or more. This is the first report of the efficacy of alectinib in a patient with duodenal carcinoma harboring ALK fusion. Additionally, this case report suggests that the practical use of next-generation sequencing may expand optimal treatment choices in rare solid tumors, including duodenal carcinoma.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis as an Initial Presentation of Ulcerative Colitis.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare complication of ulcerative colitis (UC) that is potentially fatal once it occurs. This report describes a case of CVT that led to a diagnosis of UC. A 48-year-old woman was diagnosed with CVT due to paresthesia and weakness and was hospitalized for treatment. She developed bloody diarrhea on admission and was further diagnosed with UC based on endoscopic and pathologic findings. Treatment of UC with steroids and sulfasalazine was administered immediately. Her condition improved significantly within several days following treatment. After discharge, the patient experienced no recurrence of either CVT or UC flare-up over the last five years. This report describes CVT as an initial presentation of UC. This is also the first report of a long-term follow-up following successful treatment of CVT with concomitant UC.

Disseminated tuberculosis following invasive procedures for peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis with portal vein obstruction: a case report.

Peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenopathy can mimic pancreatic cancer on imaging. There have only a few reports on varices from portal vein obstruction due to abdominal tuberculous lymphadenopathy. Iatrogenic disseminated tuberculosis is also rare. Herein, we present a rare case of peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenopathy with ruptured duodenal varices due to portal vein obstruction. The patient presented to our hospital with hematemesis. Computed tomography revealed a peripancreatic mass. Duodenal varices rupture from portal vein obstruction due to pancreatic cancer were initially suspected. The patient underwent portal vein stenting for portal vein obstruction and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for diagnosis, which revealed granulomas indicative of tuberculosis. The patient was discharged once because fine-needle aspiration did not lead to a definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis. Subsequently, he developed disseminated tuberculosis. Peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenopathy can cause ectopic varices with portal vein obstruction. Tuberculosis should also be included in the differential diagnosis in the case of portal vein obstruction, to facilitate early treatment and avoid unnecessary surgery. Furthermore, fine-needle aspiration or portal vein stenting for tuberculous lesions can cause disseminated tuberculosis. Since a diagnosis might not be made until after several fine-needle aspirations have been conducted, careful follow-up is necessary after the procedure for such lesions.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection using a grasping-type scissors forceps for early gastric cancers and adenomas.

AIM: To reduce the risk of complications related to endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using knives, we developed a new grasping-type scissors forceps (GSF) that can grasp and incise the target tissue using electrosurgical current. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESD using GSF for the removal of early gastric cancers and adenomas. METHODS: ESD using GSF was carried out on 35 consecutive patients with early gastric cancers or adenomas who had preoperative EUS diagnoses of mucosal tumor without lymph node involvement. Therapeutic efficacy and safety were assessed. RESULTS: All lesions were treated easily and safely without unexpected incision. The mean size of epithelial tumors and resected specimens was 15.6mm and 32.7mm, respectively. Curative en-bloc resection rates according to tumor size and location were 96% (26/27) in tumors ≤20mm, 100% (8/8) in tumors >20mm, 100% (18/18) of tumors in the lower portion, 100% (8/8) of tumors in the middle portion, 89% (8/9) of tumors in the upper portion, and 97% (34/35) overall. The mean operating time according to tumor size and location was 93.4min in tumors ≤20mm, 140min in tumors >20mm, 77.6min for tumors in the lower portion, 113.4min for tumors in the middle portion, 148.6min for tumors in the upper portion, and 104.1min overall. No intraoperative complication occurred, and postoperative bleeding was seen in 3% (1/35). CONCLUSIONS: ESD using GSF allows simple and safe en-bloc resection of early gastric cancer or adenoma irrespective of tumor size and location.

Is double-balloon colonoscopy a better aid to unskilled colonoscopists than conventional colonoscopy?

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: To compare the clinical outcome of double-balloon colonoscopy (DBC) with conventional colonoscopy (CC) for colon evaluation performed by an unskilled colonoscopist. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between June 2008 and November 2008, 1544 colonoscopies were performed in our hospital. Fifty-eight patients, (29 male and 29 female ; 19-86 years; mean age, 63 years) involving 60 intubations, were enrolled in this study and were assigned randomly to the DBC or CC group. One first-year GI fellow was enrolled and performed these 60 consecutive colonoscopies (30 DBCs, 30 CCs). Completion rate of colonoscopy, cecal intubation time, and rate of analgesic agent usage were analyzed. RESULTS: Completion of DBC was 100% (30/30), while completion of CC was 73% (22/30). There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). The mean cecal intubation time was 36.2 +/- 14.4 minutes (DBC) and 36.5 +/- 15.2 minutes (CC). There was no statistically significant difference. Analgesic agent was used with 19 intubations (63%) (DBC) and with 27 intubations (90%) (CC) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For inexpert endoscopists, using DBC has a higher rate of effectiveness than using CC and can decrease the discomfort of patients during colonoscopic procedures.

[A case of rectal implantation cyst diagnosed by EUS and EUS-guided FNA].

A 73-year-old woman was referred to our hospital complaining of bloody stool. She had undergone high anterior resection with the double stapling technique for a sigmoid colon cancer 2 years prior to this admission. Colonoscopy revealed a soft submucosal tumor, 4cm in size, on the anal side of the previous anastomosis in the rectum. EUS revealed a cystic lesion located in the third and fourth layers of the rectal wall. EUS-FNA was performed, and the content of the cystic lesion was transparent mucinous liquid. Histologically, the specimen revealed PAS and Alcian blue-positive mucinous material and a small number of inflammatory cells such as foamy macrophages. Therefore, this cystic lesion was diagnosed as a rectal implantation cyst.