Superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with melanocytosis that was endoscopically difficult to differentiate from malignant melanoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with dark spots caused by melanocytosis is very rare. A reddish and flat lesion, 4 cm in length and covering over two-thirds of the circumference, was found in the midthoracic esophagus of a 66-year-old male. Multiple brown and black spots are observed in the lesion. Superficial SCC with melanocytosis or malignant melanoma was also suspected. Endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed without biopsies of the spots. Histologically, a few melanocytes were observed in the black spots, and the lesion was diagnosed as SCC (T1a-lamina propria mucosae) with melanocytosis. We report a case of esophageal SCC with dark black spots that were difficult to differentiate endoscopically from malignant melanoma.

Clinical Benefit of Polypectomy With Cutting Current for Colorectal Polyps: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of polypectomy with cutting current (PCC) for colorectal polyps, compared with cold snare polypectomy (CSP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study design was a singlecenter randomized controlled trial. We included patients with one or more non-pedunculated colorectal polyps of 6 mm or more and less than 10 mm. The primary endpoint was the proportion of complete resection of the muscularis mucosae. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (37 polyps) were assigned to the CSP group, and 22 (29 polyps) were assigned to the PCC group. The number of polyps that could achieve complete muscularis mucosae resection was 7 (20.0%) in the CSP group and 24 (92.3%) in the PCC group, and the rate of complete muscularis mucosae resection was statistically significantly higher in the PCC group. CONCLUSION: PCC is a safer procedure because it can remove the muscularis mucosae more reliably.

Clinical benefit of the multibending endoscope for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a technically difficult and time-consuming procedure. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of ESD using a multibending endoscope to treat superficial gastrointestinal neoplasms. METHODS: Patients with a single early gastric cancer who met the absolute or expanded indications for ESD according to the Japanese gastric cancer treatment guidelines were enrolled and randomly assigned to undergo ESD using a conventional endoscope (C-ESD) or a multibending endoscope (M-ESD). Randomization was stratified by ESD operator experience and tumor location. The primary outcome was ESD procedure time, calculated as the time from the start of submucosal injection to complete removal of the tumor. RESULTS: 60 patients were analyzed (30 C-ESD, 30 M-ESD). The mean (standard deviation [SD]) ESD procedure times for M-ESD and C-ESD were 34.6 (SD 17.2) and 47.2 (SD 26.7) minutes, respectively (P = 0.03). Muscle layer damage occurred significantly less frequently with M-ESD (0.2 [SD 0.7] vs. 0.7 [SD 1.0]; P = 0.04). There were no significant differences between the two techniques in procedure time or damage to muscle layers for tumors located in the lower third of the stomach. CONCLUSIONS: ESD procedure time was significantly shorter with the multibending endoscope and fewer muscles were damaged. We recommend multibending endoscopy for ESD in the upper and middle thirds of the stomach to reduce procedure time and incidence of complications.

A case of complete remission of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with type III portal vein tumor thrombosis treated using transarterial chemoembolization with microspheres and radiation therapy.

Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is an extremely locally advanced form of hepatocellular carcinoma. The natural median survival time of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with PVTT is 2.7 to 4.0 months. A 63-year-old woman visited our clinic complaining of abdominal distention and appetite loss, which she had had for 3 weeks prior to admission. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan showed double hepatocellular carcinomas with Type III PVTT and massive ascites caused by arterio-portal shunts within the PVTT. The ascites could not be treated by concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy or diuretics. Transarterial embolization using microspheres followed by radiation therapy against PVTT and five courses of transarterial chemoembolization using microspheres and cisplatin led to the maintaining of complete remission of both ascites and tumors for over 12 months after treatment. Fluoroglucose accumulation of PVTT showed 11.2 as a maximum standard uptake value on positron emission tomography before treatment. No fluoroglucose accumulation within PVTT was observed for over 12 months following treatment. Transarterial chemoembolization using microspheres followed by radiation therapy against Type III PVTT may result in drastic anti-cancer effects and improvement of both serum albumin and intractable ascites after treatment of arterio-portal shunts within the PVTT causing portal hypertension.

A Potassium-Competitive Acid Blocker-Based Regimen as Second-Line Therapy Improves Helicobacter pylori Eradication.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although a potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB)-based regimen improves the rate of successful Helicobacter pylori first-line eradication, the efficacy of a PCAB-based regimen as second-line therapy is unclear. The aim of this study is to compare the success of second-line eradication of H. pylori using PCAB and proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based regimens. METHODS: From 2014 to 2017, 624 patients who underwent second-line H. pylori eradication were enrolled. A standard triple regimen for second-line H. pylori eradication includes metronidazole 250 mg, amoxicillin 750 mg, and PPI or PCAB twice daily for 7 days. The success of eradication was compared using intention-to-treat, per-protocol, and propensity-score matching analysis. RESULTS: All patients completed the 7-day course of therapy. Patients using a PCAB-based regimen had a higher rate of eradication than those using a PPI-based regimen in both intention-to-treat (90% [298/330] vs. 85% [250/294], p = 0.045) and per-protocol analyses (96% [298/309] vs. 91% [250/274], p = 0.008). Adverse events occurred in 4 patients. Propensity score matching analysis acquired 274 matched pairs. Patients using a PCAB-based regimen had a higher rate of eradication than those using a PPI-based regimen (96% [264/274] vs. 91% [250/274], p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: PCAB-based second-line H. pylori eradication is significantly better than PPI-based therapy.

Characteristic Radiological Features of Retrospectively Diagnosed Pancreatic Cancers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the characteristic radiological features of early-stage pancreatic cancer (PC). METHODS: Between 2009 and 2016, 510 PC patients were selected from our hospital cancer registry database based on International Classification of Diseases for Oncology-3 (C25). Among them, 64 patients (42 males and 22 females; median age, 74 [range, 59-91]) had received repeated abdominal radiological examinations before their diagnosis of PC and were retrospectively investigated for specific radiological findings. The subjects underwent the following imaging examinations: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and fluoroglucose-positron emission tomography. RESULTS: Characteristic radiological features before diagnosis of PC were classified into the following 9 features: pancreatic duct ectasia (n = 16), focal low-density area (n = 15), change of cyst size (n = 8), localized tissue atrophy (n = 7), distal atrophy (n = 4), mass in pancreatic lipomatosis tissue (n = 2), mass concomitant with the already known cyst (n = 2), protrusion (n = 1), and parenchymal disproportion (n = 1). Fifty-three cases (84%) had more than one characteristic radiological feature before diagnosis of PC, and their median observation period until diagnosis was 24 (range, 1-120) months. CONCLUSIONS: The 9 characteristic radiological features provide an opportunity to diagnose PC at an early stage.

An elderly man with progressive focal nodular hyperplasia.

Patients with focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) develop benign hepatocellular nodules. FNH most frequently occurs in young women. There are no reports of the onset of FNH in elderly men. We report a case of FNH in an elderly man, whose nodules increased in number and size. The patient underwent surgery for carcinoma of the left renal pelvis at 69 years of age; no liver masses were noted on yearly follow-up contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). Ten years later, CECT revealed a hepatic mass, and magnetic resonance imaging suggested FNH. The nodules increased in number and size in subsequent follow-up examinations.

Usefulness of a multibending endoscope in gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Intraoperative perforation is a major adverse event of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). To avoid perforation, it is important for the endoscope to approach the portion to be resected carefully and to ensure that the knife can approach the submucosa at an angle parallel to the muscle layer. The multibending endoscope has 2 bends at its tip and may facilitate the ESD procedure. To the best of our knowledge, very few studies have reported the use of the multibending endoscope during gastric ESD. The aim of this study was, therefore, to introduce the usefulness of the multibending endoscope for gastric ESD. METHODS: We report 2 cases of early gastric cancer in which ESD was performed using a multibending endoscope. RESULTS: Unlike conventional single-bending endoscopes that have only 1 moveable part, the multibending endoscope allowed difficult areas to be approached more easily. Small adjustments could be made to the upward or downward angle of both the first and the second bending sections of the endoscope. This ensured that the knife would approach the submucosa at an angle parallel to the muscle layer. In patient 1, initially the conventional endoscope was used, but it became more difficult to approach the site, and paradoxic movement occurred. When the conventional endoscope was changed to the multibending endoscope, the ESD procedure became safer and more efficient. Another ESD using the multibending endoscope was performed successfully without any adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a multibending endoscope for ESD will enable safer and faster treatment of patients.

Efficacy of long-term rifaximin treatment for hepatic encephalopathy in the Japanese.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complication of liver cirrhosis and can result in neuropsychological and neuromuscular dysfunctions in patients. Rifaximin, an antibiotic, has been reported to decrease the occurrence of overt HE and also improve cognitive function in studies from Europe and the United States of America. There is not enough evidence of the relationship between the long-term use of rifaximin and its clinical effects in the Japanese. AIM: To determine the clinical effects of long-term rifaximin therapy in decompensated liver cirrhosis patients, with overt HE or hyperammonemia. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective observational cohort study, we reviewed the data of 38 patients who had taken rifaximin at the dose of 1200 mg/d for more than 24 wk. The primary outcome measured was the efficacy of long-term rifaximin use, and secondary outcome measured was the safety of its long-term use as determined by its influence on portosystemic shunts as well as Escherichia coli-related infections. Moreover, we compared the prognosis between the rifaximin group and control cases, matched for hepatic elasticity assessed by magnetic resonance ela-stography, age, and Child-Pugh classification. RESULTS: Of the 38 patients included in the study, 12 (31.6%) had overt HE, 27 (71.1%) had complications of esophageal varices, and 9 (23.7%) had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The control group was matched for age, Child-Pugh classification, liver stiffness, and presence of HCC. The median of serum ammonia level before treatment was 104 µg/dL (59-297), and 2 wk after treatment, it significantly decreased to 85 µg/dL (34-153) (P = 0.002). A significantly low value of 80.5 µg/dL (44-150) was maintained 24 wk after treatment. The long-term use of rifaximin did not cause a decline in liver function. Diarrhea occurred in 2 patients, who improved with the administration of probiotics, and there were no cases of aborted rifaximin therapy owing to adverse events. In patients with Child C, the survival was short, but there was no significant difference compared with that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Rifaximin therapy improves overt HE. The long-term use of rifaximin in the Japanese is effective and safe.

Efficacy of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Esophageal Neoplasms under General Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Evidence that general anesthesia (GA) reduces the operative time of esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is currently insufficient. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of esophageal ESD under GA. METHODS: A total of 227 lesions from 198 consecutive patients with superficial esophageal neoplasms treated by ESD at 3 Japanese institutions between April 2011 and September 2017 were included in this retrospective study. For ESD, GA and deep sedation (DS) were used in 102 (51.5%, GA group) and 96 patients (48.5%, DS group), respectively. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, or comorbidities between the groups. In the GA group, the tumor size was larger (21 [3-77] mm vs. 14 [3-63] mm, p<0.001), luminal circumference was larger (≥2/3; 13.9% vs. 5.4%, p=0.042), procedure time was shorter (28 [5-202] min vs. 40 [8-249] min, p<0.001), and submucosal dissection speed was faster (25.2 [7.8-157.2] mm2 /min vs. 16.2 [2.4-41.3] mm2 /min, p<0.001). The rates of intraoperative perforation and aspiration pneumonia were lower in the GA group, but the difference did not achieve statistical significance (p=0.242 and p=0.242). CONCLUSION: GA shortens the procedure time of esophageal ESD.

Extended cold snare polypectomy for small colorectal polyps increases the R0 resection rate.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Despite widespread use of cold snare polypectomy (CSP), the R0 resection rate is not well documented. We perform extended CSP, resecting polyps with a > 1 mm circumferential margin. The aim of this study is to compare the R0 resection rate of extended CSP with conventional CSP and to assess safety. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 2014 to September 2016, 712 non-pedunculated colorectal polyps, < 10 mm in size, resected using CSP from 316 patients were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: We divided lesions into conventional CSP (n = 263) and extended CSP groups (n = 449). The baseline characteristics of these two groups were not significantly different in univariate or multivariate analyses. Sessile polyps comprised 94 % (668/712), and the remaining were flat-elevated polyps. Mean size of polyps (±standard deviation) was 4.2 ±â€Š1.5 mm. The most frequent pathology was low grade adenoma (97 %, 689/712). The R0 resection rate was significantly higher in the extended CSP group (439/449 [98 %]) than in the conventional CSP group (222/263 [84 %], P  < 0.001). There was no delayed bleeding or perforation in either group (conventional CSP group, 0/263, 95 % confidence interval: 0.0 - 1.4 % and extended CSP group, 0/449, 95 % confidence interval: 0.0 - 0.8 %). CONCLUSIONS: Extended CSP results in a higher R0 resection rate compared with conventional CSP. Extended CSP did not result in a higher rate of delayed bleeding or perforation. Extended CSP is a safe and promising procedure for endoscopic resection of non-pedunculated colorectal polyps < 10 mm in size.