Self-expandable metal stents for relieving malignant colorectal obstruction: short-term safety and efficacy within 30 days of stent procedure in 447 patients.

BACKGROUND: The self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) can alleviate malignant colonic obstruction and avoid emergency decompressive surgery. OBJECTIVE: To document performance, safety, and effectiveness of colorectal stents used per local standards of practice in patients with malignant large-bowel obstruction to avoid palliative stoma surgery in incurable patients (PAL) and facilitate bowel decompression as a bridge to surgery for curable patients (BTS). DESIGN: Prospective clinical cohort study. SETTING: Two global registries with 39 academic and community centers. PATIENTS: This study involved 447 patients with malignant colonic obstruction who received stents (255 PAL, 182 BTS, 10 no indication specified). INTERVENTION: Colorectal through-the-scope SEMS placement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The primary endpoint was clinical success at 30 days, defined as the patient's ability to maintain bowel function without adverse events related to the procedure or stent. Secondary endpoints were procedural success, defined as successful stent placement in the correct position, symptoms of persistent or recurrent colonic obstruction, and complications. RESULTS: The procedural success rate was 94.8% (439/463), and the clinical success rates were 90.5% (313/346) as assessed on a per protocol basis and 71.6% (313/437) as assessed on an intent-to-treat basis. Complications included 15 (3.9%) perforations, 3 resulting in death, 7 (1.8%) migrations, 7 (1.8%) cases of pain, and 2 (0.5%) cases of bleeding. LIMITATIONS: No control group. No primary endpoint analysis data for 25% of patients. CONCLUSION: This largest multicenter, prospective study of colonic SEMS placement demonstrates that colonic SEMSs are safe and highly effective for the short-term treatment of malignant colorectal obstruction, allowing most curable patients to have 1-step resection without stoma and providing most incurable patients minimally invasive palliation instead of surgery. The risk of complications, including perforation, was low.

Types of pancreatic cancer in EUS-FNA and chemotherapy.

To determine the variety of chemotherapy drugs administrable for malignant pancreatic neoplasm as a result of typification with endoscopic ultrasonography-fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). A retrospective assessment, in one center, over a period of 1 year. Only malignant pancreatic neoplasm diagnosed by EUS-FNA was recorded. Benign (serous cystic neoplasm) and potentially malignant lesions (mucinous cystic neoplasm and intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm) were excluded. Medical data were recorded and Oncological Pharmacy records were studied. Ductal adenocarcinoma were detected in 17 patients (N = 17/22), 2 of them with adenocarcinoma in signet ring and 1 with mucinous adenocarcinoma. The primary therapies used were as follows: Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy (3), biliary stent by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (3), radiological transhepatic percutaneous stent (2), intestinal bypass (2), and a gastric stent (1). The adjuvant drugs used were gemcitabine (10), erlotinib (3), and cetuximab (1), and also radiotherapy was used (1). An unresectable squamous cell carcinoma (N = 1) of the tail was detected, and gemcitabine + vinorelbine + fluorouracil + cisplatin used. Nonfunctioning neuroendocrine tumors were seen in 3 (N = 3) cases and long-acting somatostatin analogues were used (1); the remaining 2 patients showed resectable tumors and were resected accordingly. A metastasis to the pancreatic head in a hepatocellular carcinoma was found in 1 patient (N = 1), allowing specific treatment with sorafenib. Histopathologic analysis with EUS-FNA implies a variety of different treatments. Optimal management was achieved as a result of improved diagnosis, with the advent of new molecular genetic diagnostic methods facilitating the design of specific new therapy and neoadjuvant targeting strategies.

The global impact of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) regarding the survival of a pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a type of neoplasm with a high mortality rate. There are a number of different procedures that may be followed in the study of the pancreas; one such procedure is endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the impact on patient survival of a biliopancreatic EUS performed 2 months prior to the first treatment session of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective evaluation of the medical case histories of our patients who had been diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma over a period of 10 years (1 Jan 1999-31 Dec 2008), combining the computer archives of our Pathological Anatomy (biopsy and cytology) Dept. and those of the Digestive Department's Endoscopic Ultrasonography Unit in order to exclude any pancreatic neoplasms derived from other origins. Information regarding the patients' age, sex, tumor location, and various diagnostic tests (EUS, EUS-fine-needle aspiration (FNA), helical computed tomography (CT), multidetector-row CT (MDCT)) were recorded, along with the different treatments that had been followed in each case. RESULT: When the survival rates of patients diagnosed with and without EUS were compared, evaluating the average survival rate and the survival rate after 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, the differences in the results proved to be statistically significant (p = 0.014) in favor of the diagnosis with EUS. However, no significant differences were found when using other diagnostic imaging methods, such as EUS-FNA (p = 0.271), helical CT (p = 0.843), or MDCT (p = 0.738). To evaluate other influencing survival factors, a study was undertaken to record data depending on the sex of the patients. Results showed a higher survival rate in the female patients with a median of 6.57 months compared to that of the male patients with a median of 4.7 months (p = 0.014). Variables, which had resulted significant prior to treatment, were included in a multivariate Cox regression model, after which only the sex and EUS remained significant. CONCLUSION: A biliopancreatic EUS carried out during the 2 months prior to the start of the treatment of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a statistically significant impact on the patient survival rate. We believe that this is due to the possibility of a very-early-stage diagnosis of the adenocarcinoma permitted by the use of this technique.

Inicio de la enfermedad celíaca tras curación de hepatitis aguda por el virus de la hepatitis B / Onset of celiac disease after acute hepatitis B infection

La enfermedad celíaca se caracteriza por el daño de la mucosa intestinal y la consiguiente malabsorción de nutrientes en individuos genéticamente predispuestos tras la ingesta de gluten. Es una enfermedad compleja, resultado de la interacción de un componente genético poligénico y varios factores ambientales. Se ha propuesto la teoría de que procesos infecciosos transitorios o aumentos en la permeabilidad de la barrera mucosa podrían facilitar el inicio de la enfermedad por los péptidos del gluten de la luz intestinal. Presentamos el caso de 2 pacientes que presentaron el inicio de la enfermedad tras la curación de una hepatitis aguda por virus de la hepatitis B. Se discute la fisiopatología de la enfermedad y se plantean hipótesis que expliquen esta asociación (AU)

Celiac disease is characterized by small intestinal mucosal injury and nutrient malabsorption in genetically susceptible individuals following dietary ingestion of gluten. The pathogenesis of the disease involves interactions between environmental, genetic, and immunologic factors. Transient infections or increased permeability of the mucosa may facilitate disease onset induced by the uptake of gluten peptides into a microenvironmental milieu in the small intestinal mucosa. We present two patients with onset of celiac disease after resolution of acute hepatitis B virus infection. The physiopathology of celiac disease is discussed and possible explanations for this association are proposed (AU)

[Onset of celiac disease after acute hepatitis B infection]. / Inicio de la enfermedad celíaca tras curación de hepatitis aguda por el virus de la hepatitis B.

Celiac disease is characterized by small intestinal mucosal injury and nutrient malabsorption in genetically susceptible individuals following dietary ingestion of gluten. The pathogenesis of the disease involves interactions between environmental, genetic, and immunologic factors. Transient infections or increased permeability of the mucosa may facilitate disease onset induced by the uptake of gluten peptides into a microenvironmental milieu in the small intestinal mucosa. We present two patients with onset of celiac disease after resolution of acute hepatitis B virus infection. The physiopathology of celiac disease is discussed and possible explanations for this association are proposed.

Carcinoma epidermoide pancreático que inicia como conglomerado adenopático supraclavicular izquierdo / Virchow's node as the form of onset of squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas

El carcinoma escamoso del páncreas es un tumor extraordinariamente infrecuente.Caso clínicoPaciente varón de 63 años que acude a la consulta del gastroenterólogo por un cuadro constitucional acompañado del hallazgo de una masa pétrea supraclavicular izquierda. El escáner demostró la existencia de una neoplasia de cuerpo pancreático que interesaba tronco celíaco. La histología de la adenopatía supraclavicular y del páncreas fue de carcinoma epidermoide queratinizante.ConclusionesEn el artículo se realiza una revisión sobre la incidencia, las características de este tumor tan infrecuente y las nuevas indicaciones de tratamiento (AU)

Squamous carcinoma of the pancreas is a highly uncommon tumor.Case reportA 63-year-old man was referred to the gastroenterology department because of hyporexia, cachexia and weight loss. A left supraclavicular node was noted. The computed tomography scan showed a tumor in the pancreatic body involving the celiac axis. Histological examination of the supraclavicular node and pancreatic mass revealed squamous cell carcinoma.ConclusionsThe incidence and characteristics of this highly infrequent tumor, as well as new treatment indications, are reviewed (AU)

[Virchow's node as the form of onset of squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas]. / Carcinoma epidermoide pancreático que inicia como conglomerado adenopático supraclavicular izquierdo.

UNLABELLED: Squamous carcinoma of the pancreas is a highly uncommon tumor. CASE REPORT: A 63-year-old man was referred to the gastroenterology department because of hyporexia, cachexia and weight loss. A left supraclavicular node was noted. The computed tomography scan showed a tumor in the pancreatic body involving the celiac axis. Histological examination of the supraclavicular node and pancreatic mass revealed squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and characteristics of this highly infrequent tumor, as well as new treatment indications, are reviewed.

Pseudoachalasia of the cardia secondary to nongastrointestinal neoplasia.

A minor proportion of patients with achalasia eventually have a neoplasm and, as a consequence, pseudoachalasia is diagnosed. A neoplasm may either involve gastrointestinal junction or present a paraneoplastic effect. Over the global diagnoses of achalasia issued in 5 years of experience in our motility unit, we have found 13% (3/23 cases) of pseudoachalasia (2-4% in previous series, probably due to the fact that the population assisted was mainly composed of elderly patients). The origin of the neoplasm was bladder, prostate and metastases from epidermoid carcinoma of vocal chord. Treatment of primary neoplasm, besides classical approach (with dilatation of botulinum injection) may help in the resolution of this clinical disorder.

Plantar keratoderma as a presenting sign of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

A 76-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of back pain and sudden onset of plantar keratoderma. Her serum carbohydrate antigen (CA 19.9) levels were elevated. Endoscopic radial sonographic examination led to the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, in a stage not detectable with helical CT yet amenable to surgical therapy. Cutaneous lesions disappeared after distal pancreatectomy.

[Gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin caused by a metastatic endometrial adenocarcinoma. Response to hormonal therapy]. / Hemorragia digestiva de origen incierto por un adenocarcinoma endometrial metastásico. Respuesta al tratamiento hormonal.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecologic malignancy. Gastrointestinal tract involvement is unusual and is often limited to local invasion of the rectum in advanced disease. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 77-year-old woman who presented with intermittent gastrointestinal bleeding 2 years after treatment of stage IIb EC. Biopsy of a subcutaneus nodule showed fibroadipose tissue infiltrated by an EC. A computed tomography scan showed extensive lymphatic, abdominal and pelvic recurrence of the cancer. A source of bleeding in the small bowel was detected by scintigraphic study with 99mTc-marked red blood cells. Control of bleeding and a 22-month survival were obtained after treatment with oral medroxyprogesterone acetate. DISCUSSION: We review digestive tract involvement in EC and previously published data on small bowel metastases. We also review the role of hormone therapy in the management of this disease.

Radial endoscopic ultrasonography and buried bumper endoscopic solution.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a widely used technique for long-term enteral nutrition. Buried bumper syndrome is one of the long-term complications of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, and occurs when the internal retention bolster ulcerates the gastric mucosa, migrates into the deeper gastric wall and becomes covered by gastric mucosa. Clinically, this migration is revealed by a gradual increase of resistance at feeding administration and during catheter cleaning. It can also cause the infection of the site, leading to inflammatory changes and even sepsis. We show an endoscopic solution with argon beam local gastric destruction plus Savary dilatator introduction in the gastric camera. Endoscopic ultrasonography previous visualization of the gastric wall let's to realize this endoscopic solution.

Evaluation of the bilio-pancreatic region using endoscopic ultrasonography in patients referred with and without abdominal pain and CA 19-9 serum level elevation.

CONTEXT: When assessing the bilio-pancreatic region, collating the findings of serum CA 19-9 values together with findings from various imaging tests--especially endoscopic ultrasonography--is not a simple issue in daily clinical practice. AIM: To assess the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography in an Endoscopic Ultrasonography Unit in two situations: patients with asymptomatic elevation of serum CA 19-9 and patients who presented with abdominal pain plus elevation of CA 19-9. METHODS: A retrospective study of those patients who underwent radial endoscopic ultrasonography between October 2004 and September 2005 in our institution, considering an elevation of CA 19-9 (equal to or greater than 37 U/mL) with or without symptoms. In each case, the parameters recorded were: levels of CA 19-9 one week before EUS, results from other imaging techniques (US, helical CT), and final diagnosis according to pathological and/or clinical evolution criteria. Patients with previous attacks of acute pancreatitis and also those who presented with bile duct dilation or space-occupying lesions in image studies (US and CT) were excluded. Twenty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Asymptomatic elevation of CA 19-9 was found in 15 patients while 7 patients had elevated CA 19-9 levels as well as pain of uncertain origin. The results of EUS in the asymptomatic patients were: chronic pancreatitis in 7 patients, no pancreatic alterations in 3 patients, and renal cysts, choledocholithiasis, microlithiasis and liver cirrhosis in one patient, respectively. In patients with abdominal pain, EUS showed chronic pancreatitis in 6 cases and adenocarcinoma of the tail of the pancreas in the remaining patient. CONCLUSIONS: When EUS was indicated for the asymptomatic elevation of CA 19-9, the main findings were benign diseases. EUS was useful in studying patients with idiopathic abdominal pain and a slight elevation of CA 19-9 since it allowed us to detect chronic pancreatitis and even early adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic tail.