The association between gastroesophageal flap valve function and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination is usually the first step in the evaluation of patients with suspected gastroesopageal reflux disease. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association between gastroesophageal flap valve function (GEFV) and gastroesophapgeal reflux symptoms in patients undergoing routine upper endoscopy. Patients and methods: 1507 patients were included into the study and the GEFV graded I to IV as follows: Hill I-II: normal GEFV, and Hill III-IV: abnormal GEFV. RESULTS: Patients in abnormal GEFV group had a higher incidence of reflux symptoms compared to normal GEFV group (53.4% vs 47.4% for heartburn p=0.03 and 53.2% vs 42.4% for regurgitation, p<0.01). In abnormal GEFV patients, esophagitis was more common compared to those with normal GEFV (32.6% vs 11.1%, p<0.01). Presence of heartburn and regurgitation (n =556) correlated with Hill III-IV grades (n = 184/556), (sensitivity: 33%, p = 0.003). In contrast, 24.6% (157/638) of patients without reflux symptoms were in abnormal GEFV group. In patients undergoing endoscopy because of reflux symptoms, Grade III-IV valve was detected more commonly in patients with reflux symptoms compared to patients without reflux symptoms (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with abnormal valves (Hill grades III and IV) but without reflux symptoms, esophagitis and hiatal hernia should be evaluated individually by means of the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease which means that GEFV is not a good indicator of reflux disease.

Utility of Three Prognostic Risk Scores in Predicting Outcomes in Elderly Non-Malignant Patients after Percutaneous Gastrostomy.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a method of providing enteral feeding to patients who cannot take adequate oral nutrition. The aims of this study were to determine the performance of malnutrition and mortality scoring systems for predicting short and long-term mortality in elderly patients who had undergone gastrostomy procedure due to non-malignant conditions. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: University hospital in Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: 155 individuals aged 65 and older principally hospitalized for non-malignant diseases and require percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. MEASUREMENTS: "Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index", "Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool" (MUST) and "Portsmouth-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity" (P-POSSUM) scores were calculated. The ability of these scores to predict mortality was determined. RESULTS: The mean survival period was 9.59±6.0 months and mortality rate was 80.6%. The performance of "Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index" was superior to MUST and P-POSSUM in predicting long-term survival of gastrostomy patients; 94.1% of patients were alive with a cut-off value of 90 for "Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index" (sensitivity: 92% CI 85.9-95.6 and specificity: 90% CI 74.3-96.5). Survival analysis showed that patients (n=7) with a "Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index" score of > 98 before the gastrostomy had the longest survival time, while patients (n=102) with a "Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index" score of < 82 had the worst outcome. CONCLUSIONS: A scoring system such as "Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index" should be considered as a risk scoring system for predicting early and late mortality at gastrostomy and also assist in making decisions such as timing of gastrostomy procedure.

Evaluation of the effect of transplant-related factors and tissue injury on donor-derived hepatocyte and gastrointestinal epithelial cell repopulation following hematopoietic cell transplantation.

The aim of this study was to detect donor-derived hepatocytes and gastrointestinal epithelial cells in recipients of sex-mismatched allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants, and to assess the effect of tissue injury on the extent of the repopulation. A total of 29 paraffin-embedded biopsy samples were reviewed. Double labeling by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed. Eighty-nine percent of sex-mismatched samples with histologic evidence of injury demonstrated the presence of donor-derived hepatocytes and gastrointestinal epithelial cells (mean 2.4%). None of the hepatocytes and gastrointestinal epithelial cells in samples obtained from female recipients with female donors showed a Y chromosome signal. The proportion of donor-derived hepatocyte and gastrointestinal epithelial cells in samples with severe graft-versus-host disease was greater than that of samples with mild/moderate graft-versus-host disease (P = 0.09). No relationship between the source of stem cells and the population rate was detected (P > 0.05). We conclude that some recipient hepatocytes and gastrointestinal tract epithelial cells are replaced by donor-derived cells during tissue injury. The severity of tissue injury seems to influence on the extent of this repopulation.

Misoprostol in the treatment of chronic refractory constipation: results of a long-term open label trial.

BACKGROUND: Misoprostol is known to be effective in stimulating intestinal transit both in healthy individuals and in patients with chronic constipation when evaluated in short-term trials. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of misoprostol in the long-term management of patients with chronic refractory constipation. METHODS: Eighteen patients were offered misoprostol (600-2400 microg/day) as adjunctive therapy in an open-ended, non-blinded trial. All patients were encouraged to continue the drug for a minimum of 4 weeks, after which time the effect on bowel movement patterns was evaluated and continued use of misoprostol was offered to those patients who demonstrated a clinical benefit. RESULTS: Six patients withdrew prior to 4 weeks because of side-effects. In the 12 patients who continued the treatment and were evaluated at 4 weeks, the mean interval between bowel movement frequency had decreased from a baseline of 11.25 to 4.8 days (P = 0.0004). Eight patients continued the long-term treatment, with sustained response seen in six. In a subset of patients (n = 4) the effect of single-dose misoprostol (400 microg) was evaluated compared to healthy controls (n = 5) on post-prandial segmental colonic motility. Misoprostol augmented the colonic motility response to a meal throughout the colon, and this was significantly greater in the left versus right colonic segments (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Misoprostol can be effective as part of the long-term medical treatment of patients with chronic refractory constipation, but side-effects are observed at higher doses and can be a limiting factor. Part of misoprostol's action may be mediated through the augmentation of colonic motility, particularly of the left colon.

Effect of octreotide on gastric and small bowel motility in patients with gastroparesis.

BACKGROUND: Octreotide has been shown to have effects on gastric and small bowel motility with implications for its role in treating patients with upper gastrointestinal dysmotility syndromes. Our aim was to investigate the effect of octreotide on antral and small bowel motility in patients with gastroparesis. METHODS: Upper gastrointestinal manometry was carried out continuously for a period of 30 h in 11 patients with gastroparesis. The spontaneous migrating motor complex (MMC) in the fasting state and octreotide-induced MMCs were characterized and compared with regard to site of origin, duration of phase III, amplitude of phase III and propagation velocity of the MMC along the gut. The 2-h postprandial motility index was compared after a control meal as well as after a 100 microg octreotide administration. RESULTS: In all 11 gastroparetic patients, octreotide induced a phase III-like activity front within minutes after administration and this primarily originated in the small bowel (86% of activity fronts compared with 32% of fronts originating in the small bowel prior to octreotide administration (P < 0.004)). Gastric initiation of these activity fronts dramatically decreased after octreotide administration, occurring in 68% of activity fronts prior to octreotide administration and 14% of occasions after octreotide injection (P < 0.05). The postprandial antral motility index was markedly reduced after octreotide administration (11.33 +/- 0.39 vs. 7.96 +/- 0.76, P < 0.0003) and octreotide re-established a motility pattern during the postprandial period that was similar to that normally seen in the interdigestive state. The octreotide-induced phase III activity fronts appeared at a higher frequency and had a higher propagative velocity compared to the spontaneous phase III fronts in the fasting state (9.27 +/- 0.82 vs. 5.56 +/- 0.81 cm/min, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that octreotide's marked inhibitory effect on antral contractility may serve to worsen clinical symptoms in patients with gastroparesis and therefore this agent should not be given in the periprandial period. Those gastroparetic patients with associated small bowel dysmotility and diarrhoea from bacterial overgrowth may benefit from the nocturnal administration of octreotide because of its stimulatory effect of phase III MMC activity as well as its known inhibitory effect on small bowel secretions.

The effect of intravenous erythromycin on solid meal gastric emptying in patients with chronic symptomatic post-vagotomy-antrectomy gastroparesis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic symptomatic gastroparesis occurs in 3-5% of patients following vagotomy and antrectomy. Erythromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, improves gastric emptying in patients with idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis. Erythromycin's effect on gastric emptying in patients with post-vagotomy-antrectomy gastroparesis is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if a single dose of intravenous erythromycin (1 mg/kg or 6 mg/kg) accelerates solid meal gastric emptying in patients with chronic symptomatic post-vagotomy-antrectomy gastroparesis. METHODS: Six patients were entered into the study, three males and three females, with a mean age of 50 years. Four patients were randomized to receive erythromycin 6 mg/kg and two patients 1 mg/kg. The mean time since initial surgery was 9.2 years (range 1-16 years) with five patients having undergone a Roux-en-Y revision. RESULTS: Intravenous erythromycin significantly lowered percentage gastric retention at 120 min, from a baseline of 90.5 +/- 6% (S.E.M.) to 40.1 +/- 4.8% after erythromycin (P = 0.0002). Erythromycin improved gastric emptying in each patient by at least 40%. Intravenous erythromycin significantly accelerated the rate of gastric emptying in the first 30 min after meal ingestion from a baseline rate of 0.072 +/- 0.06%/min to 0.96 +/- 0.31%/min after erythromycin (P = 0.028). For each of the subsequent 30 minute time periods, erythromycin had no significant effect on the rate of gastric emptying. CONCLUSION: Intravenous erythromycin significantly improves the initial phase of solid meal gastric emptying in patients with chronic symptomatic post-antrectomy-vagotomy gastroparesis.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol delays the gastric emptying of solid food in humans: a double-blind, randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active constituent of marijuana, is an effective agent in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. AIM: To determine the effect of THC on gastric emptying of a radiolabelled solid food in humans. METHODS: Thirteen healthy volunteers underwent gastric emptying studies after receiving THC and placebo in a randomized double-blind fashion on 2 separate days. THC, at a dose of 10 mg/m2 of body surface area, or placebo were administered. RESULTS: Gastric emptying after THC was slower than placebo in all subjects. Mean percentage of isotope remaining in the stomach was significantly greater than after placebo from 30 min (85.5 +/- 4.3% vs. 94.2 +/- 1. 4% placebo and THC, respectively, P < 0.05) to 120 min (45.6 +/- 7. 2% vs. 73.9 +/- 7.1% placebo and THC, respectively, P < 0.001) after the test meal. No correlation was found between plasma THC levels and the delay in gastric emptying. CONCLUSIONS: THC at a dose used for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting significantly delays gastric emptying of solid food in humans. Therefore, the anti-emetic property of THC may be mediated through the central nervous system.

The effect of intravenous vasopressin on gastric myoelectrical activity in human subjects.

UNLABELLED: Vasopressin's role in the sensation of nausea is incompletely understood. In this study, our goals were to investigate whether high intravenous vasopressin levels in normal subjects would induce nausea and vomiting and to determine the electrogastrographic (EGG) pattern which would develop at these concentrations. METHODS: EGG recordings were made on five fasting healthy subjects (three females, mean age: 27 years). Vasopressin was infused (0.15 or 0.3 U kg-1 h-1) for 1 h after a 30-min baseline recording. Serum vasopressin levels were measured every 15 min. Symptoms of nausea, cramping, retching, vomiting and bloating were graded from 0 to 5 (0 = none, 5 = most severe). Normal saline at the same rate was then infused for 1 h, with recording of symptoms and measuring blood levels of vasopressin as done previously. RESULTS: EGG data showed a 43% reduction in the percentage of normal slow waves (96-53%) at a vasopressin rate of 0.3 U kg-1 h-1. A 29% reduction (88-59%) occurred at 0.15 U kg-1 h-1. The EGG dominant frequency decreased by 0.8 cpm (3.07-2.25) for the high dose, while only 0.2 cpm reduction (2.9-2.7) occurred at the lower dose. Bradygastria (< 2.4 cpm) rather than tachygastria (> 3.7 cpm) was the predominant abnormality with the high dose. Symptoms of nausea correlated with the infusion of vasopressin and significantly increased with the higher dose. CONCLUSIONS: (i) At supraphysiological vasopressin levels, nausea was present in 80% of subjects but there was no retching or vomiting, (ii) bradygastria was the predominant dysrhythmia at these high vasopressin concentrations, (iii) increasing vasopressin levels correlated symptomatically with increases in nausea.

A new nausea model in humans produces mild nausea without electrogastrogram and vasopressin changes.

UNLABELLED: The standard human vection model utilized for nausea has been an optokinetic drum. This model may be difficult to extrapolate to the usual clinical setting. Our goals were to develop an experimental model which could induce low grade nausea in humans and to determine the relationship between mild nausea and changes in the electrogastrogram and plasma vasopressin concentrations. METHODS: Twenty-one volunteers (11 males, mean age: 37 years) participated. At baseline and throughout the study the electrogastrogram was monitored, blood was drawn for vasopressin assay and symptoms of nausea, dizziness and headache were rated on a 0-10-point scale. Subjects were semireclined in a darkened room while viewing moving bars of light rotating at a rate of 85 degrees s-1. Subjects were asked to rate their proneness to motion sickness and their current level of anxiety at baseline. RESULTS: Eight subjects developed mild to moderate (mean: 3.6) nausea during vection. Symptoms of nausea were correlated with a reported history of motion sickness (r = 0.49, P < 0.05) but not with anxiety (r = 0.14, P = 0.54). Degrees of nausea correlated with degrees of dizziness (r = 0.47, P < 0.05) but not with headache (r = 0.29, P = 0.14). Subjects who developed mild nausea were not significantly more likely to exhibit altered electrogastrogram or vasopressin than subjects who did not report nausea. Vasopressin levels during baseline and experimental conditions were highly correlated (r = 0.66, P < 0.005 and r = 0.55 P < 0.005, respectively) with reported baseline anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: (1) This new model in humans induced mild nausea that was unrelated to electrogastrogram and vasopressin abnormalities, (2) high correlation between anxiety and vasopressin suggests that vasopressin may not be directly related to nausea, and (3) these data indicate that onset of nausea mediated centrally can occur without associated electrogastrogram changes.

Gastric myoelectrical activity, gastric emptying and correlations with dyspepsia symptoms in patients with gastroesophageal reflux.

BACKGROUND: Delayed gastric emptying is a mechanism that contributes to the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux. Electrogastrogram changes, gastric emptying rates, and Helicobacter pylori status were investigated, and a correlation was sought with dyspepsia symptoms in gastroesophageal reflux disease patients. METHODS: Fifty patients (27 females; mean age 43) with gastroesophageal reflux were studied. Electrogastrographic recordings were obtained 30 minutes before and simultaneously with a 2-hour radionuclide gastric-emptying test using an isotope-labeled solid meal. Symptoms of nausea, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, and early satiety were graded from 0 to 5. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of patients had delayed gastric eliminating. Thirty-eight percent (19/50) patients had abnormal electrogastrograms, and 11 of these 19 also had delayed gastric emptying. There was a significant difference in the electrogastrographic parameter of postprandial power change in patients with delayed versus normal gastric emptying (0.20 +/- 0.8 dB vs 3.17 +/- 0.8 dB, p < 0.05). In patients with an abnormal electrogastrogram, the mean symptom score was significantly higher than in patients with a normal electrogastrogram (2.18 +/- 0.26 vs 1.35 +/- 0.16, p < 0.05). Twenty-one percent (7/33) of patients were positive (+) for Helicobacter pylori overall, but this did not seem to affect electrogastrogram and gastric emptying findings. CONCLUSIONS: Fifty-two percent of gastroesophageal reflux disease patients have gastric motor or myoelectrical abnormalities that contribute to the pathogenesis of this entity and also help explain the high prevalence of dyspepsia in the clinical presentation of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastrointestinal involvement in neurologic disorders: Stiff-man and Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndromes.

Many neurologic conditions can affect the striated muscle of the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in dysphagia. In this article, two patients with rare neurologic disorders are reported (Stiff-man syndrome and Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome). Both patients had pharyngeal dysphagia. In addition, there was evidence of smooth muscle involvement in other areas of the gastrointestinal tract, specifically abnormal esophageal motility and delayed gastric emptying. In the English literature, there are only two reports of Stiff-man syndrome and dysphagia, and there are no reports of Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome. These represent the first accounts of smooth muscle dysfunction in those uncommon neurologic disorders.

Gastric myoelectrical activity, gastric emptying, and correlations with symptoms and fasting blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to determine the electrogastrogram (EGG) changes and gastric emptying rates in diabetic patients and to investigate the correlation between upper gastrointestinal symptoms, fasting blood glucose, and gastric myoelectrical abnormalities. METHODS: Fourteen patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes mellitus and dyspepsia symptoms participated in the study. EGG recordings were obtained 30 minutes before and during a 2-hour radionuclide gastric emptying test for a solid meal. Fasting blood glucose was determined immediately before the gastric emptying study. Symptoms of nausea, vomiting, early satiety, abdominal bloating, and pain were rated from 0 to 3. RESULTS: Nine patients (64%) had delayed gastric emptying with 84.6 +/- 4.5% retention at 2 hours. Seven patients (50%) had abnormal EGG findings. The postprandial power change in the EGG of the patients with delayed gastric emptying (-0.48 +/- 0.16 dB) was decreased compared with patients with normal gastric emptying (4.7 +/- 2.6 dB) (P = 0.079). In patients with abnormal EGGs, the mean symptom score was significantly higher than patients with normal EGGs (2.42 +/- 0.13 versus 2.0 +/- 0.16; P < 0.05). Compared with normal gastric emptying patients, patients with delayed gastric emptying had higher but not significantly different symptom scores (2.31 +/- 0.11 versus 2.08 +/- 0.30; P = 0.225). There was no significant difference in fasting glucose levels in delayed (252 +/- 61.2 mg/dl) versus normal (378 +/- 82 mg/dl) gastric emptying or abnormal (288 +/- 86.4 mg/dl) EGGs versus patients with normal (304 +/- 57.6 mg/dl) EGGs. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 78% (11 of 14) of patients with diabetes had either gastric motility or myoelectrical abnormalities. Patients with abnormal EGGs had more severe symptom scores. In diabetic patients with symptoms of gastropathy, an EGG may provide an important screening test for diagnosing abnormal gastric motility.

Cisapride in the long-term treatment of chronic gastroparesis: a 2-year open-label study.

The effect of long-term cisapride therapy (20 mg orally three times daily for 2 years) on gastric emptying and gastrointestinal symptoms was investigated in 30 patients with severe gastroparesis (24 idiopathic, 6 diabetic). Symptoms were assessed every 2 months, using an overall symptom score based on six symptoms (anorexia, nausea, vomiting, pain, early satiety and bloating), and a 2-year mean overall symptom score was used for analysis. Gastric emptying was measured at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Of the 24 patients who completed the study, 10 showed a significant improvement in gastric emptying (P < 0.05) and felt improved on therapy, seven patients showing a > 20% improvement in overall symptom score compared to baseline. Results for 15 patients who underwent at least one follow-up gastric-emptying test showed only a weak correlation between individual symptom score and gastric emptying (r = 0.40). Thus long-term cisapride therapy at the study dose produced long-term symptomatic improvement in 42% of patients with severe gastroparesis, with sustained acceleration of gastric emptying for up to 2 years.

Clinical trial: insulin-sensitizing agents may reduce consequences of insulin resistance in individuals with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, although only a few therapies normalize the liver test abnormalities with/without improving the liver histology, no pharmacologic therapy has proved to be effective for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. AIM: To investigate the role of insulin sensitizers in the treatment of individuals with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). METHODS: A total of 74 individuals with NASH (male/female, 44/30; mean age, 47.2 +/- 9.0 years) were enrolled. Participants were divided into two distinct groups: group 1 (n = 25) participants were administered a conventional diet and exercise programme while those in group 2 (n = 49) were administered the diet and exercise programme plus insulin sensitizers. RESULTS: With respect to baseline metabolic, biochemical and histological parameters, no significant differences were observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). Insulin sensitizers significantly improved metabolic parameters (homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance score, P < 0.05), serum aminotransferase levels [aspartate aminotransferase (AST): 45.9 +/- 24.2 to 33.3 +/- 17.7 IU/L, P < 0.01; alanine aminotransferase (ALT): 78.2 +/- 46.3 to 47.3 +/- 34.5 IU/L, P < 0.001] and histological features (median non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score: 5.0-3.0, P = 0.01), while diet and exercise improved serum aminotransferase levels (AST: 39.3 +/- 11.1 to 30.0 +/- 8.6 IU/L, P < 0.01; ALT: 66.9 +/- 28.9 to 42.0 +/- 16.2 IU/L, P < 0.001) at the end of the 48 weeks when compared to baseline. Insulin sensitizers improved the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (P < 0.01). No serious adverse effects of insulin sensitizers were observed. CONCLUSION: Insulin sensitizers can lead to improvement in metabolic, biochemical and histological abnormalities of NASH as a result of improved insulin sensitivity.

Behçet's disease-like presentation of bullous pyoderma gangrenosum associated with Crohn's disease.

A 47-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of generalized arthralgia and a 10-day history of oral aphthous ulcers. After hospitalization, papulopustular lesions and perianal ulcerations developed. Pathergy test was positive and ophthalmological examination was normal. The presence of oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcerations, papulopustular lesions and arthralgia, and the positive pathergy test suggested the diagnosis of Behçet's disease (BD). In a few days, positive pathergy reactions and papulopustular lesions evolved into bullous lesions, which were diagnosed dermatopathologically as pyoderma gangrenosum. Two days after the presentation of papulopustular lesions, the patient experienced diarrhoea accompanied by bloody stools and mucus. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens showed no vasculitis but revealed findings suggestive of Crohn's disease. The patient responded well to treatment with systemic steroids and 5-aminosalicylic acid. Our case demonstrates that the differential diagnosis of BD and inflammatory bowel disease may be perplexing and that these two diseases may be closely related.

The diagnostic value of on-site cytopathological evaluation and cell block preparation in fine-needle aspiration cytology of liver masses.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to evaluate the typing accuracy of conventional smear (CS), cell block (CB) preparations and combined use of both procedures (CS + CB) for the diagnosis of hepatic malignancies and to determine whether immediate on-site cytopathological evaluation improves the diagnostic yield of liver fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). METHODS: Ultrasound-guided FNABs were performed on 323 consecutive cases with liver masses between December 2002 and December 2004. Histologically and/or clinically correlated 167 cases were included in the study. Preliminary FNAB results, results of CS, CB, and combined use of CS and CB were compared regarding diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the diagnosis of malignancy. Subtyping accuracies of different methods were also compared. RESULTS: The sensitivity of on-site cytopathological examination and CS were both 92.8%. The sensitivity of CS + CB was slightly better than that of CB (93.5% versus 84.8%). Specificity of all procedures was achieved 100%. Diagnostic accuracy of on-site cytopathological evaluation, CS, CB, and CS + CB were 93.9%, 93.9%, 87.2%, and 94.5%, respectively. A specific subtype diagnosis of malignant tumours could be rendered accurately on the basis of preliminary diagnosis in 71%, CS in 75.4%, CB in 78.3% and combined approach in 92% of cases. In terms of typing accuracy, 87.5% of HCCs, 93.2% of adenocarcinomas, 92.3% of neuroendocrine carcinomas, 100% of lymphomas and 100% of other malignant tumours were correctly subclassified in the final cytopathological diagnosis. The agreement between preliminary diagnosis and final cytopathological diagnosis was 77.2%. CONCLUSION: With use of on-site cytopathological evaluation and combined use of CS and CB, the diagnostic accuracy of liver tumours approaches 100% and also significantly improve diagnostic and subtyping accuracy of liver malignancies.

Distal oesophageal pH measurement in children during general anaesthesia using the laryngeal mask airway, tracheal tube and face mask.

BACKGROUND: Distal oesophageal pH was measured during controlled ventilation in children with the laryngeal mask airway (LMATM), tracheal tube (TT) and face mask (FM). METHODS: Fifty-six children scheduled for inguinal surgery with a standardized general anaesthetic technique were randomly allocated to receive LMA (n=21), TT (n=18) or FM (n=19). A 14 Fr pH probe was placed into the distal oesophagus and pH values were measured over 1 min at 2-min intervals during the first 20 min of anaesthesia. RESULTS: The median values of pH were 4.4 (3.5-5.5), 4.2 (3.3-4.9), 4.1 (3.2-5.1), 4.1 (3.3-5.0), 4.0 (3.3-4.9), 4.0 (3.4-5.1); 4.2 (3.3-5.1), 4.2 (3.6-5.0), 4.2 (3.5-5.0), 4.2 (3.5-5.2), 4.2 (3.5-5.0), 4.1 (3.5-5.0) and 4.2 (3.6-5.0), 4.2 (3.8-5.8), 4.1 (2.8-5.2), 4.2 (3.3-5.1), 4.2 (3.4-5.1), 4.3 (3.4-5.1) for LMA, TT and FM groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the median pH values, within and between the groups (P > 0.05). We conclude that there is no difference in gastro-oesophageal reflux, when using a LMA, TT or FM during controlled ventilation in anaesthetized children.

The effect of chronic oral domperidone therapy on gastrointestinal symptoms, gastric emptying, and quality of life in patients with gastroparesis.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine whether domperidone could improve the symptoms of patients with gastroparesis, accelerate gastric emptying, and enhance quality of life. METHODS: Seventeen patients (13 women, 4 men; mean age 42.9 yr) with documented gastroparesis were evaluated. A baseline gastric emptying study was performed using an isotope-labeled solid meal and a follow-up study was repeated > or =6 months after initiating domperidone therapy. The severity of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloating were obtained at baseline and at 6-month intervals and were graded from 0 to 5 (0 = none, 5 = most severe). Also, the number of hospital admissions were noted during the study period. Patients were asked to assess their overall health status and quality of life and were begun on domperidone 20 mg q.i.d. On average, patients received domperidone for 23.3 months (range 6-48 months). Domperidone doses ranged from 40 to 120 mg daily during the study period. RESULTS: Gastroparesis symptom scores were reduced from 4.1 +/- 0.22 (mean +/- SEM) to 1.3 +/- 0.2, and hospital admissions were decreased significantly during the study compared with before domperidone therapy (p < 0.05). At baseline, patients had a 87.3 +/- 3.71% retention of a solid meal at 2 hours compared with a 57.2 +/- 5.04% retention during domperidone therapy (p < 0.05). Domperidone treatment enhanced the quality of life in 88% of patients. The mean prolactin level was 58.9 pg/ml during the study and three patients reported gynecomastia. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic domperidone treatment in patients with gastroparesis significantly reduced GI symptoms and hospitalizations, enhanced quality of life, and accelerated gastric emptying of a solid meal to a normal rate. Domperidone successfully treats gastroparesis on a long-term outcome basis and has an excellent safety profile.

Viral gastroparesis: a subgroup of idiopathic gastroparesis--clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: Viral gastroparesis has been regarded as a subgroup of idiopathic gastroparesis. METHODS: We have reviewed the medical records of 143 patients diagnosed as having gastroparesis. Fifty-two patients were regarded as idiopathic in origin, of which 12 were identified as consistent with a postviral etiology. Their follow-up and current status were assessed by interview. Available for interview were 32 patients: 11 from the viral group and 21 from idiopathic group. RESULTS: All "viral gastroparesis" patients reported gradual improvement of their symptoms, no hospitalizations during the previous 6 months, stable weight, were not disabled, and remained professionally active. In comparison, 21 "idiopathic" patients had an indolent, slowly progressive clinical presentation. The idiopathic group had a significantly longer duration of illness (p < 0.05) with greater symptom score of abdominal pain, early satiety, and anorexia, and overall worse quality of life (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A viral etiology should be considered in gastroparesis patients when their illness is characterized by an acute onset, initial severe illness and slow resolution toward a satisfactory quality of life. Idiopathic gastroparesis is a more slowly progressive illness, and patients remain significantly more symptomatic for a longer period of time.

Demography, clinical characteristics, psychological and abuse profiles, treatment, and long-term follow-up of patients with gastroparesis.

Patients with gastroparesis frequently present challenging clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic problems. Data from 146 gastroparesis patients seen over six years were analyzed. Patients were evaluated at the time of initial diagnosis and at the most recent follow-up in terms of gastric emptying and gastrointestinal symptomatology. The psychological status and physical and sexual abuse history in female idiopathic gastroparesis patients were ascertained and an association between those factors and gastrointestinal symptomatology was sought. Eighty-two percent of patients were females (mean age: 45 years old). The mean age for onset of gastroparesis was 33.7 years. The etiologies in 146 patients are: 36% idiopathic, 29% diabetic, 13% postgastric surgery, 7.5% Parkinson's disease, 4.8% collagen vascular disorders, 4.1% intestinal pseudoobstruction, and 6% miscellaneous causes. Subgroups were identified within the idiopathic group: 12 patients (23%) had a presentation consistent with a viral etiology, 48% had very prominent abdominal pain. Other subgroups were gastroesophageal reflux disease and nonulcer dyspepsia (19%), depression (23%), and onset of symptoms immediately after cholecystectomy (8%). Sixty-two percent of women with idiopathic gastroparesis reported a history of physical or sexual abuse, and physical abuse was significantly associated with abdominal pain, somatization, depression, and lifetime surgeries. At the end of the follow-up period, 74% required continuous prokinetic therapy, 22% were able to stop prokinetics, 5% had undergone gastrectomy, 6.2% went onto gastric electrical stimulation (pacing), and 7% had died. At some point 21% had required nutrition support with a feeding jejunostomy tube or periods of parenteral nutrition. A good response to pharmacological agents can be expected in the viral and dyspeptic subgroups of idiopathics, Parkinson's disease, and the majority of diabetics, whereas a poorer outcome to prokinetics can be expected in postgastrectomy patients, those with connective tissue disease, a subgroup of diabetics, and the subset of idiopathic gastroparesis dominated by abdominal pain and history of physical and sexual abuse. Appreciation of the different etiologies and psychological status of the patients may help predict response to prokinetic therapy.