Prediction model for non-curative resection of endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients with early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a useful method for complete resection of early gastric cancer (EGC). However, there are still some patients who undergo additional gastrectomy after ESD because of non-curative resection. There is no model that can accurately predict non-curative resection of ESD. We aimed to create a model for predicting non-curative resection of ESD in patients with EGC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records, including all gross findings of EGC, of patients who underwent ESD for EGCs. We divided the patients into a non-curative resection group and a curative resection group. The clinicopathologic characteristics were compared between the groups to identify the risk factors for non-curative resection of ESD. We created a scoring system based on logistic regression modeling and bootstrap validation. RESULTS: Of 1639 patients who had undergone ESD for EGCs, 272 were identified as being treated non-curatively with ESD. A large tumor size (≥20 mm), tumor location in the upper body of the stomach, the presence of ulcer, fusion of gastric folds, the absence of mucosal nodularity, spontaneous bleeding, and undifferentiated tumor histology were associated with non-curative resection of ESD. Points of risk scores were assigned for these variables based on the ß coefficient as follows: tumor size (≥20 mm), 2 points; tumor location in the upper body of the stomach, 1 point; ulcer, 2 points; fusion of gastric folds, 2 points; absence of mucosal nodularity, 1 point; spontaneous bleeding, 1 point; and undifferentiated histology, 2 points. Our risk scoring model showed good discriminatory performance on internal validation (bootstrap-corrected area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.7004; 95% confidence interval, 0.6655-0.7353). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a validated prediction model that can be used to identify patients who will undergo non-curative resection of ESD. Our prediction model can provide useful information for making decisions about the treatment of EGC before performing ESD.

Safety and feasibility of simultaneous endoscopic submucosal dissection for multiple gastric neoplasias.

BACKGROUND: Synchronous gastric neoplasms are not infrequently detected, thus endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for multiple early gastric neoplasia is occasionally considered. However, there have been few investigations of the safety and feasibility of simultaneous ESD for multiple gastric lesions. This study aims to evaluate the safety and feasibility of simultaneous ESD for multiple gastric neoplasia. METHODS: A total of 1823 patients who underwent ESD for 1929 gastric adenomas or early gastric cancers were retrospectively reviewed in this study. Two hundred gastric adenomas or early gastric cancers among 94 patients were treated by ESD simultaneously (multiple group), and 1729 patients were treated with ESD for a single lesion (single group). RESULTS: En bloc resection (P = 0.060), complete resection (P = 0.362) and curative resection (P = 0.108) rates did not differ between the two groups. Rates of adverse events including bleeding (P = 0.317), perforation (P = 0.316) and aspiration pneumonia (P = 0.563) were not higher in the multiple group. Long-term follow-up showed more frequent local recurrence (P < 0.001), synchronous neoplasia (P = 0.041) and metachronous neoplasia (P < 0.001) per patient in the multiple group; however, local recurrence per lesion did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.103). CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous ESD for multiple synchronous gastric neoplasms is safe and feasible compared to single ESD. However, thorough examination for local recurrence and synchronous and metachronous neoplasia is required.

Sedation methods can determine performance of endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients with gastric neoplasia.

BACKGROUND: Although proper sedation is mandatory for endoscopic procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), there is no research investigating the effects of sedation on ESD performance and complications. We aimed to evaluate the relationship among sedation methods, clinical outcomes, and complications after ESD for gastric neoplasia. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 1,367 patients with 1,485 lesions who had undergone ESD for gastric adenoma or early gastric cancer at our tertiary teaching hospital in Seoul, Korea, between January 2008 and May 2011. Of these, 1,035 lesions in 958 patients were included in the intermittent midazolam/propofol injection by endoscopists (IMIE) group, and 450 lesions in 409 patients were included in the continuous propofol infusion with opioid administration by anesthesiologists (CPIA) group. RESULTS: En bloc resection and complete resection rates were higher in the CPIA group than in the IMIE group (CPIA vs. IMIE; en bloc resection, 99.8 and 95.0 %, P < 0.001; complete resection, 94.2 and 88.3 %, P < 0.001). Duration of procedure was shorter in the CPIA group than in the IMIE group (CPIA vs. IMIE; 48.2 ± 32.5 and 57.6 ± 41.3 min, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, sedation method was an independent factor associated with en bloc resection and complete resection. Additionally, sedation with CPIA was not a risk factor for bleeding (P = 0.403) or perforation (P = 0.474); however, aspiration pneumonia developed more frequently in patients sedated with CPIA (CPIA vs. IMIE, 4.4 and 1.5 %, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Sedation with CPIA can improve ESD performance.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe successfully treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using drug-eluting beads.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the caudate lobe remains one of the most intricate locations where various treatments tend to pose problems with regard to the optimal approach. Surgical resection has been regarded as the most effective treatment; however, isolated resection of the caudate lobe is strenuous and associated with a high rate of early recurrence. Percutaneous ablation might be technically difficult or impossible to perform due to the deep location of tumors and adjacent large vessels. Treatment with drug-eluting beads (DEB) can potentially enhance the therapeutic efficacy for patients with unresectable HCC by drawing on the slower, more consistent drug delivery process. We described a case of a 62-year-old man with HCC in the caudate lobe who was successfully treated by DEB.

Ventricular tachyarrhythmias in a patient with Andersen-Tawil syndrome.

Andersen-Tawill syndrome (ATS), a rare autosomal dominant disorder, is characterized by periodic paralysis, dysmorphic features and cardiac arrhythmias. This syndrome is caused by mutations of KCNJ2 gene, which encodes inward rectifying potassium channel. Here, we report an 18-year-old girl who was presented with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia and acute respiratory distress. She was diagnosed with ATS, based on dysmorphic features, ventricular arrhythmia, and periodic paralysis. This is the first case to be reported in Korea who experienced a fatal cardiac arrest and respiratory failure caused by ATS.

Prospective validation of FibroTest in comparison with liver stiffness for predicting liver fibrosis in Asian subjects with chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diagnostic values of FibroTest (FT) for hepatic fibrosis have rarely been assessed in Asian chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We aimed to validate its diagnostic performances in comparison with liver stiffness (LS). METHODS: From 2008 to 2010, 194 CHB patients who underwent liver biopsies along with FT and transient elastography were prospectively enrolled. Fibrosis stage was assessed according to the Batts and Ludwig system. RESULTS: To predict significant fibrosis (F≥2), advanced fibrosis (F≥3), and cirrhosis (F = 4), areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of FT were 0.903, 0.907, and 0.866, comparable to those of LS (0.873, 0.897, and 0.910, respectively). Optimized cutoffs of FT to maximize sum of sensitivity and specificity were 0.32, 0.52, and 0.68 for F≥2, F≥3, and F = 4, while those of LS were 8.8, 10.2, and 14.1 kPa, respectively. According to FT and LS cutoffs, 123 (63.4%) and 124 (63.9%) patients were correctly classified consistent with histological fibrosis (F1, F2, F3, and F4), respectively. Overall concordance between each fibrosis stage estimated by FT and LS was observed in 111 patients, where 88 were correctly classified with histological results. A combination formula adding LS to FT (LS+FT) showed similar AUROC levels (0.885, 0.905, and 0.915), while another multiplying LS by FT (LS×FT) showed the best AUROCs (0.941, 0.931, and 0.929 for F≥2, F≥3, and F4, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: FT provides good fibrosis prediction, with comparable outcomes to LS in Asian CHB patients. FT substantially reduces need for liver biopsy, especially when used in combination with LS.