Endoscopic methods for the detection and treatment of gastric cancer.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The intent of this review is to describe new advances in endoscopic approaches to surveillance and management of gastric cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: There are new endoscopic techniques and approaches that have improved the detection of gastric cancer, including narrow band imaging, confocal laser endocytomicroscopy and magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy. This article highlights the role of endoscopic submucosal dissection in the treatment of focal and diffuse gastric dysplasia and early gastric cancer with a discussion of indications, complications and outcomes. We review several recent guidelines addressing the surveillance strategies for individuals at high-risk for developing gastric cancer, such as those with atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, how gastric dysplasia and early gastric cancer can be endoscopically managed, and recommended surveillance after endoscopic intervention. SUMMARY: Endoscopic approaches are evolving rapidly that will improve detection of dysplasia and early gastric cancer in high-risk individuals. Surveillance guidelines from various international societies reflect differences in local experience and prevalence of gastric cancer. Endoscopic submucosal dissection is now widely accepted as a first-line approach to early gastric cancers that can be resected en-bloc .

Liver flukes diagnosed by ERCP in a local immigrant community.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although a common pathogen in much of Asia, liver flukes are believed to be a rare cause of disease in the United States. In this series, we describe 3 patients diagnosed with Clonorchis sinensis during ERCP within 1 year at our institution. METHODS: Three patients referred to a large community hospital underwent ERCP with direct visualization of a worm in the biliary tree and subsequent histopathologic confirmation. RESULTS: The patients had variable clinical presentations, and 2 had repeat negative stool studies for ova and parasites. Each patient had imaging studies showing abnormalities within the biliary tree, after which ERCP was performed with direct visualization and extraction of a wormlike structure. It was confirmed that all 3 patients had emigrated from China within the last decade. The epidemiologic data and the histopathologic characteristics of the fluke eggs in utero were consistent with a diagnosis of C sinensis. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of clonorchiasis should remain on the differential diagnosis for patients with nonspecific biliary symptoms who have known risk factors for this uncommonly common pathogen.

A case of combined pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and watchman implant through hepatic vein in a patient with interrupted inferior vena cava (IVC).

This case report describes a successful procedure involving pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and left atrial appendage (LAA) closure with a watchman device in a 78-year-old male with atrial fibrillation and an interrupted inferior vena cava. Due to the vascular anomaly, a transhepatic approach was used, which proved successful.

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Esophagus With Liver Metastasis: A Case Report.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the esophagus is a rare and aggressive malignancy. It is challenging to manage NEC due to its rarity. NEC may be asymptomatic or present with various symptoms such as dysphagia, abdominal discomfort, weight loss, melena, hot flushes, or diarrhea. We present the case of a 55-year-old male with a large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus. His aggressive and rapid progression of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus resulted in a poor clinical outcome.

Efficacy of aggressive hydration with normal saline versus lactated Ringer's solution for the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis in high-risk patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Background and study aims Post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) is a common adverse event in high-risk patients. Current intervention known to reduce the incidence and severity of PEP include pancreatic duct stent placement, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs per rectum, and intravenous (IV) fluids. We compared aggressive normal saline (NS) vs aggressive lactated Ringer's (LR) infusion for the prevention of PEP in high-risk patients undergoing ERCP. Patients and methods Patients were randomized to receive either an aggressive infusion of NS or LR. The infusion was started at a rate of 3 mL/kg/hr and continued throughout the ERCP procedure. A 20 mL/kg bolus was given at the end of the procedure, then continued at a rate of 3 mL/kg/hr. Results A total of 136 patients were included in our analysis. The incidence of PEP was 4 % (3/72 patients) in the LR group versus 11 % (7/64 patients) in the NS group resulting in a relative risk (RR) of 0.38 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.10 to 1.42; P  = 0.19). The relative risk reduction (RRR) was 0.62 (95 % CI -0.41 to 0.90) along with an absolute risk reduction (ARR) of 0.07 (95 % CI -0.025 to 0.17) and an number needed to treat of 15 (95 % CI -41 to 6). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing aggressive IV NS to aggressive IV LR in high-risk patients. The incidence of PEP was lower in the group receiving an aggressive LR infusion (4 %) compared to NS infusion (11 %). However, the difference was not statistically significant likely due to poor accrual thereby impacting the power of the study.

A Rare Case of Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis and Ampullitis Leading to Benign Papillary Stenosis.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal wall. There have been limited studies of eosinophilic infiltration involving the ampulla. We present a 70-year-old woman with a history of asthma, eosinophilic esophagitis, and eosinophilic sinusitis, who underwent work up for postprandial abdominal pain and abnormal liver function tests. The patient had various imaging studies done, including computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Dilated extrahepatic bile duct with distal tapering towards the ampulla was noted on MRCP and afterwards on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed an inflamed major ampulla with benign papillary stenosis. The patient was treated with sphincterotomy, sphincteroplasty/dilation of distal common bile duct, and placement of an 11.5 Fr × 7 cm plastic stent into the bile duct. Additionally, she was started on prednisone, which was gradually tapered down. The patient demonstrated significant improvement with systemic steroid therapy. Liver function tests (LFTs) completely normalized after ERCP. Ampullitis leading to papillary stenosis secondary to eosinophilic infiltration of the major papilla is a rare manifestation of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs). Early diagnosis would lead to appropriate medical and endoscopic management.

Micrometastasis in colorectal cancer: does it affect staging?

BACKGROUND: Micrometastasis (MM) in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not considered in tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) staging currently and also the prognostic significance of these occult tumoural cells is not proven yet. This study was designed to find whether MM to bone marrow (BM) and/or liver cause upstaging of the tumour according to conventional staging system and if it may alter the survival rate. METHODS: Thirty-eight CRC patients who were candidates of surgical procedure were enrolled in our cross-sectional study. Liver and BM biopsy were obtained during the surgery to be looked for tissue-specific marker of CRC, CK20. CK20 expression in BM and liver was assessed by the two methods of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Among the 38 submitted patients, a total number of 14 MM, including 10 BM (23%) and seven hepatic (18%) were detected. There was no significant difference in clinicopathological aspects including size, location, stage, grade, local invasion to vessels and neurons, TNM staging and relapse rate of tumour among patients with/without disseminated tumoural cells. The result did not demonstrate a survival difference between patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared to other patients. CONCLUSION: Our study did not confirm that the presence of MM influences TNM staging and overall survival of the patients. Additional clinical investigations with longer follow-up period and larger number of cases are required to decide on administration of neoadjuvant therapy in CRC patients.

Screening of congenital hypothyroidism in preterm, low birth weight and very low birth weight neonates: A systematic review.

Evidence from different screening programs indicated that the rate of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) was higher in pre-term and low-birth-weight (LBW) newborns than normal ones. Incomplete development of hypothalamic-pituitary axis in this group of neonates results in the delayed rise of TSH and missing cases with CH. Hence, there is a great need for a practicable systematic screening method for proper diagnosis of CH in this group of neonates. In this review, we systematically reviewed papers with the following key words ([Congenital Hypothyroidism AND Screening AND Thyroxine AND Thyroid Stimulating Hormone AND Low Birth Weight AND Premature]) in international electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. After quality assessment of selected documents, data of finally included papers were extracted. In this review, 1452 papers (PubMed: 617; Scopus: 714; Google scholar: 121) were identified through electronic database search. One hundred and ninety four articles were assessed for eligibility, from which 36 qualified articles were selected for final evaluation. From the reviewed articles, 38.9%, 11.11% and 8.3% recommended rescreening in this group of neonates, lowering the screening cutoff of TSH and using cutoffs according to the gestational age, respectively. Some of them (13.9%) recommended using both TSH and T4 for screening of preterm infants. After reviewing available data, we recommend repeating the screening test in pre-term, LBW and very-low- birth-weight (VLBW) infants at age of two, six and ten weeks by measuring TSH and FT4 levels simultaneously and considering TSH = 10 mU/L as the cutoff level for positive and suspicious cases.

Changes in blood glucose level during and after light sedations using propofol-fentanyl and midazolam-fentanyl in diabetic patients who underwent cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgeries may trigger the stress response which leads to changes in blood glucose level, and studies suggest that different sedation and anesthesia methods have different effects on blood glucose level. The aim of this study was to investigate changes of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients and compare them in two sedation methods of propofol + fentanyl and midazolam + fentanyl. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Totally, 80 diabetic candidates for cataract surgery who had all the inclusion criteria, underwent cataract surgery using two methods of propofol (1 mg/kg/h) + fentanyl (2 µg/kg) (Group P) and midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) + fentanyl (2 µg/kg) (Group M) for light sedation. In the end, 70 patients (Group P n = 35 and Group M n = 35) remained in the study. Patients' blood glucose levels, vital signs, and hemodynamic data were assessed 30 min prior to the surgery, each 15 min during surgery and at the end of surgery. RESULTS: Hemodynamic parameters did not have a statistically significant difference between the two groups mean blood glucose level in Group M was 149.15 mg/dl and in Group P was 149.2 mg/dl, and based on repeated measures analysis of variance test, significant differences were not observed between the two groups (P = 0.99). T-test showed no significant differences in the blood glucose level at any time of the study between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Light sedation methods of propofol + fentanyl and midazolam + fentanyl did not have any differences in alteration of blood glucose level.

Prevalence of Developmental Delay in Apparently Normal Preschool Children in Isfahan,Central Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Developmental delay screening is essential in pediatric medicine. The purpose of this study was to estimate the developmental delay in apparently normal children at entry to kindergarten. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this cross- sectional study conducted in 2013, the developmental status of a sample of children who entered to kindergarten at the age of 4-60 months were evaluated by the Persian version of ages and stages questionnaires (ASQ) in Isfahan county, central Iran. RESULTS: Totally 680 children were enrolled, 11.8% of them were suspected to delayed in at least one domain and 1.3% and 1.2% in two and three domains, respectively. Developmental delay was in the following items: 5% in problem solving; 4.9% in fine motor; 3.2% in gross motor, 2.2% and 1.2% in personal - social and communication domains, respectively. CONCLUSION: Considerable proportions of apparently normal children who are entering kindergarten had developmental delay, which could be detected by evaluation with appropriate screening tools.

A case of recurrent cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in an immunocompetent female.

Cryptococcus neoformans is commonly associated with meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients and occasionally in apparently healthy individuals. Duration and regimen of antifungal treatment vary depending on the nature of the host and extent of disease and CNS shunts are placed in persistently elevated intracranial pressures. Recurrence of infection after initial treatment is not uncommon in HIV positive patients, Kaya et al. (2012) and Illnait-zaragozí et al. (2010). We describe a 39-year-old immunocompetent female that presented with neurologic deficits and increased intracranial pressure (ICP) due to cryptococcal meningoencephalitis that had a complicated course with drug induced hepatitis and persistently increased ICP that ultimately required shunt placement and presented again with relapse of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis after completion of antifungal treatment. Our case shows that recurrent cryptococcal meningitis can be seen in immunocompetent patients due to prolonged placement of CNS shunt and suggests that shunts should be removed after resolution of meningitis.