BACKGROUND/AIMS: Focally enhanced gastritis (FEG) has been suggested as a specific diagnostic marker for patients with Crohn's disease (CD). However, the usefulness of FEG for distinguishing CD from ulcerative colitis (UC) is uncertain and the incidence or prevalence of FEG for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in Korea has not been defined yet. In this study, we investigated the frequency of FEG and other gastric histological abnormalities in Korean patients with CD and UC. METHODS: We evaluated 37 patients with known CD, 43 patients with UC and 41 non-IBD control group; all underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy followed by biopsy from the antrum and the body. The pathology of the gastric biopsy specimens and the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) were evaluated. FEG was characterized by a focal perifoveolar or periglandular inflammatory cell infiltrates. RESULTS: H. pylori positive gastritis was found in 10 of 37 (27.0%) of CD patients, in 16 of 43 (37.2%) of UC patients, and in 22 of 41 (53.7%) of non-IBD control group (p=0.054). In H. pylori-negative patients, FEG was found in 8 of 27 patients (29.6%) of CD patients, 6 of 27 (22.2%) patients with UC, and 2 of 9 (10.5%) of non-IBD control group (p=0.324). CONCLUSIONS: In H. pylori-negative patients, there was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of FEG among CD, UC and control groups in Korea.
Adult ; Colitis, Ulcerative/*diagnosis/etiology/pathology ; Crohn Disease/*diagnosis/etiology/pathology ; Female ; Gastritis/epidemiology/*pathology ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract/pathology

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder causing mucosal inflammation of the colorectum with crypt abnormality on biopsy. It affects the rectum and a variable extent of the colon in continuity. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by a relapsing and remitting course. It arises from an interaction between genetic and environmental factors, but the precise etiology is unknown. The incidence and prevalence in Korea are still low compared with those of Western countries, but have increased in recent years. There are many challenging issues on the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, and sometimes these lead to differences in practice between clinicians. Therefore, IBD Study Group of KASID set out the Korean diagnostic guideline of ulcerative colitis. The diagnosis is based on clinical, endoscopic, radiologic, and histologic criteria. The symptoms are dependent upon the extent and severity of disease and most commonly include bloody diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and/or urgency. The systemic symptoms of malaise, tachycardia, fever, or weight loss are features of a severe attack. The laboratory findings may reveal leucocytosis, thrombocytosis, iron deficiency anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein indicating severe disease activity or chronicity. For the elimination of infectious causes, microbial investigation with stool specimens should be performed for common enteric pathogens including assays for Clostridium difficile toxin, and sometimes for amoeba or other parasites. The most typical endoscopic features are continuous, confluent, and concentric colonic involvement proximal to the anal verge. Endoscopic severity may be best well reflected by the presence of mucosal friability, spontaneous bleeding, and deep ulcerations. Typical pathologic findings are composed of widespread crypt architectural distortion (cryptitis, crypt abscess, and crypt atrophy), heavy, diffuse lamina propria cell infiltration, and basal plasmacytosis.
Blood Chemical Analysis ; Colitis, Ulcerative/*diagnosis/epidemiology/pathology ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Severity of Illness Index

OBJECTIVETo compare the age-specific detection rates of colorectal neoplasms by colonoscopic screening among high-risk population in rural area and to provide evidence for determining the initial age in the colorectal cancer screening.

METHODSThe age-specific detection rates of colorectal cancers and adenomas, and the proportion of detected cases in each age group after screening by the optimized sequential colorectal cancer screening program in Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province, were analyzed.

RESULTSMass screening with the optimized sequential colorectal cancer screening program in Jiashan was conducted and 8867 colonoscopic examinations were performed. A total of 1811 individuals with at least one colorectal neoplastic lesion were found. Among them, there were 92 (1.04%) colorectal cancer patients, 1164 (13.13%) patients with at least one adenoma and 377 (4.25%) patients with at least one advanced adenoma. The detection rate of colorectal neoplastic lesions for the age group 40 - 44 was considerably lower than that in the age group 45 - 49. Hypothetically, to increase the initial age to 45-years for the optimized sequential colorectal cancer screening program would yield a 7.84% increase in the detection rate of total colorectal neoplastic lesions, 13.46% increase in the detection rate of colorectal cancer, 8.76% increase in the detection rate of adenoma, 12.24% increase in the detection rate of advanced adenoma and 19.64% lower in the cost of initial screening, 13.30% lower in the cost of colonoscopic screening.

CONCLUSIONSAmong the high-risk population aged 40 to 74, the detection rates of colorectal cancer and adenoma are increasing with the increase of age, the detection rates of colorectal cancer and adenoma as well as proportion of detected cases in the 40 - 44 age group are considerably lower. To increase the initial age to 45 for colorectal cancer screening in rural area of China is reasonable.

Adenoma ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; China ; epidemiology ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Colonic Polyps ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mass Screening ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Risk ; Rural Population ; Surveys and Questionnaires