The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of Tl-201 abdominal SPECT to differentiate between chronic focal pancreatitis and pancreatic malignancy. Seventeen patients (12 men, 5 women; mean age, 56 years; 9 pancreatic cancer, 8 chronic pancreatitis) with pancreatic mass were prospectively investigated with Tl-201 abdominal SPECT. In all patients, CT and/or US could not clarify the nature of the pancreatic mass. Focal hot uptake was present in 8 of 9 patients with pancreatic cancer, while it was present in 2 of 8 patients with chronic pancreatitis. Therefore, the sensitivity and specificity of the present study were 89% and 75%, respectively. A significant difference of Tl-201 uptakes was noted between benign and malignant masses (p& 0.05). Therefore, we concluded that Tl-201 abdominal SPECT was a useful test in differentiation of malignant from benign pancreatic mass, especially when the differentiation could not be made by other imaging modalities
Abdomen/*radionuclide imaging ; Chronic Disease ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Evaluation Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/*radionuclide imaging ; Pancreatitis/*radionuclide imaging ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Thallium Radioisotopes/*diagnostic use ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon/methods

Although arteriovenous malformations (AVM) occur frequently in digestive organs, pancreatic AVM is rare. The clinical symptoms of pancreatic AVM are variable and include gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, jaundice, portal hypertension, pancreatitis, and duodenal ulcer. However, choledochoduodenal or pancreaticoduodenal fistulas complicated with ascending infection and pancreatitis is extremely rare. Herein, we report a case of pancreaticoduodenal fistula associated with a pancreatic AVM that induced recurrent anemia and ascending infection.
Abdominal Pain ; Anemia ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Fistula ; Hemorrhage ; Hypertension, Portal ; Jaundice ; Pancreatitis

Ischemic colitis is the most common form of gastrointestinal ischemic injury. Indeed, many medical conditions and medications can cause reduced blood flow to the colon. The splenic flexure, descending colon, and sigmoid colon are most commonly affected. Involvement of only the right colon is an infrequent occurrence. Ischemic colitis of the right colon usually is associated with low flow states. Given the high morbidity and mortality of this disorder, early diagnosis and aggressive management is critical. Ischemic colitis associated with heart disease, such as congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, aortic valve disease, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, is usually due to low cardiac output, or to disease states resulting in dehydration, or to the splanchnic vasoconstrictive effect of some medications. Here we present a case of nonocclusive ischemic colitis of the right colon after percutaneous coronary intervention for unstable angina. The colitis was successfully treated with conservative management.
Angina, Unstable ; Aortic Valve ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Colitis ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colon ; Colon, Descending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colon, Transverse ; Dehydration ; Early Diagnosis ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is often performed therapeutically, and antithrombotic treatment is required for at least 12 months after stent implantation. However, the development of post-PCI upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) increases morbidity and mortality. We investigated the incidence and risk factors for UGIB in Korean patients within 1 year after PCI. METHODS: The medical records of 3,541 patients who had undergone PCI between January 2006 and June 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. We identified 40 cases of UGIB. We analyzed the incidence and clinical risk factors associated with UGIB occurring within 1 year after PCI by comparing the results for each case to matched controls. The propensity score matching method using age and sex was utilized. RESULTS: UGIB occurred in 40 patients (1.1%). Two independent risk factors for UGIB were a history of peptic ulcer disease (odds ratio [OR], 12.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.70 to 59.66; p=0.001) and the use of anticoagulants (OR, 7.76; 95% CI, 2.10 to 28.66; p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: UGIB after PCI occurred at a rate of 1.1% in the study population. Clinicians must remain vigilant for the possibility of UGIB after PCI and should consider performing timely endoscopy in patients who have undergone PCI and are suspected of having an UGIB.
Aged ; Anticoagulants/adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/epidemiology/*etiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer/complications ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/*adverse effects ; *Postoperative Complications ; Propensity Score ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by extrinsic compression of the third portion of the duodenum between the superior mesenteric artery and aorta, resulting in intermittent obstruction, thereby resulting in proximal duodenal and stomach dilatation. Although the most characteristic symptoms are postprandial epigastric pain, fullness, voluminous vomiting, and eructation, severe symptoms including acute massive gastric dilatation to the extent of surgical abdomen was rarely reported. We report a case of SMA syndrome in a 24-year-old patient with an eating disorder. CT and an upper gastointestinal contrast series revealed massive gastric dilatation which induced vascular compressions. Endoscopy showed deep extensive ulcerations of the whole stomach with duodenal necrosis and ischemia, which prompted immediate surgical laparotomy, but no remarkable intra-abdominal peritonitis evidence was noted. We treated the patient conservatively and the patient recovered from all the symptoms.
Abdomen ; Aorta ; Duodenum ; Feeding and Eating Disorders ; Endoscopy ; Eructation ; Gastric Dilatation* ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Laparotomy ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Necrosis ; Peritonitis ; Stomach ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome* ; Ulcer ; Vomiting ; Young Adult

Duodenal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms. In this study, the medical records of 14 patients with duodenal NETs diagnosed at Chonnam National University Hospital from July 2001 to August 2011 were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. Four patients were diagnosed in the first 5 years, and 10 patients were diagnosed in the latter 5 years of the study. Ten of 12 patients (83.3%) who underwent endoscopic biopsy were confirmed to have NET before resection. Endoscopic resection was performed in 12 patients, surgical resection in one patient, and regular follow-up in one patient who refused resection. None of the patients showed recurrence or distant metastasis. Duodenal NETs are increasingly observed and are mostly detected during screening upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Careful endoscopic examination and biopsy can improve the diagnostic yield of NETs. Most well-differentiated, nonfunctional duodenal NETs that are limited to the mucosa/submucosa can be treated effectively with endoscopic resection.
Biopsy ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroendocrine Tumors* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a biopsychosocial disorder. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) plays a crucial role in the control of gastrointestinal motility, sensation, and secretion. This study investigated changes in platelet-depleted plasma 5-HT and their correlation with psychopathology in IBS patients and healthy subjects. METHODS: This study involved 21 subjects with IBS and 13 healthy subjects. Fasting and 1-hr postprandial plasma 5-HT concentrations were measured. The SCL-90R symptom checklist was used for the assessment of current psychological symptoms. RESULTS: Fasting and postprandial plasma 5-HT concentrations were significantly higher in IBS patients (15.11+/-13.51 ng/mL and 16.31+/-14.21 ng/mL, respectively) than in healthy subjects (5.55+/-4.14 ng/mL and 6.25+/-4.82 ng/mL, respectively; p<0.05). There were no significant changes between fasting and 1-hr postprandial 5-HT concentration in IBS subtypes and healthy subjects. Scores on all SCL-90R subscales except for the interpersonal-sensitivity subscale were significantly higher in IBS patients than in healthy subjects. No correlation was found between SCL-90R items and platelet-depleted plasma 5-HT concentration. CONCLUSIONS: 5-HT might play a critical role in IBS, and psychopathological factors are correlated with IBS.
Checklist ; Fasting ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Plasma ; Psychopathology ; Sensation ; Serotonin

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare but life-threatening complication. Although the prevalence rate and mortality of HCC has been reportedly high in Korea, studies on ruptured HCC are limited. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of ruptured HCC. METHODS: Among 886 cases with HCC that had been diagnosed at Chonnam National University Hospital from January 2002 to December 2007, 62 cases (7.0%) with ruptured HCC were studied retrospectively regarding their clinical characteristics and prognostic factors. RESULTS: Transarterial embolization was performed in 56 cases (90.3%) to control bleeding, with a hemostasis success rate of 89.3%. The survival time after the rupture of HCC was 8.0+/-1.7 months (mean+/-SD), although it was longer in HCC cases that were first diagnosed in a ruptured state or ruptured with a small amount of bleeding than in those that ruptured during follow-up after diagnosis or with a large amount of bleeding, respectively. The 30-day mortality rate in patients with a ruptured HCC was 43.5%, and the early deaths were independently associated with the presence of hepatic encephalopathy (odds ratio, OR=44.7; 95% confidence interval, CI=1.9-1051.1; P=0.018), serum bilirubin >3.0 mg/dL (OR=36.7; 95% CI=1.3-1068.5; P=0.036), and the massive or diffuse type of tumor morphology (OR=53.5; 95% CI=3.0-964.2; P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis in patients with ruptured HCCs was poor with a 30-day mortality of 43.5%. The early deaths after the rupture of HCC were associated with elevated serum bilirubin levels, hepatic encephalopathy, and the massive or diffuse type of tumor morphology.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*diagnosis/mortality/therapy ; Clinical Chemistry Tests ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/mortality/therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture, Spontaneous/diagnosis ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Synchronous/metachronous gastric epithelial neoplasias (GENs) in the remaining lesion can develop at sites other than the site of endoscopic resection. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the predictive value of serum pepsinogen for detecting multiple GENs in patients who underwent endoscopic resection. METHODS: In total, 228 patients with GEN who underwent endoscopic resection and blood collection for pepsinogen I and II determination were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean period of endoscopic follow-up was 748.8+/-34.7 days. Synchronous GENs developed in 46 of 228 (20.1%) and metachronous GENs in 27 of 228 (10.6%) patients during the follow-up period. Multiple GENs were associated with the presence of pepsinogen I <30 ng/mL (p<0.001). Synchronous GENs were associated with the presence of pepsinogen I <30 ng/mL (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Low pepsinogen I levels predict multiple GENs after endoscopic resection, especially synchronous GENs. Cautious endoscopic examination prior to endoscopic resection to detect multiple GENs should be performed for these patients.
Female ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial/*diagnosis/surgery ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/*diagnosis/surgery ; Pepsinogen A/*deficiency ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/*diagnosis/surgery

Gastric lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare neoplasm of the stomach that features undifferentiated carcinoma mixed with lymphoid stroma, and it invariably has a good prognosis. Most gastric LELCs have been linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. We experienced a case of a patient with gastric LELC. A 57 years old female patient was found to have shallow irregular ulcerative lesion on the gastric antrum. Although repetitive endoscopic biopsy didn't yield any cancer, early gastric cancer (EGC) was strongly suspected. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was performed for establishing the correct diagnosis and curatively resecting the lesion. The pathology revealed gastric LELC with vertical invasion to the submucosa. No remnant cancer and no lymph node metastasis were noted after surgery following ESD. Here, we are reporting on a case of gastric ELEC along with reviewing the relevant literature. We believe this is the first case of gastric ELEC that was successfully diagnosed and managed by ESD.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma ; Female ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Pyloric Antrum ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ulcer