Menetrier's disease is a rare disease characterized by the presence of large rugal folds involving part or all of the stomach. Patients with hypertrophic gastropathy often have distressing abdominal symptoms, weight loss and edema due to gastric protein loss. The 48-year-old male patient was admitted to the Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital with cheif complaints of indigestion and epigastric pain. The diagnosis of Menetriers disease is established by radiologic, endoscopic, and pathologic examination. He was treated with soft diet, antacid, H2- receptor antagonist, and IV albumin. We report a case of Menetriers disease with brief review of literatures.
Diagnosis ; Diet ; Dyspepsia ; Edema ; Gastritis, Hypertrophic* ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rare Diseases ; Stomach ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Telomerase, an enzyme synthesizing telomere, plays an important role in cell immortalization and carcinogenesis. Telomerase activity is detected in large number of malignant tumors and also in precancerous lesions, such as intestinal metaplasia. It suggests that telomerase activation may be an early event in carcinogenesis. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the major carcinogen in gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between telomerase activation and H. pylori infection in gastric cancer. METHODS: We measured telomerase activity and H. pylori infection using the tissues obtained by gastroduodenoscopy in 50 patients of gastric cancer. Telomerase activity was detected with a Telomerase PCR ELISA(R) kit and H. pylori infection was examined with a CLO(R) kit. RESULTS: Telomerase activity was detected in 32% of intestinal metaplasia and 72% of gastric cancer. The histological type, degree of differentiation, stage and ECOG performance status were found to be unrelated to telomerase activity. H. pylori infection was significantly higher in telomerase-positive patients of gastric cancer (p=0.016). Telomerase activity measured by photometric absorbance was significantly higher in intestinal metaplasia and cancers with H. pylori infection than in those without infection (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that H. pylori infection may induce telomerase activation in intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer.
Carcinogenesis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Telomerase* ; Telomere

Background/Aims: Various endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) methods for gastric tumors have been tried. However, no studies have yet compared results according to the ESD method for gastric body tumors using a dual knife. The objective of this study was to compare outcomes of two ESD methods for gastric body tumors: the pocket-creation method and conventional method. Methods: Patients who underwent ESD for a gastric body tumor were retrospectively reviewed.Patients were divided into two groups according to the ESD method: the conventional method (group I) and pocket-creation method (group II). Characteristics of patients and tumors, hospitalization period, incidence of complications, resection margin status, incidence of surgical operation, procedure time, and laboratory findings were investigated. Results: Of the total of 100 patients, 52 belonged to group I and 48 to group II. All tumors were successfully resected en bloc. Resection margin involvement was found in six (11.5%) of group I and six (12.5%) of group II. Complications were observed in seven (13.5%; major complication five, minor two) of group I and eight (16.7%; major two, minor six) of group II. There were no significant differences in ESD outcomes such as hospitalization period, incidence of complications, resection margin status, incidence of surgical operation, procedure time, or inflammatory response after ESD between the two groups. Conclusions Both methods are suitable for treating gastric body tumors with adequate treatment success rates and comparable complication rates.

Retroperitoneal paraganglioma is a kind of uncommon tumor that occurs most commonly in the organ of Zuckerkandl located in the paraaortic area between the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery and the origin of the iliac artery. We experienced a case of retroperitoneal paraganglioma with an unusual location in a 52-year-old woman who had epigastric pain. Abdominal CT scan and ERCP showed a hypervascular mass near the distal CBD with bile duct dilatation. The surgically resected mass was diagnosed as paraganglioma. We report this unusual retroperitoneal paraganglioma, with a review of the literature.
Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Dilatation* ; Female ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Mesenteric Artery, Inferior ; Middle Aged ; Para-Aortic Bodies ; Paraganglioma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Multiple primary cancer is defined as the multiple occurrence of malignant neoplasm in the same individual. Synchronous cancers are usually defined as finding the second cancer at the same time or within a 6-month period after the diagnosis of the primary lesion, and metachronous cancers are found at more than 6 months after the initial diagnosis. Multiple primary cancers have been increasing reported on due to prolonged lifespans and the improvement of diagnostic techniques. Nevertheless, triple synchronous cancers have been regarded as a relatively rare finding. We report here on an unusual case of triple synchronous cancer of early gastric cancer, carcinoid tumor of the ampulla of Vater and renal cell carcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Ampulla of Vater* ; Carcinoid Tumor* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Diagnosis ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Stomach Neoplasms

Although the development of wireless capsule endoscopy made it possible to visualize the entire small bowel endoscopically, capsule endoscopy has some limitations such as the impossibility of taking biopsies and carrying out therapeutic interventions. The new double-balloon method of enteroscopy has advantages over capsule endoscopy or push enteroscopy. This method is possible to take biopsies and perform therapeutic procedures such as thermal coagulation, injection, or polypectomy. It is also possible to visualize entire small bowel through oral and anal approach and improve endoscopic image by rinsing and air insufflation. We herein report a case of proximal jejunal diverticular bleeding diagnosed by double-balloon enteroscopy.
Biopsy ; Capsule Endoscopy ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy* ; Hemorrhage* ; Insufflation

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI), characterized by presence of intramural gas cyst in the intestinal wall is associated with various medical condition. Polymyosistis, however, is rarely associated with PCI. Few cases are reported in the world, and none has not been reported previously in Korea. A 67-year-old woman with polymyositis developed mild abdominal pain and abdominal distension during treatment with steroid and azathioprine. Radiographic findings including CT scan showed intraperitoneal free gas and intramural air, compatible with PCI. The patient's symptom and clinical findings improved after the treatment with antibiotics and high-dose oxygen therapy.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Azathioprine/therapeutic use ; Cefotaxime/therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Polymyositis/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI), characterized by presence of intramural gas cyst in the intestinal wall is associated with various medical condition. Polymyosistis, however, is rarely associated with PCI. Few cases are reported in the world, and none has not been reported previously in Korea. A 67-year-old woman with polymyositis developed mild abdominal pain and abdominal distension during treatment with steroid and azathioprine. Radiographic findings including CT scan showed intraperitoneal free gas and intramural air, compatible with PCI. The patient's symptom and clinical findings improved after the treatment with antibiotics and high-dose oxygen therapy.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Azathioprine/therapeutic use ; Cefotaxime/therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Polymyositis/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A 40-year-old woman was admitted with a history of intermittent abdominal pain at the right lower quadrant area. Colonoscopy showed a 1.5 1.5 cm sized polypoid lesion that had yellowish surface, central depression, and normal mucosal covering. The tumor was removed by endoscopic tumorectomy following injection of hypertonic saline solution with epinephrine for lifting the lesion. The tumor consisted of granular tumor cells which were positive for S-100 protein, NSE, and PAS stain. We report a case of granular cell tumor of the ascending colon with a review of the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colon, Ascending* ; Colonoscopy ; Depression ; Epinephrine ; Female ; Granular Cell Tumor* ; Humans ; Lifting ; S100 Proteins ; Saline Solution, Hypertonic

Papillary cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are uncommon. They occurs almost entirely in young women. Generally, the lesion averages 10 cm 17 size and are usually located in the pancreatic tail, resulting in displacement of the pancreatic duct. A varialbe amount of hemorrhage and liquefaction necrosis occurs, resulting in pseudopapillae cysts. Resection of the tumor is usually associated with a excellent prognosis because of the lack of metastases and rare recurrences. In this report present a case of a papillary cystic neoplasm of the pancreas with a review of references. Unlike most, the neoplasm we discovered was small (about 1.5 x 1.5 cm), and, occured in the pancreatic head of eldcrly woman. Moreover it was communicated by the main pancreatic duct via a side branch.
Female ; Head ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatic Ducts* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence