Advance in fiberoptic endoscopy have improved diagnostic capabilities and management in patients with gastric polyps and increased experience with endoscopic polypectomy offers the most simple and safe method in removal of gastric polyps. Sixty six endoscopic gastric polypectomies was performed in 59 patients who visited Chonnam National University Hospital from 1980 to 1989 The results obtained were as follows. 1) The most patients were in the seventh decade followed by fifth, fourth decade. The ratio of male to female was 1: 1.95. 2) The common clinical symptoms with which patients presented were epigastric discomfort (54. 2%), epigastric pain (44.1%), indigestion (16.9%), nausea and vomiting (13.6%) and hematemesis (3.4%). The associated diseases of gastric polyp were chronic superficial gastritis (28.8%), chronic atrophic gastritis (13.6%), benign gastric ulcer, gastric caecer, cancer of ampulla of Vater. 3) The number of patients with single gastric polyp wa 47 (79.7%), and that of multiple gastric polyps was 12 (20.3%). The most common location of gastric polyps was gastric antrum (66.6%) follawed by gastric body (27.3%) and gastric fundus (6.1%). 4) The removed polyps were mostly 1.0 cm to 2.0 cm in size and in the gross findings by Yamadas classification, type IV (48.5%) was most common. 5) Histogical examinations revealed that 49.6% of remoyed polyps were hyperplastic polys and 18. 7% of those were adenomatous polyps. Only one case of adenomatous polyp had contaied focally malignant change of mucosa. 6) Almost all cases were in the absenee of significant complications, but three patients showed bleeding at the site of polypectomy, which controlled by conservative means.
Adenomatous Polyps ; Ampulla of Vater ; Classification ; Dyspepsia ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Gastric Fundus ; Gastritis ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Hematemesis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Nausea ; Polyps ; Pyloric Antrum ; Stomach Ulcer ; Vomiting

Granulocytic sarcoma.(chloroma) is a localized tumor mass composed of immature cells of the granulocytic series infiltrating an extramedullary site. The tumor may involve anywhere in the body, especially orbit, bone, epidural space and lymph node, but there is no case involved the esophagus. In a 34-year-old male presented with sudden anset of dysphagia, esophagoscopic examination revealed concentric narrowing of the esophageal lumen wirith alight granular mucosa in the midesophagus, which hiatologically proved to b a granulocytic sarcoma. Peripheral blood and bone marrow aspiration smears showed blastic crisis of chronic myelocytic leukemia. After the systemic chemotherapy, dysphagia and mid-esophageal luminal narrowing disappeared completely.
Adult ; Bone Marrow ; Deglutition Disorders ; Drug Therapy ; Epidural Space ; Esophagus* ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Orbit ; Phenobarbital ; Sarcoma, Myeloid

Anatomy of the pancreaticobiliary ductal system is so variable that one should think of its normal anatomy as nonexistent. But exact location of the termination of the common bile duct in important to the biliary surgeon when performing transduodenal exploration of the common bile duct, to the physician and radiologist when diagnosing pancreaticobilijary disease by ERCP. We report a case of Lnomalous termination of the common bile duct into thii. duadenal bulb diagnosed by ERCP and operative cholangiogram.
Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct*

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the mainstay of treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although various complications of TACE have been reported, cerebral lipiodol embolism after TACE is rare. We report a 67-year-old man, who had patent foramen ovale and developed cerebral lipiodol embolism after TACE via the inferior phrenic artery. At 20 months after third TACE of 3 cm sized HCC in the left hepatic lobe, computed tomography (CT) revealed about 1.6 cm newly developed HCC in the anterior superior segment of right hepatic lobe. The angiogram revealed the HCC was supplied from the right inferior phrenic artery. Toward the end of TACE, there were accumulations of the iodized oil in the pulmonary vasculature. Immediately after TACE, he complained of weakness in right upper and lower limbs and sensory decrease in right limbs and right hemitrunk. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cerebral lipiodol embolism. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed no visible thrombi but contrast-echocardiography using hand agitated saline revealed an intracardiac right to left shunt consistent with patent foramen ovale. Motor weakness and sensory decrease were gradually improved, and all neurological symptoms disappeared over 4 weeks.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/diagnosis/*therapy ; *Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Contrast Media/*adverse effects/diagnostic use ; Humans ; Intracranial Embolism/*diagnosis/*etiology/ultrasonography ; Iodized Oil/*adverse effects/diagnostic use ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis/*therapy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Herpetic esophagitis is a rare diaease and is usually deecribed in autopsied reports. Most of the cases are reported in an immunocompromised host. We report a patient with herpetic esophagitis, following renal transplantation and longstanding steroid therapy due to rejectioh phenomenon. The patient complained of dysphagia and odynophagia. Endoscopic finding revealed multiple scattered or confluent erosions and hemorrhagie tendency, diffusely scattered linear or confluent shallow ulcer covered by a whitish exudate on a elevated margin. Microscopic finding revealed uicerated squamous epithelium of ballooning degeneration, ground glass nuclei, multinuclear giant cell and intranuclear inclusion body. The patient responded dramatically to intravenous acyclovir and leading to syniptomatic and endoscopic improvement.
Acyclovir ; Deglutition Disorders ; Epithelium ; Esophagitis* ; Exudates and Transudates ; Giant Cells ; Glass ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies ; Kidney Transplantation ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVES: Recently, the studies for oncogene and tumor marker have been actively performed to investigate the carcinogenesis of gastric carcinoma, but it is not clearly understood. We investigated the expression of tumor suppressor gene and proliferation activity in gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for p53 protein (wild and mutant type), retinoblastoma protein(wild type), and PCNA was performed in 131 cases of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections of gastric carcinoma. We compared that expression with tissue invasiveness, lymph node metastasis, staging and, Lauren classification, and that expression with each other. RESULTS: 1) The positive ratio of p53 protein, Rb protein, also PCNA in gastric carcinoma was 64.9%, 98.5%, 99.2%, 2) The expression of p53 protein was related to invasiveness, lymph node metastasis, staging, and Lauren classification(p<0.05). 3) The positive reaction for Rb gene was identified in tumor cells as well as proliferating cells. 4) There was a close relationship between Rb gene expression and PCNA in gastric carcinoma (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Theses results suggested that the expression of p53 gene is related to invasiveness, lymph node metastasis, staging and Lauren classification in gastric carcinoma. Expression of retinoblastoma gene is a closely related to proliferating activity.
Carcinogenesis ; Classification ; Dronabinol* ; Formaldehyde ; Genes, p53 ; Genes, Retinoblastoma ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes ; Paraffin ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Retinoblastoma ; Retinoblastoma Protein

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

To examine the relationship between gastric ulcer and gastric cancer, we investigated petients with gastric ulcer diagnosed from 1986 to l993. We reviewed the endoscopic reports and films of patients with gastric ulcer retrospectively. We excluded the patients who was diagnosed as gastric cancer in two years follow-up. The results were as follaws; 1) During follow-up of the original cohort, there were 5 patients(0.5~%) in whom gastric cancer developed at the same site initially diagnosed as gastric ulcer. The gross type of the lesion was early gastric cancer in two and advanced gastric cancer in three patients 2) The time interval between the initial diagnosis of gastric ulcer and cancer development was from 31 months to 70 months (average 51 months). 3) At the initial examination of 5 gastric cancer patients, the diagnosis was active gastric ulcer in four, multiple gastric ulcer in one, and linear gastrie ulcer in one patient. Characteristic endoscopic findjngs were gastric ulcer with clubbing mucosal folds in three and gastric ulcer with bleeding in one patient. 4) During the follow-up period, endoscopicailly and histologically healing of gastric uleer was observed in one patient and histologic finding showed chronic superficial gastritits with intestinal metaplasia. These results suggest that gastric ulcers rarely progress to gastric cancer. However if the endoscopic findings are suspicious for malignancy, then follow-up endoscopy until complete healing should be done.
Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach Ulcer* ; Ulcer

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

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