BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an operator-dependent procedure and has significant procedure-related morbidity and mortality. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a safe noninvasive method for pancreatobiliary imaging. The aims of this study were to evaluate the potential impact of MRCP on performing ERCP and to evaluate the decision-making value of MRCP in patients suspicious for pancreatobiliary diseases. METHODS: Two hundreds twelve patients (M:F 108:104, mean age 59.3+/-13.7) who underwent MRCP due to clinical or sonographic suggesting pancreatobiliary disease were included. We divided patients into four groups according to their presumptive diagnosis: biliary stone (group 1), biliary tumor (group 2), gallstone pancreatitis (group 3) and other biliary diseases (group 4). RESULTS: Numbers of cases in group 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 145, 43, 17 and 7, respectively. In 144 cases (67.9%), ERCP was unnecessary and 76 cases (35.8%) required neither ERCP nor any other treatment. Thereafter, these cases were thought to be a patient group in whom the workload of performing ERCP could be reduced. CONCLUSIONS: MRCP can reduce the number and efforts doing ERCP and is helpful in decision-making for the treatment of pancreatobiliary disease. Therefore, MRCP could be the primary diagnostic tool before choosing ERCP.
Aged ; Biliary Tract Diseases/*diagnosis ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; *Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Diseases/*diagnosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Bacterial gastroenteritis seems to be a risk factor of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The incidence of post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS) was reported to be in the range of 7-31%, but few studies have reported long term follow-up results. So, we investigated the clinical course and prognosis of PI-IBS three years after shigella infection. METHODS: The subjects were recruited from our previous study, in which we investigated the incidence and risk factors of PI-IBS. We had a questionnaire based on interview with 120 controls and 124 patients who had shigella infection three years ago. Both groups were evaluated for the presence of IBS, functional bowel disorders (FBD) except IBS before, one and three years after the infection, respectively. RESULTS: Ninty-five patients (76.6%) and 105 controls (87.5%) completed the questionnare. In patients group, 7 cases had IBS prior to infection (previous IBS), 12 cases (13.8%) had IBS after 1 year (PI-IBS). Four cases developed IBS newly after 3 years (new IBS). Thirteen cases (14.9%) in patients and 4 cases (4.5%) in controls had IBS over 3 years (OR 3.93: 1.20-12.86). The recovery rate over 3 years were 50.0% (2/4) in previous IBS and 25% (3/12) in PI-IBS. The incidence of PI-IBS after 3 years in previous FBD subjects was 28.6% and was 10.6% in normals (p<0.05). The female gender was a risk factor for FBD. CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial gastroenteritis is a trigger factor of IBS. About a quarter of PI-IBS patients are recovered over 3 years. Previous FBD except IBS is a risk factor after 3 years.
Adult ; Dysentery, Bacillary/*complications ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/*etiology ; Male

Surgery is a definite treatment for rectal cancer by resecting the tumor. Surgeon not only aims to cure the patient but aims to relieve distressing symptoms as well. Unfortunately, patients may suffer adverse consequences from such surgery. The operative dissection of the rectum may damage the pelvic autonomic nerves disturbing bladder and sexual function. The construction of a permanent colostomy following an abdominoperineal resection may be associated with one or more physical problems as well as clinically significant psychosocial problems as well. The advances in knowledge of tumor biology and the improvements of surgical techniques and devices result in an increasing number of sphincter saving procedures such as low anterior resection. Although avoiding permanent stoma is generally regarded as a favorable outcome measure, patients undergoing sphincter-saving surgery may develop a number of unpleasant symptoms, typically fecal soiling and urgency, especially with low anastomosis. It is evident that the consequences of rectal surgery have an important bearing on quality of life. Although differences in definition exist, quality of life may be regarded as representing an individual's ability to carry out daily activities, as well as satisfaction with personal performance and with balance between disease control and adverse effects of treatment. In addition to traditional endpoints, such as survival and disease recurrences, assessing quality of life is necessary to provide a proper, comprehensive understanding of the outcome of surgery and other forms of treatment.
Digestive System Surgical Procedures/adverse effects ; Humans ; Postoperative Complications ; *Quality of Life ; Rectal Neoplasms/*surgery

Pathologic evaluation of the resected specimen is a critical component when managing the patients with rectal cancer, from initial diagnosis through definitive treatment. The best estimation of prognosis in rectal cancer is related to the anatomic extent of disease determined by pathology. Although a large number of staging system has been developed for rectal cancer over the years, use of TNM staging system of the AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) and the UICC (International Union Against Cancer) are gaining popularity among the colorectal surgeons. Multiple genetic alterations are the prerequisite for carcinogenesis including rectal cancer. Although numerous molecular markers are investigated in relation to prognosis or response to therapy of rectal cancer, those molecular markers could not provide sufficient evidence for the incorporation of available prognostic biomarkers into clinical practice. In this article, the evolution of staging system of rectal cancer and its prognostic relevance are reviewed comprehensively.
Humans ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms/*pathology ; Tumor Markers, Biological/analysis

The current conventional treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer with stage II or III is surgery following or followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT), which improved local control and overall survival when compared with surgery alone. Recently, a prospective randomized study with a large sample size and long-term follow-up reported that preoperative CRT resulted in improved local control and sphincter preservation, reduced toxicities, and comparative overall survival when compared with postoperative CRT. However, diagnostic imaging for accurate stage should be applied. In addition, chemotherapeutic regimen, schedule for radiation therapy, and timing of surgery should be also optimized in order to maximize the effect of preoperative CRT.
Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; Rectal Neoplasms/*drug therapy

Until mid-1990s, fluorouracil was the only chemotherapeutic agent available for the treatment of colorectal cancer. The treatment of advanced colorectal cancer has evolved considerably over the last decade. Considerable improvements in survival as well as quality of life have been achieved with the application of oxaliplatin and irinotecan with fluoropyrimidine as a first and subsequent line therapy for colorectal cancer. Development of oral fluoropyrimidines as an alternative to intravenous administration provides an additional option for combination cytotoxic therapy, which is currently being assessed in phase III trials in advanced settings. The appearance of biologic agents in mid-2000s, namely cetuximab and bevacizumab, and their integration with conventional cytotoxic therapy for the treatment of colorectal cancer has additionally expanded the options for the treatment. Their dramatic success has led to further clinical studies of targeted therapy in colorectal cancer, making it one of the most promising areas of cancer research. Although considerable improvement was achieved by incorporating oxaliplatin in adjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of colon cancer, there has been no phase III trial incorporating new agents in adjuvant setting for rectal cancer. However, many phase II trials on the efficacy of new agents in the setting of concurrent chemoradiation are in progress. Based on their results, randomized phase III clinical trials evaluating new agents in preoperative or postoperative setting will be carried out.
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy ; Humans ; Rectal Neoplasms/*drug therapy

For more than a decade, laparoscopic surgery has been adopted as a treatment of colorectal cancer. With promising evidences from multi-center prospective randomized studies, laparoscopic approach is accepted as an alternative for the management of colon cancer. However, laparoscopic surgery is still technically demanding and has little evidence to convince most surgeons of its usefulness for rectal cancer. Laparoscopic surgery for malignant diseases must stress on oncologic safety as well as its functional excellence. Oncologic principles in surgery for rectal cancer are complete resection of the tumor with safe margins, en-bloc resection of regional lymph nodes and appropriate treatment for metastatic lesion. Despite the lack of results in prospective randomized comparative trials, many studies have been investigating whether laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer can follow these principles. In this review, we analyze early outcomes, long-term result of oncologic adequacy in laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer, and discuss its potential advantages.
Digestive System Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Humans ; Laparoscopy/*methods ; Rectal Neoplasms/*surgery

Although optimal treatment of tumors at mid and distal rectum continues to be a matter of great debate to oncologic surgeons, a surgical goal of sphincter preservation should be considered in all patients with an intact sphincter. There are growing evidences and indications that sphincter-preserving procedure might be a valid alternative to conventional modality in tumors of the mid or lower rectum. Traditionally, an abdominoperineal resection with permanent colostomy would be the sole surgical option. Recently, a variety of sphincter-preserving procedures are performed in majority of distal rectal cancers with acceptable oncologic and optimal functional results. Several recent advances may further influence future treatment strategies and many issues are, at present, under evaluation. Here, some of the most relevant topics regarding current methods of sphincter-preserving procedures with their oncologic and functional results are discussed to establish the guideline of surgical treatment in rectal cancer.
Anal Canal ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Humans ; Rectal Neoplasms/*surgery

The procedure of total mesorectal excision (TME) becomes a gold standard for the treatment of rectal cancer. The reason is the marvelously low incidence of local recurrence after TME even without other adjuvant treatment, which has been reported by several independent groups. Although controversy still exists about the role of TME in upper rectal cancer, it is now widely accepted for cancers of the middle and lower third. There are number of histopathological evidences that cancer cells can spread distally several centimeters from the lower margin of cancer, and cancer bearing lymph nodes are found in the distal portion of the mesorectal tissues far from the cancer. Therefore, the distal clearance of mesorectum should be peformed downwardly to the level of pelvic diaphragm (puborectalis) and the rectum is divided within a few centimeters from the pelvic floor musculature. TME defines an en-bloc procedure, along the plane between parietal and visceral pelvic fasciae. If the dissection plane is breached, the chance of visceral pelvic fascia tearing is raised and mesorectal tissue might reside in the pelvis. There are problems in auditing the procedure. As many surgeons agree, this procedure requires a learning curve. Theoretically, the autonomic nerves run between the visceral and parietal pelvic fasciae since the nerves must be preserved to make visceral fascial envelop. Any patient who become incontinent or impotent after the surgery should have received decorticating surgery other than TME. Thus, the high quality of TME should fulfill two clinical measurements: absence of impotence or incontinence and at least single digit, 5-year, cumulative recurrence rate regardless of adjuvant therapy.
Autonomic Pathways ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Humans ; Rectal Neoplasms/*surgery ; Rectum/*innervation

Rectal cancer carries poor prognosis because of metastasis and local recurrence. Local recurrence has a profound effect on morbidity and quality of life. Randomized trials have proven that neoadjuvant treatment can significantly reduce local recurrence rate in some selected cases of advanced rectal cancer. Therefore, preoperative staging of rectal cancer has an important impact on treatment plan. Two main factors in predicting the local recurrence are known as the circumferential resection margin (CRM) and the nodal status. Recently, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is regarded as a superior modality in the preoperative assessment of CRM with high accuracy and reproducibility. However, the results of imaging in predicting of nodal involvement are not satisfactory. In order to increase the accuracy of preoperative nodal staging, several efforts were done to evaluate lymph node by MRI or by pelvic MRI using lymph node-specific contrast agent (ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide, USPIO). In this review, the role of MRI in preoperative evaluation of rectal cancer will be discussed.
Humans ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Rectal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/surgery