Usual sources of subphrenic abscess with intestinal fistula are previous abdominal operation, inflammatory bowel disease and malignancy. Reported cases of intestinal fistula caused by adenocarcinoma were complicated by direct invasion. In this report, a 70-year-old male had a subphrenic abscess with intestinal fistula and the cause was a metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown origin. As far as we know, this has not been reported previously in the literatures. The abscess went on chronic course for six months because intermittent administration of antibiotics modified its clinical presentation. The fistulous tract between the abscess and ileum was demonstrated by tubogram via the drainage catheter in abscess. The patient underwent surgical treatment because the cause of fistula was obscure. Invasion of the ileum by metastatic adenocarcinoma was diagnosed by the histologic examination of surgical specimen. Therefore, when a fistula develops without any apparent cause, there is a possibility of malignancy, and surgical approach must be considered. An early surgical approach will prevent the delay in treatment and reduce the mortality.
Adenocarcinoma/complications/diagnosis/*secondary ; Aged ; English Abstract ; Humans ; Ileal Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology ; Ileal Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis/*secondary ; Intestinal Fistula/diagnosis/*etiology ; Male ; *Neoplasms, Unknown Primary ; Subphrenic Abscess/diagnosis/*etiology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bile duct injury is the most serious complication of cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of endoscopic treatment in bile duct injury after cholecystectomy. METHODS: We reviewed the results of endoscopic treatments in the patients diagnosed as bile duct injury after cholecystectomy on cholangiographic examinations, retrospectively. Endoscopic treatment included insertion of nasobiliary drainage catheter or plastic stent after endoscopic sphicterotomy. RESULTS: A total of twenty-two patients (9 male, 13 female; median age of 59 years) with bile duct injury were included. Endoscopic treatment was successfully performed in 12 of 13 patients with bile leak only. In patients with both bile leak and stricture, endoscopic treatment was successful in 2 of 3 patients. In 6 patients with complete obstruction of bile duct, endoscopic treatment failed and surgical approach was needed. In our series, transpapillary endoscopic treatment was not successful when proximal bile duct above the injured site was not visualized by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and surgery was performed in all cases. Overall success rate of endoscopic treatment in 22 patients with bile duct injury was 64% (14/22). There was no complication associated with endoscopic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: ERCP is useful for the treatment of bile leakage after cholecystectomy and can be used for the treatment prior to surgery. Surgical intervention is needed in case of endoscopic treatment failure.
Adult ; Aged ; Bile Ducts/*injuries ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholecystectomy/*adverse effects ; *Endoscopy, Digestive System ; English Abstract ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Warfarin and aspirin are commonly used to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Aspirin was recently found to have chemopreventive effects on colon cancer and polyps by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2. Therefore, we evaluated whether the symptoms of bleeding related with aspirin or warfarin could be a clue in early detection of colon cancer. We also assessed the effect of aspirin on the development of synchronous polyps. METHODS: A total of forty-one and 16 patients diagnosed as colon cancer, taking aspirin or warfarin respectively were enrolled. In addition, 171 patients with colon cancers were age and gender matched as a control group. We investigated the difference of clinical features and laboratory findings among three groups. RESULTS: The incidence of bleeding was 81.3% (warfarin), 53.7% (aspirin), 40.4% (control). Among three groups, location and size of cancer, number of lymph nodes involvement and stages were not different, but the number of patients in Duke stage D in warfarin group (n=1, 6.3%) were less than that of the control (n=44, 25.7%) (p=0.049). The extent of circumferencial involvement by cancer was lower in aspirin group (67%) than in the control group (80%) (p=0.035). The percentage of patients with synchronous polyps and mean number of synchronous polyps in aspirin group (34.1%, 0.68, respectively) was lower than that of control group (53.6%, 1.69, respectively) (p=0.029, 0.008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Bleeding related with aspirin or warfarin usage had no effect on the early diagnosis of colon cancer. However, lower incidence of Duke stage D in warfarin group might be related to anti-metastatic effect of warfarin. In addition, aspirin may have a role in suppressing the development of synchronous polyps.
Aged ; Anticoagulants/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Aspirin/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control ; Colonic Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; English Abstract ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/chemically induced ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Warfarin/adverse effects/*therapeutic use

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) exerts its anti-tumor effect through direct cytotoxicity on tumor cells and damage to the tumor vasculature. However, its role in tumor angiogenesis is controversial. We evaluated the angiogenic effect of TNF-alpha on BALB/c mouse colon carcinoma homograft model. METHODS: Ten BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with CT-26 mouse colon carcinoma cells. After a week, recombinant mouse TNF-alpha (2microgram/mL) were given four times on every other day to five animals and the same volume of phosphate buffered saline was given at the same interval to five animals as control. Harvested tumor tissues were stained by immunohistochemistry with CD31 and VEGF antibodies. Number of microvessels and VEGF expression were counted by light microscope. RESULTS: The mean microvessel counts per 200x field of TNF-alpha treated animals were 70.2+/-7.8 and those of nontreated animals were 83.8+/-8.3 (p<0.05). The VEGF score of both groups were 3. CONCLUSIONS: TNF-alpha treated animals showed decreased microvessel counts in tumor tissue but VEGF expression in both groups showed no difference. Therefore, TNF-alpha showed antiangiogenic effects on colon carcinoma homograft model.
Animals ; Antigens, CD31/analysis ; Carcinoma/chemistry/*physiopathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colonic Neoplasms/chemistry/*physiopathology ; English Abstract ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/*physiopathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an important cause of various gastrointestinal diseases. H. pylori eradication is essential for the cure and prevention of associated diseases. Nowdays, proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy is the standard eradication regimen. The aims of this study were to compare the H. pylori eradication rate of different PPI-based triple therapies and to find out the factors influencing the eradication rate. METHODS: From May 2002 through Febraury 2004, H. pylori infected patients were treated with the eradication regimen based on one of the four PPIs (omeprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole and lansoprazole) for 1 or 2 weeks. After two weeks, drug compliance, adverse effects, and smoking history during the eradication therapy were obtained. The follow-up H. pylori test was performed 4 weeks after the completion of therapy. The data were analyzed by Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall eradication rate was 83.5%. There was no significant difference in eradication rate among four PPIs (p=0.379). Odds ratio (OR) for omeprazole and rabeprazole was 1.15 (95% CI 0.50-2.68); for omeprazole and esomeprazole, OR 1.63 (95% CI 0.68-3.89); and for omeprazole and lansoprazole, OR 1.13 (95% CI 0.50-2.56). Smoking habit, site of ulcer, and the duration of therapy affected the eradication rate significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of four different PPIs for H. pylori eradication is similar to each other. Smoking, site of ulcer, and the duration of treatment have significant effects on eradication rates.
Adult ; Anti-Infective Agents/*therapeutic use ; Anti-Ulcer Agents/*therapeutic use ; Comparative Study ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; English Abstract ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy/microbiology ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proton Pumps/*antagonists & inhibitors

Robotics are now being used in all surgical fields. Because of increased intra-abdominal articulations while operating through small incisions, robotics are increasingly being used in a large number of visceral and solid organ operations including surgery on the gallbladder, esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, and rectum as well as for the endocrine organs. As a speciality, robotics should continue to grow. As the robotic era invades the field of general surgeon, more and more complex procedures would be able to be approached through small incision. As technology catches up with our imagination, robotic instruments and 3D monitoring will become routine, and continue to improve patient care by providing surgeons with most precise, least traumatic ways of treating surgical disease.
*Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; English Abstract ; Humans ; *Robotics

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is one of the potentially life-threatening complications for patients with liver cirrhosis, and it has a mortality rate of over 20%. Early diagnosis of SBP and immediate use of an adequate antibiotic therapy are very important for achieving a better prognosis. The aim of our study was to assess the usefulness of reagent strips for making the rapid diagnosis of SBP. METHODS: A diagnostic paracentesis procedure was performed upon hospital admission in 257 cirrhotic patients (187 males, 70 females; mean age: 54 years) with ascites. Each fresh sample of ascitic fluid was tested using a reagent strip, and the result was scored as 0, 1+, 2+ or 3+. The leukocyte count, polymorphonuclear cell count, blood bottle culture, and chemistry of ascites were also done. RESULTS: We diagnosed 79 cases of SBP and 2 cases of secondary bacterial peritonitis by means of the polymorphonuclear cell count and the classical criteria. When a reagent strip result of 3+ was considered positive, the test's sensitivity was 86% (70 of 81), the specificity was 100% (176 of 176), and the positive predictive value was 94%. Furthermore, when a reagent strip result of 2+ or more was considered positive, the test sensitivity was 100% (81 of 81), the specificity was 99% (174 of 176), and negative predictive value was 99%. CONCLUSIONS: The use of reagent strips is a very sensitive and specific tool for the rapid diagnosis of SBP in cirrhotic patients. A positive result should be an indication for empirical antibiotic therapy, and a negative result may be useful as a screening test to exclude SBP.
Aged ; Ascitic Fluid/chemistry/cytology ; Bacterial Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; English Abstract ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritonitis/*diagnosis/etiology/microbiology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; *Reagent Strips ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The therapeutic strategies of applying adefovir for treating lamivudine resistant HBV mutants are controversial. Thus, we observed the clinical outcomes after discontinuation of lamivudine to establish the timing to initiate adefovir therapy. METHODS: Fifty chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with lamivudine resistant HBV mutants who had received lamivudine for more than 12 months were included in the study. We investigated the clinical outcomes at 6 months after the end of treatment (EOT). We compared the serial clinical outcomes among respective groups based on serum ALT at the EOT and the clinical characteristics of patients with or without acute exacerbation (AE) and the HBeAg loss. We also investigated the predictive parameters of AE and HBeAg loss. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (30%) had experienced AE at 6 months after the EOT. Four patients received antiviral agents because of their hepatic decompensation. Patients with AE had higher serum ALT values and lower HBV DNA titers at EOT compared with those patients without AE. Serum ALT at the EOT was the predictive parameter of AE. Eight patients (21.6%) had newly developed HBeAg loss at 6 months after EOT. The total bilirubin at EOT was the predictive parameter of HBeAg loss. CONCLUSIONS: CHB patients with lamivudine resistant HBV mutants had favorable clinical outcomes at 6 months after EOT. Therefore, we can consider observing the clinical courses after discontinuation of lamivudine and it is not always required to overlap the adefovir for treating lamivudine resistant HBV mutants except for the treatment of patients with a high risk of developing decompensation.
Adenine/administration & dosage/analogs & derivatives ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents/*administration & dosage ; *Drug Resistance, Viral ; English Abstract ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens/blood ; Hepatitis B virus/drug effects ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*drug therapy/virology ; Humans ; Lamivudine/*administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphonic Acids/administration & dosage ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/*therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

Various minimally invasive surgical techniques in some cases of early gastric cancer are becoming common practice. However, there are rare cases of advanced cancer with distant metastasis although the invasion of the gastric wall is limited to the mucosa and/or submucosa (defined as early gastric cancer according to UICC-TNM classification). We report two cases of early gastric cancer with distant metastasis (stage IV). Both tumors were defined as early cancer because they were confined to the submucosa. One was a type IIa early cancer, histologically classifiable as a signet ring cell carcinoma (according to the Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma and UICC-TNM classification); the other was a surface spreading type IIb IIc, classifiable as a signet ring cell carcinoma, too. Stage IV factors were ovarian metastasis (Krukenberg tumor) in the former and N3 in the latter case.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell/*pathology/secondary ; English Abstract ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms/*pathology

The clinical manifestations of intestinal tuberculosis are non-specific. But, abdominal pain, low grade fever, weight loss, anorexia, and diarrhea are major symptoms of intestinal tuberculosis. Massive bleeding has been reported as a rare manifestation of intestinal tuberculosis. Massive hematochezia from intestinal tuberculosis has rarely been reported in the medical literature. Also, most of them were treated with anti-tuberculosis medication only or with surgery. We treated a case of intestinal tuberculosis presenting massive hematochezia with colonoscopic coagulation therapy and anti-tuberculosis medication. Here, we report a Korean man who presented with massive hematochezia from ileal tuberculosis and treated by endoscopic coagulation therapy.
Adult ; English Abstract ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/*etiology/therapy ; *Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Ileal Diseases/*complications/diagnosis ; Male ; Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal/*complications/diagnosis