The incidence of gastric band erosion has decreased to 1%. Gastric band erosion can manifest with various clinical symptoms, although some patients remain asymptomatic. We present a case of a mostly asymptomatic patient who was diagnosed with gastric band erosion during a routine health check-up. A 32-year-old man without any underlying diseases except for non-alcoholic fatty liver underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery in 2010. He had no significant complications postoperatively. He underwent routine health check-ups with near-normal gastroduodenoscopic findings through 2014. However, in 2015, routine gastroduodenoscopy showed that the gastric band had eroded into the stomach. His gastric band was removed laparoscopically, and the remaining gastric ulcer perforation was repaired using an omental patch. Due to the early diagnosis, the infection was not serious. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 3 with oral antibiotics. This patient was fortunately diagnosed early by virtue of a routine health check-up; thus, eliminating the possibility of serious complications.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bariatric Surgery ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Early Diagnosis ; Fatty Liver ; Humans ; Incidence ; Obesity, Morbid ; Stomach ; Stomach Ulcer ; Virtues

Transcatheter arterial radioembolization (TARE) with Yttrium-90 (90Y)-labeled microspheres has an emerging role in treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Although complication of TARE can be minimized by aggressive pre-evaluation angiography and preventive coiling of aberrant vessels, radioembolization-induced gastroduodenal ulcer can be irreversible and can be life-threatening. Treatment of radioembolization-induced gastric ulcer is challenging because there is a few reported cases and no consensus for management. We report a case of severe gastric ulceration with bleeding that eventually required surgery due to aberrant deposition of microspheres after TARE.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*diagnosis/radiotherapy ; Embolization, Therapeutic/*adverse effects ; Gastrectomy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiotherapy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; *Microspheres ; Radiopharmaceuticals/therapeutic use ; Stomach/pathology ; Stomach Ulcer/*etiology/surgery ; Yttrium Radioisotopes/chemistry

Biopsy ; Dissection ; Gastric Mucosa ; pathology ; surgery ; Gastroscopy ; methods ; Humans ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Stomach Ulcer ; pathology

Since the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research has first developed the guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in 1998, the revised guideline was proposed in 2009 by the same group. Although the revised guideline was made by comprehensive review of previous articles and consensus of authoritative expert opinions, the evidence-based developmental process was not applied in the revision of the guideline. This new guideline has been revised especially in terms of changes in the indication and treatment of H. pylori infection in Korea, and developed by the adaptation process as evidence-based method; 6 guidelines were retrieved by systematic review and the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II process, 21 statements were made with grading system and revised by modified Delphi method. After revision, 11 statements for the indication of test and treatment, 4 statements for the diagnosis and 4 statements for the treatment have been developed, respectively. The revised guideline has been reviewed by external experts before the official endorsement, and will be disseminated for usual clinical practice in Korea. Also, the scheduled update and revision of the guideline will be made periodically.
Amoxicillin/therapeutic use ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Aspirin/therapeutic use ; Bismuth/therapeutic use ; Breath Tests ; Clarithromycin/therapeutic use ; Gastroesophageal Reflux/etiology ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/complications ; Metaplasia/complications ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; Peptic Ulcer/complications/drug therapy ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Republic of Korea ; Stomach Neoplasms/complications/surgery ; Tetracycline/therapeutic use

A gastropericardial fistula, defined as penetration of a gastric lesion into the pericardium, is a rare occurrence. Such a fistula is usually associated with a huge ulcer in the gastric fundus, an ulcer within a hiatus hernia, a history of esophagogastric surgery, the concurrent use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The patient in this case presented with shoulder pain and melena, caused by a gastropericardial fistula that had occurred as a late complication of postoperative esophagogastrostomy and a refractory gastric ulcer. Despite the severity of the condition, the patient showed great improvement after medical treatment and the fistula was cured at the end.
Esophagectomy/*methods ; Gastric Fistula/*diagnosis/*etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pericardium/*pathology ; Stomach Ulcer/*complications/*surgery

Intrahepatic abscess is an unusual complication of peptic ulcer disease. We present a case of gastric cancer in which the ulcer penetrated into the left lobe of liver with subsequent abscess and fistula formation. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy confirmed ulcers and a fistula opening in the antrum. Abdominal computed tomogram showed a subcapsular liver abscess adjacent to the gastric antrum. Subtotal gastrectomy with curettage of the fistulous tract was performed. The final diagnosis was the signet ring cell gastric carcinoma complicating subcapsular liver abscess. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in Korea.
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/isolation & purification ; Liver Abscess/diagnosis/*etiology/microbiology ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer Perforation/*complications/diagnosis ; Stomach Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In geriatric patients with peptic ulcer, the use of NSAID and prevalence of chronic illness have been increased, but the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infected portion decreased. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of geriatric patients (aged 65 or older) with peptic ulcer bleeding and compare with non-geriatric patients (less than 65 years old). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 88 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding treated with therapeutic endoscopy from January 2006 to December 2006. We compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of geriatric patients (n=34, 38.6%) with those of non-geriatric patients (n=54, 61.4%). RESULTS: Hypertension (52.9% vs. 24.1%), cardiovascular disease (35.3% vs. 13.0%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (20.6% vs. 3.7%) were more prevalent in the geriatric group, compared with the non-geriatric group (p<0.05). The geriatric group had taken more ulcerogenic drugs than the non-geriatric group (64.7% vs. 33.3%, p<0.05); aspirin plus clopidogrel (23.6% vs. 13.0%) and aspirin (20.6% vs. 11.0%). Sixteen (21.1%) of the 76 cases had H. pylori-negative ulcer. Between the two groups, there was no difference in the prevalence of H. pylori-negative ulcer (25.9% vs. 18.4%, p>0.05). The amount of transfusion length of ICU stay, rebleeding rate, operation rate and mortality were not different between the two groups. The length of hospital stay in the geriatric patients was significantly longer than the non-geriatric group (12.3+/-10.6 vs. 7.2+/-5.9 days, p<0.05). In multiple regression analysis, old age was a significant risk factor for longer hospital stay (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The geriatric patients with bleeding peptic ulcer had longer hospital stay than the non-geriatric patients in our study. The important emerging etiologies such as ulcerogenic drug and associated chronic illness should be checked and treated in these patients.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Duodenal Ulcer/*diagnosis/surgery/therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Medication Adherence ; Middle Aged ; Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage/*diagnosis/surgery/therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Ulcer/*diagnosis/surgery/therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is widely accepted as a standard treatment for early gastric cancer or gastric adenoma. However, EMR inevitably results in the formation of large iatrogenic ulcer at the resected area. Although the characteristics of EMR-induced ulceration are not fully understood, this type of ulcer is thought to heal faster and to recur less often than non-iatrogenic gastric ulcer. Current available evidences have suggested that EMR-induced ulcers heal within 2-3 months. Herein, we report two cases of non-healing persistent gastric ulcers after EMR. One is a case of gastric carcinoma which developed at the same site of previous EMR site for the low grade dysplasia. The other is a case in which persistent EMR-induced ulcer was healed in the long run after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.
Aged ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Gastric Mucosa/pathology/*surgery ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/drug therapy ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stomach Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis/*surgery ; Stomach Ulcer/diagnosis/*etiology/pathology

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been reported to have a higher bleeding rate than conventional methods. However, there are few reports on whether a proton pump inhibitor or a histamine2-receptor antagonist is the more effective treatment for preventing bleeding after ESD. In a prospective trial, patients undergoing ESD due to gastric adenoma or adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned to pantoprazole or famotidine. Both drugs were given intravenously for the first 2 days, thereafter by mouth. Eighty-five in the pantoprazole group and 79 in the famotidine group were included for analysis. Primary outcome measure was the delayed bleeding rate. Clinical characteristics were not different between the two groups. The delayed bleeding rate was significantly lower in the pantoprazole group compared with the famotidine group (3.5% vs. 12.7%, p=0.031). On multivariate analysis, the preventive use of pantoprazole (relative hazard: 0.220, 95% CI: 0.051- 0.827, p=0.026) and the specimen size (> or =34 mm, relative hazard: 4.178, 95% CI: 1.229-14.197, p=0.022) were two independent factors predictive of delayed bleeding. There were no significant differences in en bloc and complete resection rate between the two groups. In conclusion, pantoprazole is more effective than famotidine for the prevention of delayed bleeding after ESD.
2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles/*therapeutic use ; Aged ; Anti-Ulcer Agents/*therapeutic use ; Dissection ; Famotidine/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa/*surgery ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/*prevention & control ; *Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Hemorrhage/*prevention & control ; Prospective Studies ; Single-Blind Method ; Stomach Neoplasms/*surgery

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the correlation of CD44v6 and sCD44v6 expression with the biological activity of gastric carcinoma.

METHODSMucosa samples from 103 gastric carcinoma patients and 10 healthy persons (control) were examined using immunohistochemical SP method; sCD44v6 level in peripheral blood samples was detected with ELISA in 86 gastric cancer patients, 30 gastric ulcer patients and 30 healthy controls. The follow-up period was 3-91 months for 88 patients in CD44v6 group and 1-91 months for 55 patients in sCD44v6 group.

RESULTS(1) Positive expression of CD44v6 was found in 60.2% of gastric carcinoma, where as 0% in the normal gastric mucosa. CD44v6 protein expression was positively correlated with TNM stage, perigastric lymph node metastasis, presence of cancerous embolic angiopathy and Borrmann classification (P <0.05), but was not correlated with invasion depth, differentiation, metastasis and survival (P > 0.05); 77.8% of the patient with liver metastasis had a strong CD44v6 protein expression. (2) sCD44v6 level in the peripheral blood of gastric carcinoma patient was significantly higher than that in gastric ulcer patient or healthy control; Compared with palliative gastrectomy, sCD44v6 level significantly went down after radical operation. No relationship between sCD44v6 level and the pathological features was found, which included invasion depth, perigastric lymph node metastasis, presence of cancerous embolic angiopathy, differentiation and Borrmann classification; The survival in the high sCD44v6 level group was longer than that in low sCD44v6 level group ( P = 0.0281), but no significant difference was observed by Cox Regression analysis (P = 0.415). (3) No apparent correlation was observed between CD44v6 expression in gastric cancer and sCD44v6 concentration in peripheral blood (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONDetection of CD44v6 expression in the gastric cancer may be helpful in evaluating the biological features and the survival in gastric carcinoma. The level of sCD44v6 in the blood may be also helpful in differential diagnosis, evaluation of surgical treatment and biological activity for gastric cancer. No apparent correlation is observed between CD44v6 expression in the cancer and that of sCD44v6 in the blood.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; metabolism ; secondary ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; blood ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Stomach Ulcer ; blood ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult