Chen-Shuan Chung

Risk factors for second primary neoplasia of esophagus in newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients: a case–control study

BackgroundThe prevalence of esophageal neoplasia in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients is not low; however, routine esophageal surveillance is not included in staging of newly-diagnosed H&N cancers. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for synchronous esophageal neoplasia and the impact of endoscopy on management of H&N cancer patients.MethodsA total of 129 newly diagnosed H&N cancer patients who underwent endoscopy with white-light imaging, narrow-band imaging (NBI) with magnifying endoscopy (ME), and chromoendoscopy with 1.5% Lugol’s solution, before definite treatment were enrolled prospectively.Results60 esophageal lesions were biopsied from 53 (41.1%) patients, including 11 low-grade, 14 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and 12 invasive carcinoma in 30 (23.3%) patients. Alcohol consumption [odds ratio (OR) 5.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-26.44], advanced stage (stage III and IV) of index H&N cancers (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.11-7.99), and lower body mass index (BMI) (every 1-kg/m2 increment with OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76-0.99) were independent risk factors for synchronous esophageal neoplasia. NBI with ME was the ideal screening tool (sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 97.3%, 94.1%, and 96.3%, respectively, for detection of dysplastic and cancerous esophageal lesions). The treatment strategy was modified after endoscopy in 20 (15.5%) patients. The number needed to screen was 6.45 (95% CI 4.60-10.90).ConclusionsNBI-ME surveillance of esophagus should be done in newly-diagnosed H&N cancer patients, especially those with alcohol drinking, lower BMI, and advanced stage of primary tumor.

Ileal Crohn's disease with perforation misdiagnosed as ruptured appendicitis: A case report

Department of Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, TaiwanReceived 2 July 2013; received in revised form 6 July 2013; accepted 9 July 2013Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic transmural inflammationof any part of the alimentary tract, especially the distalileum and the proximal large bowel. CD is diagnosedthrough history, diagnostic images, and pathological find-ings.

A modified bowel preparation protocol improves the quality of bowel cleansing for colonoscopy

Adequate colonic cleansing is essential for a high quality colonoscopy. Few studies have investigated the association between patient education and quality of bowel preparation. The control group comprised 165 participants who underwent colonoscopy after a standard bowel preparation protocol during the period September–October 2013 and the study group comprised 251 individuals who underwent colonoscopy after a modified bowel preparation protocol during the period January–February 2014. The modified bowel preparation protocol included an instructional video and leaflet, a dietician‐designed 2‐day low fiber diet, a follow‐up phone message, and information to confirm stool characteristics. The Aronchick Bowel Preparation Scale was used to define the quality of bowel preparation. The endoscopists who performed the procedures were blinded to the preparation protocols. The percentage of participants with excellent bowel preparation quality was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (35.9% vs. 21.8%, p = 0.002). Also, the percentage of participants with poorly prepared bowels was significantly higher in the control group than in the study group (3% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.042). Moreover, the adenoma detection rate was significantly higher in the study group (35.1% vs. 24.8%, p = 0.028). The results show that the quality of bowel cleansing can be improved by providing patients with a modified bowel preparation protocol.

Long Term Outcome of Routine Image-enhanced Endoscopy in Newly Diagnosed Head and Neck Cancer: a Prospective Study of 145 Patients.

Synchronous second primary tumors (SPTs), especially esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are not uncommon. Image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE) screening may identify SPTs while there is no evidence to support its benefit. We prospectively recruited an adult cohort with newly-diagnosed HNSCC for IEE screening of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract neoplasia. 145 HNSCC patients were recruited. 22 (15.2%) patients had synchronous UGI tract neoplasia, including 20 ESCNs and 2 gastric adenocarcinoma. At a median follow-up of 2.72 (±1.73) years, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 0.71. HNSCC patients with synchronous ESCN/UGI tract neoplasia had poorer prognosis than those without (multivariate analysis, hazard ratio [HR] 2.75/2.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11~6.82/1.15~6.80, p = 0.03/0.02). HNSCC patients with advanced (stage III&IV) ESCN had worst survivals (p < 0.001). Among those with synchronous ESCNs, hypopharyngeal cancers were associated with poorer prognosis when compared with oral cancers (HR 2.36, 95% CI 1.08~5.15, p = 0.03). IEE screening for UGI SPTs in HNSCC patients could be used for risk stratification and prognosis prediction. HNSCC patients with advanced ESCN had the worst prognosis. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the survival benefits from IEE screening.

Protein C deficiency related obscure gastrointestinal bleeding treated by enteroscopy and anticoagulant therapy

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding is an uncommonly encountered and difficult-to-treat clinical problem in gastroenterology, but advancements in endoscopic and radiologic imaging modalities allow for greater accuracy in diagnosing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Ectopic varices account for less than 5% of all variceal bleeding cases, and jejunal variceal bleeding due to extrahepatic portal hypertension is rare. We present a 47-year-old man suffering from obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed multiple vascular tufts around the proximal jejunum but no evidence of cirrhosis, and a visible hypodense filling defect suggestive of thrombus was visible in the superior mesenteric vein. Enteroscopy revealed several serpiginous varices in the proximal jejunum. Serologic data disclosed protein C deficiency (33.6%). The patient was successfully treated by therapeutic balloon-assisted enteroscopy and long-term anticoagulant therapy, which is normally contraindicated in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Diagnostic modalities for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, such as capsule endoscopy, computed tomography enterography, magnetic resonance enterography, and enteroscopy, were also reviewed in this article.

Aortic pseudoaneurysm formation following concurrent chemoradiotherapy and metallic stent insertion in a patient with esophageal cancer.

AbstractAortic pseudoaneurysm formation subsequent to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for esophageal cancer patient with esophageal metallic stent insertion is a rare condition.A 52-year-old man with esophageal cancer, cT4N1M0, stage IIIC, was treated with concurrent weekly cisplatin (30 mg/m2) and 5-Fluorouracil (500 mg/m2) as well as radiotherapy (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions) for 6 weeks. An esophageal metallic stent was inserted for dysphagia 1 week after initiation of CCRT. During the treatment regimen, the platelet count dropped to less than 200 × 103 /&mgr;L. One month after the completion of CCRT, chest CT revealed the presence of an aortic pseudoaneurysm as well as aortoesophageal fistulas. A thoracic aortic endografting was performed and the patient responded well to surgery. However, the patient died 2 months later due to a nosocomial infection.Multimodality treatment for esophageal cancer comprising cisplatin-based CCRT and esophageal metallic stent placement near a great vessel may increase the risk of pseudoaneurysm formation.

Single-balloon enteroscopy for the management of a bleeding Dieulafoy lesion in the jejunal diverticulum

Please cite this article in press as: Ch jejunal diverticulum, Journal of the 0929-6646/

Esophageal Metal Stents with Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer: Safe or Not?

see front matter Copyr doi:10.1016/j.jfma.2011.09.011 Abstract Approaching the “dark continent” of gastrointestinal tract, i.e., the small bowel, is always challenging to gastroenterologists. With the coming era of balloon-assisted enteroscopy, deep intubation of the small intestine for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes has become possible. Here we describe a 60-year-old man who came to our emergency department because of overt gastrointestinal bleeding. An antegrade single-balloon enteroscopy showed a Dieulafoy lesion in the jejunal diverticulum. Argon plasma coagulation of the lesion followed by hemoclipping were performed. The patient showed no complications on a 90-day follow-up. Copyright a 2011, Elsevier Taiwan LLC & Formosan Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Detection of rectal neuroendocrine tumor during screening colonoscopy and its difference from colonic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to review the risks and benefits of concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) with esophageal self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) for the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between January 2014 and December 2016, the data from 46 locally advanced esophageal cancer patients who received CCRT at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Eight patients who received CCRT concomitant with SEMS placement (SEMS plus CCRT group) and thirty-eight patients who received CCRT without SEMS placement (CCRT group) were identified. The risk of developing esophageal fistula and the overall survival of the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS The rate of esophageal fistula formation during or after CCRT was 87.5% in the SEMS plus CCRT group and 2.6% in the CCRT group. The median doses of radiotherapy in the SEMS plus CCRT group and the CCRT group were 47.5 Gy and 50 Gy, respectively. SEMS combined with CCRT was associated with a greater risk of esophageal fistula formation than CCRT alone (hazard ratio [HR], 72.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.62-606.12; p < .001). The median overall survival times in the SEMS plus CCRT and CCRT groups were 6 months and 16 months, respectively. Overall survival was significantly worse in the SEMS plus CCRT group than in the CCRT group (HR, 5.72; 95% CI, 2.15-15.21; p < .001). CONCLUSION CCRT concomitant with SEMS for locally advanced esophageal cancer results in earlier life-threatening morbidity and a higher mortality rate than treatment with CCRT alone. Further prospective and randomized studies are warranted to confirm these observations. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Patients treated with SEMS placement followed by CCRT had higher risk of esophageal fistula formation and inferior overall survival rate compared with patients treated with CCRT alone. SEMS placement should be performed cautiously in patients who are scheduled to receive CCRT with curative intent.

A rare cause of tarry stool and ileus.

The incidence of rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) diagnosed during screening colonoscopy is rising. The features and outcomes of these patients and their difference from colonic adenocarcinoma are unknown.