Fumiaki Toki

Intestinal aganglionosis associated with the Waardenburg syndrome: report of two cases and review of the literature

The authors report two cases of the rare concurrence of intestinal aganglionosis and Waardenburg syndrome in Japanese infants. The patients were a 1-month-old girl and a 3-month-old boy at diagnosis, and both of them had either short segment or ultra-short segment aganglionosis. A review of 48 cases in the literature showed that the extent of the aganglionic segment is quite variable, from nearly total to ultra-short. The clinical features of aganglionosis in Waardenburg syndrome would appear to bear similarity in sex ratio and the extent of aganglionosis with those of Hirschsprung’s disease associated with Ondine’s curse, another type of neurocristopathy.

Gradual improvement of liver function after administration of ursodeoxycholic acid in an infant with a novel ABCB11 gene mutation with phenotypic continuum between BRIC2 and PFIC2.

Object The authors report the case of a boy with PFIC type 2 or BRIC type 2 who suffered from liver dysfunction at 2 months after birth. Methods and results A liver biopsy specimen revealed mild liver cirrhosis, and the findings resembled those observed in Byler disease. Genetic examination revealed a normal familial intrahepatic cholestasis-1 gene, but a heterozygous mutation for the ABCB11, C1620A (F540L), was observed. Therefore, the patient was initially diagnosed with PFIC type 2. For 3 years after the diagnosis, he had severe pruritus, an increased serum bile acid, and normal serum values of γ-glutamyl transaminase. At the age of 2, treatment with administration of ursodeoxycholic acid was started; subsequently, a gradual improvement in his liver function was observed. At the age of 3, he suffered from massive intestinal and pulmonary hemorrhage, which improved immediately after the administration of vitamin K. He was then admitted to our hospital for liver transplantation. At 1 month after the admission, his liver dysfunction showed further improvement, except for a mild increase in the serum bile acid level. This condition did not show any change during the 5-year follow-up period. In addition, the patient showed severe growth failure and was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. Hence, he receives growth hormone administration. Conclusion The patient could be genetically diagnosed with bile salt export pump disease of PFIC type 2 or BRIC type 2. Various clinical features are observed in PFIC or BRIC patients with ABCB11 mutation.

Neonatal Ovarian Cysts: Management with Reference to Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVE Ultrasound (US) has been used as a tool to determine the indication for surgery for neonatal ovarian cysts. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contributes to optimal management. METHODS Between 1993 and 2001, US and MRI studies were simultaneously performed on 13 consecutive infants younger than 2 months of age with ovarian cysts. The US Patterns were classified as complex or simple. Signal intensity (SI) of the cysts on MRI was compared with that of the liver on T1-weighted images (T1WI) and with urine on T2-weighted images (T2WI). We assumed that high SI on T1WI and iso or low SI on T2WI indicated complications. RESULTS There were 10 complex and three simple cysts on US. Of the 10 complex cysts, two had no complications at surgery or resolved spontaneously. These two cysts showed low SI on T1WI. Eight complex cysts showed high SI on T1WI and all were haemorrhagic. The US diagnosis corresponded to the MRI findings in three simple cysts. The sensitivity of US for haemorrhage was 80%, and that of MRI was 100%. CONCLUSIONS We found that MRI was a more reliable diagnostic modality than US for diagnosing neonatal ovarian cysts.

Intrahepatic biliary cysts in biliary atresia in the era of liver transplantation.

ObjectivesThe development of intrahepatic biliary cysts (IBC) after Kasai operation in patients with biliary atresia (BA) is recognized as an important problem; however, management strategy for IBC has not been clarified, particularly in the light of the increased use of liver transplantation. MethodsForty consecutive BA patients underwent hepatic portoenterostomy during 18 years from 1983 to 2000. We compared the clinical course and prognosis of the patients who developed IBC with those who did not. ResultsSeven of the 40 patients developed IBC. Three patients had type A (non-communicating cyst) and three patients had type C (multiple cystic dilation) IBC, and the remaining patients had type B (communicating cyst). Of the 7 patients, one patient underwent successful internal intestinal drainage, and one patient died of complications at the time of internal intestinal drainage. Three patients underwent liver transplantation due to either hepato-pulmonary syndrome (one case) or liver failure (two cases). One patient with IBC with liver failure was judged to require transplant, but was found to have pulmonary hypertension and was thus not a candidate. The remaining patient has survived without jaundice for 21 months postoperatively. Two of 21 patients with good initial bile drainage and without IBC underwent liver transplantation. The percentage of patients undergoing transplant was significantly higher in the group with IBC than in the group without IBC (P < 0.05). ConclusionsIBC was associated with worsening liver function. Previously, IBC was treated using internal/external drainage, or the patients were observed without treatment, with limited success. We now consider it reasonable to carry out liver transplantation in patients with long-standing IBC.

Esophagitis with Eosinophil Infiltration Associated with Congenital Esophageal Atresia and Stenosis

Background: The esophagus is physiologically devoid of eosinophils, so their presence would suggest some underlying pathology. The prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has steadily increased in Western countries. Previous studies have described EoE in association with congenital esophageal atresia (CEA), which is the most common congenital anomaly of the esophagus. However, the association remains unclear. Methods: We performed a retrospective histological analysis examining for eosinophil infiltration in the esophagus of patients with CEA following surgical repair or congenital esophageal stenosis (CES) who underwent esophageal biopsy or surgical resection in our hospital between 2005 and 2012. Results: There were 6 patients with CEA following surgical repair or CES who had eosinophil-dominant infiltration in the esophagus. All had associated allergic disorders, including food allergies in 4. Moreover, all except for one fulfilled the histological criteria of EoE. Impairment of eosinophil infiltration and symptomatic improvement were observed in those treated with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), either alone or in combination with steroids after esophageal dilatation. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CEA repair or CES in conjunction with allergic conditions and coexisting gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may induce greater esophageal eosinophilic inflammation. In addition, esophageal dilatation followed by PPI treatment, alone or with steroids, may be a therapeutic strategy that can provide symptomatic relief by reducing eosinophilic inflammation in esophageal strictures or GERD associated with CEA or CES.

Dermoid Cyst of the Colon

Dermoid cysts are benign cystic teratomas lined by skin and epidermal appendages. We report a dermoid cyst occurring in a 26-year-old female whose chief complaint was irregular vaginal bleeding. Abdominal magnetic resonance image demonstrated a space-occupying lesion in the right lower abdomen. The mass showed hyperintensity on the T2 image and the signal was homogeneous for the interior. During abdominal surgery we made the diagnosis of subserous tumor of the colon and resected the ileocecal portion of the colon. The tumor measured 5.4 × 4.8 × 3.5 cm and was soft and elastic. On cross section, a unilocular cyst filled with atheromatous material was found. Pathological examination revealed a dermoid cyst. In the view of this diagnosis, a simple excision would have been an adequate treatment.

Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder in an Infant with Feeding Dysfunction

Feeding dysfunction (FD) has recently been considered to comprise a prevalent set of symptoms in eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) in young children. We report the case of an 8-month-old girl with an EGID who visited our hospital due to vomiting, poor weight gain and feeding difficulties; her condition was discovered during the examination of the symptoms including FD. Tracheal aspiration and reduced esophageal clearance showed up in a barium swallow test and upper gastrointestinal contrast radiography, respectively. Delayed clearance from the stomach was also detected on gastrointestinal scintigraphy. Gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsies revealed esophagitis with some eosinophils and duodenitis with eosinophilic inflammation. She was not a likely candidate for eosinophilic esophagitis. On administration of an elemental diet, the patient gained weight. Esophageal and stomach clearance subsequently improved, although the vomiting and FD persisted to some extent. We conclude that it is important to consider other EGIDs as well as eosinophilic esophagitis in the differential diagnosis of FD.

Outcomes of herniotomy in premature infants: recent 10 year experience.

Background:  The timing of herniotomy in premature infants is controversial.

The effects of intestinal ischemia on colonic motility in conscious rats

BackgroundThe present study aimed to examine whether and how colonic motility is affected by mild ischemia-induced intestinal injury in conscious rats through in vivo monitoring of colonic contractions, specifically with regard to the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and the effect of nitric oxide (NO).MethodsUsing miniature strain-gauge transducers, colonic motility with or without ischemia was recorded in conscious rats on the 4th, 7th, and 14th days after surgery. Histological examination for c-kit-positive cells was performed.ResultsIn control nonischemic rats, the number and duration of contractions (NC and DC, respectively) decreased gradually, but the mean amplitude of contractions (MC) and motility index (MI) did not change. On the 7th day, the NC in the ischemic group increased significantly when compared with that in the control group (P = 0.037). The DC in the ischemic group was lower than that in the control group; the difference was significant on the 4th day (P = 0.008). The MIs in the ischemic group were lower than those in the control group. In both groups, administration of NGnitro-l-arginine methyl ester on the 7th day increased only the resting cecal motility. Pathological examinations revealed c-kit-positive cells in both groups.ConclusionsChanges such as increased NC with shortened DC accompanied with decreased MI must have occurred at the ischemic site and might have been induced by an ischemic event. However, there exists a possibility that ICC and NO do not play a role in mild ischemia-induced dysmotility.

Proton pump inhibitor treatment decreased duodenal and esophageal eosinophilia in a case of eosinophilic gastroenteritis

Primary eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs), including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), exclusively affect the gastrointestinal tract with eosinophil-predominant inflammation, where gastrointestinal eosinophilia secondary to other diseases, such as drug-induced and parasitic disorders, have been excluded.1 In addition, EoE occasionally occurs secondary to EGE. As recently suggested in U.S. guidelines for EoE,2,3 when EoE suspected by clinical and pathological findings responds well to proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), it is distinguished from typical EoE as a newly recognized entity known as PPI-responsive esophageal eosinophilia (EE) (PPI-REE). Therefore, PPI trials using high-dose PPIs are recommended as a first-line therapy or diagnostic tool to distinguish PPI-REE from EoE. The effect of PPIs for gastrointestinal eosinophilia, except for PPI-REE, remain unknown. Here, we report a case of EGE associated with duodenal and esophageal eosinophilia successfully treated with a PPI.