Kayoko Oda

Clinical symptoms in endoscopic reflux esophagitis: evaluation in 8031 adult subjects.

This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between symptoms and endoscopic findings in reflux esophagitis. Subjects, 8031 persons without medication for gastrointestinal disease, were briefly asked about the presence of heartburn, dysphagia, odynophagia, and acid regurgitation by associated medical staff before endoscopy for assessment of esophagitis utilizing the Los Angeles Classification. Endoscopically, 1199 (14.9%) were classified as positive reflux esophagitis, and 2223 (27.7%) had heartburn, 1522 (19.0%) had dysphagia, 493 (6.1%) had odynophagia, and 1466 (18.3%) had acid regurgitation. Multivariate analysis indicated that the symptom most related to esophagitis was heartburn (odds ratio: 2.46), although ∼40% of subjects with grade C or D did not complain of heartburn. Regarding the other symptoms, less than 30% subjects with severe esophagitis complained of the symptoms and the odds ratio was ∼1. These results indicate that endoscopic esophagitis was not equivalent to any reflux symptoms from which subjects suffered in their daily lives.

Endoscopic closure of perforations caused by EMR in the stomach by application of metallic clips

BACKGROUND The number of complications associated with use of EMR for early-stage gastric cancer, including perforation, has increased with the increasing use of this procedure. Endoscopic clip application was performed in patients who sustained a perforation as a result of EMR for gastric neoplasm. PATIENTS AND METHODS Seven patients who underwent endoscopic application of metallic clips to close perforations were studied. The omental patch method was applied in one case with a large perforation. OBSERVATIONS In all patients, endoscopic clip application successfully closed the perforation of the stomach, which occurred after EMR. No patient required laparotomy. CONCLUSIONS The technique of endoscopic clip application might be useful for treatment of patients who sustain a perforation caused by EMR.

Evaluation of endoscopic hemostasis with metallic hemoclips for bleeding gastric ulcer: comparison with endoscopic injection of absolute ethanol in a prospective, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE:Although metallic hemoclips have been used for hemostasis of bleeding ulcer, there have been few prospective trials to evaluate their efficacy. In this study, a prospective, randomized trial was performed to evaluate endoscopic hemoclipping for bleeding gastric ulcer in comparison with endoscopic injection of absolute ethanol.METHODS:During the period 1995–1998, 126 gastric ulcer patients with bleeding or nonbleeding visible vessel were considered for entry. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: endoscopic hemostasis performed with injection of absolute ethanol (group I, n = 42), hemoclipping (group II, n = 42), and a combination of the two methods (group III, n = 42).RESULTS:The permanent hemostatic rate was 85.7% in group I, 90.5% in group II, and 92.9% in group III. The mean volume of blood transfusion was 313 ± 77 ml in group I, 274 ± 54 ml in group II, and 163 ± 42 ml in group III, which was significantly less than in groups I or II (p < 0.05). No patients required emergency surgery. Five patients died within a month after initial hemostasis as a result of unrelated conditions.CONCLUSIONS:Endoscopic hemostasis with hemoclips for bleeding gastric ulcer was as effective and safe as that with injection of absolute ethanol, and a combination of ethanol injection and hemoclips did not result in a great advantage over the two individual procedures.

Dysphagia associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease is improved by proton pump inhibitor

This study aimed to determine whether dysphagia associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease was effectively treated with rabeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor. Sixty-eight outpatients with gastroesophageal reflux-associated dysphagia were enrolled in this study. Endoscopic esophagitis was confirmed in 52 of 68 subjects. The proton pump inhibitor rabeprazole was administered at 20 mg daily for 8 weeks. Rabeprazole was administered for a further 6 months to 16 subjects whose dysphagia was improved (10 mg/day) and 5 of these underwent 24-hr esophageal pH monitoring before and after treatment. Dysphagia was completely resolved in 40 of 68 subjects, which were categorized in Group I. Dysphagia improved partially in 20 subjects and was unchanged in 8 subjects. These 28 subjects were categorized into Group II. Comparison was made between Group I and Group II and multivariate analysis demonstrated that the only factor that correlated with the effect of rabeprazole on dysphagia was “improvement in heartburn symptoms.” There were no relapses of symptoms during the 6-month follow-up period, and pH monitoring showed sustained suppression of acid secretion.The results indicate that rabeprazole is effective in the treatment of dysphagia associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease. We were, however, unable to elicit any factors that could predict the therapeutic effect of rabeprazole before commencing treatment.

Normalization of Phospholipids Concentration of the Gastric Mucosa was Observed in Patients with Peptic Ulcer after Eradication of Helicobacter pylori

Background. Phospholipids concentration in the gastric mucosa decreased in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of eradication of H. pylori on decreasing the phospholipids concentration in the gastric mucosa in patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer.

Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients without hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparison of longterm survival between prophylactic therapy and emergency therapy

Background: This study aimed to determine whether prophylactic endoscopic injection sclerotherapy prolonged survival in patients with esophageal varices complicated by liver cirrhosis in the absence of hepatocellular carcinoma, compared with emergency sclerotherapy. Methods: The subjects included 160 patients suffering from esophageal varices complicated by liver cirrhosis without hepatocellular carcinoma. Sixty-eight patients underwent emergency therapy for bleeding varices and the remaining 92 patients underwent prophylactic sclerotherapy. All subjects continued to receive therapy until the varices disappeared. Results: Five-year survival was significantly better in the prophylactic group compared with the emergency group. During the 5-year observation period, 20 of the 68 patients in the emergency group experienced rebleeding and 5 patients died as a result of rebleeding. These rates were significantly higher than those in the prophylactic group (1 of 9 patients with bleeding died among the 92 prophylactic sclerotherapy patients). Multivariate analysis showed that prophylactic therapy and Childs C hepatic function were significant factors for 5-year survival. Conclusions: Prophylactic sclerotherapy for esophageal varices might be more effective in prolonging longterm survival of patients complicated by liver cirrhosis in the absence of hepatocellular carcinoma, compared with emergency sclerotherapy.