Soichi Itaba

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for the diagnosis of peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenitis.

The percentage of patients with atypical extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis has been increasing. Among extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases, tuberculosis of the pancreas and peripancreatic lymph nodes is a rare clinical entity. Here, we present a case of peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenitis diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) both cytologically and microbiologically. A 23-year-old man had a 1-week history of epigastralgia and low-grade fever. Subsequently, he was found to have an abnormality on abdominal ultrasound. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed a solitary mass consisting of multiple cystic components with rim enhancement in the peripancreatic portion contiguous to the gall bladder. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed to confirm the diagnosis. The cytological examination revealed epithelioid cells with caseous necrosis, indicating tuberculosis. The aspirated fluid was positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antituberculosis therapy with isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide was started based on the PCR and cytology results, and a good response to the treatment was noted. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology with PCR analysis is very useful for the diagnosis of peripancreatic tuberculosis.

Low-frequency of bacteremia after endoscopic submucosal dissection of the stomach.

Background:  Mainstream therapy for early gastric cancer in Japan has now shifted from endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) to endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Although bacteremia is reported as being infrequent and transient in gastric EMR, there are no reports of it being investigated in gastric ESD. This study aimed to determine the frequency of bacteremia in gastric ESD.

Pneumocystis pneumonia during combined therapy of infliximab, corticosteroid, and azathioprine in a patient with Crohn's disease

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is one of the most frequent and severe opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. In recognition of its genetic and functional distinctiveness, the organism that causes human PCP has now been designated Pneumocystis jiroveci [1]. The number of patients who are receiving chronic immunosuppressive medication or have an altered immune system and are thus at risk of PCP is increasing rapidly [2]. A recent report indicated that inflammatory disorders represent nearly 20% of the underlying diseases associated with PCP in HIV-negative patients [3]. Furthermore, patients

High EGFR mRNA expression is a prognostic factor for reduced survival in pancreatic cancer after gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) still presents a major therapeutic challenge and a phase III clinical trial has revealed that the combination of gemcitabine and a human epidermal growth factor receptor type I (HER1/EGFR) targeting agent presented a significant benefit compared to treatment with gemcitabine alone. The aim of this study was to investigate EGFR mRNA expression in resected PDAC tissues and its correlation with patient prognosis. We obtained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from 88 patients with PDAC who underwent pancreatectomy, and measured EGFR mRNA levels by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The high-level EGFR group had significantly shorter disease-free-survival (p=0.029) and overall-survival (p=0.014) as shown by univariate analyses, although these did not reach statistical significance, as shown by multivariate analyses. However, we found that high EGFR expression was an independent prognostic factor in patients receiving gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.023). Furthermore, we measured EGFR mRNA levels in 20 endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytological specimens. Altered EGFR levels were distinguishable in microdissected neoplastic cells from EUS-FNA cytological specimens compared to those in whole cell pellets. In conclusion, quantitative analysis of EGFR mRNA expression using FFPE tissue samples and microdissected neoplastic cells from EUS-FNA cytological specimens could be useful in predicting prognosis and sensitivity to gemcitabine in PDAC patients.

Predictive factors for colonic diverticular rebleeding: a retrospective analysis of the clinical and colonoscopic features of 111 patients.

Background/Aims Colonic diverticular bleeding can stop spontaneously or be stopped by endoscopic hemostasis. We analyzed the clinical and colonoscopic features of patients with colonic diverticular bleeding to establish the predictive factors for rebleeding. Methods A total of 111 patients (median age, 72 years) with colonic diverticular bleeding in Aso Iizuka Hospital between April 2007 and July 2010 were enrolled. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), comorbidity, medication, location of bleeding, colonoscopic findings and hemostatic methods were analyzed retrospectively from the hospital records. Results The most common sites of bleeding were the ascending (39.6%) and sigmoid (29.7%) colon. Overt rebleeding occurred in 30 patients (27.0%). Spontaneous hemostasis was seen in 81 patients (73.0%), and endoscopic hemostatic treatment was performed in 30 patients. The BMI in the patients with colonic diverticular rebleeding was significantly higher than in patients without rebleeding. Colonoscopic findings of actively bleeding or nonbleeding visible vessels in the responsible diverticula were more frequent in the group with rebleeding. Conclusions A higher BMI and colonoscopic findings of actively bleeding or nonbleeding visible vessels can be used as predictive factors for colonic diverticular rebleeding. Patients with such findings should be carefully followed up after hemostasis of the initial colonic diverticular bleeding.

Short- and long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection of rectal neuroendocrine tumours: analyses according to the WHO 2010 classification.

Abstract Objective Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) defined a novel classification of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) in 2010, indications for endoscopic resection of rectal NETs in the guidelines were based on evidence accumulated for carcinoid tumours defined by a previous classification. This study was designed to clarify indications for endoscopic resection of rectal NETs corresponding to the new WHO classifications. Material and methods One hundred-seventy rectal NETs resected endoscopically from April 2001 to March 2012 were histologically re-classified according to the WHO 2010 criteria. The clinicopathological features of these lesions were analysed, and the short- and long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection were evaluated. Results Of the 170 rectal NETs, 166 were histopathologically diagnosed as NET G1 and four as NET G2. Thirty-eight tumours (22.4%) were positive for lymphovascular invasion, a percentage higher than expected. Although the curative resection rate was low (65.3%), en bloc (98.8%) and complete (85.9%) resection rates were high. Modified endoscopic mucosal resection (88.0%) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (92.2%) resulted in significantly higher complete resection rates than conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (36.4%). No patient experienced tumour recurrence, despite the low curative resection rate. Conclusion Despite the low curative resection rate, prognosis after endoscopic resection of rectal NETs was excellent. Prospective large-scale, long-term studies are required to determine whether NET G2 and tumours >1 cm should be included in the indication for endoscopic resection and whether tumours with lymphovascular invasion can be followed up without additional surgery.

Gastric emptying in diabetic patients by the 13C-octanoic acid breath test: role of insulin in gastric motility

BackgroundImpairment of gastric emptying is well recognized in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), especially long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the cause of delayed gastric emptying in DM patients.MethodsIn 16 controls, 16 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients and 23 IDDM patients, gastric emptying was studied using the 13C octanoic acid breath test. Breath samples were taken before a test meal labeled with 100 mg of 13C octanoic acid, and at 15-min intervals over a 300-min period postprandially.ResultsIn all DM patients, the gastric emptying coefficient was lower than that in the controls (P < 0.05), and lag time and half-emptying time were significantly longer (P < 0.05). Both NIDDM and IDDM patients showed delayed 13CO2 excretion compared with the controls, but IDDM patients showed more delayed gastric emptying than NIDDM patients (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in sex, HbA1c level, or the rate of neuropathy between the two groups.ConclusionsIDDM patients showed delayed gastric emptying compared with NIDDM patients, and the 13C octanoic acid breath test is useful for evaluating DM patients with delayed gastric emptying.

Key endoscopic ultrasound features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma smaller than 20 mm

Abstract Background and study aims. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a poor prognosis compared with other solid pancreatic tumors. Diagnosis of PDAC in the earliest possible stage is important to improve the prognosis. Although endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has been the gold-standard modality for diagnosing pancreatic lesions, its diagnostic yield is not satisfactory for pancreatic tumors smaller than 20 mm. The purpose of this study was to determine the EUS findings that are useful for differentiating PDAC from other solid pancreatic tumors when the lesions are smaller than 20 mm. Patients and methods. We performed a retrospective review of 126 patients with pancreatic tumors smaller than 20 mm who had undergone EUS. According to the final pathological diagnoses, they were categorized into either the PDAC or non-PDAC group. We, then, compared the EUS findings between the two groups. Results. Among the 126 patients, we diagnosed PDAC in 75 patients and non-PDAC in the remaining patients, including neuroendocrine tumor in 43 patients, intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma in 3 patients, solid pseudopapillary neoplasm in 2 patients, and inflammatory pseudotumor in 3 patients. Of all EUS findings, three factors were significantly indicative of PDAC: an irregular tumor edge, main pancreatic duct dilation, and tumor location in the pancreatic head. The predicted probability for PDAC was 80%, 92.6%, and 74.1%, respectively. Conclusions. EUS could be a useful modality for differentiating PDAC from other solid pancreatic tumors, when the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA is unsatisfactory, even for lesions smaller than 20 mm.

Prospective, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of ulinastatin for prevention of hyperenzymemia after double balloon endoscopy via the antegrade approach

Double balloon endoscopy (DBE) allows the entire small intestine to be viewed using a combination of antegrade and retrograde approaches. Acute pancreatitis is a serious complication of antegrade DBE with no effective prophylactic treatment currently available. Ulinastatin has been shown to be effective for the prevention of pancreatitis following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. We therefore assessed the efficacy of ulinastatin for hyperenzymemia after antegrade DBE.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for esophageal granular cell tumor using the clutch cutter

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) with a knife is a technically demanding procedure associated with a high complication rate. The shortcomings of this method are the deficiencies of fixing the knife to the target lesion, and of compressing it. These shortcomings can lead to major complications such as perforation and bleeding. To reduce the risk of complications related to ESD, we developed a new grasping type scissors forceps (Clutch Cutter®, Fujifilm, Japan) which can grasp and incise the targeted tissue using an electrosurgical current. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy on a 59-year-old Japanese man revealed a 16mm esophageal submucosal nodule with central depression. Endoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated a hypoechoic solid tumor limited to the submucosa without lymph node involvement. The histologic diagnosis of the specimen obtained by biopsy was granular cell tumor. It was safely and accurately resected without unexpected incision by ESD using the CC. No delayed hemorrhage or perforation occurred. Histological examination confirmed that the granular cell tumor was completely excised with negative resection margin.We report herein a case of esophageal granular cell tumor successfully treated by an ESD technique using the CC.