Takumi Maki

Rare condition of needle tract seeding after EUS-guided FNA for intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma

Background and study aims: We report on a 75-year-old man who was admitted due to pancreatic cystic lesion accompanied by a solid mass with liver metastasis. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) was performed on the solid mass, and pathological findings revealed the lesion to be an adenocarcinoma diagnosed as intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC). Approximately 3 months after, a cystic subepithelial lesion appeared in the posterior gastric wall where the EUS-FNA had been performed. We performed EUS-FNA again, which revealed that the cystic mass was IPMC with pathology similar to the original lesion. This is a rare case demonstrating needle tract seeding of EUS-FNA for IPMC.

Efforts to improve the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for pancreatic tumors.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is widely used to obtain a definitive diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. Good results have been reported for its diagnostic accuracy, with high sensitivity and specificity of around 90%; however, technological developments and adaptations to improve it still further are currently underway. The endosonographic technique can be improved when several tips and tricks useful to overcome challenges of EUS-FNA are known. This review provides various techniques and equipment for improvement in the diagnostic accuracy in EUS-FNA.

Early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis: understanding the factors associated with the development of chronic pancreatitis

The prognosis of advanced chronic pancreatitis (CP) is poor with the mortality rate approximately two-fold higher than the general population according to a survey of the prognosis of CP.　From this standpoint, the concept of early CP was propagated in Japan in 2009 to encourage the medical treatment for the earlier stages of CP.　That is, picking up the patients suspicious for early CP and then providing medical treatment for them are very important not only for patients, but also for health care economics.　In this review, we described some potential factors associated with the development of CP (alcohol, smoking, past history of acute pancreatitis, aging, gallstone, and gender) that are extremely important to discover patients with early-stage CP.

Significance of normal appearance on endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis

Background and Objectives: The Rosemont classification (RC) was developed as a consensus-based standard for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis (CP) by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), however, it is more complicated than the conventional scoring system. We have noticed that in the early stages of CP, it is not unusual to observe pancreas with abnormal appearance coexisting with the areas of normal parenchyma. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of a “normal” pancreas appearance and to evaluate the usefulness of modified diagnostic criteria in comparison to the traditional EUS criteria and the RC. Patients and Methods: One hundred and seventy-seven patients who had undergone both EUS and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) within 2 months were enrolled in the study, and patients with pancreatic cancer were excluded from the study. ERP findings were used as the gold standard for the diagnosis of CP. The EUS images obtained were classified according to both the RC and our new modified criteria. The latter includes an additional criterion to the modified traditional criteria: fine-reticular pattern (F-RP) was defined as a normal pancreatic parenchyma. We compared the accuracy between the new modified EUS criteria and the RC. Results: (1) Normal or equivocal findings on ERP were obtained for 132 patients; 113 patients had F-RP on EUS. In contrast, F-RP was found in only 6 out of 45 CP cases on ERP (P < 0.0001). (2) We investigated the diagnostic capability of our new criteria for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography normal/equivocal pancreas compared to the traditional criteria. In cases where fewer than two points were defined as normal, the incidence of normal pancreas was significantly higher based on the new criteria than on the traditional criteria (P = 0.002). (3) No significant differences were found between the new criteria and the RC across all ERP grades. Conclusion: Our new proposed “normal-added EUS criteria” for diagnosing CP was equivalent to the RC.

Application of a silver coating on plastic biliary stents to prevent biofilm formation: an experimental study using electron microscopy

Background and study aims: Biliary stent dysfunction is mainly caused by biliary sludge that forms as a result of bacterial adherence and subsequent biofilm formation on the inner surface of the stent. Silver ions arewell known to have excellent antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms. In this study, we designed and constructed silver-coated plastic stent (PS) and investigated whether the silver coating prevented bacterial adherence and biofilm formation through the use of electron microscopy. Material and methods: The polyurethane PS with/without silver coating were prepared in 6-inch segments. The silver-based antimicrobial agents were electrostatically applied onto the stent surface. The stents were then immersed for 5 weeks in infected human bile juice obtained from a patient with cholangitis, and electron microscopy was used to investigate the ability of the modified PS to prevent bacterial adherence and biofilm formation. Results: The bacterial flora did not change before and after immersion of stents in both the group with and without silver coating. Electron microscopic observation revealed meshwork-like structures around the bacteria, characteristic of biofilm-forming bacteria, in all stents from the control group (6/6, 100 %). On the other hand, a limited number of bacteria were observed in all stents in the silver-coated group, and no apparent biofilm formation was observed (0/6, 0 %). Conclusions: The significance of the findings from our study is the ability of silver-coated PS to prevent biofilm formation on the stent surface, which results in the prevention of stent occlusion.

Agenesis of the Gallbladder in Monozygotic Twin Sisters

Agenesis of the gallbladder, a rare anomaly, is generally regarded as an organogenic failure. Several reports suggest that this congenital defect is inherited but that supposition remains controversial. We described agenesis of the gallbladder in identical twins. A 21-year-old female presented with a history of acute pain in the epigastrium and right hypochondrium. Various imaging modalities showed “gallbladder agenesis.” Moreover, her older identical twin sister had also no visualized gallbladder in imaging modalities. This case report strongly suggested that agenesis of the gallbladder would be caused by a genetic abnormality.

Endoscopic Mucosal Resection Performed Underwater for Nonampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumor: Evaluation of Feasibility and Safety

Objectives Recently, opportunities to encounter superficial nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumor (SNADET) have increased. EMR and ESD are performed to treat SNADET. However, the rate of perforation is higher than that of other gastrointestinal lesions, regardless of which method is used. Underwater EMR (UW-EMR) is immersion treatment of SNADET, which has low risk of perforation and can remove lesions safely and completely. In the present study, we retrospectively investigated patients in whom UW-EMR was performed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of UW-EMR for the treatment of SNADET. Methods The primary endpoint was to evaluate the feasibility of UW-EMR for the treatment of SNADET, and secondary objective was to determine the operations safety. Results There were 14 participants, with a total of 16 lesions, who underwent UW-EMR between August 2015 and December 2017. Histological heteromorphism revealed that seven patients had low-grade adenoma, seven had high-grade adenoma, and two had adenocarcinoma. En bloc resection was performed in 14 lesions. In two patients, nodular lesions were observed in the scar and biopsy confirmed recurrences. There were no serious adverse events including bleeding or perforation. Conclusions UW-EMR may be a safe and effective treatment method for SNADET, if its therapeutic indication is adequately considered.

Simultaneous Gastric Metastasis From Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report and Literature Review:

While some reports are available regarding metachronous gastric metastasis from renal cell carcinoma after treatment, there are few reports of primary lesion detection based on the diagnosis of a gastric metastatic lesion. The patient in this case was an 80-year-old woman who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy after having developed anorexia 2 months earlier. A submucosal tumor with central umbilication was found in the gastric greater curvature. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a solid and hypoechoic mass with hypervascularity on color Doppler imaging that proliferated mainly within the submucosal layer. There was partial exposure of the tumor on the superficial layer. Biopsy was performed, as a neuroendocrine tumor was suspected; however, histopathological findings with immunostaining revealed gastric metastasis from clear renal cell carcinoma. Subsequently, contrast enhanced computed tomography showed right renal cell carcinoma and liver metastasis. Thus, molecularly targeted drug treatment was initiated by the Department of Urology. Our findings indicate that a primary lesion can be identified and prognosis can be assumed based on biopsy of the gastric metastatic lesion. Immunostaining of biopsy samples collected endoscopically could help achieve definite diagnosis.

A Case of Obstructive Jaundice Caused by Metastasis of Ovarian Cancer to the Duodenal Major Papilla

Ovarian cancer often occurs distant metastasis to the peritoneum, liver, lungs, and lymph nodes. However, there has been no reported case of direct metastasis to the duodenal major papilla. We herein reported 72-year-old woman with history of ovarian cancer surgery 11 years ago presenting with obstructive jaundice. Abdominal CT showed a small mass in the distal bile duct. Forceps biopsy from the small mass was done under endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, and histologic examination revealed adenocarcinoma. Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed and diagnosed immunohistochemically direct metastasis to the papilla from ovarian cancer. The duodenal major papilla is known to be rich in lymph vessels, and these lymph vessels are considered the likely pathway of metastasis in this case.

Case Report of a Small Gastric Neuroendocrine Tumor in a Deep Layer of Submucosa With Diagnosis by Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration and Treatment With Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Cooperative Surgery:

Gastric neuroendocrine tumors (GNETs) are rare lesions characterized by enterochromaffin-like cells of the stomach. Optimal management of GNETs has not yet been definitively determined. Endoscopic resection is approximately recommended for small GNETs associated with hypergastrinemia. However, endoscopic resection might present risk of perforation or positive vertical margin because neuroendocrine tumors occur in the deep mucosa, with some invading the submucosa. In this case, a patient with type A chronic atrophic gastritis had a small subepithelial lesion in a deep submucosal layer, and we diagnosed it as GNET using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy using a forward-viewing and curved linear-array echoendoscope. Moreover, our results show that laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery with regional lymph node dissection is a safe and feasible procedure for GNETs, especially those that cross to the muscularis propria. We suggest this approach as one therapeutic option for GNETs because it safely minimizes resection and is less invasive.