Use of color Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of anomalous connection in pancreatobiliary disease

AIM: To estimate the detectability of anomalous connection in pancreatobiliary disease (ACPBD) cases, measuring gallbladder wall blood flow (GWBF).METHODS: In the retrospective study, we enrolled 42subjects with gallbladder wall thickening. GWBF velocity was determined as an average value of the peak velocity of color signals on the gallbladder wall, three times in each case. Based on the findings on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the 42 subjects were divided into 11 cases with ACPBD and 31 cases without ACPBD. In the prospective study, the subjects were 92 cases with gallbladder wall thickening. Using the cut-off level of the flow velocity obtained in the retrospective study, the usefulness of measuring GWBF velocity in diagnosing ACPBD was evaluated.RESULTS: In the retrospective study, imaging of GWBF was obtained in 40 of the 42 subjects. The mean GWBF velocity of the ACPBD cases was 29.4±3.9 cm/s(mean±SD), which was significantly different (P＜0.0001;95% CI 5.48-13.2) from that of the without ACPBD cases(20.1±5.9 cm/s). Based on this result, we prepared a receiver operating characteristic curve, and the cut-off level appropriate for diagnosing ACPBD was estimated to be 25 cm/s. In the prospective study, GWBF was detected in 86 of the 92 subjects. Based on the EUS or ERCP findings, the 92 subjects were divided into 15 cases with ACPBD and 77 cases without ACPBD. When a cut-off level of 25 cm/s was employed, ACPBD could be diagnosed with a sensitivity of 87.0% (13/15) and a specificity of87.3% (62/71).CONCLUSION: Measurement of GWBF velocity, which is less invasive and provides objective values, is very useful for diagnosing ACPBD prior to the development of malignant tumors in cases with gallbladder wall thickening.

Gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding in elderly patients on low dose aspirin therapy

AIM To determine the clinical characteristics of elderly patients of hemorrhagic gastroduodenal ulcer on low-dose aspirin(LDA)therapy.METHODS A total of 1105 patients with hemorrhagic gastroduodenal ulcer treated in our hospital between January 2000 and March 2016 were grouped by age and drugs used,and these groups were compared in several factors.These groups were compared in terms of length of hospital stay,presence/absence of hemoglobin(Hb)decrease,presence/absence of blood transfusion,Forrest Ⅰ,percentage of Helicobacter pylori infection,presence/absence of underlying disease,and percentage of severe cases.RESULTS The percentage of blood transfusion(62.6%vs 47.7%,P<0.001),Hb decrease(53.8% vs 40.8%,P<0.001),and the length of hospital stay(23.5 d vs 16.7 d,P<0.001)were significantly greater in those on drug therapy.The percentage of blood transfusion(65.3%vs 47.8%,P<0.001),Hb decrease(54.2%vs 42.1%,P<0.001),and length of hospital stay(23.3 d vs 17.5 d,P<0.001)were significantly greater in the elderly.In comparison with the LDA monotherapy group,the percentage of severe cases was significantly higher in the LDA combination therapy group when elderly patients were concerned(16.1%vs34.0%,P=0.030).Meanwhile,among those on LDA monotherapy,there was no significant difference between elderly and non-elderly(16.1%vs 16.0%,P=0.985).CONCLUSION A combination of LDA with antithrombotic drugs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs)contributes to aggravation.And advanced age is not an aggravating factor when LDA monotherapy is used.

Endoscopic papillectomy of minor papillar adenoma associated with pancreas divisum

Tumors of the minor papilla of the duodenum are quite rare.We successfully and safely treated an 18-mm adenoma of the minor papilla associated with pancreas divisum using endoscopic papillectomy.A 64-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for treatment of an asymptomatic mass in the minor papilla detected by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.Endscopic analysis showed an 18-mm,whitish,sessile mass,located in the duodenum proximal to a normal-appearing major papilla.Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography did not reveal the pancreatic duct.Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed a lack of the ventral pancreatic duct.We suspected this case was associated with pancreatic divisum;therefore,we performed endoscopic papillectomy of the minor papilla tumor.Subsequently,endoscopic pancreatic stent placement in the minor papilla was done to prevent drainage disturbance.The patient has been asymptomatic without recurrence of tumor or stenosis of the Santorini orifice upon endoscopic examination for the past 2 years.

Curative resection with endoscopic submucosal dissection of early gastric cancer in Helicobacter pylori-negative Ménétrier’s disease:A case report

BACKGROUND Adult-onset Ménétrier’s disease is strongly associated with Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection and an elevated risk of carcinogenesis.Cases of early-stage gastric cancer developed in H.pylori-negative Ménétrier’s disease are extremely rare.We report a case of early gastric cancer in H.pylori-negative Ménétrier’s disease that was curatively resected with endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD).CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old woman was referred to our hospital after her medical examination detected anemia.Contrast-enhanced upper gastrointestinal(UGI)radiography revealed translucency of the nodule-aggregating surface with giant rugae.Blood tests showed hypoproteinemia and were negative for serum H.pylori immunoglobulin G antibodies.The 99mTc-DTPA-human serum albumin scintigraphy showed protein loss from the stomach.UGI endoscopy showed a 40-mm protruding erythematous lesion on giant rugae of the greater curvature of lower gastric body,suggesting early-stage gastric cancer due to Ménétrier’s disease.En bloc resection with ESD was performed for diagnosis and treatment.Histology of ESD showed well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma.The cancer was confined to the mucosa,and complete curative resection was achieved.Foveolar hyperplasia and atrophy of the gastric glands were observed in non-tumor areas,histologically corresponding to Ménétrier’s disease.Three years after ESD,gastric cancer had not recurred,and Ménétrier’s disease remained in remission with spontaneous regression of giant gastric rugae.CONCLUSION Complete curative resection was achieved through ESD in a patient with earlystage gastric cancer and H.pylori-negative Ménétrier’s disease.

Whole circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection of superficial adenocarcinoma in long-segment Barrett's esophagus:A case report

BACKGROUND Esophageal adenocarcinoma(EAC)derived from long-segment Barrett’s esophagus(LSBE)is extremely rare in Asia.LSBE-related EAC is often difficult to diagnose in the horizontal extent.If the tumor has spread throughout the LSBE,whole circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)should be performed,which is difficult to complete safely.Additionally,whole circumferential ESD can bring refractory postoperative stenosis.We hereby report a case of EAC involving the whole circumference of the LSBE,achieving complete endoscopic removal without complications.CASE SUMMARY An 85-year-old man with the chief complaint of dysphagia underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy.We suspected a flat-type cancerous lesion that extended the whole circumference of the LSBE(C 3.5,M 4.0)using narrow-band imaging magnification endoscopy(NBI-M).We achieved circumferential en bloc resection of the lesion safely with special ESD techniques.Histology of the ESD specimens demonstrated that the superficial EAC extended the whole circumference of the LSBE,and papillary or well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma was confined in the lamina propria mucosa showing a vertical negative margin.To prevent post-ESD stenosis,we performed endoscopic local injection of steroids,followed by oral administration of steroids.There was no evidence of esophageal refractory stenosis or tumor recurrence 30 mo after ESD.In summary,we experienced a rare case of LSBE-related EAC.The horizontal tumor extent was accurately diagnosed by NBI-M.Additionally,we achieve whole circumferential ESD safely without postoperative refractory stenosis.CONCLUSION NBI-M,ESD,and steroid therapy enabled the curative resection of superficial full circumferential LSBE-related EAC without refractory postoperative stenosis.

Medaka factor in the germline alpha(figα)is indispensable for oogenesis but not for gonadal sex differentiation

A basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor,figα,is one of the earliest marker genes of oocyte differentiation in vertebrates.In the present study,we made figαknockout medaka by CRISPR/Cas9,expecting aborted progress of oogenesis,to see if differentiation of somatic ovarian tissues is affected.Figαknockout male gonads differentiated normally into testes with functional sperm.The females,on the other hand,were sterile;there are oocytes only up to pachytene.No growing oocytes in diplotene were found.The phenotype was already apparent at 10 days after hatching,when diplotene oocytes start to develop in the control.Furthermore,several putative target genes of figαwere not expressed in the mutant female gonads.Previous studies showed that medaka lacking germ cells have morphologically abnormal gonads and female to male sex reversal occurred.Figαknockout female gonads differentiated morphologically into ovaries,suggesting that in medaka,figαknockout prevents oogenesis progress into diplotene stage,and ovarian differentiation do not need developed oocytes beyond pachytene stage.This ovarian phenotype reminded us of"pachytene checkpoint",which blocks meiotic progress into diplotene when chromosomal abnormalities are present.Therefore,we further analyzed phenotype of oocytes in the mutant ovaries.The number of oocytes at each meiotic stage suggested that oogenesis normally proceeded up to pachytene stage.The number of apoptotic oocytes in the knockout ovaries was small.Finally,we did not detect any abnormal pairings or unrepaired double-strand breaks by immunostaining.Taken together,figαknockout likely stop oocyte growth at or around pachytene via unknown mechanisms other than"pachytene checkpoint"and arrested oocytes remained in the ovary.This is in contrast to figαknockout mice where all oocytes underwent apoptosis quickly after birth.