Uncharted Territory: Frequent Relapsing, Steroid Sensitive Secondary Minimal Change Nephrotic Syndrome Cause by Solid Tumor of the Gastro-Esophageal Junction —(Case Presentation and Review of the Literature)

We reported a biopsy proved case of minimal change nephrotic syndrome in a 72-year-old patient. The minimal change nephrotic syndrome has been steroid sensitive, but the patient had 7 relapses over a span of 5 years. Each time the dose of steroid is tapered, a relapse of the nephrotic syndrome occurred. Eventually, the patient was complaining of dysphagia and difficulty swallowing. Hospital work-up with barium swallow, endoscopy, and CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, revealed a focal stenotic lesion with mild to moderate esophageal dysmotility 7/15/2022. A diagnosis of an ulcerating lesion with biopsy confirmed a neuro-endocrine carcinoma of the gastro-esophageal junction was entertained. The CT of the chest/abdomen/pelvis, 7/19/2022, has shown, an esophageal mass of 5.1 × 5.6 × 7 cm of the gastro-esophageal junction with ulceration. No evidence of spread beyond the esophagus and stomach. The histology revealed a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor of the gastro-esophageal junction. The patient underwent several rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery culminating in tumor control. His nephrotic syndrome was resolved after the tumor has been controlled by surgery and chemotherapy.

Metastatic type 1 gastric carcinoid:A real threat or just a myth?

AIM:To describe disease characteristics and treatment modalities in a group of rare patients with metastatic gastric carcinoid type 1(GCA1).METHODS:Information on clinical,biochemical,radiological,histopathological findings,the extent of the disease,as well as the use of different therapeutic modalities and the long-term outcome were recorded.Patients’data were assessed at presentation,and thereafter at 6 to 12 monthly intervals both clinically and biochemically,but also endoscopically and histopathologically.Patients were evaluated for the presence of specific symptoms;the presence of autoimmune disorders and the presence of other gastrointestinal malignancies in other family members were also recorded.The evaluation of response to treatment was defined using established WHO criteria.RESULTS:We studied twenty consecutive patients with a mean age of 55.1 years.The mean follow-up period was 83 mo.Twelve patients had regional lymph node metastases and 8 patients had liver metastases.The primary tumor mean diameter was 20.13±10.83mm(mean±SD).The mean Ki-67 index was 6.8%±11.2%.All but one patient underwent endoscopic or surgical excision of the tumor.The disease was stable in all but 3 patients who had progressive liver disease.All patients remained alive during the follow-up period.CONCLUSION:Metastatic GCA1 carries a good overall prognosis,being related to a tumor size of≥1 cm,an elevated Ki-67 index and high serum gastrin levels.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for foregut neuroendocrine tumors:An initial study

AIM： To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of endo- scopic submucosal dissection （ESD） for foregut neuro- endocrine tumors （NETs）. METHODS： From April 2008 to December 2010, pa- tients with confirmed histological diagnosis of foregut NETs were included. None had regional lymph node enlargement or distant metastases to the liver or lung on preoperative computerized tomography scanning or endoscopic ultrasonography （EUS）. ESD was attempted under general anesthesia. After making several mark-ing dots around the lesion, a mixture solution was injected into the submucosa. The mucosa was incised outside the marking dots. Dissection of the submu- cosal layer beneath the tumor was performed under direct vision to achieve complete en bloc resection of the specimen. Tumor features, clinicopathological char- acteristics, complete resection rate, and complications were evaluated. Foregut NETs were graded as G1, G2, or G3 on the basis of proliferative activity by mitotic count or Ki-67 index. All patients underwent regular follow-up to evaluate for any local recurrence or dis- tant metastasis. RESULTS： Those treated by ESD included 24 patients with 29 foregut NETs. The locations of the 29 lesions are as follows： esophagus （n = 1）, cardia （n = 1）, stomach （n = 23）, and duodenal bulb （n = 4）. All le- sions were found incidentally during routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for other indications, and none had symptoms of carcinoid syndrome. Preop- erative EUS showed that all tumors were confined to the submucosa. Among the 24 gastric lesions, 16 le- sions in 11 patients were type I gastric NETs arising in chronic atrophic gastritis with hypergastrinemia, while the other 8 solitary lesions were type Ⅲ because of absence of atrophic gastritis in these cases. All of the tumors were removed in an en bloc fashion. The av- erage maximum diameter of the lesions was 9.4 mm （range： 2-30 ram）, and the procedure time was 20.3 rain （range： 10-45 rain）. According to the World Health Organization 2010 classification, histological evaluation determined that 26 lesions were NET-G1, 2 gastric le- sions were NET-G2, and 1 esophageal lesion was neu- roendocrine carcinoma （NEC）. Complete resection was achieved in 28 lesions （28/29, 96.6%）, and all of them were confined to the submucosa in histopathologic assessment with no lymphovascular invasion. The re- maining patient with NEC underwent additional surgery because the resected specimens revealed angiolym- phatic and muscularis invasion, as well as incomplete resection. Delayed bleeding occurred in 1 case 3 d af- ter ESD, which was managed by endoscopic treatment. There were no procedure-related perforations. During a mean follow-up period of 24.4 mo （range： 12-48 too）, local recurrence occurred in only 1 patient 7 mo after initial ESD. This patient successfully underwent repeat ESD. Metastasis to lymph nodes or distal organs was not observed in any patient. No patients died dur- ing the study period. CONCLUSION： ESD appears to be a safe, feasible, and effective procedure for providing accurate histo- pathological evaluations and curative treatment for eligible foregut NETs.

Decoding white coat hypertension

There is arguably no less understood or more intriguing problem in hypertension that the"white coat"condition,the standard concept of which is significantly blood pressure reading obtained by medical personnel of authoritative standing than that obtained by more junior and less authoritative personnel and by the patients themselves.Using hospital-initiated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring,the while effect manifests as initial and ending pressure elevations,and,in treated patients,a low daytime profile.The effect is essentially systolic.Pure diastolic white coat hypertension appears to be exceedingly rare.On the basis of the studies,we believe that the white coat phenomenon is a common,periodic,neuro-endocrine reflex conditioned by anticipation of having the blood pressure taken and the fear of what this measurement may indicate concerning future illness.It does not change with time,or with prolonged association with the physician,particularly with advancing years,it may be superimposed upon essential hypertension,and in patients receiving hypertensive medication,blunting of the nighttime dip,which occurs in about half the patients,may be a compensatory mechanisms,rather than an indication of cardiovascular risk.Rather than the blunted dip,the morning surge or the widened pulse pressure,cardiovascular risk appears to be related to elevation of the average night time pressure.

Neuroimaging and neuroendocrine insights into foodcravings and appetite interventions in obesity

This article reviews the previous studies on the distinction between food cravings and appetite,and how they are regulated by hor-mones and reflected in brain activity.Based on existing research,food cravings are defined as individual preferences influenced by hormones and psychological factors,which differ from appetite,as they are not necessarily related to hunger or nutritional needs.The article also evaluates the neuroimaging findings about food cravings,and interventions to reduce food cravings,such as mindfulness training,alternative sweeteners,non-invasive brain stimulation techniques,cognitive-behavioral therapy,and imaginal retraining,and points out their advantages,disadvantages,and limitations.Furthermore,the article delves into the potential future directions in the field,emphasizing the need for a neuroendocrine perspective,considerations for associated psychiatric disorders,innovative clinical interventions,and emerging therapeutic frontiers in obesity management.The article outlines the neuro-endocrine basis of food cravings,including ghrelin,leptin,melanocortin,oxytocin,glucagon-like peptide-1,baclofen,and other hormones and their brain regions of action.The article argues that food cravings are an important target for obesity,and more research is needed to explore their complex characteristics and mechanisms,and how to effectively interact with their neuro-endocrine pathways.The article provides a new perspective and approach to the prevention and treatment of obesity.