• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 2023

Since the 1990s, serrated polyps have been established to contribute to intermediate cancer development, and their importance has begun to be recognized. Serrated polyps are morphologically difficult to detect through endoscopy, and an effective resection method has not been established. Among serrated polyps, studies on sessile serrated lesions, with a relatively high risk of colorectal cancer transformation and detected with difficulty, are in progress. Studies to date describe the endoscopic features as mucus cap, surface debris or stool, attenuation of underlying vasculature, cloud-like surface, dark spots in crypts, and ill-defined irregular border. Additionally, it is expected that relatively large serrated polyps can be safely removed through cold snare resection. A plan for an effective management of serrated polyps through continuous research in the future is warranted.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.374-383
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• 2017

Purpose: Bleeding is one of the most serious complications of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and is associated with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of endoscopic hemostasis for bleeding in patients with unresectable AGC. Materials and Methods: This study included 106 patients with bleeding associated with gastric cancer who had undergone endoscopic hemostasis between January 2010 and December 2013. Clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, including rates of successful endoscopic hemostasis and rebleeding, risk factors for rebleeding, and overall survival (OS) were investigated. Results: Successful initial hemostasis was achieved in 83% of patients. Rebleeding occurred in 28.3% of patients within 30 days. The median OS after initial hemostasis was lower in patients with rebleeding than in those without rebleeding (2.7 and 3.9 months, respectively, P=0.02). There were no significant differences in disease status and rebleeding rates among patients with partial response or stable disease (n=4), progressive disease (n=64), and first diagnosis of disease (n=38). Univariate and multivariate analyses (P=0.038 and 0.034, respectively) revealed that transfusion of ${\geq}5$ units of RBCs was a significant risk factor for rebleeding. Conclusions: Despite favorable success rates of endoscopic hemostasis for bleeding associated with gastric cancer, the 30-day rebleeding rate was 28.3% and the median OS was significantly lower in patients with rebleeding than in those without rebleeding. Massive transfusion (${\geq}5$ units of RBCs) was the only significant risk factor for rebleeding. Patients with bleeding associated with AGC who have undergone massive transfusion should be observed closely following endoscopic hemostasis. Further research on approaches to reduce rebleeding rate and prevent death is needed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.535-541
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• 2005

It has been suggested that the endoscopic color of intramucosal gastric carcinoma is correlated with mucosal vascularity within the carcinomatous tissue. The development of electronic endoscopy has made it possible to quantitatively measure the mucosal hemoglobin volume, using a hemoglobin index. The aim of this study was to make a software program to calculate the hemoglobin index (IHb) and then investigate whether the mucosal IHb determined from the electronic endoscopic data is a useful marker for evaluating the color of intramucosal gastric carcinoma, in particular with regard to its value for discriminating between the histologic type. The mean values of IHb for the carcinoma (IHb-C) and the mean values of IHb for the surrounding non-cancerous mucosa ( IHb-N) were calculated in 75 intestinal-type and 34 diffuse-type gastric carcinomas. Then, we analyzed the ratio of the IHb-C to IHb-N. The mean IHb-C/IHb-N ratio in the intestinal-type carcinoma group was higher than that in the diffuse-type carcinoma group ($1.28{\pm}0.19$ vs. $0.81{\pm}0.18$, respectively, p<0.001). When the cut-off point of the C/N ratio was set at 1.00, the accuracy rate, the sensitivity, the specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values of a C/N ratio below 1.00 for the differential diagnosis of diffuse-type carcinoma from intestinal-type carcinoma were $94.5\%$, $94.1\%$, $94.7\%$, $88.9\%$ and $97.3\%$, respectively. IHb is useful for quantitative measurement of the endoscopic color in intramucosal gastric carcinoma and the IHb-C/IHb-N ratio would be helpful in distinguishing diffuse-type carcinoma from intestinal -type carcinoma.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.136-142
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• 2011

Purpose: Blunt pancreatic injury has a high mortality rate, especially if adequate management is delayed. Although many guidelines exist for diagnosis and treatment, there is no consensus to date. Therefore, we analyzed the role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the treatment of traumatic pancreatic injury. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records (EMR) database at Asan Medical Center (Seoul, South Korea) to identify all patients diagnosed with trauma to the pancreas between June 2003 and December 2010. Clinical and operative findings, CT (computed tomography) images, and ERCP findings were assessed. Results: A total of 40 patients were evaluated in this study. Of these, 14 patients underwent diagnostic ERCP, and 26 did not. Of the 14 patients who underwent diagnostic ERCP, 5 were found to have normal pancreatic ducts, thereby preventing a needless laparotomy in these patients. Of the patients diagnosed with ductal injury, four were treated with endoscopic intervention, and four underwent an exploratory laparotomy. The remaining patient was treated with radiologic intervention (percutaneous drainage) to manage pancreatic pseudocyst formation. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that ERCP is a beneficial diagnostic and therapeutic modality for the treatment of traumatic pancreatic injury.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5741-5747
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• 2015

Purpose: To understand the epidemiology of different upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract related abnormalities through endoscopic data analysis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of three years from January 2009 to December 2011 was conducted with data from endoscopic surveillance of upper GI tract problems, collected from the Gastroenterology Unit, Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad. MS excel and Medcalc software (comparison of proportions) were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 10,029 (6,468 in males and 3,561 in females) endoscopies were performed during this three-year period. The male to female ratio was 1.8:1. Overall, ~30% of endoscopies evaluated showed patients with acid peptic disorders, 13.6% with vascular-related abnormalities, 10.6% showed structural abnormalities, followed by 6.3% with malignancies. Burden of malignancies was mostly observed in the older age group (60-69 years). Esophageal cancer cases decreased (p=0.0001) whereas stomach cancers increased over this period (p=0.0345). We also observed an increased incidence of acid peptic disease (APD) (p=0.0036) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (p=0.0002) cases during this period. Conclusions: Endoscopic diagnosis is useful for early detection of UGI anomalies and helpful for physicians to manage and treat varied kinds of UGI disorders. Analysis of data revealed changing trends in the incidence of various pathologies of the UGI tract. Functional dyspepsia and GERD definitely reduce the quality of life of the individual. The role of our diverse dietary habits and lifestyle associated with these problems have not yet been established, though there have been reports on the effect of coffee, spicy food, wheat-based diet, screening of UGI pathologies along with collection of complete personal and medical history details, can h elp in correlating the patients' condition with various aspects of lifestyle and diet.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2015

A choledochocele is an expanded sac of the duodenal side of the distal common bile duct (CBD), and is categorized as a type III choledochal cyst. Unlike other choledochal cysts, it can be easily overlooked because of its very low prevalence, non-specific clinical symptoms, and lack of distinctive radiological findings. However, a patient having a repeated pancreaticobiliary disorder with an unknown origin, frequent abdominal pain after cholecystectomy, or repeated non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms can be suspected as having a choledochocele, and a more accurate diagnosis can be achieved via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound. Because it rarely becomes malignant, a choledochocele can be treated via endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and surgical treatment. The authors were able to diagnose choledochocele accompanied by a stone in a patient admitted to the authors' hospital due to cholangitis and pancreatitis. The patient's condition was suspected to have been caused by a distal CBD stone detected via multiple detector computed tomography and ERCP, and was successfully treated via EST.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.332-337
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• 2006

It has been suggested that the endoscopic color of intramucosal gastric carcinoma is correlated with mucosal vascularity within the carcinomatous tissue. The development of electronic endoscopy has made it possible to quantitatively measure the mucosal hemoglobin volume, using a hemoglobin index. The aim of this study was to make a software program to calculate the hemoglobin index (IHb) and then investigate whether the mucosal IHb determined from the electronic endoscopic data is a useful marker for evaluating the color of intramucosal gastric carcinoma, in particular with regard to its value for discriminating between the histologic types. The mean values of IHb for the carcinoma (IHb-C) and the mean values of IHb for the surrounding non-cancerous mucosa (IHb-N) were calculated in 75 intestinal-type and 34 diffuse-type gastric carcinomas. Then, we analyzed the ratio of the IHb-C to IHb-N. The mean IHb-C/IHb-N ratio in the intestinal-type carcinoma group was higher than that in the diffuse-type carcinoma group (1.28$\pm$0.19 vs. 0.81$\pm$0.18, respectively, p<0.001). When the cut-off point of the C/N ratio was set at 1.00, the accuracy rate, the sensitivity, the specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values of a C/R ratio below 1.00 for the differential diagnosis of diffuse-type carcinoma from intestinal-type carcinoma were 94.5%, 94.1%, 94.7%, 88.9% and 97.3%, respectively. IHb is useful for quantitative measurement of the endoscopic color in intramucosal gastric carcinoma and the IHb-C/IHb-N ratio would be helpful in distinguishing diffuse-type carcinoma from intestinal-type carcinoma.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2021

Purpose: The use of Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in pediatric patients is not as common as in adults. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of EUS in the diagnosis of pancreatobiliary disease in childhood. Methods: Between December 2016 and January 2018, the findings of patients who underwent EUS were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Of the 41 patients included in the study 25 were girls (61.0%), mean age was 12.2±4.2 years. EUS was performed for biliary colic in 21 (51.2%), for recurrent pancreatitis in 12 (29.2%), for cholecystitis/cholangitis in 5 (12.2%), and for acute pancreatitis in 3 (7.4%) patients. EUS had a significant clinical effect in the decision of treatment and follow-up of 6/21 biliary colic cases, in diagnosis and follow-up of 6/12 recurrent pancreatitis cases, in decision-making and monitoring of invasive procedures (ERCP/surgery) of 3/5 acute cholecystitis/cholangitis and 2/3 of acute pancreatitis cases as well as in follow-up of the other cases. The effectiveness of EUS in determining direct treatment and invasive intervention was 43.9%. None of the patients had complications related to the EUS procedure. Conclusion: Although current guidelines show that EUS can be used in pediatric patients, this is limited to a few published studies. In this study, it is shown that EUS is a safe method for the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of common pancreatobiliary pathologies in childhood.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2016

The epidemiology of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNENs) in Asia has been clarified through epidemiological studies, including one conducted in Japan, and subsequently another in South Korea. As endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has become more widely accessible, endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has been performed in pancreatic tumors for which the clinical course was only monitored previously. This has enabled accurate diagnosis of pancreatic tumors based on the 2010 WHO classification; as a result, the number of patients with an accurate diagnosis has increased. Although surgery has been the standard therapy for PNENs, new treatment options have become available in Japan for the treatment of advanced or inoperable PNENs; of particular note is the recent introduction of molecular target drugs (such as everolimus and sunitinib) and streptozocin. Treatment for progressive PNENs needs to be selected for each patient with consideration of the performance status, degree of tumor differentiation, tumor mass, and proliferation rate. Somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-2 is expressed in many patients with neuroendocrine tumor. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS), which can visualize SSTR-2 expression, has been approved in Japan. The SRS will be a useful diagnostic tool for locating neuroendocrine neoplasms, detecting distant metastasis, and evaluating therapy outcomes. In this manuscript, we review the latest diagnostic methods and treatments for PNENs.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.sup2
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• pp.67-71
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• 2008

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn disease, in children is remarkably increasing in Korea. Therefore, it is necessary for pediatrician to be aware of the initial presentation of Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. Laboratory tests, radiologic studies, and endoscopic procedures are helpful in differentiating between them. At the time of presentation, most of children with IBD have abdominal pain, diarrhea, hematochezia and/or weight loss. However, atypical presentation of these diseases may contribute to a delay in diagnosis.