Isolated spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) without aortic dissection is a rare cause of acute mesenteric ischemia. A sudden decrease of intestinal blood flow can lead to fatal complications such as ischemic necrosis, shock, and death. Therefore, early diagnosis and therapeutic approach before the occurrence of intestinal infarction are the most important factor to determine the patients prognosis. A 52-year-old male presented with postprandial periumbilical pain, and isolated spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery with mural thrombus was detected by abdominal computed tomography with contrast enhancement. By the percutaneous implantation of vascular metallic stent via femoral artery, he was treated successfully. We report a case of isolated spontaneous dissection of the SMA treated by a percutaneous endovascular stent replacement with a review of literature.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are solid neoplastic mesenchymal proliferations composed of myofibroblastic spindle cells admixed with inflammatory infiltrates. The documented sites in the gastrointestinal tract include the esophagus, small intestine, colon, appendix, rectum, pancreas, spleen, liver, and Meckel's diverticulum. Biliary IMTs are rare, and IMTs arising from the ampulla of Vater have not been reported previously. Herein we report the case of a 65-year-old woman with an extrahepatic biliary obstruction due to IMT of the ampulla of Vater, and a successful therapeutic approach using endoscopic ultrasonography and endoscopic papillectomy. (Gut Liver 2010;4: 419-422)

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Metastasis to the pituitary gland from systemic cancer is a rare condition. The breast and lung are the most common sites of primary tumor metastasis. Pituitary metastasis may present with diabetes insipidus, cranial nerve palsy and hypopituitarism, and diabetes insipidus is the most frequent symptom at presentation. We report here on a 44 year-old woman with pituitary metastasis from breast cancer, and she developed central diabetes insipidus and hypopituitarism. The clinical diagnosis was made by performing a water deprivation test, a combined pituitary test and a MRI brain scan, and the latter showed metastatic tumor in the pituitary gland with invasion of the pituitary stalk. Symptomatic relief was obtained with administration of desmopressin; the urine osmolarity was increased with this treatment. We report here on a case of pituitary metastasis from breast cancer and the patient developed central diabetes insipidus and hypopituitarism. We also include a review of the relevant literature.

Background/AimsRecent data from Western populations have suggested that patients with sporadic duodenal adenomas are at a higher risk for the development of colorectal neoplasia. In this study, we compared the frequency of colorectal neoplasia in patients with sporadic duodenal adenomas to healthy control subjects.MethodsThis retrospective case-control study used the databases of 3 teaching hospitals in Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea. The colonoscopy findings of patients with sporadic duodenal adenomas were compared with those of age- and gender-matched healthy individuals who had undergone gastroduodenoscopies and colonoscopies during general screening examinations.ResultsBetween 2001 and 2008, 45 patients were diagnosed endoscopically with sporadic duodenal adenomas; 26 (58%) of these patients received colonoscopies. Colorectal neoplasia (42% vs 21%; odds ratio [OR], 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 7.4) and advanced colorectal adenoma (19% vs 3%; OR, 9.0; 95% CI, 1.6 to 50.0) were significantly more common in patients with sporadic duodenal adenomas than in healthy control subjects.ConclusionsCompared with healthy individuals, patients with sporadic duodenal adenomas were at a significantly higher risk for developing colorectal neoplasia. Such at-risk patients should undergo routine screening colonoscopies.