ICSP through a nasobiliary tube is a potential intervention method to prevent biliary injury by percutaneous RFA.

Background : Recently, endoscopic treatment has been attempted to counter benign biliary strictures. It is expected to be an alternative to surgical operation because of its lower morbidity and its convenience, but the long-term results have not yet been sufficiently elucidated. Here, we evaluate the short-and long-term results of endoscopic stenting in patients with benign biliary strictures, and also describe a new technique using a covered metallic stent (CMS) in the refractory cases. Methods : The charts of 22 consecutive patients with benign biliary stricture treated endoscopically at our institutions between December 1995 and December 2002 were analyzed retrospectively. Results : Stricture etiology was as follows: postoperative, nine; chronic pancreatitis, seven; primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), three; and other, three. The stent initially placed was a 7 Fr in 11 patients and a 10 Fr in 11 patients. Eighteen of 22 patients (82%) were successfully treated by the initial treatment, and stents were removed after a mean duration of 3.1 months (range: 1-14 months). In the remaining four patients, stents were exchanged once to four times after that, and a CMS was placed as the second endoprosthesis in two patients with chronic pancreatitis. These stents, including CMS, were finally removed from these four patients after a mean duration of 14.8 months (range: 8-22 months). Over a median followup period of 26 months (range: 6-78 months), one recurrence has been observed, in which case a CMS was placed in a patient with chronic pancreatitis. The CMS was removed successfully 6 months after the insertion, and no recurrence was observed during the 6-month follow-up period. Conclusions : Endoscopic stenting for benign biliary stricture is an alternative to surgery because it shows satisfactory results. Placement of a CMS would also be an option in refractory strictures, such as those due in chronic pancreatitis, if the certainty of removal is proven by cumulative experience with a large number of patients.

Background:  Endoscopic drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts is becoming common. Recent techniques using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) have made the procedure safer and easier. However, bleeding related to the procedure is sometimes still experienced and placement of the tube is also sometimes difficult in cases where the cystic wall is thick and hard. We describe a new technique of EUS‐guided drainage using a large‐channel echoendoscope, a conventional polypectomy snare and a high‐frequency current generator with automatic controls. We also evaluate this technique's utility. Methods:  Between May 2001 and December 2002, EUS‐guided drainage was attempted in consecutive patients with symptomatic pancreatic pseudocysts that had resisted conservative treatments. The EUS device was a recently introduced large‐channel linear scanning echoendoscope. A puncture was made with a 19 G needle under EUS guidance and a 0.035 inch guidewire was passed through the puncture and into the pseudocyst. Then, a conventional polypectomy snare was used to enlarge the puncture tract with the new current generator, and a 7 Fr pigtail‐type nasocystic drain was placed. Results:  The drainage was successful and insertion of the drain was easy in all 13 patients included in the study. No complications related to the procedure, such as bleeding and perforation, were observed. The clinical symptoms resolved after the procedure in all patients. In nine patients, the cyst completely disappeared and the discharge also stopped, allowing the tube to be removed after a mean of 15 days. The median follow‐up period for these nine patients was 4 months and no recurrence has been observed. In two other patients, the cysts shrank but did not disappear completely 4 weeks or more after the procedure. Since both of these patients had had previous cystic infections, they were given surgical operations. In the remaining two cases, the cystic lumen completely disappeared but the discharge continued for 4 weeks, so we replaced the 7 Fr nasobiliary tube with a 10 Fr internal drainage tube. Conclusion:  This method is an easy and effective treatment for pancreatic pseudocysts. It may also reduce the risk of bleeding related to the procedure.

Liposarcoma is one of the most common types of soft tissue sarcomas and can develop at any site, although omental liposarcoma is extremely rare. Omental liposarcoma has a poor prognosis because the diagnosis is difficult, until it presents as a large tumor causing severe noticeable clinical symptoms. A 51-year-old male with lower abdominal pain was referred to our clinic. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an ill-defined, solid, heterogeneous, and hypoechoic tumor deep in the lower abdomen. Generally, liposarcomas are hyperechoic, though 20% of liposarcomas present as hypoechoic tumors. This variation might occur depending on the pathological classification. We should consider the possibility of a dedifferentiated component if ultrasonography reveals typical features of soft tissue sarcoma with hypoechoic lesion.