We suggest that this system could be a good diagnostic tool for SSA/Ps using magnifying colonoscopy.

Objective We evaluated the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT) as an initial radiologic test for assessing the optimal timing of colonoscopy in patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) and investigated the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced (CE) CT for detecting colonic diverticular bleeding. Methods This was a retrospective study of 1,604 consecutive patients who visited or were referred to St. Marianna University Hospital due to acute LGIB and underwent colonoscopy within three months after presentation between September 2004 and December 2012. The clinicopathological data of the subjects were obtained from their medical records. Results Among the 1,604 patients presenting with LGIB, 879 (55%) underwent a CT scan. Elective colonoscopy was considered in cases in which typical colonic wall thickening was observed on CT, suggesting colonic inflammation or malignancy (239 patients; 27%). The diagnoses in the elective cases included ischemic colitis (38%), infectious colitis (8%), inflammatory bowel disease (8%) and malignancy (5%). Urgent colonoscopy was performed after the CT examination in 640 cases (73%). The most common presumptive CT diagnosis was diverticulum (402/640; 63%). Of the 638 patients who underwent CE-CT, diverticula were observed in 346 cases, including 104 cases of extravasation indicating ongoing diverticular bleeding. Among these 104 patients, the site of bleeding was identified in 71 subjects (68%) during colonoscopy. The rate of detection of the bleeding source on colonoscopy was significantly higher in the patients with extravasation on CE-CT than in those without extravasation on CE-CT (68% vs. 20%, respectively; p<0.001). Conclusion Urgent CT is useful for determining the optimal timing of colonoscopy in cases of acute LGIB. CE-CT may be used to depict the presence and location of active hemorrhage and provides useful information for subsequent colonoscopy, especially in patients with diverticular bleeding.

We present a rare case of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in the stomach with prominent calcification at presentation. A 61-year-old woman visited our hospital because of epigastric discomfort. A spherical calcified lesion with a diameter of about 30 mm was incidentally shown in the left upper quadrant on an abdominal X-ray. Computed tomography demonstrated that the tumor was growing from the upper gastric body, with calcification in the peripheral ring area. A laparoscopic partial gastrectomy was performed, and the resected specimen revealed a well-circumscribed tumor with exophytic growth from the gastric muscularis propria. Microscopic examination revealed spindle-shaped tumor cells with calcification and hemorrhage. Additionally, positive immunoreactivity of the tumor to KIT and CD34 and a low mitotic index resulted in the diagnosis of very low risk GIST. There are a few case reports of heavily calcified GIST, although solitary or punctate calcification of primary GIST has been reported in several case series. Dystrophic calcification of necrotic or degenerative tissue is the supposed cause of primary calcified GISTs. In contrast, appearance of calcification after administration of imatinib mesylate, which may be one indicator of disease response, is possibly caused by a different mechanism.

Background Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is technically more challenging in patients who have undergone gastrointestinal (GI) reconstruction.AimsThe aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the anterior oblique-viewing endoscope (AOE) for ERCP in patients with a retained major duodenal papilla after GI reconstruction.MethodsThis was a retrospective study involving 40 patients (50 procedures) with a retained papilla after GI reconstruction who underwent ERCP using AOE. Reconstruction consisted of Billroth II gastrectomy (BII) in 25 patients (30 procedures) and Roux-en-Y anastomosis (RY) in 15 patients (20 procedures). In RY cases, the long single-balloon enteroscope (LSBE) was exchanged with AOE after reaching the papilla.ResultsThe overall rate of reaching the papilla using AOE was 90.0 % (45/50) [BII; 86.7 % (26/30), RY; 95.0 % (19/20)]. The overall rate of biliary cannulation was 97.8 % (44/45) [BII; 100 % (26/26), RY; 94.7 % (18/19)], and the rate of biliary cannulation for intact papilla was 96.6 % (28/29) [BII; 100 % (14/14), RY; 93.3 % (14/15)]. Treatment success rate in cases of successful biliary cannulation was 97.7 % (43/44) [BII; 100 % (26/26), RY; 94.4 % (17/18)]. The rate of adverse events was 6.0 % (3/50) [BII; 3.3 % (1/30), RY; 10.0 % (2/20)], with mild pancreatitis occurring in 3 cases.ConclusionsHigh biliary cannulation and treatment rates can be achieved during ERCP using AOE in altered GI anatomy cases with a retained papilla, as long as the papilla can be reached. In RY cases, exchanging AOE with LSBE is useful after reaching the papilla.

A 77-year-old man on systemic chemotherapy against postoperative bilateral multiple lung metastases of malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura suffered from pruritus and jaundice. Blood examination showed elevated levels of hepatobiliary enzymes. Abdominal computed tomography showed a tumor with peripheral enhancement in the pancreatic head, accompanied with the dilatation of intra-and extra-hepatic bile ducts. He was diagnosed as having obstructive jaundice caused by a pancreatic head tumor. The pancreatic head tumor was presumably diagnosed as the metastasis of malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura, because the findings on the pancreatic head tumor on abdominal CT were similar to those on the primary lung lesion of malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura. The pancreatic tumor grew rapidly after the implantation of metallic stent in the inferior part of the common bile duct. The patient died of lymphangitis carcinomatosa of the lungs. Autopsy revealed a tumor that spread from the pancreatic head to the hepatic hilum. Microscopically, spindle-shaped cells exhibiting nuclear atypicality or division together with collagen deposition were observed. Immunohistochemically the pancreatic head tumor cells were negative for staining of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) or CD117, but positive for vimentin, CD34 and CD99. These findings are consistent with those on malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura. We report the first case of obstructive jaundice caused by a secondary pancreatic tumor from malignant solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura.