• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.302-304
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• 2022

Adrenal gland infection is a clinical entity of great importance, but it is a largely unrecognized pathology. Immunosuppressed individuals are at a higher risk of presentation. Herein, we describe a young female patient, recently diagnosed with HIV, who presented with severe sepsis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, associated with a left adrenal abscess. She was initially treated with antibiotics; however, due to the persistence of the systemic inflammatory response and bacteremia, endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage was performed. This procedure was successful in resolving the clinical situation. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided adrenal gland drainage can be a safe, efficacious, and minimally invasive option for managing antibiotic-refractory adrenal abscesses in immunosuppressed patients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.146-149
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• 2016

Heterotopic bone formation in the gastrointestinal tract is a rare phenomenon. Most reported cases were associated with benign and malignant neoplasms, except for a case in which heterotopic bone formation was found in a patient with Barrett's esophagus. The exact pathogenesis of the disease has not yet been established. However, most heterotopic bones found in the gastrointestinal tract were associated with mucinproducing tumors of the appendix, colon, and rectum. Inflammation may also play a role in osseous metaplasia in a case with bone formation at the base of an ulcer in Barrett's esophagus. Here, we report on a patient with heterotopic bone formation in normal gastric cardiac mucosa. A 50-year-old female visited our hospital for a routine health examination. She had no gastrointestinal symptoms, and her physical examination, blood test, X-ray, urine, and stool examination results were normal. A 0.3 cm sized polypoid lesion located just below the squamocolumnar junction was observed on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. A piece of biopsy was taken. Histologically, a lamella bone trabecula and chronic inflammatory cells were observed in the gastric cardiac mucosa. The follow-up endoscopy performed one month later showed no residual lesion.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 2014

Foreign body ingestion is a common problem among paediatric populations. Most of the ingested foreign bodies spontaneously pass through the gastrointestinal tract, but approximately less then 10% of them remain without being discharged, and trigger complications. Therefore, proper evaluation and treatment according to the situation is required. In this study, clinical progress and complications were analyzed according to the clinical features and treatment in children who ingested foreign bodies. Among pediatric patients under 18 who were admitted to Chonnam National University Hospital after ingesting foreign bodies between January 2008 to June 2012, only the patients who had their foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract were included in this study. Based on medical records, age, type of foreign body, time spent till admission, and whether the endoscopy was done or not, complication were researched retrospectively. According to symptoms and plain abdomen X-ray findings, treatment was chosen and conducted among endoscopy, observation and emergency operation. Among 273 patients, 9 (3.3%) of them had surgical removal. Seven (2.6%) of them had an emergency operation on the day of admission, and the rest 2 (0.7%) had operation during observation. Removal through initial endoscopic approach was tried in 157 (57.5%) patients. Eleven (70.8%) of them had their foreign body removed at the initial trial, and 5 (4.9%) of them at the second trial. Among 109, who were on observation status, 9 (8.3%) of them needed endoscopic removal, and 2 (1.8%) of them suffered from surgical removal. It is thought to be better to approach slowly considering the type, size and symptoms in foreign body ingestion of pediatric patients, rather than immediate and invasive removal.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.637-644
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• 2022

Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) is integral to the diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) subepithelial tumors (SETs). The impact of different EUS-FNB tissue sampling techniques on specimen adequacy and diagnostic accuracy in SETs has not been fully evaluated. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic outcomes of slow-pull (SP) and standard suction (SS) in patients with GI SETs. Methods: In this retrospective comparative study, 54 patients were enrolled. Medical records were reviewed for location and size of the target lesion, FNB needle type/size, technical order, specimen adequacy, diagnostic yield, and adverse events. The acquisition rate of adequate specimens and diagnostic accuracy were compared according to EUS-FNB techniques. Results: The mean lesion size was 42.6±36.4 mm, and most patients were diagnosed with GI stromal tumor (75.9%). The overall diagnostic accuracies of the SP and SS techniques were 83.3% and 81.5%, respectively (p=0.800). The rates of obtaining adequate core tissue were 79.6% and 75.9%, respectively (p=0.799). No significant clinical factors affected the rate of obtaining adequate core tissue, including lesion location and size, FNB needle size, and final diagnosis. Conclusions: SP and SS had comparable diagnostic accuracies and adequate core tissue acquisition for GI SETs via EUS-FNB.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.122-127
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• 2022

Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is warranted when cross-sectional imaging demonstrates common bile duct (CBD) dilatation without identifiable causes. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of EUS in CBD dilatation of unknown etiology. Methods: Retrospective review of patients with dilated CBD without definite causes undergoing EUS between 2012 and 2017. Results: A total of 131 patients were recruited. The mean age was 63.2±14.1 years. The most common manifestation was abnormal liver chemistry (85.5%). The mean CBD diameter was 12.2±4.1 mm. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of EUS-identified pathologies, including malignancy, choledocholithiasis, and benign biliary stricture (BBS), was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-1.00). The AUROC of EUS for detecting malignancy, choledocholithiasis, and BBS was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.85-0.97), 1.00 (95% CI, 1.00-1.00), and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.87-0.99), respectively. Male sex, alanine aminotransferase ≥3× the upper limit of normal (ULN), alkaline phosphatase ≥3× the ULN, and intrahepatic duct dilatation were predictors for pathological obstruction, with odds ratios of 5.46 (95%CI, 1.74-17.1), 5.02 (95% CI, 1.48-17.0), 4.63 (95% CI, 1.1-19.6), and 4.03 (95% CI, 1.37-11.8), respectively. Conclusions: EUS provides excellent diagnostic value in identifying the etiology of CBD dilatation detected by cross-sectional imaging.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.486-494
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Helicobacter pylori infection-negative gastric cancer (HPNGC) has not been systematically investigated in consecutive patients. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological and endoscopic features of HPNGC. Methods: This single-center retrospective study selected participants from patients with gastric cancer who were treated at the Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital between January 2013 and December 2021. Only patients diagnosed with HPNGC were enrolled, and their clinicopathological and endoscopic features were analyzed in detail. Results: The prevalence of HPNGC in the present study was 2.6% (54/2,112). The types of HPNGC observed in each gastric region were as follows: advanced gastric cancer was observed in the cardia; gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic-gland differentiation, gastric adenocarcinoma of foveolar-type presenting with whitish elevation and raspberry-like foveolar-type gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma arising in polyposis, and gastric adenocarcinoma with autoimmune gastritis were observed in the fundic gland region ranging from the gastric fornix to the gastric body; signet-ring cell carcinoma was observed in the gastric-pyloric transition region ranging from the lower gastric body to the gastric angle; and well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma with low-grade atypia was observed in the antrum. Conclusions: This study revealed that tumors from each gastric region exhibited distinct macroscopic and histological types in HPNGC.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.552-557
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• 2018

Although colonoscopy was originally a diagnostic imaging procedure, it has now expanded to include an increasing range of therapeutic interventions. These procedures require precise maneuvers of instruments, execution of force, efficient transmission of force from the operator to the point of application, and sufficient dexterity in the mobilization of endoscopic surgical instruments. The conventional endoscope is not designed to support technically demanding endoscopic procedures. In case of colonoscopy, the tortuous anatomy of the colon makes inserting, moving, and orientating the endoscope difficult. Exerting excessive pressure can cause looping of the endoscope, pain to the patient, and even perforation of the colon. To mitigate the technical constraints, numerous technically enhanced systems have been developed to enable better control of instruments and precise delivery of force in the execution of surgical tasks such as apposing, grasping, traction, counter-traction, and cutting of tissues. Among the recent developments are highly dexterous robotic master and slave systems, computer-assisted or robotically enhanced conventional endoscopes, and autonomously driven locomotion devices that can effortlessly traverse the colon. Developments in endoscopic instrumentations have overcome technical barriers and opened new horizons for further advancements in therapeutic interventions. This review describes examples of some of these systems in the context of their applications to advanced therapeutic colonoscopy.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.613-622
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• 2023

Background/Aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is currently considered the first-line treatment for the eradication of superficial neoplasms of the esophagus in Eastern countries. However, in the West, particularly in Latin America, the experience with esophageal ESD is still limited because of the high technical complexity required for its execution. This study aimed to present the results of the clinical application of ESD to manage superficial esophageal neoplasms in a Latin American center in over 100 consecutive cases. Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic ESD for superficial esophageal neoplasms between 2009 and 2022. The following clinical outcomes were assessed: en bloc, complete, and curative resection rates, local recurrence, adverse events, and procedure-related mortality. Results: Esophageal ESD was performed mainly for squamous cell carcinoma (66.6%), high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (17.1%), and adenocarcinoma (11.4%). En bloc and complete resection rates were 96.2% and 81.0%, respectively. The curative resection rate was 64.8%. Adverse events occurred in six cases (5.7%). Endoscopic follow-up was performed for an average period of 29.7 months. Conclusions: ESD performed by trained operators is feasible, safe, and clinically effective for managing superficial neoplastic lesions of the esophagus in Latin America.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2024

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), and is caused by chronic gastroesophageal reflux. BE can progress over time from metaplasia to dysplasia, and eventually to EAC. EAC is associated with a poor prognosis, often due to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. However, if BE is diagnosed early, pharmacologic and endoscopic treatments can prevent progression to EAC. The current standard of care for BE surveillance utilizes the Seattle protocol. Unfortunately, a sizable proportion of early EAC and BE-related high-grade dysplasia (HGD) are missed due to poor adherence to the Seattle protocol and sampling errors. New modalities using artificial intelligence (AI) have been proposed to improve the detection of early EAC and BE-related HGD. This review will focus on AI technology and its application to various endoscopic modalities such as high-definition white light endoscopy, narrow-band imaging, and volumetric laser endomicroscopy.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.141-145
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• 2022

A 44-year-old woman underwent sleeve gastrectomy, which was complicated by a leak. She was treated with two sessions of endoscopic internal drainage using plastic double-pigtail stents. Her clinical evolution was favorable, but four months after the initial stent placement, she became symptomatic, and a gastrobronchial fistula with the proximal end of the stents invading the diaphragm was diagnosed. She was treated with antibiotics, plastic stents were removed, and a partially covered metallic esophageal stent was placed. Eleven weeks later, the esophageal stent was removed with no evidence of fistula. Inappropriate stent size, position, stenting duration, and persistence of low-grade inflammation could explain the patient's symptoms and provide a mechanism for gradual muscle rupture and fistula formation. Although endoscopic internal drainage is usually safe and effective for the management of post-laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy leaks, close clinical and radiological follow-up is mandatory.