Endoluminal Ultrasonography of the Rectum and the Anal Canal

Ultrasonography of the anal canal, the rectum and the surrounding tissues using intraluminal transducers with transanal/rectal imaging provides high-resolution imaging with clearly distinguishable tissue‐dependent echo signals. Endorectal ultrasonography depicts rectal wall layers and adjuvant structures with a high degree of precision. Anal endosonography is carried out to examine the sphincter muscles and the pelvic floor

How useful is preoperative imaging for tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging of gastric cancer? A meta-analysis

Background Surgery is the fundamental curative option for gastric cancer patients. Imaging scans are routinely prescribed in an attempt to stage the disease prior to surgery. Consequently, the correlation between radiology exams and pathology is crucial for appropriate treatment planning.Methods Systematic searches were conducted using Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1, 1998 to December 1, 2009. We calculated the accuracy, overstaging rate, understaging rate, Kappa statistic, sensitivity, and specificity for abdominal ultrasound (AUS), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) with respect to the gold standard (pathology). We also compared the performance of CT by detector number and image type. A meta-analysis was performed.Results for pre-operative T staging MRI scans had better performance accuracy than CT and AUS; CT scanners using >= 4 detectors and multi-planar reformatted (MPR) images had higher staging performances than scanners with <4 detectors and axial images only. for pre-operative N staging PET had the lowest sensitivity, but the highest specificity among modalities; CT performance did not significantly differ by detector number or addition of MPR images. for pre-operative M staging performance did not significantly differ by modality, detector number, or MPR images.Conclusions the agreement between pre-operative TNM staging by imaging scans and post-operative staging by pathology is not perfect and may affect treatment decisions. Operator dependence and heterogeneity of data may account for the variations in staging performance. Physicians should consider this discrepancy when creating their treatment plans.Canadian Cancer SocietyOntario Ministry of Health and Long-Term CareHanna Family Chair in Surgical OncologySunnybrook Hlth Sci Ctr, Sunnybrook Res Inst, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaSunnybrook Hlth Sci Ctr, Dept Med Imaging, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Surg, São Paulo, BrazilQueens Univ, Dept Community Hlth & Epidemiol, Kingston, ON, CanadaUniv Toronto, Div Biostat, Dalla Lana Sch Publ Hlth, Toronto, ON, CanadaInst Clin Evaluat Sci, Toronto, ON, CanadaSunnybrook Hlth Sci Ctr, Div Surg Oncol, Odette Canc Ctr, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaUniv Toronto, Dept Hlth Policy Management & Evaluat, Toronto, ON, CanadaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Surg, São Paulo, BrazilCanadian Cancer Society: 019325Web of Scienc

The Use of PET-CT in the Assessment of Patients with Colorectal Carcinoma

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for 53,219 deaths in 2007 and an estimated 146,970 new cases in the USA during 2009. The combination of FDG PET and CT has proven to be of great benefit for the assessment of colorectal cancer. This is most evident in the detection of occult metastases, particularly intra- or extrahepatic sites of disease, that would preclude a curative procedure or in the detection of local recurrence. FDG PET is generally not used for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer although there are circumstances where PET-CT may make the initial diagnosis, particularly with its more widespread use. In addition, precancerous adenomatous polyps can also be detected incidentally on whole-body images performed for other indications; sensitivity increases with increasing polyp size. False-negative FDG PET findings have been reported with mucinous adenocarcinoma, and false-positive findings have been reported due to inflammatory conditions such as diverticulitis, colitis, and postoperative scarring. Therefore, detailed evaluation of the CT component of a PET/CT exam, including assessment of the entire colon, is essential

Surgical resection of mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasm in the biliary system: a report of two cases

Background Mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasm (MINEN) is a rare disease and there is scarce literature on its diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. We encountered two unusual cases of MINEN in the biliary tract, one in the ampulla of Vater and the other in the distal bile duct. In this report, we describe the clinical course of these two cases in detail. Case presentation Case 1: A 69-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of epigastric pain. When endoscopic sphincterotomy and retrograde biliary drainage were performed for gallstone pancreatitis, an ulcerated lesion was found in the ampulla of the Vater. Based on the biopsy results, the lesion was diagnosed as the ampulla of Vater carcinoma and subtotal stomach-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (SSPPD) was performed. Postoperative histopathological examination revealed the coexistence of adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma components, consistent with the diagnosis of MINEN. In addition, lymph node metastasis was found on the dorsal side of the pancreas and the metastatic component was adenocarcinoma. Adjuvant chemotherapy with etoposide and cisplatin was administered for 6 months, and presently the patient is alive without recurrence 64 months after surgery. Case 2: A 79-year-old man presented with a chief complaint of anorexia. Cholangiography showed severe stenosis of the distal bile duct. A biopsy was conducted from the stenotic lesion and it revealed the lesion to be adenocarcinoma. A diagnosis of distal bile duct carcinoma was made, and SSPPD was performed. Histopathological examination revealed the coexistence of adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma components, and the tumor was confirmed as MINEN of the distal bile duct. No adjuvant chemotherapy was administered due to the poor performance status. 7 months later, the patient was found to have a liver metastasis. Conclusion We experienced two valuable cases of biliary MINEN. To identify better treatments, it is important to consider the diversity of individual cases and to continue sharing a variety of cases with different presentations

Patterns of injury and violence in Yaoundé Cameroon: an analysis of hospital data.

BackgroundInjuries are quickly becoming a leading cause of death globally, disproportionately affecting sub-Saharan Africa, where reports on the epidemiology of injuries are extremely limited. Reports on the patterns and frequency of injuries are available from Cameroon are also scarce. This study explores the patterns of trauma seen at the emergency ward of the busiest trauma center in Cameroon's capital city.Materials and methodsAdministrative records from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2007, were retrospectively reviewed; information on age, gender, mechanism of injury, and outcome was abstracted for all trauma patients presenting to the emergency ward. Univariate analysis was performed to assess patterns of injuries in terms of mechanism, date, age, and gender. Bivariate analysis was used to explore potential relationships between demographic variables and mechanism of injury.ResultsA total of 6,234 injured people were seen at the Central Hospital of Yaoundé's emergency ward during the year 2007. Males comprised 71% of those injured, and the mean age of injured patients was 29 years (SD = 14.9). Nearly 60% of the injuries were due to road traffic accidents, 46% of which involved a pedestrian. Intentional injuries were the second most common mechanism of injury (22.5%), 55% of which involved unarmed assault. Patients injured in falls were more likely to be admitted to the hospital (p &lt; 0.001), whereas patients suffering intentional injuries and bites were less likely to be hospitalized (p &lt; 0.001). Males were significantly more likely to be admitted than females (p &lt; 0.001)DiscussionPatterns in terms of age, gender, and mechanism of injury are similar to reports from other countries from the same geographic region, but the magnitude of cases reported is high for a single institution in an African city the size of Yaoundé. As the burden of disease is predicted to increase dramatically in sub-Saharan Africa, immediate efforts in prevention and treatment in Cameroon are strongly warranted

Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging in colorectal surgery: overview, applications, and future directions

Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging is a surgical tool with increasing applications in colorectal surgery. This tool has received acceptance in various surgical disciplines as a potential method to enhance surgical field visualisation, improve lymph node retrieval, and decrease the incidence of anastomotic leaks. In colorectal surgery specifically, small studies have shown that intraoperative fluorescence imaging is a safe and feasible method to assess anastomotic perfusion, and its use might affect the incidence of anastomotic leaks. Controlled trials are ongoing to validate these conclusions. The number of new indications for indocyanine green continues to increase, including innovative options for detecting and guiding management of colorectal metastasis to the liver. These advances could offer great value for surgeons and patients, by improving the accuracy and outcomes of oncological resections

New Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

As result of progress, endoscopy has became more complex, using more sophisticated devices and has claimed a special form. In this moment, the gastroenterologist performing endoscopy has to be an expert in macroscopic view of the lesions in the gut, with good skills for using standard endoscopes, with good experience in ultrasound (for performing endoscopic ultrasound), with pathology experience for confocal examination. It is compulsory to get experience and to have patience and attention for the follow-up of thousands of images transmitted during capsule endoscopy or to have knowledge in physics necessary for autofluorescence imaging endoscopy. Therefore, the idea of an endoscopist has changed. Examinations mentioned need a special formation, a superior level of instruction, accessible to those who have already gained enough experience in basic diagnostic endoscopy. This is the reason for what these new issues of endoscopy are presented in this book of New techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy