직장출혈력이 없는 빈혈 환자에서의 대장내시경의 역할

목적: 빈혈의 원인을 찾기 위해 상부위장관내시경은 널리 시행되어 왔지만, 대장내시경의 유용성 및 역할에 대한 정보는 부족하다. 본 연구에서 저자들은 직장출혈력이 없는 빈혈환자에서 대장내시경 검사를 통한 빈혈의 원인을 분석하여 그 유용성을 확인해 보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 본 연구는 2001년 1월부터 2002년 12월까지 빈혈의 원인을 찾기 위해 대장내시경을 시행한 147명의 환자들의 기록을 후향적으로 살펴보았다. 결과: 환자들의 평균 연령은 48±17세(범위 15～90)이었으며, 남녀비가 1：4.3이었다. 94명(63.9%)이 철결핍성빈혈에 합당하였으며, 21.8% 환자에서 혈색소치가 7.0 g/dL 이하였다. 대장내시경에서 빈혈과 연관되어 보이는 이상소견은 76명(94예)에서 나타났으며, 치핵(35예), 용종(31예), 결핵(9예), 대장암(8예), 게실(8예), 자궁내막증(1예), 혈관 이형성증(1예), 궤양성 대장염(1예)의 순으로 나타났다. 대장내시경의 병변은 고령군에서(≧55세, p=0.034) 더 빈도가 높았으나 자궁내막증, 궤양성 대장염 및 장결핵은 모두 젊은 연령군(＜55세)에서 관찰되었으며, 8명의 대장암 환자 중 2명은 39세와 49세로 젊은 남자에서 확인되었다. 결론: 빈혈의 원인으로 추정할 수 있는 대장의 병변이 고령군에서 높게 나타났으나, 젊은 연령군에서도 빈도가 높은 질환이 있었으며 치명적인 질환도 관찰되어, 대장내시경은 빈혈이 있는 젊은 연령군과 고령군 모두에서 진단적인 가치가 있는 검사로 생각한다. Background/Aims: For evaluation of anemia, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is widely used. However, there is no sufficient information on the efficiency and role of colonoscopic evaluation for these anemia patients. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield of colonoscopy in anemia patients with nonactive rectal bleeding. Methods: This was a retrospective study from January 2001 to December 2002. We reviewed 147 patients who underwent colonoscopy for anemia evaluation. Results: The mean age was 48 17 years (range 15∼90), and male to female ratio was 1：4.3. Ninety-four patients (63.9%) had iron deficiency anemia and 21.8% of them have less than 7 g/dL of hemoglobin. Abnormal colonoscopic findings were observed in 84 patients (57.1%) including hemorrhoid (35), polyp (31), tuberculosis (9), cancer (8), diverticulum (8), endometriosis (1), angiodysplasia (1), and ulcerative colitis (1). The presence of abnormal colonoscopic findings was more frequently observed in older population (≥55 years old, p=0.034). Intestinal tuberculosis, endometriosis, and ulcerative colitis were observed only in younger population (＜55 years old), and 2 of 8 cancer patients were 39 and 49 years old males. Conclusions: Although the diagnostic yield of colonoscopy is relatively higher in older population, colonoscopy is one of the valuable tools in anemia evaluation of both older and younger populations

The expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and angiogenesis in relation to the depth of tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis in submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lymph node (LN) metastasis occurs in approximately 10% of patients with submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma. This study was performed to determine the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) production and microvessel formation on the LN metastasis in submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: A total of forty-one subjects with surgically resected submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma were included in this study. Immunohistochemical staining of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator were performed. Angiogenesis was evaluated by counting the number of microvessels in each pathologic specimen as identified by CD34 immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The depth of submucosal invasion was not significantly correlated with the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, or urokinase-type plasminogen activator, but the microvessel count was significantly correlated with the absolute depth of invasion (r=0.312, p<0.05). Upregulation of TIMP-2 was positively correlated with adjacent lymphatic invasion (p<0.05) and increased TIMP-2 expression was correlated with LN metastasis in submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma (p=0.088). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the expression of TIMP-2 and the microvessel count may be useful parameters for considering additional surgery after endoscopic treatment of submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma.