Comparison of Spinal Canal Expansion Following Cervical Laminoplasty Based on the Preoperative Lamina Angle : A Simulation Study.

Objective: Expansion in the spinal canal area (SCA) after laminoplasty is one of the critical factors to relieve the preoperative symptoms. No previous study has compared the increases in SCA achieved by open-door laminoplasty (ODL) and double door laminoplasty (DDL) according to the preoperative lamina angle (LA). This study was designed to clarify the relationship between the laminoplasty opening angle (OA)/laminoplasty opening size (OS) and increases in the SCA following ODL and DDL according to the preoperative LA using a simulation model.

Staining for p53 and Ki-67 increases the sensitivity of EUS-FNA to detect pancreatic malignancy.

Aim: To investigate whether tumor marker staining can improve the sensitivity of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) to diagnose pancreatic malignancy.

Methods: Patients who underwent EUS-FNA were retrospectively identified. Each EUS-FNA specimen was evaluated by routine cytology and stained for tumor markers p53, Ki-67, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA19-9.

Infection of the Esophagus.

We report the first case of infection of the human esophagus. We demonstrate initial endoscopic diagnosis, progression and then spontaneous resolution of infection, once the patient's occupational exposure had ceased.

Staining for intracytoplasmic lumina and CAM5.2 increases the detection rate for bile duct cancers.

Background And Study Aims: Endoscopic biopsies have a low sensitivity for diagnosing malignant bile duct strictures. Tumor markers detected by mucin staining and immunohistochemistry may help to determine the malignancy of a biopsy specimen where histologic evaluation alone is nondiagnostic.

Patients And Methods: 61 patients who underwent forceps biopsies were retrospectively identified, yielding 49 and 40 biopsy specimens for strictures finally diagnosed as benign and malignant, respectively.