Efficacy of EUS-guided and ERCP-guided biliary drainage for malignant biliary obstruction: prospective randomized controlled study.

Background And Aims: ERCP-guided biliary drainage (ERCP-BD) is a criterion standard treatment for malignant biliary obstruction when curative surgery is not an option. Alternative methods such as percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage would significantly lower the quality of life. EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has been developed and performed by experienced endoscopists.

Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers That Distinguish Mucinous and Nonmucinous Pancreatic Cysts.

The use of advanced imaging technologies for the identification of pancreatic cysts has become widespread. However, accurate differential diagnosis between mucinous cysts (MC) and nonmucinous cysts (NMC) consisting of pseudocysts (NMC1) and nonmucinous neoplastic cysts (NMC2) remains a challenge. Thus, it is necessary to develop novel biomarkers for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cysts.

Prophylactic pancreatic stent placement for endoscopic duodenal ampullectomy: a single-center retrospective study.

Background/aims: We investigated the efficacy of prophylactic pancreatic stent placement for preventing postprocedure pancreatitis in patients undergoing endoscopic papillectomy.

Methods: This retrospective study included 82 consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic papillectomy for benign ampullary neoplasm at Samsung Medical Center between August 2002 and June 2011. The patients were subdivided into two groups, namely, those who received prophylactic pancreatic stent placement and those who did not.

Factors associated with vaccination among inflammatory bowel disease patients in Korea.

Background/aims: Vaccinations are generally recommended in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, several studies showed low rates of vaccinations in IBD patients. Furthermore, vaccination rate among IBD patients in Korea has never been investigated.

Clinicoradiologic characteristics and outcomes of metastatic cancer to the pancreas and double primary pancreatic cancer.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to identify clinicoradiologic characteristics to distinguish metastatic cancer to the pancreas (MCP) from double primary pancreatic cancer (DPPC).

Methods: From 2000 to 2011, we retrospectively identified MCP and DPPC patients among patients with histories of other primary malignancies.

Results: A total of 94 patients with histories of other primary malignancies were histologically confirmed to have pancreatic cancer.

Influence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on the prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer.

Background/aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with multiple adenomatous polyps and advanced neoplasm. This study aims to investigate the influence of NAFLD on the tumor characteristics and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: We analyzed 227 patients who were first diagnosed with CRC and underwent abdominal ultrasonography within six months prior to diagnosis at Samsung Medical Center between 2000 and 2005.

[A case of benign schwannoma in the ascending colon].

Schwannomas are rare tumors derived from the cells of Schwann which form the neural sheath. Some patients with gastrointestinal schwannoma have been previously reported in the literature. However, schwannomas of the colon are extremely rare.