Staging of colorectal cancer using contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomographic colonography.

Introduction: Preoperative staging is essential for the optimal treatment and surgical planning of colorectal cancers. This study was aimed to evaluate the accuracy of colorectal cancer staging done using contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomographic colonography (CEMDCTC).

Methods: We recruited 25 patients with 28 proven colorectal cancers.

Post trauma abdominal cocoon.

Abdominal cocoon or sclerosing peritonitis refers to a rare cause of intestinal obstruction due to formation of a membrane encasing the bowel. We report a case of abdominal cocoon post blunt trauma abdomen. The patient presented with a history of subacute intestinal obstruction and a mobile abdomen lump.

Role of multidetector CT angiography in the evaluation of suspected mesenteric ischemia.

Objective: To assess the role of multidetector CT angiography (MDCTA) in the diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) and to compare the diagnostic utility of axial images with reconstructed images.

Materials And Methods: In this Institute Review Board approved prospective study, MDCTA was performed on 31 patients who presented with the clinical suspicion of AMI (25M; 6F, age range: 16-73 years). Axial and reconstructed images of each patient were evaluated independently by two radiologists for evidence of bowel wall thickening, abnormal mucosal enhancement, bowel dilatation or obstruction, mesenteric stranding, ascites, solid organ infarcts, pneumatosis intestinalis or porto-mesenteric gas, and mesenteric arterial or venous occlusion.

Fungal infections in severe acute pancreatitis.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The majority of deaths related to SAP are the result of infectious complications. Although bacterial infections are most commonly encountered, fungal infections are increasingly being recognized.

5-year review and reappraisal of ultrasound-guided percutaneous transabdominal fine needle aspiration of pancreatic lesions.

Objective: To reevaluate the efficacy and safety offine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of pancreatic lesions performed by transabdominal approach.

Study Design: Retrospective 5-year (2001-2006) audit of all pancreatic FNA samples.

Results: This series includes 267 patients (88 men, 179 women).

Candida in acute pancreatitis.

Purpose: A Candida infection of the pancreas, which previously was considered extremely unusual, has been increasingly reported in recent years. The present study was conducted with the aim of performing a cohort analysis of our patients with acute pancreatitis to find out the incidence, sites, and species of Candida involvement; and to evaluate the risk factors, severity, and course of illness of such patients.

Methods: A total of 335 patients with acute pancreatitis were investigated for a possible Candida infection of the pancreas from January 2000 to May 2003.

Alterations of tumor suppressor gene p16INK4a in pancreatic ductal carcinoma.

Background: Cell cycle inhibitor and tumor suppressor gene p16/MTS-1 has been reported to be altered in a variety of human tumors. The purpose of the study was to evaluate primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas for potentially inactivating p16 alterations.

Methods: We investigated the status of p16 gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nonradioisotopic single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), DNA sequencing and hypermethylation analysis in 25 primary resected ductal adenocarcinomas.