Helicobacter heilmannii-associated gastritis: clinicopathologic findings and comparison with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinicopathologic features of Helicobacter heilmannii-associated gastritis and to compare H. heilmannii-associated gastritis with H. pylori-associated gastritis.

[Natural history of acute symptomatic hepatitis C in Korea].

Background/aims: Acute hepatitis C (AHC) has a high chronicity rate of up to 85%. Recently, several studies have demonstrated AHC has a self-limited course in about 50% especially in symptomatic cases. However, there is no investigation about the natural course of AHC in Korea.

[Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the small bowel presenting as an intussusception causing small bowel obstruction].

Adult intussusception secondary to primary sarcoma is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. Only a few cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of small bowel presenting as an intussusception have been reported in the literatures. We report a case of small bowel obstruction associated with jejuno-ileal intussusception caused by MFH.

[A case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava treated by surgical resection and reconstruction with synthetic graft replacement].

Leimyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare tumor, with about 200 cases reported in the world literature. There were 5 cases reported in Korea. We report a case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava in a 50 year-old woman who presented with a heterogenous enhancing mass within IVC on CT scan and MRI scan.

Plasma levels of D-dimer and soluble fibrin polymer in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a possible predictor of tumor thrombosis.

Introduction: Fibrin formation and removal occurs continuously during the development of malignancy. Moreover, plasma D-dimer is indicative of ongoing fibrinolysis, and soluble fibrin polymer (Thrombus precursor protein, TpP) represents thrombogenic activity. We evaluated the relationship between the levels of plasma D-dimer and TpP and tumor thrombosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and examined these markers as possible predictors of tumor thrombus in the portal or the hepatic vein.