[Toluidin blue in gastrointestinal endoscopy].

For decades, methylene blue has been used in gastrointestinal endoscopy as an absorbing dye, it was, however, not approved for that purpose and has now been withdrawn from the market. A possible substitute is toluidine blue, an acidophilic, metachromatic dye that selectively stains cell nuclei; accordingly, since 2007, toluidine blue has been approved as a topical diagnostic agent in chromoendoscopy. Cells with increased DNA synthesis are stained more intensively so that not only malignant cells but also erosions, ulcerations and inflammatory areas are stained with toluidine blue because of the increased reparative cellular processes.

Acute recurrent pancreatitis curtaining an intraductal papillary mucinous tumor of the pancreas.

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (IPMN) of the pancreas is a rare pancreatic tumor characterized by intraductal proliferation of mucin producing cells with hypersecretion of mucin that leads to cystic dilatation of the involved ducts. The usual clinical presentation is recurrent episodes of pancreatitis due to hypersecretion of mucin and temporary obstruction of the main pancreatic duct.