Prevalence of colorectal neoplasm among patients with newly diagnosed coronary artery disease.

Context: Colorectal neoplasm and coronary artery disease (CAD) share similar risk factors, and their co-occurrence may be associated.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of colorectal neoplasm in patients with CAD in a cross-sectional study and to identify the predisposing factors for the association of the 2 diseases.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Patients in Hong Kong, China, were recruited for screening colonoscopy after undergoing coronary angiography for suspected CAD during November 2004 to June 2006.

Intestinal tuberculosis mimicking fistulizing Crohn's disease.

A patient is reported with intestinal tuberculosis that mimicked fistulizing Crohn's disease endoscopically. He had complete resolution of symptoms after a full course of antituberculosis therapy. Gastroenterologists and general physicians should aware of the possibility of intestinal tuberculosis in areas with a high prevalence of tuberculosis infection.

Esomeprazole with aspirin versus clopidogrel for prevention of recurrent gastrointestinal ulcer complications.

Background And Aims: The role of clopidogrel in patients at risk for gastrointestinal complications is uncertain, although it has been recommended for patients who have gastrointestinal intolerance to aspirin. We tested the hypothesis that clopidogrel is as effective as esomeprazole and aspirin in preventing recurrences of ulcer complications.

Methods: This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled study of 170 patients who developed ulcer bleeding after the use of low-dose aspirin between November 2002 and January 2005.

Colonoscopy demand and practice in a regional hospital over 9 years in Hong Kong: resource implication for cancer screening.

Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Hong Kong is rising. The trend of colonoscopy demand is uncertain.

Aim: To investigate colonoscopy demand and practice in a Hong Kong regional hospital over the past nine years.

Incidence and predictors of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients receiving low-dose aspirin for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease.

Aim: The use of low-dose aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease events is well established. However, the incidence and predictors of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) with its use are unknown. We studied prospectively the incidence and outcome of peptic ulceration in low-dose aspirin users.

A patient with long-standing iron-deficient anemia.

Background: A 36-year-old Chinese woman presented with cutaneous lupus and was incidentally found to have iron-deficient anemia. She had a history of iron-deficient anemia 13 years previously, for which extensive investigations were carried out; the results of which were all normal. The patient also had pulmonary tuberculosis at that time, for which she received a full course of treatment.

Celecoxib compared with lansoprazole and naproxen to prevent gastrointestinal ulcer complications.

Purpose: Selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors cause significantly fewer peptic ulcers than conventional nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients at low risk or high risk for peptic ulcers. On the other hand, proton pump inhibitor co-therapy has also been shown to be effective in preventing relapse of peptic ulcers in high-risk patients using nonselective NSAIDs. We compared the efficacy of a selective COX-2 inhibitor with that of proton pump inhibitor co-therapy in the reduction in the incidence of ulcer relapse in patients with a history of NSAID-related peptic ulcers.

Differing coping mechanisms, stress level and anorectal physiology in patients with functional constipation.

Aim: To investigate coping mechanisms, constipation symptoms and anorectal physiology in 80 constipated subjects and 18 controls.

Methods: Constipation was diagnosed by Rome II criteria. Coping ability and anxiety/depression were assessed by validated questionnaires.

Low-dose rabeprazole, amoxicillin and metronidazole triple therapy for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese patients.

Background: Rabeprazole in combination with amoxicillin and metronidazole (RAM) has been shown to be an effective second-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. The effects were compared of 7-day low-dose and high dose rabeprazole in RAM for the primary treatment of H. pylori infection in Chinese patients.

Pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux diseases in Chinese--role of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and esophageal motor dysfunction.

Background And Aims: Transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR) is the major mechanism for gastroesophageal reflux in the Western population. The major reflux mechanism in Chinese patients with GERD has not been studied before.

Methods: Fifty-four patients with GERD and 28 controls underwent stationary baseline manometry and the 24-h ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring.

Normal colon transit time in healthy Chinese adults in Hong Kong.

Background And Aim: Colon transit study with radio-opaque markers is helpful in the evaluation of chronic constipation. Normal reference values, based on radio-opaque markers, have not been reported from Chinese adults in Hong Kong.

Methods: Fifty-one healthy Chinese (27 men, age 42 +/- 12 years) were enrolled through a newspaper advertisement.

Outpatients undergoing therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: six-hour versus overnight observation.

Background And Aim: The purpose of the present retrospective study was to compare the proportion of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) complications detected with 6-h observation followed by same-day discharge (SDD) versus overnight observation (OO) after therapeutic ERCP.

Methods: There were 134 outpatients in the SDD group and 178 outpatients in the OO group. The SDD group was discharged after a 6-h observation while the OO group was discharged after overnight observation.

Population based study of noncardiac chest pain in southern Chinese: prevalence, psychosocial factors and health care utilization.

Aim: Population-based assessment of noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, psychosocial factors and health seeking behaviour of NCCP in southern Chinese.

Methods: A total of 2 209 ethnic Hong Kong Chinese households were recruited to participate in a telephone survey to study the epidemiology of NCCP using the Rose angina questionnaire, a validated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire and the hospital anxiety-depression scale.

Helicobacter pylori eradication to prevent gastric cancer in a high-risk region of China: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: Although chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with gastric cancer, the effect of H pylori treatment on prevention of gastric cancer development in chronic carriers is unknown.

Objective: To determine whether treatment of H pylori infection reduces the incidence of gastric cancer.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, population-based primary prevention study of 1630 healthy carriers of H pylori infection from Fujian Province, China, recruited in July 1994 and followed up until January 2002.

Does the addition of endoscopic sphincterotomy to stent insertion improve drainage of the bile duct in acute suppurative cholangitis?

Background: The treatment of patients with bile duct stones and acute suppurative cholangitis is emergent biliary decompression either by endoscopic sphincterotomy, nasobiliary drainage, or stent insertion. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether endoscopic sphincterotomy, in addition to an internal endoprosthesis, improves outcome for patients with acute suppurative cholangitis.

Methods: A total of 74 patients with acute suppurative cholangitis and bile duct stones were included in the study; 37 had endoscopic sphincterotomy before insertion of plastic stent (Group 1), and 37 had a plastic stent inserted through an intact papilla (Group 2).

Effects of primary metronidazole and clarithromycin resistance to Helicobacter pylori on omeprazole, metronidazole, and clarithromycin triple-therapy regimen in a region with high rates of metronidazole resistance.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of metronidazole resistance (MtzR) and clarithromycin resistance (ClaR) on the eradication rate for omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole triple-therapy regimen and on the development of posttherapy drug resistance in a region of high rates of MtzR. One hundred ninety-six Helicobacter pylori isolates were recovered from patients with duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, or nonulcer dyspepsia during upper endoscopy. The prevalences of MtzR, ClaR, and dual resistance were 37.

Antralization at the edge of proximal gastric ulcers: does Helicobacter pylori infection play a role?

Aim: To determine the prevalence of antralization at the edge of proximal gastric ulcers, and the effect of H. pylori eradication on the mucosal appearances.

Methods: Biopsies were taken from the antrum, body and the ulcer edge of patients with benign proximal gastric ulcers before and one year after treatment.

Psychosocial factors in patients with noncardiac chest pain.

Objective: This study sought to explore some psychosocial factors that distinguished individuals with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) from those without NCCP, and whether these psychosocial factors were associated with anxiety and depression that are co-morbid factors of NCCP.

Methods: A matched case-control design was adopted to compare differences in psychosocial factors among a target group of patients with NCCP (N = 70), a pain control group of patients with rheumatism (N = 70), and a community control group of healthy individuals (N = 70).

Results: Compared with subjects from the two control groups, NCCP patients tended to monitor more, use more problem-focused coping, display a coping pattern with a poorer strategy-situation fit, and receive less emotional support in times of stress.

Evaluation of an automated immunochemical fecal occult blood test for colorectal neoplasia detection in a Chinese population.

Background: Most commercial fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) used for colorectal carcinoma screening of Western populations are guaiac-based, manually developed, subjective, and sensitive to dietary components. Preliminary studies demonstrated the unsuitability of these tests for screening a Chinese population. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the performance characteristics of a human hemoglobin-specific automated immunochemical FOBT, the Magstream 1000/Hem SP (Fujirebio, Inc.

Virtual colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal polyps and cancers in a Chinese population.

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the sensitivity of virtual colonoscopy in detecting colorectal polyps and cancers in a Chinese population.

Methods: Seventy-one consecutive Chinese patients (38 men and 33 women) referred for diagnostic colonoscopy were recruited. Patients received a routine bowel preparation in the morning followed by a helical abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan with air insufflation of the colon.

Accuracy of a new near patient test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese.

Background And Aim: The performance of existing near patient tests for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori remains unsatisfactory. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of a new near patient test (Signify H. pylori) for the diagnosis of H.

Pyogenic liver abscess: retrospective analysis of 80 cases over a 10-year period.

Background: A total of 80 patients with pyogenic liver abscess managed at a single institution over a 10-year period were studied.

Methods: The clinical features, laboratory, imaging, and microbiologic findings, management strategy, and final outcome were studied.

Results: Fever and chills, leucocytosis and elevated alkaline phosphatase were the most common clinical and laboratory findings.

[13C]-urea breath test without prior fasting and without test meal is accurate for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese.

Background And Aim: Conventional [13C]-urea breath test ([13C]-UBT) requires prior fasting and a test meal, which theoretically improves the accuracy of the test. However, recent studies have suggested that prior fasting and test meal may not be essential. We aimed to determine the accuracy of a new [13C]-UBT protocol without fasting in Chinese.