Bleeding gastric metastases from cutaneous melanoma.

Unlabelled: 7% of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) involvements with metastatic cutaneous melanoma concerns the stomach. The aim of the study was to describe a rare case of the cutaneous melanoma metastazing to the stomach.

Material And Methods: .

Gastrointestinal image: a true giant transverse colon diverticulum.

Unlabelled: Giant colonic diverticulum is an extremely rare condition in colonic diverticular disease. More than 90% of giant colonic diverticula are found in the sigmoid colon. Inflammatory and pseudodiverticula are the most frequent.

[Significance of serum concentrations of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in identification of patients with Crohn's disease].

Unlabelled: A simple, non-invasive examination separating patients with irritable bowel syndrome from those affected by Crohn's disease (CD) has not been found, so far. Immune disturbances associated with release of various cytokines play an important role in CD pathogenesis. The aim of the study was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of serum levels of broad panel of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in differentiation between patients with CD and intact bowel.

[Serum level of TNF-alpha receptor type II better correlates with severity of Crohn's disease than other cytokines and conventional clinical activity indicators].

Unlabelled: Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are not prefect indicators of Crohn's disease severity. Magnetic resonance enteroclysis (MRE) is a method allowing simultaneous assessment of lesions involving an entire intestinal wall as well as intra- and extraintestinal spaces. This method, however, is not appropriate for monitoring the course of disease and therapeutic effects.

Composite neuroendocrine and adenomatous carcinoma of the papilla of Vater.

Malignant tumors of papilla are usually adenocarcinomas. We present a 67-year-old female who became icteric as result of a malignant tumor infiltrating the papilla of Vater. Histopathological assessment of surgically excised tumor showed both neuroendocrine and adenocarcinomatous features.

[Estimation of appropriateness of colonoscopy using RAND/UCLA method].

Multicenter European trials estimating appropriateness of colonoscopy are one of the hot topics in gastroenterology. The aim of the study was the estimation of appropriateness of colonoscopy and usefulness of panel experts criteria (elaborated according to RAND/UCLA method) in Department of Gastroenterology of Medical University of Silesia in Katowice and other gastroenterology centers throughout Europe. The trial was conducted between January 1st 2001 and May 30th 2001 in 18 centers in 9 European countries.

[Comparison of technical aspects of colonoscopy in various gastroenterologic centres].

There are ongoing multicenter European trials analyzing, among other factors, technical aspects of colonoscopy in various countries. The aim of the study was to compare the techniques of preparation and performance of colonoscopy in the Department of Gastroenterology at Medical University of Silesia in Katowice and other gastroenterology centers throughout Europe. The trial was conducted between January 1st 2001 and May 30th 2001 in 18 centers in 9 European countries.

[Evaluation of probability of bile duct stone presence by using of non-invasive procedures].

Precise evaluation of bile duct stones presence in particular moment, performed using the most non-invasive method, is important for the planning of optimal treatment. Not only simple imaging procedures (like conventional transabdominal ultrasound--US) but also more sophisticated imaging methods (CT or MRI) are frequently useless. The "gold standards" of bile duct stones diagnosis are still endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with endoscopic sphincterotomy and surgical choledochotomy.

[Digestive tract hemorrhage and recurrent ileus. Peutz-Jeghers syndrome-case report].

Authors describe a case of 24 years old woman with recurrent lower GI bleeding and mechanical obstruction. Crohn's disease was diagnosed at the beginning. It was impossible to treat the patient's profound anemia with blood transfusions due to her religion believes.

Endosonography with linear array instead of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography as the diagnostic tool in patients with moderate suspicion of common bile duct stones.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as the main imaging modality in patients with moderate suspicion of common bile duct stones (CBDS).

Methods: 55 patients with moderate clinical suspicion of CBDS were prospectively included to the study and evaluated with EUS. This study was done in single blind method in the clinical and biochemical data of patients.

Presence and density of common bile duct microlithiasis in acute biliary pancreatitis.

Aim: Common bile duct microlithiasis (CBDM) is found in majority of patients with acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) and no CBD stones in fluoroscopy during urgent ERCP. It is unclear, however, weather CBDM is a cause or the result of the disease. This prospective study was done to investigate the presence and density of CBDM in patients with ABP, when endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was done in different periods from the onset of the disease.