Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare pancreatic malignancy. We describe the case of a female who presented with abdominal pain and was found to have a pancreatic mass on imaging. The diagnosis of pancreatic squamous cell carcinoma was established by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of the mass.

Sedation, analgesia, and monitoring.

Endoscopic procedures are common and sedation is frequently used to minimize anxiety and discomfort, reduce the potential for physical injury during the procedure, and improve overall patient tolerability and satisfaction. In this article, the authors review the variety of options for sedation and analgesia available to the gastroenterologist or surgical endoscopist.

Clinical trials of pancreatic enzyme replacement for painful chronic pancreatitis--a review.

Painful chronic pancreatitis is a challenging problem for clinicians and patients. Many patients receive a therapeutic trial of pancreatic enzyme supplementation at some point in the course of their disease, but it is unclear what the expected outcome of such a trial should be and whether or not all patients should receive a trial of pancreatic enzymes. We searched PubMed for all studies of pancreatic enzyme supplementation for painful chronic pancreatitis from 1980 to the present.

Health-related quality of life, somatization, and abuse in Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

Background: Most of the focus on patients with Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) has centered on endoscopic management, and thus little is known about quality of life in these patients.

Aims: We sought to determine what health-related quality of life components are troublesome to patients with SOD and compare to patients with recurrent pancreatitis.

Methods: Using the Brief Symptom Inventory and the SF-12 version 1, as well as proprietary questionnaires, we measured health-related quality of life in patients with biliary SOD and patients with recurrent idiopathic pancreatitis who underwent sphincter of Oddi manometry.

Gastrointestinal complaints in patients with eating disorders.

Background: Patients with eating disorders (EDs) typically have numerous somatic and gastrointestinal complaints. Early referral to treatment may result in improved outcomes. We sought to determine whether patients with EDs were presenting to gastroenterologists or primary care physicians with gastrointestinal complaints early in the disease course, when referral for specialized, comprehensive treatment would be most beneficial.

Pill Esophagitis.

Pill esophagitis is a preventable cause of morbidity. Simple advice on how and when to take medication could probably prevent most cases of the illness. Avoidance of implicated medications in patients with significant risk factors for developing pill esophagitis could prevent additional cases.