Elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 following Helicobacter suis gastritis and normalisation after eradication: first case report and review of the literature.

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a biological marker used to diagnose and monitor the progression of various cancers. Elevated CA 19-9 has also been sporadically observed in Helicobacter pylori infected patients. Similar to H.

A double-blind randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled study of itopride in functional dyspepsia postprandial distress syndrome.

Background: Itopride, a mixed D2 antagonist and cholinesterase inhibitor, has prokinetic effects on gastric motility. The Leuven Postprandial Distress Scale is a validated patient-reported outcome instrument for functional dyspepsia (FD) postprandial distress syndrome (PDS). We aimed to use the LPDS to assess treatment outcome in PDS and PDS/EPS (epigastric pain syndrome).

Incidence and Prognosis of Biliary Tract and Gallbladder Cancers in a Belgian Academic Hospital.

Background: Biliary tract and gallbladder cancers are rare tumors with a poor prognosis (except the ampulla type). The evolution of hepatobiliary cancer incidence varies widely around the world. According to the Belgian Cancer Registry, the number of hepatobiliary cancers has increased every year since 2004.

Collagenous gastritis : about two paediatric cases and literature review.

Background And Study Aims: Collagenous gastritis is a rare entity divided in two subgroups (paediatric and adult). In the paediatric population, it often causes anaemia and abdominal pain. Therapy remains the most challenging part as no randomized clinical trial exists and long-term outcome is not well established.

Circulating nucleosomes as new blood-based biomarkers for detection of colorectal cancer.

Background: Colonoscopy is currently widely accepted as the gold standard for detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) providing detection of up to 95% of pre-cancerous lesions during the procedure. However, certain limitations exist in most countries including cost and access to the procedure. Moreover, colonoscopy is an invasive technique with risk inherent to the endoscopic procedure.

Regulation of pharmaceutical prices: evidence from a reference price reform in Denmark.

Reference price systems for prescription drugs constitute widely adopted cost containment tools. Under these regimes, patients co-pay a fraction of the difference between a drug's pharmacy retail price and a reference price that is set by the government. Reference prices are either externally (based on drug prices in other countries) or internally (based on domestic drug prices) determined.

Management of common bile duct stone late after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for obesity.

Rapid weight loss following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) for the treatment of obesity can increase the incidence of cholelithiasis formation. Nevertheless, routine simultaneous cholecystectomy at the time of bariatric surgery remains controversial. However, in case of delayed occurrence of common bile duct (CBD) stones, the difficulty to reach endoscopically the biliary tract after RYGBP should be kept in mind.

Duodenal ulcer hemorrhage treated by embolization: results in 28 patients.

Background: To assess the effectiveness and prospects of transcatheter gastroduodenal artery embolization in the control of massive duodenal bleeding and to relate our experience.

Methods Of Study: The study is based on the retrospective analysis of 165 patients with endoscopically detected bleeding duodenal ulcer who presented between 1991-1998. 28 patients were considered eligible for endovascular treatment either at initial presentation or following hemorrhage recurrence after endoscopic therapy.

Abdominal wall weakness and lumboabdominal pain revealing neuroborreliosis: a report of three cases.

The authors report three cases of thoracic radiculoneuropathy disclosing neuroborreliosis. All three patients had low back and abdominal pain and two had marked abdominal wall paresis. EMG confirmed a motor involvement of the lower thoracic roots and CSF analysis revealed a lymphocytic meningitis in all three cases.

Oesophageal self expanding metal stents. Preliminary report about covered and non-covered types.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and complications rate of covered and non-covered self expanding metal stents in the palliative treatment of oesophageal dysphagia.

Design: In this retrospective non-randomized study, we evaluated 11 non-covered and 17 covered stents of different types.

Results: Grade of dysphagia and improvement after treatment were similar in both groups, all the seven fistulas were sealed by covered stents.

Intestinal involvement in Buerger's disease.

Thromboangiitis obliterans characteristically affects small- and medium-sized vessels of the limbs in young smokers. There is some controversy about the existence of visceral localizations of the disease. The case of a patient with a well-established diagnosis of thromboangiitis obliterans who presented with mesenteric ischemia is described and the literature concerning mesenteric involvement in the disease is reviewed.

Endoscopic therapy of Barrett's oesophagus: critical review.

Barrett's oesophagus is known as one of the most important risk factor of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Because of the increasing incidence of these latter, many endoscopic methods such as argon plasma coagulation, photodynamic therapy or endoscopic mucosal resection are now in evaluation in order to eradicate Barrett's oesophagus or to treat dysplasia and early cancers arising from this metaplasia. The aim of this paper is to comment these techniques and discuss their usefulness.

Intraductal papillary-mucinous tumours of the pancreas. Clinical and radiological aspects.

Intraductal papillary-mucinous tumours are rare epithelial tumours with all intermediate types occurring from papillary to mucin-hypersecreting forms. They affects generally old men and recurring pancreatitis is the main clinical feature. Endoscopic Retrograde Pancreatography is the best diagnostic method, showing large dilatation of the ducts and filling defects due to mucin's plugs or papillary tumour.

[Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis associated with Steinert disease].

We report the case of a 63-year-old patient suffering from myotonic dystrophy, complicated with respiratory insufficiency, who presented a pneumoperitoneum without sign of peritonitis. Diagnosis of pneumatosis cystoides coli was based on CT scan evidence. Given oxygenotherapy and antibiotherapy, the patient rapidly improved.

Noninvasive imaging of the biliary tree before or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: use of three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using three-dimensional spiral CT after IV administration of a cholangiographic agent for noninvasive detection of anatomic variations of the bile ducts and common bile duct stones before or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Subjects And Methods: Three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography was performed before laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 24 patients and after surgery in two patients who had recurrent symptoms. After slow infusion of 250 ml of iodipamide, spiral CT was performed.

Thrombosis of splenic artery pseudoaneurysm complicating pancreatitis.

The natural history of pseudoaneurysms complicating pancreatitis is unknown. A patient with chronic pancreatitis is described in whom thrombosis of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm occurred. Early diagnosis and radical treatment of a bleeding pseudoaneurysm are mandatory.

Dynamic CT in pancreatic lymphoma.

We retrospectively reviewed the dynamic CT examinations of eight patients with pancreatic lymphoma. Four tumors were rounded masses with well-defined contours, four were more infiltrating lesions. The median cross-sectional diameter of the tumors was 6 cm (range 2.

[Distomatosis of the bile ducts. Value of retrograde cholangiography. Efficacy of triclabendazole].

A case of chronic biliary fascioliasis is reported, which was confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. After unsuccessful attempts of treatment with classic antiparasitic drugs, cure was obtained with triclabendazole the absorption of which was studied.

[Extracorporeal gallbladder lithotripsy: technology, practical methods, results and current value].

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of gallstones is a safe and well-tolerated procedure. Patients are now treated without general anesthesia and, increasingly, on an outpatient basis. Skin petechiae and transient hematuria are the most common side effects.

[Acute dilatation of the colon].

Dilated colon is provoked by obstructing lesions, toxic megacolon or colonic pseudoobstruction. The obstructing lesions of the colon are colonic volvulus, inflammatory bowel disease with stenosis or colonic cancer. Toxic megacolon is more often caused by I.

[Pharyngo-laryngeal consequences of gastroesophageal reflux. Value of esophageal pH measurements in 74 patients].

Ambulatory 24 hour oesophageal pH monitoring was performed in order to detect gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in 74 patients presenting with poorly explained ear-nose-throat complaints. A significant number of these patients also benefited from other currently used methods for diagnosing GERD. Oesophageal pH-monitoring demonstrated GERD in half of the patients.