Management of Pancreatolithiasis: A Nationwide Survey in Japan.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess prevailing treatment of pancreatolithiasis in Japan.

Methods: We surveyed clinical data from 1834 patients (1479 men and 355 women) at 125 hospitals.

Results: Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed alone in 103 patients (5.

A case of a "wandering" mobile solitary fibrous tumor occurring in the pancreas.

A 73-year-old male with a complaint of abdominal discomfort was examined by abdominal ultrasonography and found to have a hypoechoic mass in the upper abdomen. On abdominal computed tomography (CT), there was a 5-cm, hypervascular mass between the stomach and aorta. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) showed a homogeneous mass with hypointensity on T1-weighted images, accompanied by stenosis of the main pancreatic duct of the pancreatic head.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor with complete replacement of the pancreas by serous cystic neoplasms in a patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease: a case report.

Background: von Hippel-Lindau disease is a dominantly inherited multi-system syndrome with neoplastic hallmarks. Pancreatic lesions associated with von Hippel-Lindau include serous cystic neoplasms, simple cysts, and neuroendocrine tumors. The combination of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and serous cystic neoplasms is relatively rare, and the surgical treatment of these lesions must consider both preservation of pancreatic function and oncological clearance.

Efficacy and safety of double-balloon endoscopy-assisted endoscopic papillary large-balloon dilatation for common bile duct stone removal.

Background: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is difficult to perform in patients with gastrointestinal tract reconstruction.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of double-balloon endoscopy-assisted endoscopic papillary large-balloon dilatation for common bile duct stones in patients with gastrointestinal tract reconstruction.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series with a comparison to historical controls.

Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation for removal of bile duct stones.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy and outcomes of endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) for bile duct stones in a multicenter prospective study.

Methods: Lithotomy by EPLBD was conducted in 124 patients with bile duct stones ≥ 13 mm in size or with three or more bile duct stones ≥ 10 mm. After endoscopic sphincterotomy, the papilla was dilated using balloons 12-20 mm in diameter fitting the bile duct diameter.

The effect of granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis on serum cytokine levels in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) with an Adacolumn has been reported to be effective as induction therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the effects of GMA on serial changes in cytokine levels have not been well characterized. We therefore, investigated cytokine levels in UC patients before and after treatment with GMA.

Wire-guided biliary cannulation technique does not reduce the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis: multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of wire-guided biliary cannulation (WGC) on the prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP).

Methods: We investigated the impact of the WGC technique on the incidence of PEP by comparing the conventional cannulation (CC) technique in selective bile duct cannulation during ERCP with a cross-over design in a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial and the potential risk factors for PEP. This involved six tertiary referral centers and three university hospitals.

Colonic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Colonic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas are rare and a definitive treatment has not been established. Solitary or multiple, elevated or polypoid lesions are the usual appearances of MALT lymphoma in the colon and sometimes the surface may reveal abnormal vascularity. In this paper we report our experience with four cases of colonic MALT lymphoma and review the relevant literature.

Unusual Manifestation of Gastric Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Infection with Helicobacter pylori (HP) is common in many parts of the world. While most patients are asymptomatic, it causes peptic ulcer disease and malignancy in some of them. Other rare conditions have occasionally been reported in association with this infection.

Peripheral Blood CD64 Levels Decrease in Crohn's Disease following Granulocyte and Monocyte Adsorptive Apheresis.

Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) is reportedly useful as induction therapy for Crohn's disease (CD). However, the effects of GMA on CD64 have not been well characterized. We report here our assessment of CD64 expression on neutrophils before and after treatment with GMA in two patients with CD.

Serial changes in cytokine expression in irritable bowel syndrome patients following treatment with calcium polycarbophil.

Background/aims: Calcium polycarbophil improves abdominal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We examined cytokine expression in IBS patients before and after administration of calcium polycarbophil.

Methodology: A total of 24 IBS patients (13 diarrhea type, 11 constipation type; median age, 55 years) were enrolled.

Characterization of follicular lymphoma in the small intestine using double-balloon endoscopy.

Follicular lymphomas occur rarely in the gastrointestinal tract, representing only 1-3% of all gastrointestinal tract B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. We describe endoscopic analysis of 3 cases of follicular lymphoma in the small intestine using double-balloon endoscopy. Double-balloon endoscopy revealed multiple nodular lesions and elevated white patches, multiple polypoid lesions, and scattered white polypoid and nodular lesions in the duodenum and small intestine.