Ji Kon Ryu

Abnormalities of miRNA expression are observed in the multistep progression of pancreatic cancer, with miR-155 aberrations demonstrable at the stage of PanIN-2, and miR-21 abnormalities at the stage of PanIN-3 lesions. and IAP.

We conclude that AAC frequently occurs in elderly male outpatients without critical illness and gangrene is common but the prognosis is better than reported previously.

Endoscopic intervention is considered to be the primary treatment for biliary stricture after adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) with duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of biliary stricture and the clinical outcomes and predictors of failure after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography with balloon dilation (ERC-D). We enrolled 239 adult patients who underwent LDLT between 2000 and 2006. Sixty-eight patients (28.4%) develope

BACKGROUND: A consensus conference has recommended close observation of branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs) smaller than 30 mm, without symptoms or mural nodules. This study investigated whether these recommendations could be validated in a single-centre experience of BD-IPMNs. METHODS: Some 190 patients with radiological imaging or histological findings consistent with BD-IPMN were enrolled between 1998 and 2005. Those with less than 6 months' follow-up and no histol

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms comprise a pathologically heterogeneous group with many shared clinical features. We assessed the reliability of cyst fluid analysis for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cysts. Cyst fluid was obtained by fine-needle aspiration from 78 pancreatic cysts. The lesions studied consisted of 17 mucinous cystic tumors (MCTs), 13 serous cystadenomas (SCAs), 5 solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPTs), 8 intraductal papillary mucinous tumors (IPMTs), 6 ductal adenocarcinomas

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms were the most common PCN observed in Korea. Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms were observed more frequently than those in studies from western countries. In IPMNs, advanced age was associated with malignancy, suggesting an adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Involvement of the pancreatic head was associated with malignancy in both IPMNs and MCNs, possibly warranting prompt surgical interventions.

The aberrantly methylated NPTX2 gene may help to distinguish between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer with conventional diagnostic tools and could become a valuable diagnostic marker.

An impacted stone, stone size (>or=30 mm) and stone size to bile duct diameter ratio (>1.0) were predictors of failure of endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy for a difficult bile duct stone. Alternative approaches should be considered in patients with predictors of unsuccessful endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy in order to avoid wasting time and resources.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although endoscopic papillectomy has been attempted in early stage ampullary cancer (pTis, T1), its curative role and indications remain uncertain. The present study was designed to assess the factors that predict malignancy and lymph node metastasis and to suggest potential indications for endoscopic papillectomy by analyzing clinicopathological data. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical and histopathological data of 216 patients with ampullary cancer b

BACKGROUND/AIMS: No reliable nationwide clinical data about chronic pancreatitis (CP) was available in Korea. The etiology and clinical features of CP were investigated using a multicenter nationwide study. METHODS: 814 cases of CP were enrolled retrospectively over the past 4 years at 13 hospitals. The following data were obtained from all patients: etiology, symptoms, complications, and surgery. RESULT: Alcohol (64.3%) was the major cause of CP and idiopathic CP (20.8%) was the second most com