No abstract

Background: Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancerrelated deaths and the eighth most common cancer worldwide with a 5-year survival rate of less than 25%. Here we report the incidence, risk factors and treatment options that are available currently, and moving into the future. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database made available by the National Cancer Institute in the USA. Specifically we extracted data from the years 2004-2015. Results: In total we identified 23,804 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma and 13,919 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Males were at an increased risk of developing both types of esophageal cancer when compared to females. Most cases of adenocarcinoma were diagnosed as poorly differentiated grade III (42%), and most cases of squamous cell carcinoma were diagnosed as moderately differentiated grade II (39.5%). The most common stage of presentation for both adenocarcinoma (36.9%) and squamous cell (26.8%) carcinoma was stage IV. The worst outcomes for adenocarcinoma were noted with grade III tumors (hazard ratio

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a rarely reported cause of viral hepatitis. Aggressive in nature, most cases of HSV hepatitis rapidly progress to fulminant hepatic failure. Present day, its pathogenesis is yet to be elucidated, but its complications and associated high mortality rate are clear. Clinically, its symptoms mimic those of other causes of acute hepatic failure thus making the diagnosis of HSV hepatitis a precarious task. Although treatment in the form of acyclovir is readily available, most cases have a poor prognosis due to late initiation of therapy. This makes the early identification of HSV essential in improving outcomes and potentially preventing mortality.

Schwannomas most commonly manifest as acoustic neuromas in the vestibulo-cochlear nerve (CN VIII). These may occur unilaterally as primary tumors, or bilaterally secondary to neurofibromatosis type 2. More rarely, they present in extra-cranial sites, including the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal schwannomas are believed to arise from Auerbach’s plexus in the muscularis propria, and are classified as mesenchymal tumors. Here, we report a rare case of a 49-year-old woman who had surgical resection of a gastric mass which was eventually diagnosed as gastric schwannoma.