Hypoganglionosis and adult-onset Hirschsprung's disease have different pathophysiologic characteristics, although their clinical presentations are similar. We suggest that there are two subgroups of hypoganglionosis: those with or without a focally narrowed transition zone with a profoundly diminished number of ganglion cells.

A WD increases the susceptibility to DSS-induced inflammation and accelerates the infiltration of macrophages. In turn, this resulted in the development and progression of colon cancer.

Abstract. Bone is the second most frequent site of metastasis resulting from thyroid cancer. Many studies have investigated clinical features and prognostic factors of distant metastases stemming from thyroid cancer in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to review clinical characteristics of Korean patients with bone metastasis originating from thyroid cancer. Between January 1985 and August 2004, 28 patients with thyroid cancer were diagnosed with bone metastases at the Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul, Korea. Their clinical characteristics were analyzed retrospectively. Incidence of bone metastasis from follicular thyroid cancer was 6.8% (9 of 132 patients), and 0.4% (13 of 3,154 patients) from papillary thyroid cancer, with an odds ratio of 17.67 (95% confidence interval; 7.41-42). Twelve patients had no symptoms of bone metastasis. Overall mean number of metastasis sites was 2.6 ± 1.9, and 12 patients had a solitary bone metastasis. Survival rates between the synchronous and metachronous metastasis groups were not significantly different, and the number of metastasis sites did not affect survival. However, the survival of patients that underwent curative treatment was longer than those with palliation (P = 0.0317). In Korea, the overall incidence of bone metastasis resulting from thyroid cancer was less than our expectation. Many patients were asymptomatic, and had a tendency of undergoing less aggressive or palliative treatment, even though the long-term survival of distant metastasis resulting from thyroid cancer with active treatment is relatively good. Further studies of the prognostic factors and effectiveness of various treatments of these patients are needed to enhance survival. DISTANT metastasis in thyroid cancer is well known and develops in 7% to 23% of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer [1]. In anaplastic thyroid cancer, 25% to 50% of patients may have synchronous pulmonary metastases at the time of diagnosis [2], while 20% of patients with sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma had distant metastases at the time of diagnosis [3]. Bone is the second most common site of metastasis resulting from thyroid cancer after lung. The incidence of bone metastasis varies along with the degree of differentiation and histologic subtypes of thyroid cancer. Follicular thyroid cancer is the most common histologic origin of bone metastasis among well-differentiated thyroid cancer, with incidences ranging from 7% to 28% [4,5], but papillary thyroid cancer has been identified as the least likely subtype to cause bone metastases with incidences ranging from 1.4% to 7% in many reports [6][7][8]. According to the time interval from thyroid cancer diagnosis to detection of distant metastasis, metastatic thyroid cancer is classified into two types: synchronous metasatsis (SM) and metachronous metastasis (MM). The differences between these two

NIRF imaging using a protease-activatable probe may be a useful tool for early tumor detection. This approach could translate to improve the endoscopic detection of colon tumors, especially in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

SummaryObjective Although rosiglitazone, an insulin sensitizer, is known to have beneficial effects on high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations and low density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, it has unwanted effects on total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations and body weight in some short-term studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the longterm effects of rosiglitazone on serum lipid levels and body weight. Design Open labelled clinical study. Patients and measurementsWe prospectively evaluated fasting serum glucose, haemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ), lipid profiles and body weight at baseline and every 3 months after the use of rosiglitazone (4 mg/day) for 18 months in 202 type 2 diabetic patients. Results TC levels increased maximally at 3 months and decreased thereafter. However, overall, TC levels remained significantly higher at 18 months than those at baseline. LDL-C levels from the 3-month to the 12-month timepoint were significantly higher than those at baseline. However, after 15 months, LDL-C concentrations were not significantly different from basal LDL-C concentrations. HDL-C levels increased after the first 3 months and these levels were maintained. The increment of change in HDL-C was more prominent in patients with low basal HDL-C concentrations than in patients with high basal HDL-C concentrations. Body weight increased after the first 3 months and these levels were maintained. Conclusions HDL-C and body weight increased and remained elevated for the duration of the study. There was an initial increase in LDL-C but this attenuated and by the end of the study was not significantly elevated above baseline levels.

The annual seroconversion rate was 2.79% in our study population. Marriage and living with H. pylori-infected family members were important risk factors affecting seroconversion in our adult population.

DBE in patients with distorted intestinal anatomy such as Roux-en-Y anastomosis is a useful tool for the management of small bowel lesions, especially those in the afferent loop.

Patients tolerated DBE well. DBE may be performed as comfortably as EGD and colonoscopy if the quality of sedation is good enough.