Esophageal Stenosis and Thickening of the Muscularis Propria Diagnosed by Endoscopic Ultrasonography (EUS Diagnosis of Esophageal Muscle Thickening)

Abstract: Thickening of the muscularis propria of the esophagus was diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasonography as being the fourth hypoechoic layer larger than 2 mm in thickness. A thickened muscularis propria was observed in 40 patients with dysphagia caused by esophageal stenosis. In the patients with esophageal cancer, the thickening appeared at the proximal end of a layer-destructive tumor. In the patients with reflux esophagitis, the thickening of the muscularis propria was distinguished from the thickened submucosal layer at the stenosis. In the patients with achalasia, the thickening ivas maximal at the level of the stenosis and the thickness was significantly greater than in the other cases. The thickening of the muscularis propria tapered gradually and disappeared within 10 cm except in the patients with achalasia in whom the thickening reached the upper esophagus. The prestenotic thickening of the muscularis propria depended on the duration of the history of dysphagia and the narrowness of the stenosis.     

Colonoscopic Follow-up Study after Polypectomy

One hundred and forty-seven patients with colonic adenoma and early cancer were followed by one or more total colonoscopies. A very precisely planned colonoscopic follow-up schedule for the polypectomized patients was then assessed. In patients who received a single follow-up examination, the incidence of developing new polyps was 46.7% (1 year), 53.9% (2 years) and 73.3% (3 years or more). Patients who received multiple follow-up examinations showed an average incidence of developing new polyps (polyp positive examinations/total examinations) of 46.9%. With regards to the location and histology of the polyps, there was no difference found between the initial and new polyps. Seventeen colon cancers (14 mucosal, 2 early invasive, 1 advanced) were detected in 16 patients in the follow-up examinations. The time elapsed from a diagnosis of ‘clean colon’ to a new cancer developing was 1.9±1.0 years. The rate of new pedunculated polyps was found to be significantly low (p <0.01), and their size was significantly smaller (p<0.01) when compared with polyps in the initial early colon cancer. Follow-up examinations every two years are recommended     

Biochemistry: Synergistic Effects of Some Pairs of Antioxidants and Related Agents on Mouse Leukaemia L5178Y Cell Growth In-vitro

The effects of simultaneous administration of some dyadic combinations of antioxidants or vitamins and related agents on cellular proliferation of mouse leukaemia L5178Y cells in-vitro have been examined experimentally. The data were analysed on the basis of the concept of independence for evaluation of interactions between biologically active agents. An approach for evaluation of the synergism or antagonism of the action of two agents is proposed in which the types and extents of interactions are described by response-surface diagrams. The combinations phytol with trans-retinol, abscisic acid with trans-retinol, and menadione with sodium L-ascorbate were synergistic, whereas menadione with trans-retinal, and plumbagin with trans-retinol were antagonistic in the dose-range tested. These results reveal that the interactions between two agents depend not only on the combinations of agents but also on the dose ranges or the ratios of agents under the experimental domain studied.