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Biomedical subjects

V F Eckardt

Publications and source records attributed to V F Eckardt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Secondary achalasia in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of low malignancy and leiomyomatosis of the cardia].

A 28-year-old man had been dysphagic for 9 months with a weight loss of 4 kg. A preliminary diagnosis of primary achalasia was made on the basis of typical radiological and manometric findings. Despite balloon dilatation of the cardia the symptoms did not improve and further diagnostic tests were performed. Ultrasound demonstrated a 4 cm tumour below the cardia. But its type and possible malignancy remained uncertain even at laparotomy. But as a malignant tumour was suspected a gastrectomy and omentectomy with removal of the local and regional lymph nodes were performed. After this the symptoms regressed and postoperative food intake was without problem. Histological examination of the surgical specimen revealed leiomyomatosis of the cardia and the gastric fundus, combined with a low-malignant B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue. Oesophagus manometry 4 months postoperatively gave normal results. The patient has been free of symptoms and without evidence of recurrence for by now 18 months postoperatively.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Does endoscopic follow-up improve the outcome of patients with benign gastric ulcers and gastric cancer?

This study investigated whether an endoscopic surveillance program for patients with "benign" gastric ulcers and gastric cancer leads to early detection of neoplasms and improves survival. The clinical course of all patients diagnosed between 1977 and 1986 as having either gastric ulcers or gastric cancer was followed for a minimum of 3 years. Of 597 patients with initially benign gastric ulcers, 452 (76%) returned for the recommended endoscopic follow-up examinations. In eight patients (1.8%), repeated biopsies disclosed malignant neoplasms; four of these patients (0.9%) had become asymptomatic. Survival curves were nearly identical in patients who complied and those who did not. Of 241 patients with gastric cancer, 72 underwent partial gastric resection with curative intent and survived the first year. Resectable cancer was detected in 5 of 48 patients who complied (10%); none of these patients died of cancer. However, 5-year actuarial survival rates were similar between the patients who complied and those who did not. Although endoscopic surveillance may detect resectable cancer in selected patients, it remains to be shown that such a strategy improves survival.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Single dilation of symptomatic Schatzki rings. A prospective evaluation of its effectiveness.

This study investigates the effect of a single dilation on the morphology of the lower esophageal ring and on the clinical course of symptomatic patients. Thirty-three patients were studied prospectively for a mean period of 24.3 +/- 19.2 months. Passage of a large bougie (46-58 F) resulted in a rupture of the ring in each instance and its mean diameter increased from 11.4 +/- 3.6 to 17.2 +/- 4.1 mm. No complications occurred, and all patients were symptom-free at the first follow-up examination four weeks after dilation. However, late symptomatic recurrences were frequent. After one year, the estimated proportion of patients remaining free of symptoms was 68% after two years 35%, and after five years 11%. Repeated treatments were performed with similar ease and effectiveness; again, no complications were encountered. Neither the initial ring size nor the presence or absence of esophagitis determined the likelihood of symptomatic recurrences. It is concluded that single dilations of symptomatic lower esophageal rings are safe, easily performed, and well tolerated. Long-term cure of episodic dysphagia is rare, but recurrences can be successfully treated by repeated dilations.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Predictors of outcome in patients with achalasia treated by pneumatic dilation.

This prospective study investigates whether the effect of pneumatic dilation in patients with achalasia can be predicted on the basis of patient characteristics, type of treatment, or results of postdilation investigations. Over a period of 10 years, 54 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed achalasia were treated with pneumatic dilation and underwent pretreatment and posttreatment manometric, radiographic, and scintigraphic investigations. They were followed up every 2 years until the fall of 1991. Among the factors evaluated in the initial examination, only young age adversely affected outcome (P < 0.05). With the exception of the diameter of the dilating balloon, the treatment characteristics had a low predictive value. Postdilation lower esophageal sphincter pressure was the single most valuable factor for predicting the long-term clinical response (P < 0.0005). However, patients with high sphincter pressures and poor treatment results benefited from repeated dilations by having progressively longer remissions. It is concluded that young patients are poor candidates for pneumatic dilation, that treatment should be aimed at near complete inflation of the dilating bag, and that postdilation sphincter pressure may guide further treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[DNA ploidy and dysplasia in ulcerative colitis--interim analysis of a prospective study].

DNA ploidy and cell cycle phases were evaluated by flow cytometry in colonic biopsy specimens from 107 patients with ulcerative colitis in order to analyse the prevalence of DNA aneuploidy as an indicator of numerical chromosomal aberrations and the cell proliferation in all forms of ulcerative colitis. Whereas G2/M-phase fractions in ulcerative colitis and in controls were comparable (2.7 +/- 1.1% vs. 2.8 +/- 1.1%), S-phase fractions in ulcerative colitis exceeded those of controls (7.5 +/- 3.2% vs. 6.5 +/- 2.3%; p < 0.01). In 28 control patients, only diploid DNA histograms existed. Single or multiple aneuploid stem lines were detected in 10 patients with ulcerative colitis (9.3%). Aneuploidy was nearly exclusively associated with pancolitis. Dysplasia was present in 13 patients (indefinite: 8; low-grade: 5), of whom 5 patients also showed DNA aneuploidy. 5 patients with non-dysplastic mucosa exhibited DNA aneuploidy. Because dysplasia and DNA aneuploidy can be discordant and might therefore identify different subgroups at risk, flow cytometry might play a role as a valuable complement to histological examination in surveillance programs of ulcerative colitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Superficial esophageal carcinoma in achalasia, detected by endoscopic surveillance.

A 42 year old woman had undergone a Heller myotomy for achalasia of the cardia at age 28. Thereafter, she had become asymptomatic but reported for endoscopic follow-up examinations at three-yearly intervals. Fourteen years after surgery, endoscopy and biopsy revealed "carcinoma in situ" in the proximal esophagus and surgery was recommended. In the resected specimen, a circumscribed area of cancer was demonstrated that invaded the lamina propria but was confined to the mucosa. With the exception of mild and transient postoperative dysphagia, she had an uneventful postoperative course and remains well 16 months following surgery. This case demonstrates that endoscopic surveillance may detect early malignant changes in the achalasic esophagus and may possibly lead to an improvement in survival.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Pancreatitis associated with 5-aminosalicylic acid].

Acute pancreatitis with severe belt-like upper abdominal pain developed within 1-4 weeks of starting medication in three patients (29-year-old man with ulcerative colitis; 43-year-old woman and 22-year-old woman with Crohn's disease) treated, for the first time, with 5-aminosalicylic acid (mesalazine), 500 mg three times daily. Concentrations of lipase initially were 545, 1182 and 3000 U/l, and of amylase 243, 449 and 129 U/l, respectively. Symptoms receded within a few hours after the drug had been discontinued, enzyme levels returning to normal in the course of the next 2-3 weeks. On repeating the drug in two of the patients, in lower dosage, the pancreatitis recurred within a few days. These observations support the view that 5-aminosalicylic acid can cause acute pancreatitis, perhaps as an allergic reaction.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

Reliability of anal pressure measurements.

This study investigates whether measurements of anal sphincter pressure and length are reproducible and whether visual analyses of manometric tracings are reliable. Manometric studies were performed on three different days in 10 male and 10 female healthy subjects with the use of a pneumohydraulic capillary perfusion system. There was complete agreement between both observers in the analysis of anal resting and squeeze pressure as well as sphincter length. The pressure profiles from different days correlated significantly (P less than 0.01) with each other regardless of whether the studies were performed in the prepared or unprepared bowel. However, anal sphincter length and the quality of the anorectal inhibitory reflex varied greatly on different days. Male and female subjects showed major differences in the capacity of the anal sphincter to contract voluntarily (P less than 0.01), but resting tone and sphincter length were comparable in the two groups. It is concluded that pressure determinations in the anal canal are reliable and reproducible, but that alterations in the quality of the anorectal reflex need to be confirmed by repeated measurements before pathology is diagnosed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The anal sphincter in patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy.

The objective of this prospective study was to determine anal sphincter function and thickness of the anal musculature in patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy. Manometric studies were performed in 16 patients with myotonic dystrophy and in 16 healthy controls. Patients had significantly lower basal and squeeze pressures than control subjects (P less than 0.01). The results of ultrasonographic studies of the anal canal in 7 patients and 7 control subjects suggest that this decrease in muscle strength is partly explained by muscular atrophy. In addition, patients with myotonic dystrophy showed exaggerated rebound contractions following and sphincter relaxation that was induced by rectal distention. The pattern of this response and the results of electromyographic studies in 6 patients with myotonic dystrophy suggest that such abnormalities are explained by a neurogenic defect rather than a myotonic response of the anal musculature. It is concluded that patients with myotonic dystrophy show a multitude of defects in the anal sphincter that are an expression of myopathy, muscular atrophy, and neural abnormalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Distinct immunohistochemical findings in columnar epithelium of esophageal inlet patch and of Barrett's esophagus.

Immunohistochemistry was performed on biopsies of columnar mucosa from 11 patients with Barrett's esophagus and 11 patients with columnar mucosa in the cranial esophagus, the "inlet patch." Both epithelia contained endocrine cells, immunoreactive to antisera against serotonin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide; the specialized mucosa of Barrett's esophagus contained, in addition, neurotensin-immunoreactive cells, and in the mucosa of an inlet patch we found a gastrin cell. These findings are not compatible with some of the current theories on the origin of these epithelia. The mucosa of the inlet patch has been considered to consist of heterotopic gastric mucosa. The mucosa of the adult human stomach, however, does not contain glucagon cells. These cells are only present in the early embryonic stomach, and they disappear during embryonogenesis. According to our findings, the mucosa of the inlet patch therefore represents embryonic gastric mucosa. The specialized columnar epithelium of Barrett's esophagus has been considered to have evolved from gastric mucous neck cells. However, although glucagon cells are a feature of the embryonic stomach, neurotensin-immunoreactive cells have not been found in the gastric mucosa. Our study suggests that the specialized columnar epithelium of Barrett's esophagus originates from a very immature multipotent gastrointestinal stem cell.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Clinical and morphological characteristics of early gastric cancer. A case-control study.

We investigated whether previously reported differences between the frequency and survival of patients with early gastric cancer in Europe and Japan represent a selection phenomenon or differences in tumor biology. Within a 10-year period, early gastric cancer was diagnosed in 51 outpatients and advanced gastric cancer in 190 patients, amounting to a 21.2% incidence of early gastric cancer. Patients with early gastric cancer had an age distribution and clinical presentation similar to those of patients with benign gastric ulcers (589) but markedly different from those in patients with advanced cancer. Histological types and tumor locations were comparable in patients with early and advanced gastric cancer, indicating a close relationship between the two neoplasms. Patients with early gastric cancer had markedly higher 5-yr survival rates (83.4%) than those with advanced gastric cancer (14.5%) and did not differ in this regard from patients with benign gastric ulcers (82.9%). None of the 51 patients with early gastric cancer died of disseminated cancer. If survival rates were estimated for matched pairs with comparable age, sex, and length of follow-up, these data remained essentially unchanged (early gastric cancer: 83.4%, 95% confidence interval 73.2%-93.4%; gastric ulcer: 87.8%, 95% confidence interval 74.7%-94.3%). We conclude that early gastric cancer in European patients is comparable to early gastric cancer in Japan with regard to its morphology, clinical presentation, and curability. Early investigation of patients with significant gastrointestinal symptoms may improve the prognoses of patients with gastric cancer.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

Gastrointestinal transit and gastric acid secretion in patients with achalasia.

Previous studies suggest that patients with achalasia exhibit degenerative changes of extraesophageal nerve fibers. We investigated whether these morphological alterations are associated with functional abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with achalasia had a normal acid secretory response (5.5 +/- 1.5 mmol/hr) to vagal stimulation when compared to controls (6.0 +/- 5.3 mmol/hr). However, the half time of gastric emptying of liquids was significantly shorter in patients with achalasia (10.4 +/- 1.8 min) than in control subjects (19.3 +/- 11.3 min) (P less than 0.01). Although there was a tendency towards a more rapid gastrointestinal transit in patients with achalasia, these changes failed to reach statistical significance. It is concluded that patients with achalasia have a gastric emptying disorder that could either be explained by a selective defect of extraesophageal vagal inhibitory nerve fibers or as an epiphenomenon occurring as a consequence of impaired esophageal emptying.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Follow-up of patients with colonic polyps containing severe atypia and invasive carcinoma. Compliance, recurrence, and survival.

Between January 1975 and December 1984 1769 polyps were endoscopically removed from 1219 patients. Eight percent of these patients had polyps containing severe atypia and 5.0% had polyps containing invasive cancer. A close postoperative surveillance program was followed by only a few patients, but compliance improved with longer follow-up intervals. Metachronous polyps were observed with similar frequency in patients with benign polyps (34.8%) and those with polyps containing severe atypia (23.8%) or cancer (41.7%). Patients in whom malignant polyps were endoscopically removed had a 5-year survival rate of 84.3% that did not differ from that of patients' whose polyps contained severe atypia (79.0%). It was concluded that endoscopic removal of malignant polyps with favorable histologic conditions does not impair survival. The follow-up program of these patients should be adapted to that of patients with benign polyps, a procedure that may even improve patient compliance.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1988

[Are filiform fibromas of the skin a marker for colonic neoplasia?].

750 consecutive out-patients undergoing diagnosis for possible disease of the colon but no history of colon neoplasia were examined for skin tags (achrocordons). They were found in 257 patients, in 30 as multiple (greater than five) lesions. Benign adenoma of the colon was found with similar frequency in patients with (27.6%) and without (22.1%) tags. However, colon carcinoma was twice as frequent in patients with skin tags (8.2%) than controls (4.1%). Patients with multiple tags had an even higher risk of colon carcinoma (odds ratio 7.8; 95% confidence limits 2.2-24.4; P less than 0.01) and a slightly increased risk of benign colon adenoma (odds ratio 2.4; 95% confidence limits 0.9-6.0; P less than 0.05). Whether this association is important in the diagnosis of colon tumours should be tested further by investigating healthy subjects with skin tags.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Does healing of esophagitis improve esophageal motor function?

This study investigates whether healing of erosive esophagitis leads to an improvement of esophageal motor abnormalities. Manometric studies were performed in 18 patients with erosive esophagitis before and after healing of the mucosal lesions and in 15 healthy controls. Nine patients were treated with a Nissen fundoplication and nine with H2-receptor antagonists. After healing, patients were followed for a mean duration of 3.0 +/- 0.4 years. Compared to controls, patients had significantly lower contraction amplitudes and lower esophageal sphincter pressures (P less than 0.01), while the duration and velocity of esophageal contractions was similar in both groups. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure increased after surgical treatment, while no such changes were observed in medically treated patients. In both groups amplitude, duration, and velocity of esophageal contractions were not affected by healing of esophagitis. On extended follow-up, all surgically treated patients remained asymptomatic while eight of nine medically treated patients developed a symptomatic relapse which was accompanied by erosive esophagitis in six of them. The lack of improvement in esophageal motor function after healing of esophagitis may contribute to the frequent occurrence of relapse in medically treated patients.

Esophagitis, Peptic↗
PubMed1986

Esophageal motor function in patients with muscular dystrophy.

In a study designed to evaluate esophageal motor function in muscular dystrophy we examined 13 patients with myotonic dystrophy, 14 patients with "nonmyotonic" muscular dystrophy, and 8 healthy control subjects by manometric and radionuclide transit studies. Patients with myotonic dystrophy exhibited a marked weakness of esophageal contractions and upper esophageal sphincter pressure. Coordination of sphincter relaxation and peristaltic sequences remained unaltered. These changes led to delayed esophageal emptying in all patients with myotonic dystrophy. Although esophageal function was also impaired in the distal esophagus, on histologic studies, morphologic alterations were confined to esophageal striated muscle in a single patient with myotonic dystrophy. In contrast to the marked dysfunction of esophageal motility in patients with myotonia, no such alterations were observed in the "nonmyotonic" form of muscular dystrophy.

Adult↗