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Acute pancreatitis has a large number of causes. Major causes are alcohol and gallstones. Toxic causes, mainly represented by medication-induced pancreatitis account for less than 2% of the cases. Cannabis is an anecdotally reported cause of acute pancreatitis. Six cases have previously been reported. Herein we report a new case of cannabis-induced recurrent acute pancreatitis.

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BACKGROUND: Short bowel syndrome arose after extended intestinal resection over two meters. It was observed in 15% of intestinal resection in adults. Crohn's disease (in UK) and mesenteric ischemia (in France) were the most frequent etiologies. In adults, the incidence was estimated at two adults/million inhabitants/year. AIM: This review aimed to provide answer for these questions: 1. Who are patients interested by short bowel syndrome? 2. Which interventions are responsible? 3. What is evolution before and after nutritional assistance? METHODS: An electronic search was performed between 1990 an 2006 in Medline database with the following keywords: "short bowel disease", "treatment" and "inflammatory bowel disease". Recent literature reviews and meta analysis were retained for analysis. RESULTS: After an extensive intestinal resection, nutritional management should start early during the post operative course. This strategy will prevent in time life threatening complications. NPDA is indicated temporarily for short bowel syndrome until intestinal readaptation or definitively in case of severe short bowel syndrome to improve survival and quality of life.

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AIM: Compare the performances of EUS to helical CT in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Forty two consecutive patients (mean age 63 years; 25 men, 17 women) who had surgical exploration and histologically proved pancreatic cancer were retrospectively included. All our patients underwent with endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and helical computed tomography (helical CT). Data analysis compared helical CT, EUS with the surgical data with or without histological study in diagnosis, staging and resectability of pancreatic cancer. Surgical findings were used as gold standard. RESULTS: For positive diagnosis EUS was more sensitive 100% (CI:93-100) than helical CT 88% (CI:77-95). But helical CT was more specific 89% (CI:64-98) than EUS 83% (CI:58-96) for small tumors whose diameter is below 2.5 cm in witch EUS was more sensitive in their detection (100% versus 83%). In evaluating venous involvement EUS was more sensitive than helical CT (96% versus 50%; p<0.05), while CT was more specific (81% versus 75%; p<0.05). Regarding lymph nodes invasion, the two imaging technique had the same sensibility (56%) with better specificity for helical CT (83% versus 75%; p<0.05). The accuracy of EUS in identifying the T and N stages were 80% and 67% respectively, while helical CT have an accuracy of 50% and 71% respectively. EUS and helical CT correctly identified all resectable tumors while EUS was more accurate than helical CT in detecting non resectable tumors 94% versus 69%. CONCLUSION: EUS remains superior to helical CT in positive diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma especially for small tumors and also for the diagnosis of venous invasion and in identifying non resectable tumors. The two techniques have the same accuracy in the detection of lymph node involvement.

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In a retrospective study of the specimens of gastric polypectomy, carried out between January 1992 and December 2002, we analysed the demographic and histological aspects of 65 polyps. This study revealed hyperplastic polyps in 66%, adenomatous lesions in 9.2%, Peutz-Jeghers polyps in 7.7%, inflammatory fibroid polyps in 6.15%, two cases of focal foveolar hyperplasia (3%), two cases of Brunner's gland heterotopia (3%), 1 pancreatic heterotopia (1.5%), 1 fundic gland polyp (1.5%) and 1 carcinoid tumor (1.5%). All adenomas and two Peutz-Jeghers polyps include intraepithelial neoplasia. Moreover, we identified a case of Brunner's gland heterotopia, which contain a focus of plane tubular adenoma with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. Other lesions were found within the polyps or into the surrounding gastric mucosa, such as intestinal metaplasia and Helicobacter Pylori gastritis. This work allowed us to recommend complete removal of gastric polyps and the realization of biopsies of the nonpolypoid gastric mucosa in the search of intraepithelial neoplasia or other lesions with malignant potential.

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Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role as a nonadrenergic, noncholinergic inhibitory neurotransmitter in the GI tract. Our study aims were to investigate the effect of a single intragastric L-arginine (L-Arg) administration, as a source of NO, on proximal stomach tone in basal and postintragastric administration of a polymeric diet in humans and to evaluate concomitantly the effect on antral area as an indirect assessment of gastric emptying. Eight healthy volunteers were studied in a randomized double-blind crossover study after, respectively, 15 g L-Arg, 30 g L-Arg, or placebo administered in the stomach through a gastric tube. The drug administration was followed by a polymeric diet infusion (500 ml/500 kcal) at a rate of 250 ml/hr. Gastric tone variations were recorded with an electronic barostat, gastric emptying was concomitantly estimated by repeated ultrasound measurements of antral area, and symptoms were recorded throughout the experiment.L-Arg administration was associated with significantly higher increases in barostat bag volumes at both dosages, 30 g (117+/-16 ml) and 15 g (67+/-15 ml), compared to placebo (46+/-11 ml; P < 0.05). In response to the polymeric diet the 30-g L-Arg challenge was associated with a smaller increase in intrabag volume, whereas postinfusion final volumes did not differ in the three treatment conditions. Antral areas were not different at any time of measurement among the three challenges. Bloating and diarrhea were observed after 30-g L-Arg administration in five subjects of eight. Short-term L-Arg administration was able to induce proximal stomach relaxation that allowed a secondary response to enteral feeding only at the 15-g dosage. This 15-g dosage was as well tolerated as the placebo and was associated with no significant changes in gastric emptying patterns.

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Hydatid cyst of the pancreas is very rare. However, it should be suspected in every case of pancreatic cyst, especially in hydatid countries where hydatic cyst disease is endemic. In the paper we report the first case of a multivesicular hydatid cyst of the pancreas explored by endoscopic ultrasonography. Endoscopic ultrasonography is very reliable in the investigation of pancreatic cystic tumors. However it did not allow us to define semiological criteria capable of permitting a differential diagnosis between a hydatid cyst and serous cystadenoma. Per-echoendoscopic transduodenal puncture might improve the efficiency of this procedure with of hydatid cysts of the head of the pancreas.

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Fifty-three patients with Crohn disease were included in a prospective study. Bone mineral density was measured at the femoral neck and lumbar spine by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Ten variables were analyzed in search of an association with bone demineralization; Age, sex, nutritional state, smoking, duration of the disease, hormonal status, inflammatory syndrome, site of disease: ileal, colic or ileocolic, accumulated doses of corticoids and intestinal resection. A bone demineralization was observed in 58.5% of cases. The ileum location and the corticothérapie were predictives of bone demineralization. Crohn disease is a disease at high risk of bone demineralization. Predictors of the bone loss were smoking, long duration of the disease, ileal site and systematic corticotherapy.

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The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and morbidity of endoscopic variceal ligation for the prophylaxis of rebleeding from oesophageal varices. This work is a prospective study including 102 patients having had at least one episode of variceal bleeding. The mean age is 52.5 years. Oesophageal varices were eradicated in 83.3% of cases after an average of 3.5 sessions. Recurrence of oesophageal varices after eradication was observed in 22% after an average follow-up of 7 months. 10 patients died before eradication of oesophageal varices from causes unrelated to the technique. The endoscopic variceal ligation is effective for eradication of oesophageal varices, with a low morbidity. This technique appears to be a method of choice in the prophylaxis of rebleeding from oesophageal varices.

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