Gut

BACKGROUND: Overexpression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is frequently detected in gastric cancer and is believed to play a crucial role in gastric carcinogenesis. AIM: We examined the chemopreventive effect of a COX-2 inhibitor in an animal…

BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinomas of the gastric cardia and distal oesophagus are at present often considered as one clinical entity because of their comparable increasing incidence, prognosis, and optimal treatment options. However, it is still …

BACKGROUND: Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is an important endodermal morphogenetic signal during the development of the vertebrate gut. It controls gastrointestinal patterning in general, and gastric gland formation in particular. We have previously…

A case of a middle aged woman with weight loss, ascites, and a pleural effusion is presented where a clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancer was made. Her CA 125 was greatly increased at 873 IU/ml and the ascites was a lymphocytic exudate but …

Numerous epidemiological studies have been performed to determine factors that might contribute to the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Although the role of oral contraceptive agents in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis …

A prospective audit of the diagnostic yield and management benefit of laparoscopy was undertaken in 220 consecutive patients. The procedure was performed electively in 180 patients and as an emergency in 40. The indications for laparoscopy …

Several papers have recently assessed whether immunohistochemistry increases the accuracy of staging in node negative colorectal carcinomas, by showing micrometastases. The results have been contradictory. In this paper 542 nodes which were…

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased prevalence of osteoporosis, and suffer high rates of spinal bone loss. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is effective in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis but has not bee…

The widespread availability of ultrasound imaging has led to more frequent recognition of cystic disease affecting the liver and biliary tract. There is a wide range of possible causes. Cystic disease of infective origin is usually caused b…

A 12 month follow up study to assess the impact of symptoms suggestive of irritable bowel syndrome in women presenting to gynaecology clinics with pelvic pain is reported. Of 71 women 37 (52%) had symptoms suggestive of irritable bowel synd…

Patients with severe idiopathic constipation are almost exclusively women. Common presenting features include lower abdominal pain, irregular and painful menstruation, and a past history of gynaecological surgery. Pelvic ultrasonography was…

Six patients with endometriosis involving the intestine are described and illustrate the variety of symptoms which may occur in this condition, many of which are frequently associated with the more common gastrointestinal illnesses. A corre…

Rectal bleeding often heralds serious colonic disease. The literature suggests that colonoscopy is superior to barium enema plus sigmoidoscopy, although no good comparative studies exist. Seventy one patients with overt rectal bleeding had …

Cholesterol synthesis, faecal bile acids and neutral sterols, and plasma squalene and free and esterified cholesterol precursor sterols concentrations were studied in patients with previous ileal resection (n = 30) or jejunoileal bypass (n …