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Background: The use of laparoscopic technique for management ofsymptomatic liver cysts is documented to be a feasible and safeprocedure with good short-term symptomatic relief. However, it cannotbe recommended as the standard of care as long-term results arescarce. The present study was initiated to review the long-termresults of this approach in the management of symptomatic livercysts. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients with symptomaticliver cysts that were treated by laparoscopic fenestration in ourdepartment over an 8-year period from 1993 to 2001. The clinicaland radiographical data were analysed at follow-up to assess the ­outcome. Results: Eleven patients were treated using a laparoscopic approach;10 patients with solitary cysts and one with adult polycystic liverdisease. All patients achieved short-term alleviation of symptomsand an uneventful postoperative course. The mean hospital stay was3 days. Long-term follow up was available for 9 patientswith a mean of 44 months. Histologically, one of the patientswas diagnosed with a biliary cystadenoma and she had a symptomaticrecurrence and a liver resection at 20 months. In the otherseven patients, there was no clinical recurrence but a radiographicalrecurrence of 28.5%. The patient with adult polycysticliver disease had two symptomatic recurrences: at 26 monthswhere he underwent a repeat laparoscopic fenestration and at 43 monthswhere he underwent an open fenestration. Conclusion: The present study confirms that with adequate patientselection, long-term alleviation of symptoms can be achieved withthe laparoscopic approach for solitary simple liver cysts but notfor polycystic liver disease or cystic tumours of the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicobacter pylori is believed to play an important role in the aetiology of gastric cancer. There is a great variability in seropositivity and histological frequency of H. pylori in gastric cancer. The present prospective study investigates the prevalence of H. pylori infection in gastric cancer patients using 14C-urea breath testing., Methods: Patients with endoscopic biopsy-proven gastric cancer were fasted for 6 h prior to ingesting 18.5 x 104 Bq of 14C-urea cocktail orally. Breath samples were collected after 20 min by asking them to blow into a hyamine solution and measurements were read in a scintillation counter., Results: Fifty out of 51 patients (98%) with gastric cancer were positive on the 14C-urea breath test compared to 29 patients (61%) who were positive on histology. There was no association between sex, age or tumour site, stage, differentiation, Lauren type and H. pylori status. The test was negative in one patient with cardial tumour in which histology of the resected specimen was also negative for the bacteria., Conclusions: Active H. pylori infection is highly prevalent in gastric cancer in a South-East Asian population. The 14C-urea breath test is a highly sensitive method for detecting the presence of H. pylori even in gastric adenocarcinoma irrespective of the stage.