Search

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lynch syndrome (LS) is the most common cause of hereditary colorectal cancer and is associated with an increased lifetime risk of gastric and duodenal cancers of 8–16% and 7% respectively, therefore, we aim to describe an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) surveillance program for upper gastrointestinal (GI) precursor lesions and cancer in LS patients. METHODS: Patients who either had positive genetic testing or met clinical criteria for LS who had a surveillance EGD at our institution from 1996 to 2017 were identified. Patients were included if they had at least two EGDs or an upper GI cancer detected on the first surveillance EGD. EGD and pathology reports were extracted manually. RESULTS: Our cohort included 247 patients with a mean age of 47.1 years (SD 12.6) at first EGD. Patients had a mean of 3.5 EGDs (range 1–16). Mean duration of follow-up was 5.7 years. Average interval between EGDs was 2.3 years. Surveillance EGD detected precursor lesions in 8 (3.2%) patients, two (0.8%) gastric cancers and two (0.8%) duodenal cancers. Two interval cancers were diagnosed: a duodenal adenocarcinoma was detected 2 years, 8 months after prior EGD and a jejunal adenocarcinoma was detected 1 year, 9 months after prior EGD. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that surveillance EGD is a useful tool to help detect precancerous and cancerous upper GI lesions in LS patients. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine a program of surveillance EGDs in LS patients. More data are needed to determine the appropriate surveillance interval.

Recent studies highlighted the clinicopathological heterogeneity of non-ampullary duodenal adenomas and adenocarcinomas, but the detailed process of the malignant transformation remains unclear. We analyzed 144 adenomas and 54 adenocarcinomas of the non-ampullary duodenum for immunohistochemical phenotypes, genetic alterations, and mismatch repair (MMR) status to probe their histogenetic relationship. The median ages of patients with adenoma and adenocarcinoma were the same (66 years). Adenomas were histologically classified as intestinal-type adenoma (n = 124), pyloric gland adenoma (PGA, n = 10), gastric-type adenoma, not otherwise specified (n = 9), and foveolar-type adenoma (n = 1). Protein-truncating APC mutations were highly frequent in adenomas (85%), with the highest prevalence in intestinal-type adenomas (89%), but rare in adenocarcinomas (9%; P = 2.1 × 10–23). Close associations between phenotypic marker expression and genetic alterations were observed in adenomas, but not in adenocarcinomas, excluding the common association between GNAS mutations and MUC5AC expression. MMR deficiency was more frequent in adenocarcinomas (20%) than in adenomas (1%; P = 2.6 × 10–6). One MMR-deficient adenoma and three MMR-deficient adenocarcinomas occurred in patients with Lynch syndrome. Additionally, three other patients with an MMR-deficient adenocarcinoma fulfilled the revised Bethesda criteria. The discrepant APC mutation frequency between adenomas and adenocarcinomas suggests that APC-mutated adenomas, which constitute the large majority of non-ampullary duodenal adenomas, are less prone to malignant transformation. Non-ampullary duodenal adenocarcinomas frequently exhibit MMR deficiency and should be subject to MMR testing to determine appropriate clinical management, including the identification of patients with Lynch syndrome.

The last 2 decades has witnessed efforts towards standardization of surgery for small bowel cancers. The proposed recent guidelines/recommendations pertaining to choice of procedure and extent of lymphadenectomy are based on analysis of data from high volume centres of excellence. We evaluated whether these recently proposed oncologic recommendations can be replicated in the setting of single centre/team. This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) who underwent surgery for tumours of small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) by the same team of surgeons from 01/01/2010 to 12/31/2019. The procedure performed and lymph nodes harvested during pathologic examination were compared with recent recommendations. Of the 32 patients (20 males and 12 females), mean age was 52.4 (range 31–77) years. Twenty-nine (90.6%) patients underwent surgery for small bowel cancers. Duodenum was the most common site, while NET was the commonest cancer. Whipple’s procedure was performed for tumours of II part of duodenum, while for the rest, segmental resection was performed. The median number of lymph nodes examined for duodenal adenocarcinoma and NET was 14 and 9, respectively. For jejunal/ileal adenocarcinoma, median lymph node number examined was 11. Our study shows that these recently proposed standards for surgery of small bowel cancers are achievable if basic principles of oncologic surgery are followed.

Management strategies for primary non-ampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma (NADAC) in early stage are not well established given its low incidence. This study aimed to elucidate clinicopathological features of early NADAC, including risk for lymph nodal metastasis (LNM). In total, 166 patients with early NADAC underwent initial treatment at our institution between 2006 and 2019, of whom 153 had intramucosal (M-) and 13 had submucosal (SM-) NADAC. These endoscopic and pathological features were retrospectively analyzed. Risk factors for LNM were evaluated in 46 early NADAC patients who underwent surgery with lymph node dissection. Compared with M-NADAC, SM-NADAC was significantly more frequently located at the proximal side of the papilla, with mixed elevated and depressed macroscopic type, histologically poorly differentiated tumor and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (85% vs. 47%, P = 0.009; 54% vs. 5%, P

Introduction There is limited published evidence on duodenal carcinoma due to its rarity. This study aimed to evaluate gastric outlet obstruction and obstructive jaundice along with pathological variables as survival factors in patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma following resection. Methods Survival factor analysis was undertaken in patients undergoing duodenal cancer surgery from 1997 to 2015 in a single centre. Results There were 57 patients of whom 18 had gastric outlet obstruction and 14 had obstructive jaundice. Fifty-three had a partial pancreatoduodenectomy and four had palliative bypass. Perioperative mortality and morbidity were 4% (2/53) and 47% (25/53) respectively in resected patients. With a median (95% confidence interval, CI) follow-up of 72 (57–86) months, median overall and recurrence-free survival was 38 months (95% CI 28–113) and 27 months (95% CI 18–83) respectively. The 1 and 3-year overall survival rates were 84% (95% CI 74–95) and 52% (95% CI 39–69) respectively. Median overall survival was 19 months in patients with gastric outlet obstruction vs 53 months in those without (p = 0.026) and 28 months in patients with obstructive jaundice vs 38 months in those without (p = 0.611). Univariate analysis revealed that tumour stage, resection margin status, pre-operative albumin status, gastric outlet obstruction and age were associated with poorer overall and recurrence-free survival but multivariate analysis confirmed only tumour stage and resection margin status to be significant. Conclusion Whereas gastric outlet obstruction in duodenal cancer appeared to be an important survival factor following partial pancreatoduodenectomy, multivariate analysis showed that only tumour stage and resection margin status were the key independent survival factors. Further multicentre studies are required to elucidate further characteristics of duodenal carcinoma and develop neoadjuvant/adjuvant management strategies.

Site-specific outcomes of resection for periampullary cancer have not been analyzed on a large, registry-based scale. We assessed data on periampullary cancers from the SEER database. Site- and stage-specific outcomes were analyzed. Resection was compared to no resection. Resection was the main therapy in stages 1 and 2 (resection vs. no resection, 8644 vs. 7208 patients), was less frequent in stage 3 (1248 vs. 2783 patients) and was rarely—but still—used in stage 4 disease (541 vs. 11,212 patients). Pancreatic head (75.7%), 11.4% distal bile duct, 7.7% ampullary, and 5.3% duodenal cancers. Cancer subtype-independent median survival was 22.0 (resection) vs. 7.0 months (no resection) in stages 1 and 2, 21.0 vs. 8.0 months in stage 3, and 10.0 vs. 3.0 months in stage 4. Subtype-dependent median survival (resection vs. no resection) was 18.0 vs. 5.0 months in pancreatic head, 19.0 vs 4.0 months in distal bile duct, 41.0 vs 7.0 months in ampullary, and 38.0 vs 4.0 months in duodenal adenocarcinoma. On multivariable analysis, patient comorbidities, marital and insurance status, and income all influenced the decision to undergo resection. Surgery is still underutilized in the treatment of periampullary cancers. Patients with cancers originating from the duodenum or the ampulla of Vater benefit most from resectional surgery.

The mechanism behind the pathogenesis and carcinogenesis of these neoplasms is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to identify genetic markers and pathways specific to precancerous duodenal adenomas and early stage adenocarcinomas through gene expression analysis. Gene expression profiling was performed in 4 pairs of duodenal adenoma/adenocarcinomas and corresponding matched normal tissue. Genes with consistent expression differences were identified and confirmed in 7 independent pairs. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to characterize gene expression profiles of duodenal adenoma/adenocarcinomas, together with immunohistochemical staining of candidate oncogenic genes. 626 probes consistently demonstrated over a twofold expression difference between tumor–normal pairs. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of genes with the most prominent difference in expression between tumors and normal mucosa (KLK7, KLK6, CEMIP, MMP7, KRT17, LGR5, G6PC, S100G, APOA1) validated the results of gene expression analysis. GSEA demonstrated a strong association between duodenal adenoma/adenocarcinomas with colorectal adenomas (p

Sporadic nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (NADETs) are uncommon, and thus their clinicopathological features have not been fully assessed. In this study, we have analyzed a series of early sporadic NADETs, focusing on various immunohistological features. We conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis of 68 patients with endoscopically resected sporadic NADETs. Associations between immunohistological features and clinicopathological features were statistically analyzed. The 68 patients consisted of 46 men (68%) and 22 women (32%) with a mean age of 60.7 ± 12.2 years (range 37–85 years). The 68 tumors were composed of 39 adenomas (57%) and 29 early-stage adenocarcinomas (43%). Duodenal adenocarcinomas were larger in size than adenomas and had papillary architecture in their pathological diagnosis with statistical significance. Duodenal adenocarcinomas also demonstrated a significantly higher expression of gastric markers (MUC5AC and MUC6) and a higher MIB-1 index. Duodenal adenomas were contrastively apt to express intestinal markers (MUC2, CDX1 and CDX2). Of the 68 cases analyzed, there were only 3 tumors positive for p53 staining, all of which were adenocarcinoma. When 7 submucosal invasive cancers and 21 intramucosal cancers were compared, submucosal invasion was positively associated with expression of MUC5AC. Also, submucosal invasion showed strong association with double-positivity of MUC5AC and MUC6. Our results indicate that immunohistochemical evaluation is useful for predicting malignant potential of NADETs, especially focusing on the expression of gastrointestinal markers.

Duodenal adenocarcinoma (DA) is a rare disease, and the optimal extent of lymphadenectomy and the role of limited resection remain controversial. The aim of our study was to assess the pattern of regional lymph node spread of DA and to determine the optimal extent of resection. A total of 65 patients who underwent curative resection for DA at our institution from 1989 through 2015 were included in this study. Clinicopathologic factors associated with long-term outcomes and the patterns of regional node spread per primary tumor location were evaluated. Fifty-one patients (78%) underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), with the remainder undergoing limited resection. The median number of retrieved lymph nodes was 24 (range 1–63) and 48% of patients had regional node metastasis. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 67%. In the multivariate analysis, regional node and para-aortic lymph node metastasis were risk factors associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio [HR] 12.1 [p = 0.025], and HR 3.2 [p = 0.045], respectively). While pancreaticoduodenal (#13) and superior mesenteric (#14) lymph node stations were commonly involved by both distal and proximal DA (33 vs. 39% for #13, p = 0.39; and 33 vs. 22% for #14, p = 0.27), the pyloric lymph node station was much less involved by distal DA than proximal DA (0 vs. 37%, p = 0.036). The pancreaticoduodenal lymph node station was the most commonly involved lymph node in DA, and PD should be the standard operation for DA. Segmental resection should only be reserved for patients with distal DA who are physically unfit for PD.

Adenocarcinoma arising from the duodenum is relatively rare. Diagnosis of this disease at an early stage is difficult because its symptoms are usually nonspecific. We herein present a case in which duodenal adenocarcinoma was successfully found by transabdominal ultrasonography. Under ultrasonography, the tumor was located in the proximal duodenum apart from the papilla of Vater, and the serosa was intact. Other diagnostic modalities showed no evidence of adjacent organ invasion or distant metastasis. Therefore, pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and the postoperative course was uneventful. The ultrasonographic findings corresponded well with the pathological diagnosis. The following three procedures were essential in this case: systematic scanning of the digestive tract to determine the location of the lesion, graded compression ultrasound to remove air bubbles from the region of interest, and precise observation of the intestinal walls using proper transducers. The precise and skillful performance of transabdominal ultrasonography using a suitable device can help to diagnose duodenal adenocarcinoma, a rare malignancy.

Background The malignant transformation of an ectopic pancreas in the duodenum is extremely rare. Herein, we report a case of an adenocarcinoma that arose from an ectopic pancreas. We also reviewed 14 cases of malignant transformations arising from an ectopic pancreas in the duodenum that were previously published. Case presentation An 81-year-old man with a 1-month history of vomiting was admitted to our institution. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and computed tomography (CT) scans revealed an obstruction at the first part of the duodenum. A distal gastrectomy was performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed adenocarcinoma that arose from an ectopic pancreas (Heinrich type 1). The patient is alive without relapse at 18 months of follow-up. Conclusions Adenocarcinoma that arises from an ectopic pancreas should be considered when an obstruction is identified in the duodenum.

Background Primary duodenal adenocarcinoma (PDC) is a rare and lethal disease, and cases with nodal or distant metastasis have a poor prognosis. There are several reports of unresectable duodenal adenocarcinoma responding to systemic chemotherapy. However, there is little data on conversion surgery for PDC with distant metastasis. Case presentation We report a 55-year-old man with unresectable PDC with liver and nodal metastases responding to systemic chemotherapy with capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX). His metastatic lesions completely disappeared by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography after six courses of XELOX. Then, he underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with lymph node dissection and partial resection of the liver. Postoperatively, the histological effect was determined to be grade 3, and the patient was diagnosed as having achieved pathological complete response (pCR). He is disease-free with no evidence of metastatic lesion for 14 months after surgery. Conversion surgery allowed R0 resection for unresectable PDC, and pCR can be achieved with XELOX treatment. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this case is the first report of conversion surgery for unresectable PDC with liver and para-aortic lymph node metastases.

Sporadic duodenal cancer is a rare cancer entity. Therefore, the prognostic significance of clinicopathologic features is unknown. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors and compare survival with other tumour entities of the same anatomical region. We retrospectively studied medical records of 22 patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma (DAC), who underwent resection in two German centres for pancreatic surgery (1994–2012). Mean time of follow-up was 51.3 months. Predictive factors were evaluated by log rank analysis. Whipple surgery was performed in seven cases (31.8 %), pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy in 14 cases (63.6 %) and partial duodenectomy in one case (4.5 %). R0-resection was achieved in 86.4 %. In all, 50% of our patients had nodal positive disease. Overall morbidity was 59.1 % and perioperative mortality was 9.1 %. Survival after resection was 63.6 % and 59.0 % (3- and 5-years). There was no significant survival difference between patients with DAC and ampullary cancer, but survival was longer compared with patients with pancreatic cancer. Mortality seems to be high after resection of DAC. However, radical surgery should be performed due to the high number of patients with nodal positive disease. No definite prognostic factors were identified. The prognosis after resection of duodenal cancer can be compared with patients with ampullary cancer.

Duodenal adenocarcinomas are the most common duodenal tumors, and represent 15-25% of small bowel carcinomas. Their management differs from other small bowel tumors, with imaging playing a very important role. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the diagnosis and management of duodenal adenocarcinomas, emphasizing the role of the radiologist in the same.

BACKGROUND: Primary duodenal adenocarcinoma is a rare entity with an uncertain biologic behaviour whose diagnosis is usually achieved by endoscopy and biopsy. However, it lacks specific symptoms and its diagnosis may be delayed with poor prognosis. Villous adenomas are considered as premalignant lesions with high risk malignant transformation. METHODS: We report a rare case of a patient with two synchronous adenocarcinomas, one of the first portion of the duodenum as a villous tumor and the other in cecum colon. The patient submitted successfully to pacreatoduodenectomy and right hemicolectomy, while postoperatively received also adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: Seventeen months after the operations the patient is alive with no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The radical resection of primary duodenal adenocarcinoma is considered the treatment of choice, which should be accompanied by adjuvant chemotherapy preventing a recurrence at distant sites.

The aim of our study was to compare the outcomes of periampullary and extra-ampullary duodenal adenocarcinomas and segmental duodenal resection versus pancreatoduodenectomy and to evaluate prognostic factors. We performed a retrospective review of all adults treated for duodenal adenocarcinoma by operative resection at a large tertiary referral center from 1994 to 2009. One hundred twenty-four patients had an operation for duodenal adenocarcinoma over a 15-year period (periampullary, n = 25, and extra-ampullary, n = 99). Ninety-nine patients (80%) underwent curative resection, including 24 (96%) with periampullary and 75 (76%) with extra-ampullary carcinomas. The average number of lymph nodes sampled was eight with segmental resection and 12 with pancreatoduodenectomy (p

Duodenal adenocarcinoma is a rare cancer usually studied as a group with periampullary or small bowel adenocarcinoma; therefore, its natural history is poorly understood.Patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma were identified from a single-institution pancreaticoduodenectomy database. Patients with adenocarcinoma arising from the ampulla of Vater were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify clinicopathologic variables associated with survival and recurrence after resection.From 1984 to 2006, a total of 122 patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Overall survival after resection was 48% at 5 years and 41% at 10 years. Five-year survival decreased as the number of lymph nodes involved by metastasis increased from 0 to 1-3 to ≥ 4 (68%, 58%, 17%, respectively, P0.01) and as the lymph node ratio increased from 0 to0-0.2 to0.2-0.4 to0.4 (68%, 57%, 14%, 14%, respectively, P0.01). Lymph node metastasis was the only independent predictor of decreased survival in multivariate analysis. Recurrence after resection was predominantly distant (81%). Adjuvant chemoradiation did not decrease local recurrence or prolong overall survival; however, patients who received chemoradiation more commonly had nodal metastasis (P = 0.03).The prognostic significance of both the absolute number and ratio of involved lymph nodes emphasizes the need for adequate lymphadenectomy to accurately stage duodenal adenocarcinoma. The mostly distant pattern of recurrence underscores the need for the development of effective systemic therapies.

Unlike other gastrointestinal tumors, lymph node involvement has not consistently been a negative prognostic factor for survival in patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma. Our aim is to examine prognostic factors in patients who underwent a curative resection of their duodenal adenocarcinoma.A retrospective review of 169 patients diagnosed with primary duodenal lesions between 1982 and 2010 was performed, of whom 103 were treated with curative intent. Clinico-pathologic factors were evaluated.A potentially curative resection was performed in 103 patients with a median age of 67 years (range, 22-91). Perineural and lympho-vascular invasion were identified in 30 (29.1%) and 39 patients (37.9%), respectively. Median follow-up was 26.5 months. The 5-year overall survival was 62% vs. 25% for patients with or without nodal metastases (p 0.001) and 56% vs. 19% for patients with or without perineural invasion (p 0.001), respectively. Lymph node ratio, type of resection, and size of tumor failed to stratify prognosis. By multivariate analysis, perineural invasion was the most powerful independent predictor of survival (HR, 2.520; CI, 1.361-4.664).Perineural invasion is a stronger predictor for recurrence and survival than tumor size, depth of infiltration, lymph node involvement, and type of resection in patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma.

To evaluate the role of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and rescue surgery in the management of unresectable or recurrent duodenal adenocarcinoma.Retrospective review of all adults treated with neoadjuvant therapy and rescue surgery for locally unresectable or locally recurrent duodenal adenocarcinoma from 1994 to 2010.Ten patients received various forms of neoadjuvant therapy prior to operative exploration for potential resection. Six patients presented with locally unresectable disease, while four had local recurrences. Six patients had vascular encasement, three had retroperitoneal extension with vascular invasion, and one had invasion of surrounding organs. Of the six patients with locally advanced disease, preoperative therapy consisted of chemotherapy alone (3) or chemoradiotherapy (3). Of the four patients with local recurrences, preoperative therapy consisted of chemotherapy alone (1), chemoradiotherapy alone (1), chemoradiotherapy after chemotherapy (1), and chemoradiotherapy followed by combination chemotherapy (1). Nine of ten patients became resectable after neoadjuvant therapy. Clinically, two patients had complete responses, and four had partial responses. Histopathology revealed complete pathologic response in two patients and near-complete pathologic response in one (1 mm of residual disease). Currently, five patients are alive (range 18-83 months postoperatively). All have no evidence of disease.Neoadjuvant therapy may convert locally unresectable duodenal adenocarcinoma to resectable disease with subsequent prolonged survival.

There is little information to determine prognosis or to guide clinical care for patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma. We have hypothesized that survival following resection of duodenal cancer is similar to survival following resection of distal gastric cancer. We tested the utility of a nomogram created for determining disease-specific survival (DSS) after R0 resection of gastric cancer in estimating DSS for patients with resected duodenal cancer. Review of a prospective database identified 106 patients who underwent R0 resection of duodenal cancer. Comparison was made to 459 patients with distal gastric cancer. The Student t test, Fisher exact test, Pearson chi-square test, and log-rank test were used to assess statistical significance. Concordance probabilities and calibration plots were used for nomogram validation. Duodenal cancers were more deeply invasive than gastric cancer (P

A 38-year-old man with a history of colonic and small bowel polyposis and glioblastoma was investigated for dyspepsia. Upper GI endoscopy identified an abnormal area in the duodenum, confirmed by histology as high grade non-Hodgkin's B cell MALT lymphoma. Although cases of Turcot's syndrome (TS) (colonic polyposis and primary brain tumour occurring in the same patient) have been previously described, association with haematological malignancy is rare. This is the first report of intestinal lymphoma occurring in an adult with TS.

This study examined prognostic discrimination by lymph node staging for duodenal adenocarcinoma and compared the nodal stage-specific survival with that associated with gastric antral adenocarcinoma.Prospectively maintained databases from 1983 to 2000 were reviewed to identify 137 patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma and 545 patients with gastric antral adenocarcinoma at a single institution.R0 resection was performed for 72 patients with duodenal cancer. At least 15 lymph nodes were retrieved in 34 cases (47%). Lymph node metastasis (pN+) was detected in 31 patients (43%). With median follow-up of 36 months, the pN category was an independently significant prognostic factor (pN0, 5-year disease-specific survival of 83%, vs. pN+, 56%; P=.03). The survival difference between pN0 and pN+ was pronounced in patients withor =15 nodes (100% vs. 47%, respectively; P=.01) but was lost in those with15 nodes (75% vs. 64%; P=.5). For gastric antrum cancer, 331 patients had R0 resection, andor =15 nodes were retrieved in 256 cases (77%). Lymph node metastasis was detected in 157 cases (47%). For patients withor =15 nodes, 5-year survival with pN0 (87%) or pN+ (44%) was not significantly different from the corresponding categories for duodenal adenocarcinoma.For duodenal adenocarcinoma, examination ofor =15 regional lymph nodes improved prognostic discrimination by the pN category. With accurate nodal staging, pN0 was associated with excellent prognosis. With pN+, prognosis was similar to that for gastric antral adenocarcinoma.

Primary carcinoma of the duodenum is rare. Here we present a case of megaduodenum due to duodenal adenocarcinoma mimicking Wilkie’s syndrome which was managed by resection and anastomosis.

Duodenal adenocarcinoma is rare, accounting for only 0.35% of all gastrointestinal carcinomas, and carcinoma of the fourth part of the duodenum constitutes approximately 10% of all duodenal adenocarcinomas [1]. It is usually diagnosed by barium series, CT scan and intraoperative finding. The treatment is surgical resection which in the 2nd part of duodenum may require pancreatoduodenectomy.

We report a case of metastatic duodenal carcinoma simulating a primary ovarian mucinous tumor, occurring in a 53-year-old woman who had undergone pancreatoduodenectomy for duodenal adenocarcinoma approximately 18 months previously. The surgically removed bilateral ovaries revealed multicystic tumors. Histological examination showed they closely mimicked primary ovarian mucinous tumors. Immunohistochemical examination using cytokeratin 7 and 20, and CA125 indicated that the bilateral ovarian tumors were metastasis from duodenal carcinoma. Duodenal carcinoma can be a rare primary focus of metastatic tumor simulating primary ovarian neoplasm.

Malignant neoplasms of the small intestine are rare; US annual incidence and mortality are 8,810 and 1,170, respectively [1]. Duodenal adenocarcinoma is even rarer, accounting for \0.5 % of all gastrointestinal malignancies but up to *60 % of all small bowel cancers [2]. One proposed mechanism of duodenal carcinogenesis invokes the adenoma–carcinoma sequence, analogous to colorectal adenocarcinoma. Duodenal adenomas, regarded as potential premalignant lesions, are prevalent among patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, but sporadic adenomas among the general population are uncommon [3]. Given concern over malignant transformation, the traditional standard of care has been radical surgical excision. Nevertheless, surgery is associated with significant perioperative mortality and morbidity, lengthy hospital courses, and long-term complications, which diminish the quality and quantity of life [4]. Endoscopic intervention is a promising alternative therapeutic option. Duodenal adenomas are classified as either ampullary (adenomas of the major duodenal papilla) or non-ampullary. Successful endoscopic treatment of conventional ampullary adenomas and wide excision of laterally spreading ampullary adenomas is well-described [5]. Endoscopic management of non-ampullary adenomas has been reported, although data are sparse in comparison with those for ampullary adenomas. Notably, many duodenal adenomas can exist for years, particularly in familial polyposis patients, without malignant transformation. Recent data from Okada et al. [6] reveal that non-ampullary sporadic duodenal adenomas (NSDAs) with low-grade dysplasia progress infrequently to adenocarcinoma, although with some risk of progression to high-grade dysplasia, warranting surveillance biopsies at 6–12 months. Highgrade dysplasia lesions and large NSDAs ([2 cm) more often progress to adenocarcinoma, warranting immediate intervention. Endoscopic intervention in the duodenum is associated with a higher risk of complications than intervention elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Perforation of the relatively thin duodenal wall is a particular concern. Perforations can be difficult to manage, and contribute to patient morbidity and mortality, average length of stay, and healthcare cost. Polypectomy in the duodenum also carries a higher risk of bleeding than in the colon; this is likely to be associated with the rich vascular supply of the proximal small intestine [4]. Duodenal polypectomy can also cause pancreatitis, particularly when the adenoma involves the major papilla, necessitating endoscopic ampullectomy [7]. Sepsis from endoscopic ampullectomy has also been reported [8]. The therapeutic techniques used to treat duodenal adenomas encompass several endoscopic modalities, including polypectomy, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and ablation (e.g. argon plasma coagulation). ESD involves en-bloc resection with clear margins but is, unfortunately, timeconsuming, technically difficult, and associated with a high risk of perforation [9]. R. Perumpail Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

The growth and metastasis of four human intestinal tumor cell lines: one duodenal adenocarcinoma (HTB-40) and three adenocarcinomas of the colon (CCL-218, CCL-222 and HT-29) have been compared in vitro and in vivo in nude mice. HTB-40 was the fastest growing cell line in vitro with a doubling time (DT) of 14.8 h. CCL-218 and CCL-222 grew more slowly in vitro with doubling times of 21.6 and 22.8 hours, respectively. All three of these tumors grew more slowly in vivo with doubling times ranging from 39.1 h (CCL-218 in male nude mice) to 65.3 h (CCL-222). The growth of CCL-218 cells was significantly slower in female nude mice DT 51.0 h). HT-29 was the slowest growing in vitro (DT 23.8 h) and in vivo (DT about 100 h). HT-29 also showed the greatest discrepancy between its DT measured in vivo as compared to in vitro, suggesting a greater clonogenic cell loss from HT-29 tumors in vivo. Histologic evaluation of these tumors grown subcutaneously in nude mice showed all to be anaplastic and to produce liver micrometastases. However, more extensive abdominal and liver metastases were observed in the nude mice injected with HT-29 cells, and some of these metastases had morphologic features of moderately well-differentiated epithelium. These results indicate the usefulness of the HT-29 tumor cell line as an experimental model of metastasis from a human colonic adenocarcinoma.

We report the occurrence of a duodenal adenocarcinoma in a 49-year-old woman with previously unrecognized celiac sprue. Tumor resection symptomatically unmasked the small intestinal disorder. Gluten restriction effectively controlled her symptoms and the patient has remained well for over a year and a half. This case illustrates the unmasking of subclinical celiac sprue following upper gastrointestinal tract surgery. It may also reflect the association between celiac sprue and malignancy. Duodenal adenocarcinoma is an unusual occurrence in celiac sprue.