Medical Specialties Commons^™

Can Doctors Change? Attempts To Improve Adherence To The 2013 Statin Guidelines For Diabetic Patients At An Urban Academic Family Medicine Clinic, Marshall Miller, Md, Victoria Rose, Md, Jill Kropa, Md, Rina Edi, Md, Margaret Crenshaw, Md, Emily Levy, Md, Christopher Hwang, Md, Elizabeth Collins, Md, Danielle Dang, Md, Lori Atkinson, Md

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

In November 2013 new statin guidelines were released. Generally, physicians are slow to adopt new guidelines and adherence to new guidelines often remains low even years after they have been issued. In this study, multiple interventions, including patient handouts, email reminders, and education sessions were implemented to increase adherence with new statin prescribing guidelines in a large urban practice. The numbers of prescriptions were analyzed for 6 weeks prior to and 6 weeks after the interventions. Statin prescribing in diabetic patients not already on a statin pre-intervention was 11.7% and post-intervention was 13.0% (p-value 0.5936). There was a small increase …

Multiparametric Mr Enterography Without The Use Of Antiperistaltic Agents: Performance And Interpretation, Amelia M. Wnorowski, Md, Flavius Guglielmo, Md, Robert Ford, Md, Donald G. Mitchell, Md

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Purpose

To describe how to perform and interpret MR enterography (MRE) without using antiperistaltic agents.

Alton Ochsner, Md (1896-1981): Surgical Pioneer And Legacy Linking Smoking And Disease., Christina L. Costantino, Md, Jordan M. Winter, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Edward William Alton Ochsner kept a plain, metal card file in which he recorded close to 50 years worth of medical experiences, research, and insights. The most populated topics were filed as "Cancer, Lung" and "Cancer, Bronchogenic." These reflected his areas of greatest interest, for which he would go on to produce groundbreaking work. Of his many lifetime accomplishments, he is perhaps best known for being the first to report a link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. This was just one of the many ways in which Ochsner worked to effect social change. The establishment of the Ochsner Health …

Dicer1 Regulated Let-7 Expression Levels In P53-Induced Cancer Repression Requires Cyclin D1., Xin Sun, Shou-Ching Tang, Chongwen Xu, Chenguang Wang, Sida Qin, Ning Du, Jian Liu, Yiwen Zhang, Xiang Li, Gang Luo, Jie Zhou, Fei Xu, Hong Ren

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Let-7 miRNAs act as tumour suppressors by directly binding to the 3'UTRs of downstream gene products. The regulatory role of let-7 in downstream gene expression has gained much interest in the cancer research community, as it controls multiple biological functions and determines cell fates. For example, one target of the let-7 family is cyclin D1, which promotes G0/S cell cycle progression and oncogenesis, was correlated with endoribonuclease DICER1, another target of let-7. Down-regulated let-7 has been identified in many types of tumours, suggesting a feedback loop may exist between let-7 and cyclin D1. A potential player in the proposed feedback …

Quantifying Unnecessary Normal Tissue Complication Risks Due To Suboptimal Planning: A Secondary Study Of Rtog 0126., Kevin L. Moore, Rachel Schmidt, Vitali Moiseenko, Lindsey A. Olsen, Jun Tan, Ying Xiao, James Galvin, Stephanie Pugh, Michael J Seider, Adam P. Dicker, Walter Bosch, Jeff Michalski, Sasa Mutic

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency and clinical severity of quality deficiencies in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0126 protocol.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 219 IMRT patients from the high-dose arm (79.2 Gy) of RTOG 0126 were analyzed. To quantify plan quality, we used established knowledge-based methods for patient-specific dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction of organs at risk and a Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (LKB) model for grade ≥2 rectal complications to convert DVHs into normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCPs). The LKB model was validated by fitting dose-response parameters relative …

Salvage Brachytherapy In Combination With Interstitial Hyperthermia For Locally Recurrent Prostate Carcinoma Following External Beam Radiation Therapy: A Prospective Phase Ii Study., Andrzej M Kukiełka, Vratislav Strnad, Paul R. Stauffer, Tomasz Dąbrowski, Marcin Hetnał, Damian Nahajowski, Tomasz Walasek, Piotr Brandys, Robert Matys

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Optimal treatment for patients with only local prostate cancer recurrence after external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) failure remains unclear. Possible curative treatments are radical prostatectomy, cryosurgery, and brachytherapy. Several single institution series proved that high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) and pulsed-dose-rate brachytherapy (PDRBT) are reasonable options for this group of patients with acceptable levels of genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity. A standard dose prescription and scheme have not been established yet, and the literature presents a wide range of fractionation protocols. Furthermore, hyperthermia has shown the potential to enhance the efficacy of re-irradiation. Consequently, a prospective trial is urgently needed to attain clear …

Clinical Management Of Insomnia, Karl Doghramji, Paul P. Doghramji

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Throughout the book, we are guided by our main goal of providing practitioners with clinically relevant, evidence-based, and state-of-the-art information in the evaluation and management of insomnia. We have made a concerted attempt to ensure that our reviews are consistent with professional guidelines to the extent that current knowledge permits.

Understanding Nucleus Pulposus Cell Phenotype: A Prerequisite For Stem Cell Based Therapies To Treat Intervertebral Disc Degeneration., Hyowon Choi, Zariel I. Johnson, Makarand V. Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and associated low back pain (LBP) remains a major burden to our society without significant improvements in treatment strategies or patient's quality of life. While the recent cell-transplantation studies for treatment of degenerative disc disease have shown promising results, to better gauge the success and functional outcomes of these therapies, it is crucial to understand if transplanted cells give rise to healthy nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue. NP cell phenotype is unique and is defined by expression of a characteristic set of markers that reflect specialized physiology and function. This review summarizes phenotypic markers that mirror the …

Depression Among Asian-American Adults In The Community: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Hee Jun Kim, Eunmi Park, Carla L Storr, Katherine Tran, Hee-Soon Juon

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: In this systematic review, we provide an overview of the literature on depression among Asian-Americans and explore the possible variations in depression prevalence estimates by methodological and demographic factors.

METHODS: Six databases were used to identify studies reporting a prevalence estimate for depression in Asian-American adults in non-clinical settings. Meta-analysis was used to calculate pooled estimates of rates of depression by assessment type. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed for subgroup analyses by gender, age, ethnicity, and other participant characteristics.

RESULTS: A total of 58 studies met the review criteria (n = 21.731 Asian-American adults). Heterogeneity across the studies was considerably …

Prophylactic Methylprednisolone To Reduce Inflammation And Improve Outcomes From One Lung Ventilation In Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Mary C. Theroux, Alicia Olivant Fisher, Maria E. Rodriguez, Robert P. Brislin, Kirk W. Reichard, Suken A. Shah, Matt Mccoy, Melinda Brown, Kirk W. Dabney, William G. Mackenzie, Douglas A. Katz, Thomas H. Shaffer

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: One lung ventilation (OLV) results in inflammatory and mechanical injury, leading to intraoperative and postoperative complications in children. No interventions have been studied in children to minimize such injury.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that a single 2-mg·kg(-1) dose of methylprednisolone given 45-60 min prior to lung collapse would minimize injury from OLV and improve physiological stability.

METHODS: Twenty-eight children scheduled to undergo OLV were randomly assigned to receive 2 mg·kg(-1) methylprednisolone (MP) or normal saline (placebo group) prior to OLV. Anesthetic management was standardized, and data were collected for physiological stability (bronchospasm, respiratory resistance, and compliance). Plasma was assayed for …

Slit2/Robo1-Mir-218-1-Ret/Plag1: A New Disease Pathway Involved In Hirschsprung's Disease., Weibing Tang, Junwei Tang, Jun He, Zhigang Zhou, Yufeng Qin, Jingjing Qin, Bo Li, Xiaoqun Xu, Qiming Geng, Weiwei Jiang, Wei Wu, Xinru Wang, Yankai Xia

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a rare congenital disease caused by impaired proliferation and migration of neural crest cells. We investigated changes in expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and the genes they regulate in tissues of patients with HSCR. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblot analyses were used to measure levels of miRNA, mRNAs, and proteins in colon tissues from 69 patients with HSCR and 49 individuals without HSCR (controls). Direct interactions between miRNAs and specific mRNAs were indentified in vitro, while the function role of miR-218-1 was investigated by using miR-218 transgenic mice. An increased level of miR-218-1 correlated with increased levels …

Genetic Heterogeneity Of Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum: The Chinese Signature Profile Of Abcc6 And Enpp1 Mutations., Liang Jin, Qiujie Jiang, Zhengsheng Wu, Changxia Shao, Yong Zhou, Luting Yang, Jouni Uitto, Gang Wang

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by ectopic mineralization, is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene. We examined clinically 29 Chinese PXE patients from unrelated families, so far the largest cohort of Asian PXE patients. In a subset of 22 patients, we sequenced ABCC6 and another candidate gene, ENPP1, and conducted pathogenicity analyses for each variant. We identified a total of 17 distinct mutations in ABCC6, 15 of them being, to our knowledge, previously unreported, including 5 frameshift and 10 missense variants. In addition, a missense mutation in combination with a recurrent nonsense mutation in ENPP1 was …

Aquaporin 1 And 5 Expression Decreases During Human Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Novel Hif-1-Mediated Regulation Of Aquaporins In Np Cells., Zariel I Johnson, Shilpa S Gogate, Rebecca Day, Abbie Binch, Dessislava Z Markova, Neil Chiverton, Ashley Cole, Matt Conner, Irving Shapiro, Christine L Le Maitre, Makarand V Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Objectives of this study were to investigate whether AQP1 and AQP5 expression is altered during intervertebral disc degeneration and if hypoxia and HIF-1 regulate their expression in NP cells. AQP expression was measured in human tissues from different degenerative grades; regulation by hypoxia and HIF-1 was studied using promoter analysis and gain- and loss-of-function experiments. We show that both AQPs are expressed in the disc and that mRNA and protein levels decline with human disease severity. Bioinformatic analyses of AQP promoters showed multiple evolutionarily conserved HREs. Surprisingly, hypoxia failed to induce promoter activity or expression of either AQP. While genomic …

Genetic Polymorphisms And Antidepressant Adverse Effects, Rajnish Mago, S. Gupta, Kelly Huhn, R. Shah

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Abstract

Background

Aim: to assess whether pharmacogenetic polymorphisms are associated with increased adverse effects or non-response with certain antidepressants whose metabolism is highly dependent on specific CYP450 isoenzymes. This is interim analysis of an ongoing study

Methods

We used a Case Control design comparing patients with major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder who had had increased adverse effects from specified antidepressants (Cases) to patients who were poor responders to an antidepressant but without significant adverse effects (Controls) Genecept Assay™ (battery of pharmacogenetic tests relevant to psychiatry) was obtained using saliva or cheek swab

Results

Importantly, 57.1% of Cases were …

Accuracy Of Melena Identification On Physical Exam In Post Graduate Training – Implications Of Level Of Training, Medical Specialty, Rectal Exam Concordance And Appropriateness Of Therapy, Richard M. Wu, Md, Mph, Eugene Han, Md, Andrew Dargan, Md, Cecilia Kelly, Md, Mitchell Conn, Md, Mba

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Introduction

Melena is commonly misidentified by young resident physicians.

The magnitude of this inaccurate physical exam has not been quantified.

Precise identification of melena may have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

End-Of-Life Care: Crossing The Bridge From Treatment To Support, Martha C. Romney Bsn, Ms, Jd, Mph

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Endogenous Cell-Fate Factor Dachshund Restrains Prostate Epithelial Cell Migration Via Repression Of Cytokine Secretion Via A Cxcl Signaling Module., Ke Chen, Kongming Wu, Xuanmao Jiao, Liping Wang, Xiaoming Ju, Min Wang, Gabriele Disante, Shaohua Xu, Qiong Wang, Kevin Li, Xin Sun, Chongwen Xu, Zhiping Li, Mathew C. Casimiro, Adam Ertel, Sankar Addya, Peter Mccue, Michael P. Lisanti, Chenguang Wang, Richard J. Davis, Graeme Mardon, Richard Pestell

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Prostate cancer is the second leading form of cancer-related death in men. In a subset of prostate cancer patients, increased chemokine signaling IL8 and IL6 correlates with castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). IL8 and IL6 are produced by prostate epithelial cells and promote prostate cancer cell invasion; however, the mechanisms restraining prostate epithelial cell cytokine secretion are poorly understood. Herein, the cell-fate determinant factor DACH1 inhibited CRPC tumor growth in mice. Using Dach1(fl/fl)/Probasin-Cre bitransgenic mice, we show IL8 and IL6 secretion was altered by approximately 1,000-fold by endogenous Dach1. Endogenous Dach1 is shown to serve as a key endogenous restraint to …

Treatment Plan Adherence To Guidelines In Senior Adult Oncology Patients, Amy R. Mackenzie, Md, Andrea M. Barsevick, Phd, Ronald Myers, Phd, Ludmila De Oliveira Koch, Md, Scott W. Keith, Phd, Thomas Wolf, Ma, James Cocroft, Ma, Joshua Schoppe, Mph, Ulysses Williams Iii, Andrew Chapman, Do

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Materials & Methods:

• Review of 287 records
• Patients ≥ 65 years old with new diagnosis of cancer
• Seen by 6, dual-boarded hematologists/ oncologists practicing in an urban academic cancer center
• Treatment plans compared to national guidelines to determine plan adherence status
• Patients were recommended:

Adherent plan (AP) or Non-adherent plan (N-AP)

Characterization Of The Older Adult Refugee Population At Thomas Jefferson University’S Center For Refugee Health (Crh), Kathryn Beldowski, Md, Neesha Patel, Md, Brooke Salzman, Md

Department of Family & Community Medicine Presentations and Grand Rounds

Background

• Established in 2007, the CRH has served over 1,000 refugees of all ages as they resettle in Philadelphia, PA.
• Research about refugee populations generally focuses on infectious disease, women’s health, pediatrics and mental health, with minimal research on the older adult refugee population.
• The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of the older refugee population served by the CRH, focusing on chronic disease, smoking status, immunization and cancer screening rates, and presence of geriatric syndromes.

A Novel Role For Drebrin In Regulating Progranulin Bioactivity In Bladder Cancer., Shi-Qiong Xu, Simone Buraschi, Alaide Morcavallo, Marco Genua, Tomoaki Shirao, Stephen C Peiper, Leonard G Gomella, Ruth Birbe, Antonino Belfiore, Renato V Iozzo, Andrea Morrione

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

We recently established a critical role for the growth factor progranulin in bladder cancer insofar as progranulin promotes urothelial cancer cell motility and contributes, as an autocrine growth factor, to the transformed phenotype by modulating invasion and anchorage-independent growth. In addition, progranulin expression is upregulated in invasive bladder cancer tissues compared to normal controls. However, the molecular mechanisms of progranulin action in bladder cancer have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we searched for novel progranulin-interacting proteins using pull-down assays with recombinant progranulin and proteomics. We discovered that drebrin, an F-actin binding protein, bound progranulin in urothelial cancer cells. …

Flattening Filter-Free Accelerators: A Report From The Aapm Therapy Emerging Technology Assessment Work Group., Ying Xiao, Stephen F Kry, Richard Popple, Ellen Yorke, Niko Papanikolaou, Sotirios Stathakis, Ping Xia, Saiful Huq, John Bayouth, James Galvin Phd, Fang-Fang Yin

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

This report describes the current state of flattening filter-free (FFF) radiotherapy beams implemented on conventional linear accelerators, and is aimed primarily at practicing medical physicists. The Therapy Emerging Technology Assessment Work Group of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) formed a writing group to assess FFF technology. The published literature on FFF technology was reviewed, along with technical specifications provided by vendors. Based on this information, supplemented by the clinical experience of the group members, consensus guidelines and recommendations for implementation of FFF technology were developed. Areas in need of further investigation were identified. Removing the flattening filter …

Adiponectin Attenuates Lung Fibroblasts Activation And Pulmonary Fibrosis Induced By Paraquat., Rong Yao, Yu Cao, Ya-Rong He, Wayne Bond Lau, Zhi Zeng, Zong-An Liang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the most common complications of paraquat (PQ) poisoning, which demands for more effective therapies. Accumulating evidence suggests adiponectin (APN) may be a promising therapy against fibrotic diseases. In the current study, we determine whether the exogenous globular APN isoform protects against pulmonary fibrosis in PQ-treated mice and human lung fibroblasts, and dissect the responsible underlying mechanisms. BALB/C mice were divided into control group, PQ group, PQ + low-dose APN group, and PQ + high-dose APN group. Mice were sacrificed 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after PQ treatment. We compared pulmonary histopathological changes among different …

Significance Of Qrs Duration In Non-St Elevation Myocardial Infarction., Chinualumogu Nwakile, Bhaskar Purushottam, Vikas Bhalla, Daniel Ukpong, Mahek Shah, Jeong Yun, D Lynn Morris, Vincent M. Figueredo, M.D.

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Transplantation Of Kidneys From Donors With Acute Renal Failure Five-Year Results From Double Center Experience, Ahmad Safra, Md, Ashesh P. Shah, Md, Cataldo Doria, Md, Phd, Warren R Maley, Md, Adam M. Frank, Md, Chad Gorn, Laurel Lerner, Rn, Marie Manley, Carlo B Ramirez, Md

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Background:

Transplantation of kidneys from deceased donors with acute renal failure (ARF) has been described and represents an underutilized source of renal grafts. We reviewed retrospectively our double center experience with transplantation of ARF donor kidneys.

Methods:

Between January 2009 and June 2014, we performed a total of 397 kidney transplants at the two hospitals. Of which, 65 came from donors with ARF. The outcome was compared with 62 expanded criteria donor kidneys and 270 standard criteria donor kidneys. ARF was defined as donor terminal creatinine higher than 2. All kidneys from ARF donors had acceptable biopsies and were pumped. …

Declaring A Patient Brain Dead On Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (Ecmo): Are There Guidelines Or Misconceptions, Kristin J. Kreitler, Nicholas C. Cavarocchi, Hitoshi Hirose, Sharon West, Richard Hasz, Michelle Ghobrial, Rodney D. Bell

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Objectives:

• To review the clinical practice variations and trends with declaring patients brain dead on ECMO
• To highlight the need for the development of consensus guidelines to assist clinicians in the accurate diagnosis of brain death in this specific patient population

Frederic E. Mohs, M.D. (1910-2002): Physician And Innovator., Nicholas A. Ross, B.A., Nazanin Saedi, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Scott W. Cowan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Frederic “Fred” E. Mohs was an “honest and good man, a ferocious and courageous worker.”1 Husband, father of three, prolific writer, and speaker, Dr. Mohs was a pioneer in many fields. His desire to do good was fueled by his enthusiasm for scientific advancement (Frederic E. Mohs Jr., personal communication, 2014). He is most remembered for Mohs Micrographic Surgery, formerly chemosurgery, which allows visualization and examination of all tissue margins achieving skin cancer cure rates of 98 to 99 per cent.

Consequence Of The Tumor-Associated Conversion To Cyclin D1b., Michael A Augello, Lisa D Berman-Booty, Richard Carr, Akihiro Yoshida, Jeffry L Dean, M J Schiewer, Felix Y Feng, Scott A Tomlins, Erhe Gao, Walter J Koch, Jeffrey L Benovic, John Alan Diehl, Karen E Knudsen

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Clinical evidence suggests that cyclin D1b, a variant of cyclin D1, is associated with tumor progression and poor outcome. However, the underlying molecular basis was unknown. Here, novel models were created to generate a genetic switch from cyclin D1 to cyclin D1b. Extensive analyses uncovered overlapping but non-redundant functions of cyclin D1b compared to cyclin D1 on developmental phenotypes, and illustrated the importance of the transcriptional regulatory functions of cyclin D1b in vivo. Data obtained identify cyclin D1b as an oncogene, wherein cyclin D1b expression under the endogenous promoter induced cellular transformation and further cooperated with known oncogenes to promote …

Comparison Of Survival In Patients With T Cell Lymphoma After Autologous And Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation As A Frontline Strategy Or In Relapsed Disease., Amer Beitinjaneh, Rima M. Saliba, L. Jeffrey Medeiros, Francesco Turturro, Gabriela Rondon, Martin Korbling, Luis Fayad, Michelle A. Fanale, Amin M. Alousi, Paolo Anderlini, Oran Betul, Uday R. Popat, Barbara Pro, Issa F. Khouri

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

We studied the roles of autologous (A) and allogeneic (allo) stem cell transplantation (SCT) in the treatment of 134 patients with T cell lymphoma (TCL) at our center. For frontline SCT, 58 patients were studied. The 4-year overall survival (OS) rates for ASCT (n = 47; median age, 49 years) and alloSCT (n = 11; median age, 55 years) groups were 76% and 54%, respectively (P > .05). The 4-year OS rates for first complete remission (CR1) patients were 84% and 83%, respectively. For SCT for relapsed disease, 76 patients were studied (41 with ASCT and 35 with alloSCT). The 4-year …

Transarterial Chemoembolization Is Ineffective For Neuroendocrine Tumors Metastatic To The Caudate Lobe: A Single Institution Review., Lawrence A Shirley, Megan Mcnally, Ravi Chokshi, Natalie Jones, Patrick Tassone, Gregory Guy, Hooman Khabiri, Carl Schmidt, Manisha Shah, Mark Bloomston

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Caudate lobe liver metastases occur commonly in patients with neuroendocrine tumors. It is unknown, however, how these lesions respond to regional therapy and how their presence impacts outcomes. We reviewed our experience treating these lesions using transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

METHODS: We reviewed radiographic response to TACE in 86 patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors to the liver. We determined the impact of caudate lesions on outcomes in comparison to the cohort of patients without caudate lesions, as well as response of caudate lesions to TACE versus lesions elsewhere in the liver.

RESULTS: Caudate lesions were identified in 45 (52%) patients. …

Granular Cell Tumor Of The Common Hepatic Duct As An Unusual Cause Of Jaundice In A Hepatitis C Patient: Looking Beyond The Tip Of The Iceberg!, Tripti R. Chopade, Mbbs, Colin L. Smith, Md, Warren R. Maley, Md, Ali A. Siddiqui, Md, David A. Sass, Md

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Introduction

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are rare, benign mesenchymal tumors of Schwann cell origin. Since they were originally described by Abrikossoff in 1926,most GCTs have been described in the dermis, oral area, or subcutaneous tissue of the chest and arms. Only 5%-9% of reported cases have involved the gastrointestinal tract and fewer than 1% of cases have occurred in the biliary tract.Tumors involving the bile duct are difficult to distinguish radiographically from more common etiologies of biliary stricturing, and a tissue diagnosis is difficult to obtain endoscopically. Diagnosis and treatment is most often made via surgical resection.