News Release

Pneumatosis cystoids intestinalis after fluorouracil chemotherapy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

World Journal of Gastroenterology

The mechanism of pneumatosis cystoids intestinalis (PCI) is unclear. The mechanical and bacterial factors are most predominant causes of PCI. Several chemotherapeutic agents recently have been reported to be associated with PCI. Fluorouracil-related PCI has not been described previously. This present case will add to the some reports of patients with fluorouracil related toxity.

A report article to be published on 28 May 2008 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this case. The present case report is described by Dr. Mimatsu and co workers from Department of Surgery, Social Insurance Yokohama Central Hospital.

Fluorouracil is most commonly used chemotherapeutic agent in clinical oncology treatment. The cytotoxic effect of fluorouracil on intestinal epithelium can play a role in the pathogenesis of PCI. Severe erosion and ulceration in the ileum after fluorouracil chemotherapy is known. This mechanism is thought to be many factors including alteration of the local mucosal blood flow, and thrombosis and vasospasm on the intestinal epithelium. The mechanism of fluorouracil-related PCI is also thought to be a multifactolial bowel toxicity caused by fluorouracil itself. The present case report lead us conjuncture that the possibility of developing PCI in patients undergoing fluorouracil chemotherapy should be kept in mind.

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Reference: Mimatsu K, Oida T, Kawasaki A, Kano H, Kuboi Y, Aramaki O, Amano S. Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis after fluorouracil chemotherapy for rectal cancer.World J Gastroenterol 2008;14(20): 3273-3275:
http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/14/3273.asp

Correspondence to: Kenji Mimatsu, MD, Department of Surgery, Social Insurance Yokohama Central Hospital, 268 Yamashita-cho Naka-ku Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-8553, Japan. mimatsu.kenji@yokochu.jp
Telephone: +81-45-6411921 Fax: +81-45-6719872

About World Journal of Gastroenterology

World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2003-2000 IF: 3.318, 2.532, 1.445 and 0.993. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.


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