Dear Editor, Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the most established biomarker for surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in at-risk individuals. However, its sensitivity and specificity are...

Dear Editor, The Academy of Medicine, Singapore (AMS) guideline on the use of sedation by non-anaesthesiologists during gastrointestinal endoscopy in the hospital setting and an...

Dear Editor, I refer to the editorial “Ensuring safe sedation during gastroendoscopy”1 and the original article “Academy of Medicine, Singapore clinical guideline on the use...

Dear Editor, Propofol is a potent intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent. Its popularity for sedation has increased in the last 3 decades because of its smooth, rapid...

Dear Editor, We read with interest the paper by Ang et al.1 on Singapore guidelines in the use of sedation by non-anaesthesiologists during gastrointestinal endoscopy...

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used for their analgesic or anti-inflammatory properties in musculoskeletal pain. However, they are not without adverse effects, such...

The last two decades have witnessed dramatic changes in the understanding of gastric cancer: a rapid decline in global incidence, its association with Helicobacter...

Faecal incontinence is the inability to control the passage of gas, liquid or solid through the anus. Its severity varies from infrequent passage of...

Direct cholangiopancreatography has long been considered the standard of reference for assessment of the biliary tree and is generally safe, reliable and widely available....

Although standard oesophageal manometry has been widely used in the West for many years, normal manometric values that have been well described for healthy...

Bacterial infections are devastating and potentially lethal complications of acute pancreatitis, responsible for up to 80% of deaths in the condition. Pathogenetic studies of...

From a historical perspective, the first experimental pancreatitis was induced by Claude Bernard in 1856 by the injection of bile and olive oil into...

Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver are complex diseases which, in man, may be caused by such varied factors as alcohol, hepatitis, schistosomiasis,...

The development of the human biliary system has been studied extensively. This knowledge is essential to the understanding of the pathogenesis of a spectrum...

Hypoxic tissue injury is not only caused by lack of oxygen as was previously believed. Now it is clear that tissue injury associated with...

Although a number of data support the notion that mast cell (MC) degranulation Is an important component of the tissue response elicited by ischaemia-reperfusion,...

The direct intraluminal (IL) administration of drugs into the intestine may have an important regional action and therefore clinical implications in the effective management...

The diagnostic tests currently employed to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to differentiate between Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are both...

Paclitaxel was discovered in 1963 as a crude extract from the bark of the pacific yew Taxus brevifolia. Since its development, a range of...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumour worldwide. The local incidence of HCC is 40 per 100,000 in males and 20 per 100,000...

Colorectal cancer incidence rates rank second in most developed countries and have been rising rapidly in urban societies of East Asia. Despite much effort...

Shigellosis is generally considered to be confined to the gastrointestinal tract. Septicaemic infections with Shigella species are extremely rare in adults. This article is available...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder seen by gastroenterologists and has been found to account for 50% of referrals...

Helicobacter pylori is one of the commonest infections in human, affecting 30% to 50% of people worldwide. It is associated with the development of...

Primary and secondary hepatic malignancies constitute a major health problem. Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for 90% of all primary hepatic malignancies in the world. While...

The third edition of this manual of gastroenterology by regional experts from Malaysia and Singapore consists of 27 short chapters packaged in 2 sections...

Adult polycystic liver disease (APLD) is a rare benign condition that is characterised by the growth of multiple cystic lesions in the liver. More...

A 79-year-old Chinese woman with no significant past medical history was admitted to another hospital with symptoms of abdominal pain and haemetemesis of approximately...

Polyps of the colon and rectum are relatively common lesions. Most colorectal polyps are either adenomas or hyperplastic polyps. This article is available only as...

Autoimmune liver disorders are inflammatory liver diseases characterised histologically by a dense mononuclear cell infiltrate, including plasma cells, in the portal tract (Fig. 1)...

Inflammatory fibroid polyp is an uncommon nonneoplastic lesion found in the gastrointestinal tract. It is a benign, non-encapsulated submucosal lesion, composed mainly of loose...

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is an important supportive and often life-saving therapy for patients with gut failure. However, it is expensive and carries significant complications...

Acute hepatitis could result from viral, autoimmune or drug-reaction causes, among others. In areas endemic with hepatitis B, acute exacerbations of chronic hepatitis B...

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been the primary method of diagnosing and treating many pancreatic and biliary diseases (PBD) over the last 3 decades....

Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease, is the leading cause of death for both men and women. CAD is usually caused...

Splenic abscess is an uncommon clinical problem. Fewer than 800 cases have been reported in the literature. This article is available only as a PDF....

Colorectal cancer is now the cancer with the highest incidence in Singapore. Similar to many developed countries, individuals here have a moderate to high...

This guideline addresses the use of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as part of the diagnostic evaluation of certain conditions. In addition, issues of training and...

A 79-year-old woman presented with fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain for several hours. Her temperature was 39.2°C, pulse 102 beats/minute, respiratory rate 19...

Since its introduction a few decades ago, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has brought about a significant change in the management of choledocholithiasis. With continual...

Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS) is an uncommon autosomal dominant hamartomatous polyposis syndrome associated with mucocutaneous melanocytic macules. Melanin deposition occurs most commonly in the perioral...

Thrombocytopenia is a common clinical problem found in laboratory results during health examinations. Blood platelets play an essential role in haemostasis, thrombosis and coagulation...

Muslim individuals worldwide participate in obligatory abstinence from oral consumption of medications, food and liquid during the fasting month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan...

A total proctocolectomy is considered the standard of care in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). The indications for this operation in patients with UC...

Intestinal obstruction (IO) caused by malignancy and adhesion bands from previous surgery is common among adults. However, IO caused by congenital adhesion bands (CAB)...