EUS-guided transrectal drainage of pelvic abscesses: a retrospective analysis of 17 patients.

Background: Pelvic abscess is a common complication of abdominal surgery or intestinal or gynecological diseases. Over the last decades, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative to percutaneous or surgical treatment of pelvic abscesses. Aim: To evaluate safety and efficacy of EUS-guided transrectal pelvic abscess drainage in a single center. Methods: From February 2017 to April 2023, all data on patients who were treated for pelvic abscesses by EUS-guided drainage in a single center, were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 17 patients were treated for pelvic abscesses by EUS-guided drainage. The procedure was technically successful and uneventful in all 17 patients (100%). Etiology of the abscess was postsurgical (n=5, 29%), secondary to medical illness (n=10, 59%) or gastrointestinal perforation (n=2, 12%). The abscess was multilocular in 5 patients (29%), the mean largest diameter was 76 mm (range 40-146 mm). Drainage was performed using 2 double pigtail stents, and in 1 patient an additional 10 Fr drainage catheter was deployed. Two patients (12%) required a second endoscopic intervention. Treatment success, defined by complete abscess resolution on follow-up CT scan along with symptom relief, was 100%. There was no need for surgical intervention. The median post-procedural hospital stay was 5 days. No recurrence was reported within a median time of follow-up of 39 months. Conclusion: EUS-guided transrectal drainage of pelvic abscesses using double pigtail stents is safe and highly effective. This case series contributes to the cumulative evidence that, in expert hands, EUS-guided drainage should be considered as first-line approach for treatment of pelvic abscesses.

Major Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with freshly harvested maize grain in Uruguay.

Fusarium species are common fungal pathogens of maize. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides, among others, can cause maize ear rot, and they are also mycotoxin producers. The aims of this work were to determine the frequency and diversity of Fusarium species in Uruguayan maize kernels, evaluate the toxigenic potential of the isolates, determine toxin contamination levels on freshly harvested grain, and assess the sensitivity of main Fusarium species against fungicides. Fusarium verticillioides was the most frequent species isolated, followed by Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto. Of F. verticillioides isolates studied for fumonisin production, 72% produced fumonisin B1 and 32% fumonisin B2. Considering in vitro toxin production by F. graminearum sensu stricto isolates, deoxynivalenol was the main toxin produced, followed by zearalenone and nivalenol. Fumonisins were the most frequently found toxins on freshly harvested maize samples (98% in 2018 and 86% in 2019), and also, fumonisin B1 was the toxin with highest concentration in both years studied (4860 µg/kg in 2018 and 1453 µg/kg in 2019). Deoxynivalenol and zearalenone were also found as contaminants. Metconazole and epoxiconazole were the most effective fungicides tested on F. verticillioides isolates. Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto isolates also were more sensitive to metconazole compared to other fungicides; nevertheless, epoxiconazole was less efficient in controlling this species. This is the first study that reports Fusarium species and mycotoxin contamination levels associated with maize grain in Uruguay. Its detection is the main step to develop management strategies in order to minimize fungal infection in maize crops.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy: single centre experience in 111 patients with an acute cholecystitis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and long-term outcome of percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) under radiologic guidance for acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC) and acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) in all patients undergoing that procedure at our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 111 patients who underwent PC from 2004 to 2012. Patients were divided into two groups: AAC and ACC. For all patients, comorbidity and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification were determined. The indications, complications, recurrence rate and long-term outcome for both groups were analysed. The mean follow-up was 55 months. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with AAC and 87 patients with ACC underwent PC. The most common sonographic findings of ACC and AAC were gallbladder wall thickening (90.9%) and hydrops (72.9%). Twelve of 24 patients with AAC (50%) were hospitalized at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Overall, the procedure failed in 2 (1.8%) patients. There were 4 (3.6%) abscesses and 2 (1.8%) fistulas post PC. Drain dislodgment was found without sequelae in 8 (7.2%) patients. Elective cholecystectomy was performed in 35/111 (31.5%). Fifty-one of 87 (58.6%) patients with gallstones underwent cholecystectomy; 36/87 (41.3%) did not undergo surgery due to a too short follow-up or death of nonbiliary disease. In the AAC group, there was no recurrent cholecystitis in 17/24 (70.8%) patients; 3/24 (12.5%) underwent surgery and 4/24 (16.6%) patients died in the ICU. CONCLUSION: PC is a minimally invasive treatment with low complication rate for patients with acute cholecystitis whom considered being at high-risk for urgent cholecystectomy. Good selection (ASA III and IV) and indication is needed in patients with ACC before PC because the majority will be operated later on. AAC can be managed nonoperatively and further treatment might not be needed.

Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains a common medical emergency. In the last two decades endoscopy has become the cornerstone of diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment of peptic ulcer bleeding. Clinical assessment and endoscopic recognition of the stigmata of recent haemorrhage can allow the identification of patients with a high risk of rebleeding. Patients with active bleeding at the time of endoscopy and with non-bleeding visible vessels should receive endoscopic treatment. Studies comparing different treatment modalities are mostly single centre studies with relatively small groups of patients and therefore lack statistical power. Furthermore most of those trials were heterogeneous because of differences in the end points, differences in the risk factors for rebleeding and differences in the levels of experience of the endoscopists in both recognition and treatment of bleeding ulcers. Recently different treatment modalities have been studied. The injection of clot-inducing factors, a combination of injection and thermal therapies, repeat endoscopies and the use of mechanical devices such as clips and ligatures are promising new techniques. However, there are, at present, no convincing data to suggest that any one of these treatment modalities is superior when looking at the overall group of patients with bleeding peptic ulcer. Larger randomized controlled trials must focus on tailoring therapies and using the optimal therapy for different subgroups of patients.