A computer-aided polyp detection system in screening and surveillance colonoscopy: an international, multicentre, randomised, tandem trial.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the effect of computer-aided detection (CAD) in a daily clinical screening and surveillance colonoscopy population practice are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate a novel CAD system in a screening and surveillance colonoscopy population. METHODS: This multicentre, randomised, controlled trial was done in ten hospitals in Europe, the USA, and Israel by 31 endoscopists. Patients referred for non-immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) screening or surveillance colonoscopy were included. Patients were randomomly assigned to CAD-assisted colonoscopy or conventional colonoscopy; a subset was further randomly assigned to undergo tandem colonoscopy: CAD followed by conventional colonoscopy or conventional colonoscopy followed by CAD. Primary objectives included adenoma per colonoscopy (APC) and adenoma per extraction (APE). Secondary objectives included adenoma miss rate (AMR) in the tandem colonoscopies. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04640792. FINDINGS: A total of 916 patients were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis: 449 in the CAD group and 467 in the conventional colonoscopy group. APC was higher with CAD compared with conventional colonoscopy (0·70 vs 0·51, p=0·015; 314 adenomas per 449 colonoscopies vs 238 adenomas per 467 colonoscopies; poisson effect ratio 1·372 [95% CI 1·068-1·769]), while showing non-inferiority of APE compared with conventional colonoscopy (0·59 vs 0·66; p<0·001 for non-inferiority; 314 of 536 extractions vs 238 of 360 extractions). AMR in the 127 (61 with CAD first, 66 with conventional colonoscopy first) patients completing tandem colonoscopy was 19% (11 of 59 detected during the second pass) in the CAD first group and 36% (16 of 45 detected during the second pass) in the conventional colonoscopy first group (p=0·024). INTERPRETATION: CAD increased adenoma detection in non-iFOBT screening and surveillance colonoscopies and reduced adenoma miss rates compared with conventional colonoscopy, without an increase in the resection of non-adenomatous lesions. FUNDING: Magentiq Eye.

Retraction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection Mimicking as Pulmonary Tuberculosis in an Inmate.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.8464.].

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection Mimicking as Pulmonary Tuberculosis in an Inmate.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging global infectious disease with emerging medical knowledge. Clinical presentation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is very variable amongst patients, and the literature about unusual presentations is growing rapidly. This lack of knowledge leads to diagnostic, therapeutic, and management challenges in such patients. Here, we describe a case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a low prevalence area which was initially diagnosed and managed as pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in a high-risk inmate population. These ambiguous presentations can lead to mismanagement of such patients resulting in potentially fatal outcomes and public health crises in confined facilities. This also highlights the significance of a high index of clinical suspicion for SARS-CoV-2 especially in high risk and vulnerable populations.

Diagnostic Challenge in a Symptomatic Patient of Arteria Lusoria with Retro-esophageal Right Subclavian Artery and Absent Brachiocephalic Trunk.

A combination of absent brachiocepahlic trunk and anomalous left circumflex artery with a retro-esophageal right subclavian artery is an extremely rare finding. This can clinically manifest as episodic dysphagia and chest pain. Routine coronary angiography via femoral access could be misleading and right radial access in such cases can be particularly challenging and has never been reported in literature before. We present a case of a 42-year-old female with symptoms of chest, back, and left neck pain. She also complained of occasional dysphagia, dizziness, and palpitations. Physical examination revealed a regular heart rhythm with no vascular bruits. An electrocardiogram (EKG) only showed normal sinus rhythm and incomplete right bundle branch block. Noninvasive testing included an echocardiogram and previously done exercise stress test, and myocardial perfusion scans were noted to be normal. A diagnostic cardiac catheterization via right radial approach was performed to delineate her coronary anatomy and rule out ischemic etiology. This led to diagnosis of anomalous coronary anatomy (retro-esophageal right subclavian artery arising from descending aorta in association with an anomalous right circumflex artery with absent innominate artery) through a technically difficult and risky procedure. Significant vessel tortuosity and abnormal catheter angulations were encountered and were overcome by using specific catheters. Meticulous use of 6 French MP, WR, JL, and JR4 catheters along with an exchange length wire was required to negotiate the anatomical variations and complete the coronary angiogram via right radial artery. From a procedural stand-point, coronary angiography via right radial access in presence of such rare anatomical variations can be particularly challenging. Routine femoral catheterization may fail to depict this important anatomical variation. Coronary angiogram via right radial access in the presence of a combination of anatomical variations of great vessels and anomalous coronary arteries is particularly challenging from a procedural stand point due to vessel tortuosity and shape of catheters. Choice of anatomically appropriate diagnostic catheters and specific maneuvers are imperative in these coronary angiographic procedures.

Endoscopic therapy with 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate for the treatment of gastric varices.

BACKGROUND: Gastric variceal bleeding is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and limited endoscopic therapeutic options. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of endoscopic therapy with 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate in patients with gastric variceal bleeding. METHODS: A single-center retrospective review of patients receiving endoscopic therapy for gastric variceal hemorrhage. Patient demographics, laboratory, and procedural data were collected. Patients were followed to death, liver transplantation, or last follow-up. Success rates were defined as immediate control of bleeding; early re-bleeding (1-7 days), short-term re-bleeding (1-12 weeks), overall survival, and serious procedure complications. RESULTS: A total of 41 patients (39 with cirrhosis) underwent 54 cyanoacrylate injections during study period. Mean age was 57 and 73 % were males. Twenty-four (58.5 %) patients had failed or were deemed ineligible for transjugular intra-hepatic portosystemic shunt, and 5 % were done for primary prophylaxis. Immediate hemostasis was achieved in five active bleeders. During a median survival time of 117 days, early re-bleeding was seen in 1 (2.4 %), short-term re-bleeding in five patients (12 %), and varices were eradicated in 15 (46.8 %) patients on follow-up. Mean MELD score at the time of the first injection was 17.1 ± 7.8. Mean volume injected was 3.4 cc and median number of varices injected per session was one. Eight patients died during the long-term follow-up: metastatic cancer (2), infections (3), liver failure (1), and re-bleeding (2). There were no serious procedure-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic cyanoacrylate therapy appears effective and safe for treatment of patients with bleeding from gastric varices or high-risk stigmata.

Characteristics of acute transverse myelitis at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presenting features and etiological classification of acute transverse myelitis (ATM) at Aga Khan University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients of ATM (1996-2003) fulfilling a preset criterion were analyzed for demographic features, clinical presentation, laboratory investigations and neuro-imaging. RESULTS: Half of the patients were males and their median age was 29 years (range 6-73 years). Fever, paraparesis, quadri-paresis and bladder dysfunction were the most common presentations. Median score on disability rating scale (DRS) was twelve. Sixty percent of the patients were classified as Idiopathic-ATM while 30% and 10% as Para infectious associated-ATM and Multiple sclerosis associated-ATM respectively. CONCLUSION: Idiopathic acute transverse myelitis is the most common type of ATM in the studied population. Our data suggested that the severity of motor impairment is greater in our population than that reported in western literature which might hint to different genetic or environmental etiological factors involved in the pathogenesis of acute transverse myelitis.

Concomitant presence of subtypes of left coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk profile associated with surgical revascularization for mixed left main and left main equivalent diseases. METHODS AND RESULTS: Retrospective analysis of medical records of patients who underwent CABG from January 1997 and December 2002 were studied. 210 patients were included of which 30.5% (64) had left main, 49.5% (104) had left main equivalent and 20% (42) had mixed type of stenotic disease. The mixed type left coronary disease was associated with very high post-operative mortality. The factors associated with mortality were degree of left main artery stenosis, cardiopulmonary bypass pump time, no. of packed cell units transfused during surgery, post-operative low cardiac output, re-exploration of chest and no. of days spent as intubated. Low cardiac output, chest re-exploration and no. of days intubated were independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: "Mixed left main and left main equivalent disease" makes a large proportion of left sided CAD. It is a unique subtype associated with very high risk, and it should be treated with extra caution. Characterization of its risk profile should be done with larger studies to improve the outcome.