Development of an E-learning System for the Endoscopic Diagnosis of Early Gastric Cancer: An International Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: In many countries, gastric cancer is not diagnosed until an advanced stage. An Internet-based e-learning system to improve the ability of endoscopists to diagnose gastric cancer at an early stage was developed and was evaluated for its effectiveness. METHODS: The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. After receiving a pre-test, participants were randomly allocated to either an e-learning or non-e-learning group. Only those in the e-learning group gained access to the e-learning system. Two months after the pre-test, both groups received a post-test. The primary endpoint was the difference between the two groups regarding the rate of improvement of their test results. FINDINGS: 515 endoscopists from 35 countries were assessed for eligibility, and 332 were enrolled in the study, with 166 allocated to each group. Of these, 151 participants in the e-learning group and 144 in the non-e-learning group were included in the analysis. The mean improvement rate (standard deviation) in the e-learning and non-e-learning groups was 1·24 (0·26) and 1·00 (0·16), respectively (P<0·001). INTERPRETATION: This global study clearly demonstrated the efficacy of an e-learning system to expand knowledge and provide invaluable experience regarding the endoscopic detection of early gastric cancer (R000012039).

Initial evaluation of a novel multibending backward-oblique viewing duodenoscope in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

A novel multibending backward-oblique viewing duodenoscope was developed to overcome the difficult technical aspect of deep cannulation into the bile duct during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the initial experience of a novel multibending backward-oblique viewing duodenoscope (M-D scope) for ERCP. This was a retrospective review of 23 patients with native papilla who received biliary ERCP with the M-D scope between April and December 2010. The procedures were performed by two well-experienced endoscopists. In all patients, biliary cannulation and therapeutic procedure were successfully completed. In two patients with Billroth I gastrectomy, ERCP were initially attempted with a conventional single-bending duodenoscope, but biliary cannulations were unsuccessful. However, with the use of the M-D scope, biliary cannulation and therapeutic procedures were successfully completed. A novel multibending backward-oblique viewing duodenoscope is safe and feasible for therapeutic and diagnostic ERCP.

Guideline on training and credentialing in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

The aim of the Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Working Group was to examine the issues of training, credentialing and quality control in ERCP in Singapore. Published guidelines and clinical trials concerning issues of training, complications and quality control in ERCP have been reviewed. The Working Group recommended that a trainee reach a minimum threshold of 200 cases before the assessment of competency. The target for achievement of competency was set at an 85 percent successful cannulation rate for native papilla. To perform advanced ERCP, endoscopists should have undergone dedicated training either in a recognised training centre or in conjunction with and under the guidance of a more experienced colleague, until technical competency is achieved. Precut should only be performed by endoscopists with experience and expertise in performing Levels II and III ERCP, who have been formally proctored. An audit of ERCP should examine parameters such as appropriate indication, success rates of selective cannulation, technical success rate of commonly performed procedures and procedure-related complications. To maintain technical competency, an individual should be performing ERCP on a regular basis. In conclusion, the innate risks of ERCP necessitate that all ERCP practitioners should be appropriately trained, practise within their expertise level and maintain regular practice in order to minimise risks and improve patient outcome.

Diagnosis and endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.

The overall prognosis of gastric cancer is generally poor due to late presentation and diagnosis. When detected early, the prognosis for gastric cancer is excellent, and curative endoscopic resection may be possible, without the need for surgery. Careful endoscopic examination is important so as to avoid missed lesions. Endoscopic resection, especially with the technique of endoscopic submucosal dissection, is a viable alternative to surgery for the curative treatment of early gastric cancer, with similar long term results, as long as strict inclusion criteria are adhered to.

A pilot study of EUS-guided hot saline injection for induction of pancreatic tissue necrosis.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Hot saline may be potentially useful for inducing necrosis of pancreatic tissue. However, the local and systemic effects are largely unknown. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of EUS-guided injection of hot saline into the pancreas in the porcine model. METHODS: Boiling hot saline was injected into the tail of normal porcine pancreas under EUS guidance in six pigs via a transgastric approach. Three pigs were killed 4 hours later to study the acute effect of the hot saline injection (acute study). The remaining three pigs were killed after 7 days of clinical observation (survival study). RESULT: Injection of 5 mL, 2 mL and 1 mL of hot saline produced localized necrosis (7 - 10 mm) of pancreatic tissue in the acute study. However, there was pooling of hot saline on the surface of the pancreas when 5mL was injected. On the basis of the results of the acute study, the volume of hot saline injected in the survival study was 1 mL. One milliliter of hot saline produced localized or sporadic necrosis of pancreatic tissue without any signs of pancreatitis in all three pigs in the survival study; hot saline was observed to pool on the pancreatic surface of one pig. There was no histological evidence of necrosis in the pancreatic tissue adjacent to the pooled hot saline in either the acute or the survival study. CONCLUSION: EUS-guided hot saline injection of pancreatic tissue in the porcine model was technically successful and led to localized necrosis of pancreatic tissue without any sign of pancreatitis.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of abdominal abscesses and infected necrosis.

Traditionally abdominal abscesses have been treated with either surgical or radiologically guided percutaneous drainage. Surgical drainage procedures may be associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, and serious complications may also arise from percutaneous drainage. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage of well-demarcated abdominal abscesses, with adjunctive endoscopic debridement in the presence of solid necrotic debris, has been shown to be feasible and safe. This multicenter review summarizes the current status of the EUS-guided approach, describes the available and emerging techniques, and highlights the indications, limitations, and safety issues.

Total endoscopic resection of Barrett esophagus.

Barrett's esophagus with high grade intraepithelial neoplasia is associated with disease progression at rates of greater than 10% per year. Endoscopic resection is a lower risk alternative to surgery for the management of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and intramucosal cancer. Two endoscopic approaches have been used, namely localized resection of the lesion and total endoscopic resection of all Barrett's mucosa. The latter strategy removes all at-risk mucosa. Currently it is performed mainly using piecemeal endoscopic mucosal resection techniques. In recent years endoscopic submucosal dissection has been attempted to obtain en bloc resection. This review will describe the techniques of total endoscopic resection, and summarize the key published data.

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in the diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a less-invasive alternative to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for the diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of MRCP in PSC compared with ERCP, and assessed the diagnostic accuracy of different T2w sequences. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 95 patients (69 PSC, 26 controls) were evaluated using both ERCP and MRCP. Exclusion criteria included secondary sclerosing cholangitis and contraindications to MRCP. The diagnosis of PSC was confirmed in 69 patients based on ERCP as the reference gold standard. MRCP was performed using a 1.5 Tesla MR unit, using breath hold, coronal and transverse half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), coronal-oblique, fat-suppressed half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE), and coronal-oblique, fat-suppressed, multisection, thin-section HASTE (TS-HASTE) sequences. The MRCP morphological criteria of PSC were evaluated and compared with ERCP. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were 86%, 77%, and 83%, respectively, using the MRCP-RARE sequence, and increased further to 93%, 77%, and 88%, respectively, by the inclusion of follow-up MRCP in 52 patients, performed at 6-12-month intervals. HASTE and TS-HASTE sequences showed significantly lower diagnostic accuracy but provided additional morphologic information. CONCLUSIONS: MRCP can diagnose PSC but has difficulties in early PSC and in cirrhosis, and in the differentiation of cholangiocarcinoma, Caroli's disease, and secondary sclerosing cholangitis. A positive MRCP would negate some diagnostic ERCP studies but a negative MRCP would not obviate the need for ERCP.

Radial EUS: the clinical impact of T staging.

Endoscopic ultrasound staging of gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary cancers is important in guiding the choice of an appropriate treatment strategy such as endoscopic mucosal resection, surgery or palliative chemotherapy. This review will summarize the principles of endoscopic ultrasound T staging using a radial echoendoscope, elaborate on the accuracy rate in T staging, and discuss the clinical impact of endoscopic ultrasound T staging in the context of esophageal, gastric and pancreaticobiliary cancers.

Endosonography- vs. endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-based strategies in the evaluation of suspected common bile duct stones in patients with normal transabdominal imaging.

BACKGROUND: Endosonography (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are highly accurate techniques for evaluating common bile duct stones. AIM: To compare the clinical impact and costs of EUS- and ERCP-based strategies for evaluating patients with suspected common bile duct stones but normal transabdominal imaging. METHODS: The costs of EUS- vs. ERCP-based strategies were compared in patients with suspected acute biliary obstruction from common bile duct stones but normal transabdominal imaging. RESULTS: Over a 15-month period, 110 patients were recruited. EUS detected a common bile duct lesion in 73% (common bile duct stones: 68%; pancreatic cancer: 2%; ampulla tumour: 2%; cholangiocarcinoma: 1%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of EUS were 98%, 100%, 100% and 93%, respectively. EUS prevented 30% unnecessary ERCP. The mean difference in cost per patient between EUS- and ERCP-based strategies was US$166. When stratified according to clinical indications, an EUS-based strategy was costlier only in suspected biliary sepsis. Costs were similar when the indications were cholestatic jaundice, acute pancreatitis and cholestasis. CONCLUSION: EUS prior to biliary interventions in patients with suspected common bile duct stones prevented unnecessary ERCP. It allowed a definitive diagnosis to be made prior to more invasive procedures.

Endoscopic mucosal resection of Barrett's oesophagus containing dysplasia or intramucosal cancer.

Barrett's oesophagus is premalignant. Oesophagectomy is traditionally regarded as the standard treatment option in the presence of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia or intramucosal cancer. However, oesophagectomy is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Endoscopic ablative therapies are limited by the lack of tissue for histological assessment, and the ablation may be incomplete. Endoscopic mucosal resection is an alternative to surgery in the management of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and intramucosal cancer. It is less invasive than surgery and, unlike ablative treatments, provides tissue for histological assessment. This review will cover the indications, techniques and results of endoscopic mucosal resection.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in the evaluation of suspected lung cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The role of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer is still not fully explored. This prospective study aimed to define the effectiveness of EUS-FNA as an adjunct to computer tomography (CT) and bronchoscopy in the evaluation of suspected lung cancer in routine clinical practice. METHODS: Over a period of 20 weeks, the data of 16 consecutive patients suspected of lung cancer on account of respiratory symptoms, and/or the findings of either a mass or mediastinal lymph nodes on helical CT, who were referred for evaluation by EUS, were prospectively collected. Fourteen of these patients underwent sequential bronchoscopy followed by EUS-FNA in the same setting. RESULTS: Bronchoscopy was performed in 15 patients, while EUS was performed in all 16 patients. Bronchoscopy diagnosed 9 cases of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but was falsely negative in 3 cases of malignancies, which were all established by EUS-FNA of mediastinal lymph nodes (2 cases of NSCLC and 1 case of esophageal squamous cell cancer). EUS-FNA also diagnosed advanced NSCLC in another patient who did not undergo bronchoscopy, such that eventually 13 patients were diagnosed to have malignancies. Distant metastases were diagnosed by EUS-FNA in 4 cases of NSCLC (2 cases of left adrenal gland and 2 cases of pancreatic metastases). Two patients were diagnosed to have sarcoidosis and 1 patient was diagnosed to have pneumoconiosis eventually. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNA is useful as an adjunct to CT and bronchoscopy in the evaluation of suspected lung cancer.

Endoscopic mucosal resection of early esophageal squamous cell cancer using the Duette mucosectomy kit.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is a less invasive alternative treatment strategy to surgery for intramucosal esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This study described our initial experience with the newly introduced Duette Multiband Mucosectomy Kit (Cook Ireland Ltd, Limerick, Ireland) for the treatment of extensive early esophageal SCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five patients with extensive early esophageal SCC, covering at least half of the circumference of the esophageal wall and measuring a mean of 2.8 cm longitudinally, underwent EMR after EUS staging. RESULTS: EMR was successfully completed in one session in five patients. Post-EMR stricture occurred in four patients but was successfully treated with bougienage. One patient did not return for follow-up after bougienage and died from ischemic heart disease 3 months later. For the remaining four patients, there was no recurrence over a mean follow up of 14.7 months. CONCLUSION: This new device obviates the need for repeated insertion of the endoscope during the process of ligation and resection and thus facilitates EMR of extensive SCC.

Rabeprazole vs esomeprazole in non-erosive gastro-esophageal reflux disease: a randomized, double-blind study in urban Asia.

AIM: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is becoming increasingly common in Asia. Data on the efficacy of proton pump inhibitors in patients with non-erosive GERD (NERD) in Asia is lacking. This double-blind study compared the efficacy and safety of rabeprazole with esomeprazole in relief of symptoms in patients with NERD. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-four patients with reflux symptoms of NERD and normal endoscopy were randomized to receive rabeprazole 10 mg or esomeprazole 20 mg once daily for 4 wk. Symptoms were recorded in a diary and changes in severity of symptoms noted. RESULTS: At 4 wk of treatment, rabeprazole 10 mg and esomeprazole 20 mg were comparable with regards to the primary endpoint of time to achieve 24-h symptom-free interval for heartburn 8.5 d vs 9 d and regurgitation 6 d vs 7.5 d. Rabeprazole and esomeprazole were also similarly efficacious in term of patient's global evaluation with 96% of patients on rabeprazole and 87.9% of patients on esomeprazole, reporting that symptoms improved (P = NS). Satisfactory relief of day- and night-time symptoms was achieved in 98% of patients receiving rabeprazole and 81.4% of patients receiving esomeprazole. Adverse events were comparable in both groups (P = NS). CONCLUSION: Rabeprazole 10 mg has a similar efficacy and safety profile in Asians with NERD as esomeprazole 20 mg. Further study is necessary to investigate whether the small differences between the two drugs seen in this study are related to the improved pharmacodynamic properties of rabeprazole. Both drugs were well tolerated.