Yield of alarm features in predicting significant endoscopic findings among hospitalized patients with dyspepsia.

BACKGROUND: Dyspepsia is a very prevalent upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms complex. Some of these symptoms might arise from serious underlying diseases, so the promotion of evidence-based guidelines could potentially better align evaluation and treatment. AIM: To determine the value of alarm features as a predictive factor for significant endoscopic findings (SEFs) among hospitalized patients presenting with dyspepsia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control study including information about 6208 endoscopic procedures performed for hospitalized patients. Patients were divided into two groups, with and without SEFs, and compared to elucidate the ability of the different alarm features to predict SEFs. RESULTS: During the study, 605 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. When the demographics and clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared, tachycardia (P < 0.05), normocytic anemia, (P < 0.05), leukocytosis (P < 0.05), and hypoalbuminemia (P < 0.05) documented on admission prior to endoscopy were strong predictors of SEFs. Among the alarm features, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, persistent vomiting, odynophagia [odds ratio (OR) = 3.81, P < 0.05; OR = 1.75, P = 0.03; and OR = 7.81, P = 0.07, respectively] were associated with SEFs. Unexplained weight loss was strongly associated with malignancy as an endoscopic finding (OR = 2.05; P < 0.05). In addition, long-term use of anti-aggregate medications other than aspirin (P < 0.05) was correlated to SEFs. CONCLUSION: Novel predictors of SEFs were elucidated in this study. These parameters could be used as an adjunctive in decision making regarding performing upper endoscopy in hospitalized patients with dyspepsia.

The additive diagnostic value of cytology in fine needle biopsy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A tertiary center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic ultrasound guide fine needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) is the main diagnostic tool for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In most instances, only histology is obtained via FNB, without sending cytological slides. The aim of our study was to assess the additive diagnostic yield of cytology performed through FNB. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of all patients with histological diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma who were diagnosed by EUS-FNB. RESULTS: Overall, 80 patients were included in the study period. The overall concordance between cytology and histology all FNB needles was 78.2%. Notably, cytological assessment improved the diagnostic yield for malignancy by 12.8%. The overall kappa coefficient correlation between histology and cytology was .501, 95% CI 0.361-0.641. However, the kappa correlation for suspicious of malignancy and malignant was excellent of .872, 95% CI 0.733-1, suggesting that cytology is crucial when histology is inconclusive. Further analysis showed that the Acquire and Sharkcore needles outperformed the Procore needle in term of concordance between cytology and histology (kappa correlation of .527, 95% CI 0.331-0.724, .515, 95% CI 0.265-0.764, and .297, 95% CI -0.051-0.646), respectively. CONCLUSION: Performing cytology specimen when using FNB improves the diagnostic yield in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Dilated common bile duct is commonly associated with main duct Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND: Dilatation of common bile duct (CBD) is mostly pathological and mainly occurs secondary to mechanical causes. We aimed to explore the prevalence of CBD dilatation in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the pancreas (IPMN) among patients referred to EUS. METHODS: A retrospective study of all patients who had an EUS diagnosis of IPMN from 2011 to 2019 at Galilee Medical Center were extracted. Control group including patients with other types of pancreatic cysts. RESULTS: Overall, 2400 patients were included in the study, of them 158 patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cysts, 117 patients (74%) diagnosed with IPMN (group A), and 41 patients (26%) diagnosed with other pancreatic cysts (group B). Univariate analysis showed significant association of IPMN (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3-11.5), resected gallbladder (GB) (OR 7.75, 95% CI 3.19-18.84), and age (OR 1, 95% CI 1.01-1.08) with CBD dilatation. Classifying IPMN to sub-groups using adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis, only main duct-IPMN (MD-IPMN) significantly correlated with CBD dilatation compared to branch duct (BD)-IPMN and mixed type-IPMN (OR 19.6, 95% CI 4.57-83.33, OR 16.3, 95% CI 3.02-88.08). CONCLUSION: MD-IPMN was significantly correlated with dilated CBD. Assessment of the pancreas is warranted in encountered cases of dilated CBD without obvious mechanical cause.

Endoscopic ultrasound- versus ERCP-guided primary drainage of inoperable malignant distal biliary obstruction: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: We assessed efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) vs. endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as first-line intervention in malignant distal biliary obstruction (MDBO). METHODS: PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched until 01 /12 /2023 for randomized controlled trials of EUS-BD vs. ERCP for primary biliary drainage in patients with inoperable MDBO. The primary outcome was technical success. Secondary outcomes were clinical success, adverse events, mean procedure time, 1-year stent patency, and overall survival. Relative risk (RR) with 95 %CI were calculated using a random effects model. RESULTS: Five studies (519 patients) were included. RR (95 %CI) for EUS-BD was 1.06 (0.96 to 1.17; P = 0.27) for pooled technical success and 1.02 (0.97 to 1.08; P = 0.45) for clinical success. 1-year stent patency was similar between the groups (RR 1.15, 0.94 to 1.42; P = 0.17), with lower reintervention with EUS-BD (RR 0.58, 0.37 to 0.9; P = 0.01). The RR was 0.85 (0.49 to 1.46; P = 0.55) for adverse events and 0.97 (0.10 to 0.17; P = 0.98) for severe adverse events. On subgroup analysis, EUS-guided placement of lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) outperformed ERCP in terms of technical success (RR 1.17, 1.01 to 1.35; P = 0.03). Procedure time was lower with EUS-BD (standardized mean difference -2.36 minutes [-2.68 to -2.05; P < 0.001]). CONCLUSIONS: EUS-BD showed a statistically significant lower reintervention rate than ERCP, but with similar technical success, stent patency, clinical success, and safety. Technical success of EUS-BD with LAMS was better than ERCP.

Approach to esophageal absent contractility: can we do better?

Absent contractility (AC), a motility disorder characterized by the absence of esophageal contractions while maintaining normal lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, is recognized as a distinctive major disorder of peristalsis on esophageal high-resolution manometry that warrants comprehensive understanding. This unique motility disorder often co-occurs with connective tissue, rheumatologic or autoimmune diseases, with scleroderma being the classic example. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux are common. AC can profoundly impact patients' lives and result in a spectrum of complications, including erosive esophagitis, esophageal candidiasis, Barrett's esophagus, and malnutrition. To address the intricate complexities of AC and its multifaceted complications, a multidisciplinary approach is paramount. This approach considers the distinct clinical presentation and underlying rheumatologic conditions of the individual patient, recognizing the inherent diversity within this disorder. While medical management of gastroesophageal reflux remains the cornerstone of AC treatment, emerging surgical and endoscopic interventions offer additional therapeutic options for those grappling with this challenging condition. This comprehensive review provides an in-depth evaluation of recent advances in our understanding of AC and its management. It endeavors to offer valuable insights into therapeutic strategies for AC and its associated issues.

Obesity Is Associated with Distal Migration of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma to Body and Tail: A Multi-Center Study.

(1) Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) is one of the most lethal types of cancer. Most cases of PAC occur in the head of the pancreas. Given the proximity of the pancreatic head to the bile duct, most patients present clinically during early stages of the disease, while distally located PAC could have delayed clinical presentation. (2) Aims: To assess predictors of non-head PAC. (3) Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted, including all patients who had endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for pancreatic masses and who had histologic confirmation of PAC. (4) Results: Of the 151 patients included, 92 (60.9%) had pancreatic head cancer, and 59 (39.1%) had distal pancreatic cancer. PAC at body was the most common location in the distal PAC group (31 patients (52.5%)). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant association of obesity with distal migration of PAC (OR 4.44, 95% CI 1.15-17.19, p = 0.03), while none of the other assessed parameters showed a significant association. Notably, abdominal pain was more significantly associated with distal PAC vs. head location (OR 2.85, 95% CI 1.32-6.16, p = 0.008). (5) Conclusions: Obesity shows a significant association as a clinical predictor of distal PAC. Further studies are needed to better explore this association.

Ascites fluid calprotectin level is highly accurate in diagnosing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: a preliminary proof of concept prospective study.

Ascites is the most common complication of liver cirrhosis. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a common complication of ascites. The diagnosis is made by an ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell count of ≥ 250/mm3. However, no other diagnostic test is present for the diagnosis of SBP. The aim of the study present study is to assess the diagnostic yield of ascitic calprotectin in SBP, and to explore whether it can predict disease stage. We performed a single center proof-of-concept prospective study including all patients with cirrhosis and ascites who underwent paracentesis. Overall, 31 patients were included in the study. Eight patients had SBP vs. 23 patients without SBP. Ascitic calprotectin level was 77.4 ± 86.5 µg/mL in the SBP group, as compared to 16.1 ± 5.6 µg/mL in the non-SBP group (P = 0.001). An ascitic calprotectin cut-off value of > 21 µg/mL was associated with sensitivity and specificity of 85.7% and 89.5%, respectively, with ROC of 0.947 (95% CI 0.783 to 0.997, P < 0.0001). Notably, ascitic calprotectin did not had a prognostic value in cirrhosis stage and prognosis. Ascitic calprotectin was highly accurate in the diagnosis of SBP. It can be a serve as adjunct for indefinite cases of SBP.

Comprehensive Assessment of Esophageal Disorders Associated with Hiatus Hernia: Insights from Big Data Analysis.

Hiatus hernia (HH) is a prevalent endoscopic finding in clinical practice, frequently co-occurring with esophageal disorders, yet the prevalence and degree of association remain uncertain. We aim to investigate HH's frequency and its suspected association with esophageal disorders. We reviewed endoscopic reports of over 75,000 consecutive patients who underwent gastroscopy over 12 years in two referral centers. HH was endoscopically diagnosed. We derived data on clinical presentation and a comprehensive assessment of benign and malignant esophageal pathologies. We performed multiple regression models to identify esophageal sequela associated with HH. The overall frequency of HH was (16.8%); the majority (89.5%) had small HHs (<3 cm). Female predominance was documented in HH patients, who were significantly older than controls (61.1±16.5 vs. 52.7±20.0; P < 0.001). The outcome analysis of esophageal pathology revealed an independent association between HH, regardless of its size, and erosive reflux esophagitis (25.7% vs. 6.2%; OR = 3.8; P < 0.001) and Barrett's esophagus (3.8% vs. 0.7%; OR = 4.7, P < 0.001). Furthermore, following rigorous age and sex matching, in conjunction with additional multivariable analyses, large HHs were associated with higher rates of benign esophageal strictures (3.6% vs. 0.3%; P < 0.001), Mallory Weiss syndrome (3.6% vs. 2.1%; P = 0.01), and incidents of food impactions (0.9% vs. 0.2%; P = 0.014). In contrast, a lower rate of achalasia was noted among this cohort (0.55% vs. 0%; P = 0.046). Besides reflux-related esophageal disorders, we outlined an association with multiple benign esophageal disorders, particularly in patients with large HHs.

Predictors of spontaneous passage of ingested foreign bodies in adults: twelve years of experience.

BACKGROUND: Foreign body ingestion in adults is commonly encountered in clinical practice. The therapeutic approach of whether to follow-up or extract is often controversial. AIM: We aimed to explore predictors for spontaneous passage of ingested foreign bodies by focusing on foreign body type, length, and location of impaction. METHODS: We performed a 12-year retrospective single-center study. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify predictors of spontaneous passage. RESULTS: Overall, 365 patients with foreign body ingestion were included. The rate of spontaneous passage was 53.7% in general, while the spontaneous passage rate was 47.9% in food impaction, 44.3% in sharp objects, 88.7% in blunt objects and only 22.2% in long blunt objects (> 6 cm). On regression analysis, esophageal location was associated with a higher impaction rate and lower spontaneous passage vs. stomach and small and large intestine (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.07-0.31, OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.09-0.37 and OR 0.02, 95% CI 0.003-0.14), respectively. Performing Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis found that the maximal length above which the foreign body will fail to pass spontaneously was 3.5 cm in the stomach and 3 cm in the small intestine, with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8509 in stomach and 0.8073 in small intestine. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic removal was needed for all esophageal foreign bodies, and all foreign bodies more than 3.5 cm above the duodenum. Spontaneous passage of ingested foreign body in a selected cohort of patients depends on foreign body type, location, and length.

Safety and efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) has been constantly increasing, particularly in the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs). While emerging data in this field are accumulating, we aimed to assess the pooled efficacy and safety of EUS-RFA for pNENs. METHODS: The PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases search was conducted to identify studies reporting EUS-RFA of pNENs with outcomes of interest (efficacy and safety). The primary outcome was radiological response. Efficacy was assessed by the pooled clinical response rate, whereas safety was assessed by the pooled adverse events (AEs) rate. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2. Pooled estimates and the 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect model. RESULTS: Eleven studies involving 292 patients were included. The pooled technical success rate was 99.2% (95% CI 97.9-99.9%), with no heterogeneity. The pooled complete radiological response was 87.1% (95% CI 80.1-92.8%). The pooled partial response was 11.4% (95% CI 6.2-18.1%). The pooled clinical response rate for functional pNENs was 94.9% (95% CI 90.7-97.9%), with no heterogeneity. The pooled incidence of AEs was 20.0% (95% CI 14.0-26.7%); most AEs were mild to moderate in grade, while the pooled incidence of severe AEs was 0.9% (95% CI 0.2-2.3%). The most common AEs were transient mild abdominal pain in 19 patients (6.5%), and mild to moderate pancreatitis in 23 patients (7.9%). No cases of mortality were reported. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation resulted on a feasible approach for pNENs treatment, with excellent technical success, high radiological and clinical response, and acceptable AE rate.

The yield of cytology and histology obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and biopsy needles in the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and biopsy (EUS-FNA, -FNB) are the mainstay for tissue diagnosis of pancreatic lesions. Traditionally, FNA was performed for obtaining cytology and also histology if available from the puncture. Since their advent, however, FNB needles have been intended mainly to obtain core biopsies for histological specimens. AIMS: We aimed to assess the yield of cytology obtained via both FNA and FNB needles. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed including all patients who were diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma obtained via EUS-FNA/FNB needles. RESULTS: Overall, 227 patients were included. Of them, 85 patients underwent FNB, versus 142 patients who had FNA. The average age in the FNB group was 70.46 ± 11.29 years, versus 71.44 ± 11.80 in the FNA group, P = 0.57. Notably, cytological analysis diagnosed malignancy equally in both groups (69.4% in the FNB group, vs. 65.5% in the FNA group). The compatibility rate of cytology with histology was 76.5% in the FNB group, versus 76.1% in the FNA group (P = 0.69). The agreement level between cytology obtained by FNA and FNB, versus histology obtained by both needles, was moderate (kappa = 0.48, 95% CI 0.39-0.57). Similarly, the agreement level between cytology and histology in the FNB group was moderate as well (kappa = 0.5, 95% CI 0.36-0.64). CONCLUSION: Cytological assessment yielded an equal performance as compared to histological assessment with both needles. We recommend obtaining cytology specimens in pancreatic solid lesion puncture by FNB needle.

Clinical Predictors of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Source before Computed Tomography Angiography.

BACKGROUND: Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a commonly encountered medical emergency. In cases of negative endoscopic evaluations, computed tomography angiography (CTA) is usually the next diagnostic step. To date, data regarding positive CTA examinations are lacking. We aimed to assess the clinical and laboratory parameters that predict a positive CTA examination, as demonstrated by the extravasation of contrast material into the bowel lumen. METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective study, including all patients who were admitted with GIB and who underwent CTA. Analysis was performed to compare patients' characteristics, and logistic regression was used to explore parameters associated with a positive CTA. RESULTS: We included 154 patients. Of them, 25 patients (16.2%) had active GIB on CTA vs. 129 patients (83.8%) who did not. On univariate analysis, several parameters were positively associated with active GIB, including congestive heart failure (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.04-5.86, p = 0.04), warfarin use (OR 4.76, 95% CI 1.49-15.21, p = 0.008), higher INR (OR 1.33, 1.04-1.69, p = 0.02), and low albumin level (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17-0.79, p = 0.01). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, only high INR (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.02-1.76, p = 0.03) and low albumin (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.12-0.7, p = 0.005) kept their positive association with active bleeding, while a high ASA score was negatively associated with an active GIB. CONCLUSIONS: We could identify high INR and low albumin as strong predictors of active GIB, as demonstrated by positive CTA. On the other hand, comorbid patients classified by a high ASA score did not experience a higher rate of active GIB.

Chicago Classification Version 4.0 Improves Stratification of Ineffective Esophageal Motility Patients into Clinically Meaningful Subtypes: A Two-Center International Study.

The 4th iteration of the Chicago Classification (CC v4.0) for esophageal motility disorders offers more restrictive criteria for the diagnosis of Ineffective Esophageal Motility (IEM) compared to version 3.0 (CC v3.0). In light of the updated criteria for IEM, we aimed to characterize and compare the patients who retained their IEM diagnosis to those who were reclassified as normal motility, and to evaluate the clinical impact of the newly introduced CC v4.0. We performed a retrospective case-control study. We included all individuals who underwent a high-resolution manometry (HRM) between 2020 and 2021 at two centers. Consecutive studies reported as IEM according to the CC v3.0 were reanalyzed according to the CC v4.0. We compared demographics, clinical, manometry, and pH-monitoring parameters. Out of 452 manometry studies, 154 (34%) met criteria for IEM as per the CC v3.0 (CC v3.0 IEM group). Of those, 39 (25%) studies were reclassified as normal studies according to the CC v4.0 (CC v4.0 normal group), while the remaining 115 studies (25% of the overall cohort) retained an IEM diagnosis (CC v4.0 IEM group). The CC v4.0 normal group had more recovered contractions during solid swallows (p = 0.01), less ineffective swallows (p = 0.04), and lower acid exposure time (p = 0.02) compared to the CC4.0 IEM group. Under CC v4.0 criteria, fewer patients are diagnosed with IEM. Those diagnosed with IEM had worse esophageal function and higher acid burden. Though further studies are needed to confirm these findings, our results indicate that CC v4.0 criteria restrict the IEM diagnosis to a more clinically meaningful population.

Gas Embolism After a Patient's Ninth ERCP Procedure.

Gas embolism is a rare and potentially fatal complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). We present a 66-year-old man who developed gas embolism after undergoing therapeutic ERCP for cholangitis. Some risk factors of gas embolism in this patient included stones in the common bile duct with cholangitis and a history of multiple ERCP procedures. Early diagnosis and rapid treatment of this potentially fatal complication resulted in our patient's full recovery.

Quality of life and severity of symptoms among patients with various degrees of reflux esophagitis: a prospective study.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause erosive esophagitis (EE) and compromise the quality of life (QoL). We examined differences in symptom severity and QoL according to EE severity grade. A follow-up study was conducted among GERD patients at the Nazareth Hospital in Israel. Patients underwent a baseline gastroscopy in 2014-2020 during which the EE grade was determined using the Los Angeles classification. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted during 2019-2020 with a mean time interval of 18.9 months (SD = 14.9) after the baseline gastroscopy to assess GERD symptoms using the Reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ) and QoL using the GERD QoL questionnaire. The patients were interviewed in their native language (Arabic or Hebrew). Overall, 149 (66.4% males) patients were included; 50 had EE grades C/D and 99 had grades A/B. The mean age at baseline and follow-up was 44.6 years (SD = 15.1) and 46.2 years (SD = 14.9), respectively. Cronbach's alpha was 0.928 and 0.855 for the RDQ and QoL questionnaires, respectively. Patients with EE C/D grades had more severe symptoms than patients with EE A/B grades (P = 0.05), especially in regurgitation scores (P = 0.03). Females had more severe symptoms (overall) than males (adjusted OR = 2.34; 95% CI 1.12-4.90). Patients with the more severe esophagitis EE C/D group (adjusted OR = 1.98; 95% CI 0.93-4.24) and those who used PPIs treatment (adjusted OR = 2.19; 95% CI 0.95-5.01) reported more severe GERD symptoms. The number of schooling years was significantly associated with better QoL score (beta coefficient 1.33, P = 0.005) but not EE grade or GERD symptoms. Follow-up endoscopy conducted among 22 patients with EE grades C/D showed that 13 (59.1%) of these patients had normal endoscopic findings, 6 patients (27.3%) had a grade A EE, 1 patient (4.5%) had grade B, and 2 (9.1%) remained with grade C EE. The Arabic and Hebrew versions of the RDQ and QoL questionnaires were highly reliable. GERD symptoms severity was more profound among patients with more severe esophagitis. No significant association between EE grade and QoL; this negative result might be due to the improvement in esophagitis endoscopic findings among patients with C/D grade.

Fatty pancreas was associated with a higher acute pancreatitis Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome score at hospital admission.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic fat infiltration was shown to be linked with acute pancreatitis and probably its severity. These interesting findings merit more investigation to elucidate the effect of fatty pancreas on acute pancreatitis severity. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of patients hospitalized with documented acute pancreatitis. Pancreatic fat was determined according to pancreas attenuation on computed tomography. Patients were divided into two groups, with and without fatty pancreas. The Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) score was compared. RESULTS: Overall, 409 patients were hospitalized with acute pancreatitis. Among them, 48 patients had fatty pancreas (group A), vs. 361 patients who did not (group B). The mean ± SD age in group A was 54.6 ±â€…21.3, vs. 57.6 ±â€…16.8 in group B ( P  = 0.51). Patients in group A, had a significantly higher rate of fatty liver, as compared to group B (85.4% vs. 35.5%, P  < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the medical history among the two groups. Fatty pancreas was associated with more severe acute pancreatitis as assessed by SIRS score at admission. The mean ± SD of SIRS score was significantly higher in group A (0.92 ±â€…0.87), as compared to 0.59 ±â€…0.74 in group B ( P  = 0.009). Positive SIRS score was present in a significantly higher proportion of patients with fatty pancreas (25%), as compared to only 11.4% in group B ( P  = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of acute pancreatitis with higher SIRS score was significantly associated with fatty pancreas. Fatty pancreas may represent a predictor of acute pancreatitis severity.

The diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound vs. contrast-enhanced computed tomography in local staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a bi-national multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Identification of pancreatic cancer (PC) local invasion is crucial to optimize patients' selection for surgery. AIMS: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in local staging of PC. METHODS: We performed a multicenter study including all patients with PC who underwent surgery. RESULTS: One hundred twelve patients were included. Surgical findings of peri-pancreatic lymph nodes (LN), vascular and adjacent organ involvement were seen in 67 (59.8%), 33 (29.5%) and 19 patients (17%), respectively. The diagnostic performance of EUS was better than CECT in peri-pancreatic LN. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive (NPV) of CECT vs. EUS were 28.4%, 80%, 67.9% and 42.9% vs. 70.2%, 75.6%, 81% and 63%, respectively. For vascular and adjacent organ involvement, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 45.5%, 93.7%, 75%, 80.4% and 31.6%, 89.2%, 37.5% and 86.5% for CECT, respectively, vs. 63.6%, 93.7%, 80.8%, 86.1% and 36.8%, 94.6%, 58.3% and 88% for EUS, respectively. Combining both CECT and EUS, the sensitivity for peri-pancreatic LN, vascular and adjacent organ involvement improved (76.1%, 78.8% and 42%), respectively. CONCLUSION: EUS was superior to CECT in local staging. Combined EUS and CECT had a higher sensitivity than either alone.

Modified Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy for the Diagnosis of Bile Reflux in One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass Surgery: a Prospective Multicenter Study.

PURPOSE: One-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is a relatively simple surgical procedure for those afflicted with severe obesity. Studies reported symptomatic biliary reflux gastritis and esophagitis as predominant complications. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HIDA) is the least invasive test for the diagnosis of bile reflux, with good sensitivity, patient tolerability, and reproducibility. The aim of this study was to define an optimized HIDA scintigraphy protocol for demonstrating bile reflux in post-OAGB patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective multicenter study. Patients after OAGB with dyspeptic complaints were included. All patients underwent HIDA scan with a dedicated protocol for demonstrating bile reflux; prevalence and severity were reported. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included, 18 females and one male, with mean age of 41.8 years and mean time of 22.4 months from operation to the scan. Bile reflux into the gastric pouch was documented in 11 patients (53%). Reflux to the stomach pouch was severe in three patients (27%), moderate in two patients (18%), and mild in six patients (55%). Bile reflux into the esophagus was documented in four patients (21%), severe reflux in one patient (25%), and mild in the other three (75%). A correlation was found between complaints of vomiting, heartburn and regurgitation, and findings of esophagitis on gastroscopy in patients with vs. without reflux. CONCLUSIONS: The tailored HIDA scan protocol detected bile reflux in more than half of the post-OAGB patients included in the study, with a high diagnostic sensitivity.

Treatment of esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction with concomitant hypercontractile esophagus: A case series.

Hypercontractile esophagus with concomitant esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) is a rare entity that is characterized by both esophageal hypercontractility and lack of relaxation of the EGJ. The clinical characteristics of these patients are not well-described and there is no strict recommendation regarding the treatment of this condition. We report four cases of patients with hypercontractile esophagus and concomitant to EGJOO. All patients underwent upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) and barium swallow and met the criteria of Chicago Classification for both EGJOO and hypercontractile esophagus. Patients were followed up to four years from diagnosis and clinical symptoms were recorded. Four patients, who underwent evaluation for dysphagia, were found to have both EGJOO and hypercontractile esophagus on HRM. Two of them had mild symptoms and did not undergo treatment with no progression of symptoms on follow-up. Of the two patients who underwent treatment, one had botulinum toxin injection to the EGJ via upper GI endoscopy and one underwent per-oral endoscopic myotomy. Symptoms in both patients improved. Patients with concomitant hypercontractile esophagus and EGJOO present with varying degrees of symptoms and the treatment approach should be personalized according to the degree of symptoms and general clinical condition.