Obliteration of gastric varices guided by eco-endoscopy with coils insertion coated with expandable hydrogel polymers.

INTRODUCTION: gastric varices hemorrhage is a severe complication of portal hypertension, with high mortality rates and few management alternatives, especially when there is a contraindication to transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS). The usual therapeutic options are the injection of cyanoacrylate, the insertion of coils or both. Hydrocoils are special coils coated with different types of expandable hydrogel polymers conventionally used in neurovascular interventionism. They allow rapid occlusion of vessel, forming a mesh that favors the local formation of thrombus and the development of a neointima on the gel cover. We consider the use of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided hydrocoil insertion in gastric varices, without using cyanoacrylate. OBJECTIVE: this study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectivity of the application of EUS-guided hydrocoils in patients with gastric varices hemorrhage with TIPS contraindication. MATERIAL AND METHODS: this was a retrospective case series of four patients with TIPS contraindication after interventional radiologist evaluation. Linear echoendoscopes, fluoroscopy, 19G needles and hydrocoils (Azur®, Terumo) and Progreat® 3 Fr microcatheters were used. An interventional radiologist expert advised the procedures and endoscopic ultrasound confirmed the varix obliteration. RESULTS: technical and clinical success occurred in all patients involved in this study. There were no adverse effects related to the procedure or endoscopic equipment damage. CONCLUSIONS: the application of EUS-guided hydrocoils can be a safe and effective method in the short term for gastric varices bleeding in patients who are not candidates for TIPS. Besides, a complete obliteration of the vascular lumen could occur and thus, dispense with the use of cyanoacrylate. Further studies are needed to corroborate these preliminary results.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of renal lesions: experience in a tertiary center.

INTRODUCTION: endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) allows the histological diagnosis of radiologically undetermined renal lesions, although few series have been described. OBJECTIVES: to describe the procedure, yield and complications of EUS-guided renal fine-needle aspiration (FNA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: a retrospective case series in a prospective database was used that consecutively included EUS procedures from March 2014 to August 2018. Data on complications, outcome and follow-up were collected. A successful FNA was defined as any FNA that allowed a histological diagnosis. Lesions were considered as malignant when surgically confirmed as such (the histological diagnosis was used for non-surgical patients) and benign when radiographically stable for ≥ 12 months. RESULTS: eight patients were identified with a median age of 61.6 years (57.3-71.9), and five (62.5 %) were female. Five FNA procedures involved the right kidney and three involved the left kidney. 22G cytology needles were used. Renal FNA was diagnostic in all cases, with no complications. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-guided FNA may represent an effective, safe procedure for the diagnosis of renal lesions of an uncertain origin.

Clinical Presentation, Management, and Evolution of Lymphomas in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An ENEIDA Registry Study.

An increased risk of lymphoma has been described in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aims of our study were to determine the clinical presentation, the previous exposure to immunosuppressive and biologic therapies, and the evolution of lymphomas in patients with IBD. IBD patients with diagnosis of lymphoma from October 2006 to June 2021 were identified from the prospectively maintained ENEIDA registry of GETECCU. We identified 52 patients (2.4 cases of lymphoma/1000 patients with IBD; 95% CI 1.8-3.1). Thirty-five were men (67%), 52% had ulcerative colitis, 60% received thiopurines, and 38% an anti-TNF drug before lymphoma diagnosis. Age at lymphoma was lower in those patients treated with thiopurines (53 ± 17 years old) and anti-TNF drugs (47 ± 17) than in those patients not treated with these drugs (63 ± 12; p < 0.05). Five cases had relapse of lymphoma (1.7 cases/100 patient-years). Nine patients (17%) died after 19 months (IQR 0-48 months). Relapse and mortality were not related with the type of IBD or lymphoma, nor with thiopurines or biologic therapies. In conclusion, most IBD patients had been treated with thiopurines and/or anti-TNF agents before lymphoma diagnosis, and these patients were younger at diagnosis of lymphoma than those not treated with these drugs. Relapse and mortality of lymphoma were not related with these therapies.

Interferon-free treatments in patients with hepatitis C genotype 1-4 infections in a real-world setting.

AIM: To investigated the real-world effectiveness and safety of various regimens of interferon-free treatments in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: We performed an observational study to analyze different antiviral treatments administered to 462 HCV-infected patients, of which 56.7% had liver cirrhosis. HCV RNA after 4 wk of treatment and at 12 wk after treatment sustained virologic response (SVR) as well as serious adverse events (SAEs) was analyzed first for the whole cohort and then separately in patients who met or did not meet the inclusion criteria of a clinical trial (CT-met and CT-unmet, respectively). RESULTS: The most frequently prescribed treatment was simeprevir/sofosbuvir (36.4%), followed by sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (24.9%) and ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (r)/dasabuvir (19.9%). Ribavirin (RBV) was administered in 198 patients (42.9%). SVRs occurred in 437/462 patients (94.6%). The SVRs ranged between 93.3% and 100% for genotypes 1-4. SVRs were achieved in 96.2% patients in the CT-met group vs 91.9% patients in the CT-unmet group (P = 0.049). Undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 occurred in 72.9% of the patients. In the univariate analysis, the factors associated with SVRs were lower liver stiffness, absence of cirrhosis, higher platelet count, higher albumin levels, no RBV dose reduction, undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 and CT-met group. In the multivariate analysis, only albumin was an independent predictor of treatment failure (P = 0.04). Eleven patients (2.4%) developed SAEs; 5.2% and 0.7% of the patients in the CT-unmet and CT-met groups, respectively (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: A high proportion of patients with HCV infection achieved SVRs. For patients who did not meet the CT criteria, treatment regimens must be optimized.