Endoscopic Kyoto and Kimura-Takemoto Classifications Are Comparable in Predicting High-Risk Gastric Precancerous Lesions.

INTRODUCTION: Severe and extensive gastric atrophy, extensive or incomplete gastric intestinal metaplasia, and gastric dysplasia are considered high-risk gastric precancerous lesions (HGPLs). Endoscopic findings based on the endoscopic Kyoto classification (EKC) and the Kimura-Takemoto classification (KTC) have been reported to be significantly associated with HGPLs. This study aimed to compare these two classifications in predicting active Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and HGPLs. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on naïve dyspeptic patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at a tertiary hospital. Endoscopic findings were scored according to the EKC and KTC. Mapping biopsies were taken, and H. pylori infection was determined using a locally validated rapid urease test and histology. The performance of EKC was compared with that of KTC using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in predicting active H. pylori infection and HGPLs. RESULTS: There were 292 patients with a median age of 46 and a male-to-female ratio of 1:1. The rates of active H. pylori infection and HGPLs were 61.3% and 14.0%, respectively. The EKC was better than the KTC in predicting active H. pylori infection (AUC: 0.771 vs. 0.658, respectively; p < 0.001). However, these two classifications had comparable performance in predicting HGPLs (AUC: 0.792 vs. 0.791, respectively; p = 0.956). CONCLUSION: Compared to EKC, KTC is inferior in predicting active H. pylori infection but has comparable performance in predicting HGPLs.

Performance of chromoendoscopy and narrow-band imaging in the diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chromoendoscopy and narrow-band imaging (NBI) have been reported to aid in the diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM). This study aimed to assess the diagnostic validity of chromoendoscopy combined with NBI in the diagnosis of GIM in Vietnamese. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on patients with dyspeptic symptoms who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) at the University Medical Center at Ho Chi Minh City. We compared the detection rates of GIM in the group of patients examined with white-light endoscopy (WLE) alone and those examined with WLE in combination with chromoendoscopy and NBI. RESULTS: A total of 374 patients have been recruited. The additional GIM detection rate after chromoendoscopy combined with NBI was 8.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.3 - 12.8), p < .005. The rate of GIM within the group of patients biopsied under the guidance of chromoendoscopy combined with NBI was statistically significantly higher than in the group with WLE alone with a distinct rate of 14.4% (95% CI: 6.3 - 2.6), p = .001. CONCLUSIONS: Chromoendoscopy combined with NBI helped to detect the GIM lesions missed by WLE and was a more reliable endoscopic method for the diagnosis of GIM.

Implementing narrow banding imaging with dual focus magnification for histological prediction of small rectosigmoid polyps in Vietnamese setting.

Background and Aim: Small rectosigmoid colorectal polyps (<10 mm) are prevalent, with a low prevalence of advanced neoplastic lesions. The "diagnose-and-leave" strategy, employing narrow band imaging (NBI), is gaining popularity for its safety and cost-effectiveness by reducing polypectomy complications and minimizing histopathology expenses. This study assessed the diagnostic efficacy of NBI with dual focus (DF) magnification for real-time neoplastic prediction of rectosigmoid polyps and explored the feasibility of implementing this strategy in Vietnam. Methods: In a prospective single-center study, 307 rectosigmoid polyps from 245 patients were analyzed using three consecutive endoscopic modes: white light endoscopy (WLE), NBI, and NBI-DF. Endoscopists assessed polyps for size, location, macroscopic shape, optical diagnosis, and confidence levels before histopathological evaluation. High confidence was assigned when the polyp exhibited all features of a single histology type. Predictions were compared with final histopathology results. Results: Of the total, 237 (77.2%) were diminutive (≤5 mm) polyps, and 18 (5.8%) were advanced neoplastic lesions. WLE + NBI and WLE + NBI + NBI-DF exhibited significantly higher accuracy compared to WLE (88.6% and 90.2% vs 74.2%, P < 0.01). For diminutive polyps, the DF mode significantly increased the rate of high-confidence optical diagnoses (89.1% vs 94.9%, P < 0.001). WLE + NBI + NBI-DF demonstrated high sensitivity (90.1%), specificity (95.5%), and negative predictive value (93.4%) in high-confidence predictions, enabling the implementation of the "diagnose-and-leave" strategy. This approach would have reduced 58.2% of unnecessary polypectomies without missing any advanced neoplastic lesions. Conclusion: NBI and DF modes provide accurate neoplastic predictions for rectosigmoid polyps. For diminutive polyps, DF magnification improves the confidence level of the optical diagnosis, allowing the safe implementation of the "diagnose-and-leave" strategy.

Utility of narrow-band imaging with or without dual focus magnification in neoplastic prediction of small colorectal polyps: a Vietnamese experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Accurate neoplastic prediction can significantly decrease costs associated with pathology and unnecessary colorectal polypectomies. Narrow band imaging (NBI) and dual-focus (DF) mode are promising emerging optical technologies for recognizing neoplastic features of colorectal polyps digitally. This study aimed to clarify the clinical usefulness of NBI with and without DF assistance in the neoplastic prediction of small colorectal polyps (<10 mm). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 530 small colorectal polyps from 343 consecutive patients who underwent colonoscopy at the University Medical Center from September 2020 to May 2021. Each polyp was endoscopically diagnosed in three successive steps using white-light endoscopy (WLE), NBI, and NBI-DF and retrieved for histopathological assessment. The diagnostic accuracy of each modality was evaluated with reference to histopathology. RESULTS: There were 295 neoplastic polyps and 235 non-neoplastic polyps. The overall accuracies of WLE, WLE+NBI, and WLE+NBI+NBI-DF in the neoplastic prediction of colorectal polyps were 70.8%, 87.4%, and 90.8%, respectively (p<0.001). The accuracy of WLE+NBI+NBI-DF was significantly higher than that of WLE+NBI in the polyp size ≤5 mm subgroup (87.3% vs. 90.1%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: NBI improved the real-time neoplastic prediction of small colorectal polyps. The DF mode was especially useful in polyps ≤5 mm in size.

Ischemic Colitis Presented as Pseudomembranous Colitis: An Untypical Case from Vietnam.

Ischemic colitis (IC) is an underreported chronic disease characterized by the hypoperfusion of the bowel mucosa. The diagnosis and treatment may be challenging because its clinical course resembles other colitis or even colorectal malignancies. This paper reports an untypical case to underline the diversity of IC manifestation. A 68-year-old man with several comorbidities was admitted because of abdominal pain with a 6-month duration and a mass in the left lower quadrant. Colonoscopy revealed erosive pseudomembranous colitis narrowed colon segments with ulcerated mucosa mimicking colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. The stool cultures and Clostridium difficile toxin tests were negative. After the failure of conservative therapy, the Hartmann procedure with temporary ileostomy was performed uneventfully. The histological results of the surgical specimens revealed IC with focal pseudomembranous areas.

Overlap of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Functional Dyspepsia and Yield of Esophagogastroduodenoscopy in Patients Clinically Fulfilling the Rome IV Criteria for Functional Dyspepsia.

Aim: To assess (1) the overlap rate of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia (FD) and (2) the yield of esophagogastroduodenoscopy in patients clinically presenting with FD. Materials and Methods: Outpatients aged ≥18 years with typical reflux symptoms ≥2 times a week or clinically fulfilling the Rome IV criteria for FD were recruited and underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy. GERD was classified into non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive reflux disease (ERD), and FD was classified into epigastric pain syndrome and postprandial distress syndrome. The endoscopic findings that could explain patients' symptoms were considered clinically significant endoscopic findings. After esophagogastroduodenoscopy, patients were categorized into three groups: GERD-only, FD-only, and GERD-FD overlap. Results: There were 439 patients with a mean age of 42.3 ± 11.6 years. Ninety-one (20.7%) patients had clinically significant endoscopic findings: 73 (16.6%) reflux esophagitis, 6 (1.4%) Barrett's esophagus and 14 (3.2%) gastroduodenal ulcers. After excluding gastroduodenal ulcers, the numbers of patients with GERD-only, FD-only, and GERD-FD overlap were 69 (16.2%), 138 (32.5%), and 218 (51.3%), respectively. Postprandial distress syndrome was more prevalent in GERD-FD overlap than in FD-only (72.9 vs. 44.2%, p < 0.001). The rates of gastroduodenal ulcers in patients clinically fulfilling the criteria for FD with and without reflux symptoms were 0.6 and 4.7%, respectively (p = 0.027). Conclusion: The GERD-FD overlap was more common than each disorder alone, of which postprandial distress syndrome was significantly prominent. Organic dyspepsia was uncommon in patients clinically fulfilling the Rome IV criteria for FD.

Vietnam Association of Gastroenterology (VNAGE) consensus on the management of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is prevalent and has a rapidly increasing antibiotic resistance rate in Vietnam. Reinfection is quite common, and gastric carcinoma remains one of the most common malignancies, which is not uncommon to develop after successful eradication. The purpose of this consensus is to provide updated recommendations on the management of H. pylori infection in the country. The consensus panel consisted of 32 experts from 14 major universities and institutions in Vietnam who were invited to review the evidence and develop the statements using the Delphi method. The process followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The consensus level was defined as ≥80% for agreement on the proposed statements. Due to the limited availability of high-quality local evidence, this consensus was also based on high-quality evidence from international studies, especially those conducted in other populations in the Asia-Pacific region. The panel finally reached a consensus on 27 statements after two voting rounds, which consisted of four sections (1) indications for testing and selection of diagnostic tests (2), treatment regimens, (3) post-treatment confirmation of H. pylori status, and (4) reinfection prevention methods and follow-up after eradication. Important issues that require further evidence include studies on third-line regimens, strategies to prevent H. pylori reinfection, and post-eradication follow-up for precancerous gastric lesions. We hope this consensus will help guide the current clinical practice in Vietnam and promote multicenter studies in the country and international collaborations.

Diagnostic Accuracy of H. pylori Status by Conventional Endoscopy: Time-Trend Change After Eradication and Impact of Endoscopic Image Quality.

AIM: To assess the time trend of diagnostic accuracy of pre- and post-eradication H. pylori status and interobserver agreement of gastric atrophy grading. METHODS: A series 100 of conventional endoscopic image sets taken from subjects undergoing gastric cancer screening at a polyclinic were evaluated by 5 experienced assessors. Each assessor independently examined endoscopic findings according to the Kyoto classification and then determined the H. pylori status (never, current, or past infected). Gastric atrophy was assessed according to the Kimura-Takemoto classification and classified into 3 grades (none/mild, moderate, or severe). The image series that ≥3 assessors considered to have good quality were arbitrarily defined as high-quality image (HQI) series, and the rest were defined as low-quality image (LQI) series. RESULTS: The overall diagnostic accuracy of H. pylori status was 83.0%. It was lowest in subjects with current infection (54%), gradually increased at 1 year (79%, P < 0.001) and 3 years (94.0%, P = 0.002), but then did not significantly change at 5 years (91.0%, P = 0.420) after eradication. The rate of LQI series was 28%. The overall diagnostic accuracy of H. pylori status dropped from 88.9% to 67.9% (P < 0.001), and the mean kappa value on gastric atrophy grading dropped from 0.730 to 0.580 (P = 0.002) in the HQI and LQI series, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic accuracy of H. pylori status increased over time after eradication. LQI series badly affected the diagnostic accuracy of H. pylori status and the level of agreement when grading gastric atrophy.

The Performance of a Modified Glasgow Blatchford Score in Predicting Clinical Interventions in Patients with Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Vietnamese Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To compare the performance of a modified Glasgow Blatchford score (mGBS) to the Glasgow Blatchford score (GBS) and the pre-endoscopic Rockall score (RS) in predicting clinical interventions in Vietnamese patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB). METHODS: A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted in five tertiary hospitals from May 2013 to February 2014. The mGBS, GBS, and pre-endoscopic RS scores were prospectively calculated for all patients. The accuracy of mGBS was compared with that of GBS and preendoscopic RS using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Clinical interventions were defined as blood transfusions, endoscopic or radiological intervention, or surgery. RESULTS: There were 395 patients including 128 (32.4%) needing endoscopic treatment, 117 (29.6%) requiring blood transfusion and two (0.5%) needing surgery. In predicting the need for clinical intervention, the mGBS (AUC, 0.707) performed as well as the GBS (AUC, 0.708; p=0.87) and outperformed the pre-endoscopic RS (AUC, 0.594; p<0.001). However, none of these scores effectively excluded the need for endoscopic intervention at a threshold of 0. CONCLUSIONS: mGBS performed as well as GBS and better than pre-endoscopic RS for predicting clinical interventions in Vietnamese patients with ANVUGIB. (Gut Liver 2016;10375- 381).