Plasma exchange for acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Plasma exchange (PE) is a promising therapeutic option in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, the impact of PE on patient survival in these syndromes is unclear. We aimed to systematically investigate the use of PE in patients with ALF and ACLF compared with standard medical therapy (SMT). We searched PubMed/Embase/Cochrane databases to include all studies comparing PE versus SMT for patients ≥ 18 years of age with ALF and ACLF. Pooled risk ratios (RR) with corresponding 95% CIs were calculated by the Mantel-Haenszel method within a random-effect model. The primary outcome was 30-day survival for ACLF and ALF. Secondary outcomes were overall and 90-day survival for ALF and ACLF, respectively. Five studies, including 343 ALF patients (n = 174 PE vs. n = 169 SMT), and 20 studies, including 5,705 ACLF patients (n = 2,856 PE vs. n = 2,849 SMT), were analyzed. Compared with SMT, PE was significantly associated with higher 30-day (RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.06-1.87, p = 0.02) and overall (RR 1.35, 95% CI 1.12-1.63, p = 0.002) survival in ALF patients. In ACLF, PE was also significantly associated with higher 30-day (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.22-1.52, p < 0.001) and 90-day (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.10-1.34, p < 0.001) survival. On subgroup analysis of randomized controlled trials, results remained unchanged in ALF, but no differences in survival were found between PE and SMT in ACLF. In conclusion, PE is associated with improved survival in ALF and could improve survival in ACLF. PE may be considered in managing ALF and ACLF patients who are not liver transplant (LT) candidates or as a bridge to LT in otherwise eligible patients. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the survival benefit of PE in ACLF.

Amiodarone and ß-blocker combination therapy versus ß-blocker monotherapy for ICD shock prevention: A meta-analysis.

While implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks are a lifesaving therapy, they can negatively affect the patient's quality of life. Amiodarone is commonly combined with ß-blockers (BB) in ICD recipients. However, this combination therapy's efficacy in preventing shocks compared to standard BB monotherapy is not well studied. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine if combined amiodarone and BB therapy improves prevention of ICD shock delivery compared to BB monotherapy. We performed a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases, for studies that assess the impact of amiodarone and BB versus BB monotherapy in patients with an ICD. The primary outcome was a total number of ICD shocks delivered by the end of the study period. Four studies: three retrospective studies and one randomized controlled trial (RCT), with a total of 5818 patients with ICDs, were included in the analysis. Follow-up periods ranged from 1 to 5 years. The combined amiodarone and BB group was not associated with a significantly lower number of ICD shocks compared to the BB monotherapy group (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.44-1.31; P = .32). A combination therapy of amiodarone and BB was not associated with any further reduction in ICD shocks, hospitalizations, or mortality. Additional RCTs are recommended to further validate our findings.

Diagnostic Paracentesis Within 1 Day Is Associated With Reduced Mortality and Length of Hospital Stay in Patients with Cirrhosis and Ascites.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is the most common infection in patients with cirrhosis and is associated with high mortality. Although recent literature reports mortality benefits to early diagnostic paracentesis, current guidelines do not offer specific recommendations for how quickly diagnostic paracentesis should be performed in patients with cirrhosis and ascites who are admitted to the hospital. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate outcomes among patients admitted to the hospital with cirrhosis and ascites receiving paracentesis within ≤ 12, ≤ 1 day, and > 1 day. Eight studies with 116,174 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled risk of in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in patients who underwent early (≤ 12 h or ≤ 1 day) compared to delayed (> 12 h or > 1 day) paracentesis (RR: 0.69, p < 0.00001), and in patients who underwent paracentesis compared to no paracentesis (RR: 0.74, p < 0.00001). On subgroup analysis, in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in both paracentesis within ≤ 12 h (RR: 0.61, p = 0.02) vs. > 12 h, and within ≤ 1 day (RR: 0.70, p < 0.00001) vs. > 1 day. While there was a trend towards decreased mortality in those undergoing paracentesis within ≤ 12 h compared to ≤ 1 day, the difference did not reach statistical significance. The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter by 5.38 days in patients who underwent early (≤ 12 h) compared to delayed (> 12 h) paracentesis (95% CI 4.24-6.52, p < 0.00001). Early paracentesis is associated with reduced mortality and length of hospital stay. We encourage providers to perform diagnostic paracentesis in a timely manner, at least within 1 day of hospital admission, for all patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

9-Minute Withdrawal Time Improves Adenoma Detection Rate Compared With 6-Minute Withdrawal Time During Colonoscopy: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

INTRODUCTION: Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is a quality metric that has been emphasized by multiple societies as improved ADR leads to reduced interval colorectal cancer (CRC). It is postulated that increased withdrawal time (WT) can lead to higher ADR. Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were undertaken to evaluate this. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs to analyze the impact of higher WT on ADR during colonoscopy. METHODS: The following databases were comprehensively searched through November 8, 2022: Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Only RCTs were eligible for inclusion. We applied the random effects model using the DerSimonian Laird approach and calculated risk ratio (RR) for binary outcomes and mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes. 95% CI and P values were generated. RESULTS: A total of 3 RCTs with 2159 patients were included of which 1136 patients were included in the 9-minute withdrawal group (9WT) and 1023 patients in the 6-minute withdrawal group (6WT). The mean age range was 53.6 to 56.8 years and the male gender was 50.7%. The overall ADR was significantly higher for 9WT (RR=1.23; 95% CI, 1.09-1.40; P <0.001). The overall adenoma per colonoscopy (APC) was also higher for the 9WT group (MD: 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04-0.25; P =0.008). CONCLUSION: The 9-minute withdrawal time improved ADR and APC compared with the 6-minute withdrawal. Given the high-quality evidence, we recommend that clinicians at least perform a 9-minute withdrawal to achieve higher quality metrics including ADR to reduce interval CRC.

The effect of preoperative endoscopic tattooing on lymph node retrieval in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The effect of preoperative endoscopic tattooing (ET) on accurate colorectal cancer localization and resection has been well established. However, its effect on lymph node (LN) retrieval remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to systematically compare LN retrieval between patients with colorectal cancer who underwent preoperative ET and those who did not. METHODS: A systematic search for relevant studies was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Studies that compared LN retrieval in patients with colorectal cancer with and without preoperative ET were included. Weighted pooled odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all outcomes using the random-effects model were calculated. RESULTS: 10 studies, including 2231 patients with colorectal cancer were included. Six studies reported total LN yield and showed significantly higher LN yield in the tattooed group (MD:2.61; 95% CI:1.01-4.21, P=0.001). Seven studies reported the number of patients with adequate LN retrieval and showed a significantly higher number of patients with adequate LN retrieval in the tattooed group (OR:1.89, 95% CI:1.08-3.32, P=0.03). However, subgroup analysis revealed that both outcomes were only statistically significant in patients with rectal cancer, and not in patients with colon cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that preoperative ET is associated with increased LN retrieval in patients with rectal cancer, but not in colon cancer. Further large-scale randomized control trials are necessary to validate our findings.

Role of rifaximin in the management of alcohol-associated hepatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AAH) is an acute, inflammatory liver disease with severe short-term and long-term morbidity and mortality. AAH can lead to severe complications including hepatic failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, sepsis, and the development or decompensation of cirrhosis. Rifaximin is an antibiotic that reduces bacterial overgrowth and gut translocation, and it may have a role in decreasing systemic inflammation and infection in patients with AAH. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the role of rifaximin in the management of AAH. METHODS: A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify studies that met our inclusion criteria in Embase, MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar. Outcomes of interest included rates of infection, 90-day mortality, and overall mortality between the rifaximin versus non-rifaximin group. Open Meta Analyst software was used to compute the results. RESULTS: Three studies with a total of 162 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. Of the three studies, two were randomized control trials (RCTs), and one was a case-control study. There was a significantly lower rate of infection in the rifaximin group versus the non-rifaximin group (RR: 0.331, 95% CI: 0.159-0.689, I2  = 0%, P = 0.003). There was no significant difference in 90-day mortality in the rifaximin versus non-rifaximin group (RR: 0.743, 95% CI: 0.298-1.850, I2  = 24%, P = 0.523), nor was there a significant difference in overall mortality (RR: 0.624, 95% 95% CI: 0.299-1.3, I2  = 7.1%, P = 0.208). CONCLUSIONS: The use of rifaximin in AAH is associated with a lower rate of infection rate than the non-rifaximin group. Additional research is needed to determine whether this effect is more pronounced in patients concurrently being treated with prednisolone. Differences in 90-day or overall mortality did not reach statistical significance. Further studies, particularly large randomized controlled trials, are needed to establish the role of rifaximin in AAH, especially as an adjunct therapy with prednisolone.

Right Colectomy for an Inflammatory Mass in the Cecum Later Found to Be Tuberculosis.

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis (TB) is a rare manifestation of extra-pulmonary TB that is known to mimic many different gastrointestinal diseases. We present a case of an 85-year-old male patient with delayed diagnosis of gastrointestinal TB who underwent colonic resection for a cecal mass that was initially suspected to be malignant. Acid-fast staining of the surgical specimen later revealed acid-fast bacilli and multiple lymph nodes with necrotizing granulomas. The purpose of this study is to stress the importance of including gastrointestinal TB as a differential diagnosis for patients with suspected colorectal malignancy, especially when initial biopsy results do not reveal malignant features.

The evolution of centriole degradation in mouse sperm.

Centrioles are subcellular organelles found at the cilia base with an evolutionarily conserved structure and a shock absorber-like function. In sperm, centrioles are found at the flagellum base and are essential for embryo development in basal animals. Yet, sperm centrioles have evolved diverse forms, sometimes acting like a transmission system, as in cattle, and sometimes becoming dispensable, as in house mice. How the essential sperm centriole evolved to become dispensable in some organisms is unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that this transition occurred through a cascade of evolutionary changes to the proteins, structure, and function of sperm centrioles and was possibly driven by sperm competition. We found that the final steps in this cascade are associated with a change in the primary structure of the centriolar inner scaffold protein FAM161A in rodents. This information provides the first insight into the molecular mechanisms and adaptive evolution underlying a major evolutionary transition within the internal structure of the mammalian sperm neck.

The relationship between iodinated contrast material temperature and adverse reactions: A meta-analysis of 307,329 injections.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of iodinated contrast material (CM) temperature on injection pressures and viscosity has been well established. However, the effect of extrinsic warming of CM on allergic reactions and extravasations remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare the rates of allergic reactions and extravasations between warmed CM to room temperature CM. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive systematic search using PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for all studies that assess the impact of warmed CM on adverse reactions. The primary outcomes of our study were allergic reaction and extravasation rates. We calculated weighted pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all outcomes using the random-effects model. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. We conducted subgroup analyses based on the viscosity of the CM. RESULTS: A total of five studies, including 307,329 CM injections (86,676 at room temperature and 220,653 warmed to 37 °C), were included in the analysis. For high viscosity CM, pre-warming was associated with significantly lower allergic reaction rates (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.49-0.72, P < 0.00001). There was no significant difference in rates of extravasation for high viscosity CM (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.20-1.43, P = 0.21). DISCUSSION: Our meta-analysis suggests that warming CM to 37 °C is a safe and effective approach to reduce the risk of allergic reactions and physiologic reactions during injection of high-viscosity CM. However, there was no significant difference in extravasation rates between warmed and room temperature CM, regardless of viscosity.

Phosphodiesterase inhibitor and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor combination therapy versus monotherapy for the treatment of major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitors (SSRIs) are the gold standard treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the use of phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors in the treatment of MDD remains unclear. Our study aims to compare the effect of PDE inhibitor combination therapy to SSRI monotherapy for the treatment of MDD. We performed a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, for studies that assess the impact of PDE inhibitor therapy on MDD patients. The primary outcome of our study was treatment response rate at the end of study time. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects model. A P -value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of four randomized control trials (RCTs), including 270 patients with MDD, were included in the analysis. Follow-up periods ranged from 6 to 12 weeks. The PDE inhibitor group was associated with a significantly higher treatment response rate (OR, 4.77; 95% CI, 2.05-11.12; P = 0.0003). Our meta-analysis demonstrated that MDD patients receiving PDE inhibitor combination therapy had a higher treatment response rate than MDD patients receiving SSRI monotherapy. Further large-scale RCTs with long-term follow-ups are necessary to validate our findings.

Assessing the Ethical Concerns of Medical Students in the Gross Anatomy Lab.

OBJECTIVES: Cadaver dissection has become the gold-standard for anatomical education in US medical schools. Ethical issues regarding cadavers may not be as obvious as in living patients, which can lead to their potential neglect in medical school curricula. In this study, we assessed the different ethical concerns (ECs) of medical students regarding cadavers in the gross anatomy lab (GAL), gathered student information, including self-reported academic performance (AP) in the GAL, and determined the best predictors for a student's EC. METHODS: All second-year medical students at the University of Toledo were invited to complete an anonymous, online-survey. Participants were presented with 10 hypothetical but realistic lab scenarios and asked to rate their EC for each on a 5-point Likert scale. Gender, age, and scores received in the GAL course were also collected. A multiple linear regression model was used to find the best predictors of the total EC score. RESULTS: A total of 112 (63%) responses to the online-survey were recorded. The highest EC was for Q7: Taking pictures of the cadaver. The lowest EC was for Q10: The dissection of cadavers itself is an EC. Gender was the best predictor of total EC, followed by age. Female total EC was significantly higher than that for males (35.8 ± 5.5 vs 33.1 ± 7.9). Female scores for Q1 and Q2 were significantly higher than those for males. Total EC for students in the age group 25 to 34 was significantly higher than those in the age group 18 to 24 (35.9 ± 6.1 vs 33.9 ± 7.2). No significant difference was found for individual scenarios. AP was not significantly related to the total score or the scores of the individual scenarios. CONCLUSION: The significant differences in ECs of medical students found in our study indicate that not all students have the same outlook towards the GAL specifically and ECs generally.

History of colonoscopy and technological advances: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Colonoscopy is an ever-growing procedure, being the primary diagnostic and therapeutic modality to manage lower gastrointestinal pathologies. It has a decades-old history with significant successive endoscopic innovations that eventually led to the development of the current colonoscope, as we know it today. Methods: We reviewed multiple databases in non-systemic fashion using PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library to shed light on historic timeline of advancements and groundbreaking landmark achievements currently underway. Key Content and Findings: Initially starting off as a rudimentary rigid, device that utilized candles as a light source, the primitive colonoscope was adapted to a semi-rigid framework to allow better maneuverability. Improved lenses allowed better viewing quality and the development of video capabilities with the capability of performing both diagnostic and therapeutic interventions transformed the colonoscope completely into a modern interventional device. Its utility started gaining attention in the late 90s when multiple guidelines were published, supporting its impact on survival for colorectal screening. Over the years, the therapeutic component of colonoscopy has evolved further allowing it to be used as a treatment modality for several lower gastrointestinal pathologies including control of lower gastrointestinal bleeds, management of large bowel perforation, foreign body removal and dilatation of colonic stenosis. With improving technological advances, success rates of colonoscopic interventions continue to rise and new therapeutic modalities underway further enhancing their role. Multiple developments are underway including use of artificial intelligence (AI) with as endocuff vision, amplify EYE and G-EYE among others that hold great promise for the future of colonoscopy. Conclusions: With our review, we hope to further the understanding clinicians about the colonoscope and help contribute towards its further developments.

Protein Induced by Vitamin K Absence or Antagonist-II Versus Alpha-Fetoprotein in the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.

Background: Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) are promising tumor markers for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet, their diagnostic performance differs throughout HCC investigations. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of PIVKA-II and AFP in the diagnosis of HCC. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify relevant studies from eight databases, which were published up to February 2023, in order to compare the diagnostic performance of PIVKA-II and AFP for HCC. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of each biomarker. Results: Fifty-three studies were identified. The pooled sensitivity (95% confidence interval (CI)) of PIVKA-II and AFP was 0.71 (0.70 - 0.72) and 0.64 (0.63 - 0.65), respectively in diagnosis of HCC, and the corresponding pooled specificity (95% CI) was 0.90 (0.89 - 0.90) and 0.87 (0.87 - 0.88), respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of PIVKA-II and AFP was 0.89 (0.88 - 0.90) and 0.78 (0.77 - 0.79), respectively. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that PIVKA-II presented higher AUC values compared to AFP in terms of ethnic group (African, European, Asian, and American patients), etiology (mixed-type HCC, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related, and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related) and sample size of cases (≤ 100 and > 100). Conclusion: This study reveals that PIVKA-II is a promising biomarker for identifying and tracking HCC, exhibiting greater accuracy than AFP. Our findings indicate that PIVKA-II outperforms AFP in detecting HCC across diverse racial groups and sample sizes, as well as in cases of HBV-related, HCV-related, or mixed-etiology HCC.

Comparing adalimumab and infliximab in the prevention of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Crohn's disease is a relapsing disease that often requires operative management. Prevention of postoperative recurrence (POR) is critical to maintain remissions. Biologic agents have proven to be most successful in remission maintenance. We made a direct head-to-head comparison of the 2 anti-tumor necrosis factor agents, infliximab (IFX) and adalimumab (ADA), to compare endoscopic and clinical POR of Crohn's disease. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search in 7 databases, including Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science Core Collection, KCI-Korean Journal Index, SciELO, and Global Index Medicus. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and P-values (<0.05 considered significant). We evaluated the total rates of endoscopic recurrence, endoscopic recurrence at 1 year, and clinical recurrence rates of IFX and ADA in a direct head-to-head comparison. Results: The search strategy yielded a total of 393 articles. Three studies with a total of 268 participants were included. Our meta-analysis showed no statistically significant difference in total endoscopic recurrence rate between ADA and IFX (27.1% vs. 32.3%, OR 0.696, 95%CI 0.403-1.201; P=0.193; I 2=0%). Nor was there any significant difference between the drugs in endoscopic recurrence rate at 1 year (OR 0.799, 95%CI 0.329-1.940; P=0.620) or clinical recurrence rate (OR 0.477, 95%CI 0.477-1.712; P=0.755). Conclusions: ADA and IFX show comparable efficacy in preventing POR endoscopically and clinically. The clinical decision should be based on cost, side-effects, tolerability, and patient preferences. Additional studies, particularly randomized controlled trials, are needed to determine generalizability.

First case of paralytic ileus after endoscopic mucosal resection of caecal polyp.

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is a technique developed for the removal of sessile or flat neoplastic lesions confined to the superficial layers (mucosa and submucosa) of the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding and perforation are well-known complications of EMR. Here we report the first case of paralytic ileus after EMR of a caecal polyp. A 66-year-old man was scheduled for elective EMR of a 3.5-cm caecal polyp under general anaesthesia after a screening colonoscopy. The procedure was performed by an expert endoscopist, and air was insufflated during the procedure because of the unavailability of CO2. The polyp was successfully removed; the procedure duration was 81 min. After the procedure, the patient complained of abdominal pain and dyspnoea. He developed tachypnoea and tachycardia as well as oxygen desaturation with SpO2 84%. He was administered oxygen therapy via a non-rebreather mask, following which his oxygenation improved. His abdominal X-ray findings were consistent with ileus. Therefore, a nasogastric tube was placed, and the patient was admitted to our hospital. He was managed conservatively and underwent serial abdominal X-rays that showed improvement of the ileus. On the fourth day of admission, he was started on an oral diet; on the sixth day of admission, he was discharged with resolving ileus. Computed tomography enterography performed 1 week after discharge showed complete resolution of the ileus. Factors that may have contributed to the occurrence of ileus in our patient include the use of air during the procedure, location of the polyp (caecal), duration of the procedure, effect of electrocautery, use of general anaesthesia and possibility of aspiration pneumonitis. This case report will make endoscopists aware of the abovementioned factors while performing EMR as this procedure can lead to the complication of paralytic ileus with significant patient morbidity. Conservative treatment should be attempted first before any other intervention.

Improving Internal Medicine Residents' Colorectal Cancer Screening Knowledge Using a Smartphone App: Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. About one in three adults in the United States is not getting the CRC screening as recommended. Internal medicine residents are deficient in CRC screening knowledge. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess the improvement in internal medicine residents' CRC screening knowledge via a pilot approach using a smartphone app. METHODS: We designed a questionnaire based on the CRC screening guidelines of the American Cancer Society, American College of Gastroenterology, and US Preventive Services Task Force. We emailed the questionnaire via a SurveyMonkey link to all the residents of an internal medicine department to assess their knowledge of CRC screening guidelines. Then we designed an educational intervention in the form of a smartphone app containing all the knowledge about the CRC screening guidelines. The residents were introduced to the app and asked to download it onto their smartphones. We repeated the survey to test for changes in the residents' knowledge after publication of the smartphone app and compared the responses with the previous survey. We applied the Pearson chi-square test and the Fisher exact test to look for statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 50 residents completed the first survey and 41 completed the second survey after publication of the app. Areas of CRC screening that showed statistically significant improvement (P<.05) were age at which CRC screening was started in African Americans, preventive tests being ordered first, identification of CRC screening tests, identification of preventive and detection methods, following up positive tests with colonoscopy, follow-up after colonoscopy findings, and CRC surveillance in diseases. CONCLUSIONS: In this modern era of smartphones and gadgets, developing a smartphone-based app or educational tool is a novel idea and can help improve residents' knowledge about CRC screening.

Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer to Thyroid Diagnosed by Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Technique.

Medical literature about the role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in identifying thyroid lesions is limited. We present a case of secondary thyroid cancer from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis, diagnosed by thyroid EUS-fine needle aspiration (FNA) approach that was done for staging of esophageal adenocarcinoma, in a patient with 11-year history of complete right nephrectomy for RCC. An 81-year-old female patient underwent EUS for the evaluation of a newly discovered distal esophageal cancer. A hypoechoic, round, and well-demarcated mass that measured 26.9 mm × 21.9 mm was noticed in the right lobe thyroid gland. Therefore FNA was performed. The cytological results were consistent with metastatic RCC. In conclusion, EUS-FNA of thyroid nodule is a feasible and safe technique that can be used to evaluate any suspicious thyroid nodule. This case emphasizes the importance of carefully examining the thyroid gland during routine upper esophageal EUS examinations in the presence of history of nonthyroidal cancer.

Pneumoperitoneum after Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography due to Rupture of Intrahepatic Bile Ducts and Glisson's Capsule in Hepatic Metastasis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been proven to be a safe and effective method for diagnosis and treatment of biliary and pancreatic disorders. Major complications of ERCP include pancreatitis, hemorrhage, cholangitis, and duodenal perforation. We report a third case in literature of pneumoperitoneum after ERCP due to rupture of intrahepatic bile ducts and Glisson's capsule in a peripheral hepatic lesion. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old male with a history of metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and who had a partially covered metallic stent placed in the biliary tree 1 year ago presented to the oncology clinic with fatigue, abdominal pain, and hypotension. He was planned for ERCP for possible cholangitis secondary to obstructed previously placed biliary stent. However, the duodenoscope could not be advanced to the level of the major papilla because of narrowed pylorus and severely strictured duodenal sweep. Forward-view gastroscope was then passed with careful manipulation to the severely narrowed second part of the duodenum where the previously placed metallic stent was visualized. Balloon sweeping of stenting was done. Cholangiography did not show any leak. Following the procedure, the patient underwent CT scan of the abdomen that showed pneumoperitoneum which was communicating with pneumobilia through a loculated air collection in necrotic hepatic metastasis perforating Glisson's capsule. The patient was managed conservatively. CONCLUSION: In our case, pneumoperitoneum resulted from rupture of intrahepatic bile ducts and Glisson's capsule in hepatic metastasis. This case emphasizes the need for close clinical and radiological observation of patients with hepatic masses (primary or metastatic) subjected to ERCP.

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma from a native kidney of a renal transplant patient diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) biopsy.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) biopsy sampling of enlarged lymph nodes is increasingly used to diagnose metastatic tumors, especially of the gastrointestinal tract and the lungs. Herein, we describe the diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma from a native kidney of a 54 year-old male patient, who had a 5-years history of renal transplant, by EUS-FNA of mediastinal and celiac lymph nodes. Histological and immunohistochemical findings confirmed the origin of metastatic tumor. EUS-FNA with proper cytological evaluation can be useful in the diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma in renal transplant patients.