Endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal cancer in a diverticulum: A case report with literature review.

Superficial esophageal cancer (SEC) in a diverticulum is rare and has a high risk of perforation during endoscopic resection. Although endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a standard treatment option, it is challenging to perform. Here, we describe the case of a 79-year-old male patient with a history of ESD for SEC. Surveillance esophagogastroduodenoscopy identified a 20-mm-sized reddish depressed lesion in a diverticulum in the middle esophagus. The lesion was confirmed to be squamous cell carcinoma by biopsy. Magnification endoscopy with narrow-band imaging showed intraepithelial papillary capillary loops of type B1 according to the magnified endoscopic classification of the Japan Esophageal Society. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed the presence of the muscular layer of the esophagus wall in the diverticulum. Therefore, the lesion was diagnosed as SEC, confined to the epithelium or lamina propria mucosae, in a Rokitansky diverticulum. Based on these findings, ESD was considered technically feasible. Traction-assisted ESD using clip with line was performed, and en bloc resection was achieved without adverse events. The resected specimen pathologically revealed a squamous cell carcinoma confined to the lamina propria mucosae without lymphovascular invasion, suggesting a curative resection. The patient recovered well, and no recurrence has been observed for 5 years after the ESD. Whether ESD is appropriate for the treatment of SEC in a diverticulum remains unclear. However, our case shows that it can be a treatment option in such cases due to its minimal invasiveness and good effectiveness.

Risk Factors Associated with Painful Colonoscopy and Prolonged Cecal Intubation Time in Female Patients.

Objectives: Few studies have examined risk factors leading to painful colonoscopy and prolonged cecal intubation time in female patients. We aimed to determine the factors associated with painful colonoscopy and prolonged cecal intubation time in female patients. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed prospectively collected data from a randomized controlled trial with female patients who underwent colonoscopy. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were performed using the following factors that might be associated with painful colonoscopy and prolonged cecal intubation time, respectively: age, body mass index, history of colonoscopy, previous abdominal surgery, routine use of laxatives, inadequate bowel preparation, sigmoid colon diverticulosis, use of a small-caliber colonoscope, and an inexperienced operator. Results: The study enrolled 219 female patients aged >20 years. Using the receiver operating characteristic curve, painful colonoscopy was defined in cases where the visual analogue scale of overall pain was ≥50 mm. Logistic regression analysis for risk factors associated with painful colonoscopy revealed that sigmoid colon diverticulosis [odds ratio (OR), 2.496; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.013-5.646; p=0.028] was a risk factor for painful colonoscopy; conversely, the use of a small-caliber colonoscope was a negative factor for painful colonoscopy (OR, 0.436; 95% CI, 0.214-0.889, p=0.022). In linear regression analysis, inadequate bowel preparation was significantly associated with prolonged cecal intubation time (ß-coefficient, 3.583; 95% confidence interval, 0.578-6.588; p=0.020). Conclusions: Female patients with sigmoid colon diverticulosis are more likely to experience severe pain during colonoscopy, and those with inadequate bowel preparation may require more time for cecal intubation.

Antimicrobial Effects of Lactoferrin against Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Helicobacter (H.) pylori is the primary causative agent of various gastroduodenal diseases. H. pylori is an adapted microorganism that has evolved to survive in the acidic conditions of the human stomach, possessing a natural strategy for colonizing harsh environments. Despite the implementation of various eradication regimens worldwide, the eradication rate of H. pylori has decreased to less than 80% in recent years due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains. This has posed a significant challenge in treating H. pylori infection, as antibiotic resistance and side effects have become increasingly problematic. Lactoferrin, a member of the transferrin family, is an iron-binding protein with antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that promote human health. The concentrations of lactoferrin in the gastric juice and mucosa significantly increase during H. pylori infection and are strongly correlated with the severity of gastric mucosal inflammation. Numerous researchers have studied the antimicrobial properties of lactoferrin both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, recent studies have investigated the addition of oral lactoferrin supplementation to H. pylori eradication therapy, even though monotherapy with lactoferrin does not eradicate the microorganism. In this article, we reviewed the survival strategy of H. pylori to evade the antimicrobial activity of human lactoferrin and explore the potential of lactoferrin in H. pylori eradication therapy.

Endoscopic resection for a solitary Peutz-Jeghers type polyp in the duodenum: A case report with literature review.

A 68-year-old female patient was referred to our hospital with a 30-mm polyp in the second portion of the duodenum found via esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The polyp had an irregular, lobular surface and a thick stalk. In addition, white dots were detected on the surface. Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging showed a white material deep in the loop-shaped microvessels on the white dots. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic elevated lesion from the mucosal layer, and a feeding vessel traversing the stalk to supply the head of the polyp. Endoscopic biopsy did not provide a definitive diagnosis. Endoscopic resection was conducted for a definitive diagnosis and treatment. The resected specimen showed a branching bundle of smooth muscle fibers covered by hyperplastic mucosa, consistent with a hamartomatous polyp. The patient had no mucocutaneous pigmentation or familial history of the hamartomatous polyp. The polyp was finally diagnosed as a solitary Peutz-Jeghers-type polyp. No recurrence has been observed for seven years postoperatively.

Factors Related to Difficulty in Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Superficial Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for superficial esophageal cancer is technically challenging, and research on predictive factors related to the difficulty in the procedure is limited. This study aimed to investigate the factors predicting the difficulty in esophageal ESD. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 303 lesions treated at our institution between April 2005 and June 2021. The following 13 factors were evaluated: sex, age, tumor location, tumor localization, macroscopic type, tumor size, tumor circumference, preoperative diagnosis of histological type, preoperative diagnosis of invasion depth, previous radiotherapy for esophageal cancer, metachronous lesion located close to post-ESD scar, operator's skill, and use of a clip-and-thread traction method. Difficult esophageal ESD cases were defined as those requiring long procedure time (>120 min). RESULTS: Fifty-one lesions (16.8%) met the defined criterion for difficult cases of esophageal ESD. Logistic regression analysis identified tumor size larger than 30 mm (odds ratio: 9.17, 95% confidence interval: 4.27-19.69, p < 0.001) and tumor circumference more than half that of the esophagus (odds ratio 2.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.15-5.54, p = 0.021) as independent predictive factors related to difficulty in esophageal ESD. CONCLUSION: Tumor size larger than 30 mm and tumor circumference more than half that of the esophagus can predict difficulty in performing esophageal ESD. This knowledge can provide useful information for developing ESD strategies and selecting a suitable operator on a case-by-case basis to achieve favorable clinical outcomes.

The usefulness of image-enhanced endoscopy to distinguish gastric carcinoma in tumors initially diagnosed as adenomas by endoscopic biopsy: A retrospective study.

Superficial epithelial gastric neoplasms can be divided into adenomas and early carcinomas. Histological diagnosis by endoscopic forceps biopsy is crucial for the diagnosis and management of gastric neoplasms. It is difficult to distinguish features of gastric neoplasms in small biopsy specimens; hence, gastric carcinomas can be underdiagnosed as adenomas. Recent developments in image-enhanced endoscopy have improved the ability to differentiate between carcinomatous and non-carcinomatous lesions. To investigate the prevalence of gastric carcinoma in lesions initially diagnosed as adenomas by forceps biopsy and assess the usefulness of image-enhanced endoscopy in distinguishing carcinomas. A total of 142 lesions of gastric adenomas, diagnosed by biopsy and resected endoscopically between January 2010 and May 2020, were retrospectively evaluated. Images were captured by white-light endoscopy (WLE), magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (M-NBI), and magnifying endoscopy with acetic acid and narrow-band imaging (M-AANBI); they were analyzed and compared with histopathological results. The diagnostic performance of M-AANBI was compared with that of M-NBI. Of the 142 lesions, 58 (40.8%) were pathologically diagnosed as adenocarcinomas. On WLE images, a depressed macroscopic type and size ≥20 mm were significant predictors of carcinoma (P < .001); however, they displayed low sensitivities (32.8% and 41.4%, respectively). M-AANBI displayed significantly higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for distinguishing carcinomas than M-NBI (94.8% vs 74.1%, 81.0% vs 72.6%, and 86.6% vs 73.2%, P < .05). In conclusion, carcinoma was prevalent in 40.8% of gastric lesions initially diagnosed as adenomas by forceps biopsy. M-AANBI may be more useful than M-NBI and WLE in distinguishing gastric carcinomas from adenomas.

Negative effect of prolonged cecal intubation time on adenoma detection in female patients.

Background and Aim: Withdrawal time of the colonoscope is associated with adenoma detection. However, the association between cecal intubation time and adenoma detection remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between cecal intubation time and adenoma detection. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed prospectively collected data from a randomized controlled trial on female patients who underwent colonoscopy in an academic hospital. The primary outcome was the mean number of all adenomas detected per patient. Secondary outcomes included the mean number of advanced, diminutive, small/large, right-sided colonic, and left-sided colonic adenomas detected per patient. Furthermore, the detection rates of all categories of adenoma were evaluated. Results: The analysis included 216 female patients aged ≥20 years. The correlation analysis did not reveal a significant relationship (P = 0.473) between cecal intubation and withdrawal times. The mean number of all adenomas detected per patient declined by approximately 30% (1.05-0.70) from the fastest to the slowest insertion time quartile. Adjusted regression analysis showed a significant decrease in the mean number of all adenomas detected per patient with increased intubation time (relative risk, RR = 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.99, P = 0.045), whereas the mean number of other categories of adenomas detected per patient and the detection rates of all categories of adenoma were not associated with the cecal intubation time. Conclusions: This study showed a significant association between prolonged cecal intubation time and decreased adenoma detection. The cecal intubation time may be a significant quality indicator for colonoscopy.

Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding Caused by a Small Intestinal Lymphatic-venous Malformation: A Case Report with a Literature Review.

A 44-year-old woman presented with severe anemia. We strongly suspected gastrointestinal bleeding; however, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, and computed tomography showed no bleeding sources. Video capsule endoscopy revealed an actively bleeding submucosal lesion within the jejunum. Double-balloon enteroscopy revealed a 20-mm continuously bleeding submucosal lesion in the distal jejunum. We suspected small intestinal vascular malformation and performed surgical resection. The resected specimen pathologically comprised dilated, thin-walled lymphatic channels and blood vessels involving the small intestinal submucosa. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with small intestinal lymphatic-venous malformation. Postoperatively, the patient recovered well, and recurrence was not observed.

Invasive Colon Cancer Inadvertently Resected by Cold Snare Polypectomy.

A 74-year-old man with anemia underwent colonoscopy, which revealed a 4-mm polyp in the ascending colon. The polyp was subsequently diagnosed as an adenomatous lesion according to the narrow-band imaging (NBI) International Colorectal Endoscopic classification/Japan NBI Expert Team classification and resected via cold snare polypectomy (CSP). However, a pathological examination revealed a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with a positive vertical margin. We performed additional endoscopic resection at the CSP scar area, revealing residual submucosal cancer with lymphatic involvement. The patient then underwent additional surgical resection. In such cases, additional endoscopic resection might be a treatment option.

Autoimmune Pancreatitis with Massive Ascites and Multiple Pancreatic Cysts Successfully Treated with Prednisolone.

A 64-year-old man with a history of diabetes and gallstones was admitted to our institution with suspected pancreatic malignancy. Computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple pancreatic cysts and massive ascites, and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) revealed a 28×27-mm hypoechoic mass in the pancreatic head. An EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy was performed, and there were no malignant findings. Based on the test results and imaging findings, type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis was suspected. The patient was administered 30 mg of prednisolone daily. After 11 days, CT revealed that the pancreatic cysts and ascites had reduced in size.

Long-term outcomes after endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal epithelial neoplasms in patients with severe comorbidities.

Background and Aim: Long-term outcomes after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for colorectal epithelial neoplasms (CENs) in patients with severe comorbidities have not been clarified; the current study aimed to examine these long-term outcomes and compared them with those in patients with non-severe comorbidities. Methods: We included 231 patients with CENs who underwent ESD between April 2005 and March 2023. Patients with comorbidities were categorized according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS). We conducted a propensity score-matched analysis and compared long-term outcomes of the two groups after ESD for CENs. Results: Of the 156 patients enrolled in the study, 43 and 113 had severe (ASA-PS III) and non-severe (ASA-PS I/II) comorbidities, respectively. The 1:1 propensity score analysis matched 36 patients with severe comorbidities to 36 patients with non-severe comorbidities. After matching, there was no difference in the procedural outcomes of ESD between both groups. Regarding long-term outcomes, the 5-year overall survival rates after matching in the ASA-PS I/II and III groups were 100% and 73.5%, respectively, and patients in the ASA-PS III group exhibited significantly shorter overall survival than those in the ASA-PS I/II group (hazard ratio 7.209; 95% confidence interval 1.592-32.646; P = 0.010). No colorectal cancer-related deaths were noted in either group. Conclusion: Overall survival after ESD for CENs was shorter in patients with severe comorbidities than in those with non-severe comorbidities. Clinicians should carefully determine whether the benefits of CEN resection with ESD outweigh the procedural risks in patients with severe comorbidities.

Effect of adding acetic acid when performing magnifying endoscopy with narrow band imaging for diagnosis of Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Background and study aims Magnifying endoscopy with narrow band imaging (M-NBI) was developed to diagnose Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma (BEA); however, this method remains challenging for inexperienced endoscopists. We aimed to evaluate a modified M-NBI technique that included spraying acetic acid (M-AANBI). Patients and methods Eight endoscopists retrospectively examined 456 endoscopic images obtained from 28 patients with 29 endoscopically resected BEA lesions using three validation schemes: Validation 1 (260 images), wherein the diagnostic performances of M-NBI and M-AANBI were compared - the dataset included 65 images each of BEA and non-neoplastic Barrett's esophagus (NNBE) obtained using each modality; validation 2 (112 images), wherein 56 pairs of M-NBI and M-AANBI images were prepared from the same BEA and NNBE lesions, and diagnoses derived using M-NBI alone were compared to those obtained using both M-NBI and M-AANBI; and validation 3 (84 images), wherein the ease of identifying the BEA demarcation line (DL) was scored via a visual analog scale in 28 patients using magnifying endoscopy with white-light imaging (M-WLI), M-NBI, and M-AANBI. Results For validation 1, M-AANBI was superior to M-NBI in terms of sensitivity (90.8 % vs. 64.6 %), specificity (98.5 % vs. 76.9 %), and accuracy (94.6 % vs. 70.4 %) (all P  < 0.05). For validation 2, the accuracy of M-NBI alone was significantly improved when combined with M-AANBI (from 70.5 % to 89.3 %; P  < 0.05). For validation 3, M-AANBI had the highest mean score for ease of DL recognition (8.75) compared to M-WLI (3.63) and M-NBI (6.25) (all P <  0.001). Conclusions Using M-AANBI might improve the accuracy of BEA diagnosis.

Helicobacter pylori infection: is there circulating vacuolating cytotoxin A or cytotoxin-associated gene A protein?

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is a well-recognized cause of gastric diseases, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Vacuolating cytotoxin-A (VacA) and cytotoxin-associated gene A protein (CagA) play a role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-related gastric diseases. Also, extragastric disorders are frequent morbid complications in patients with H. pylori infection. However, the direct pathologic implication of these virulence factors in extragastric manifestations remains unclear. Our hypothesis in the present study is that VacA and CagA released by H. pylori in the gastric mucosa leak into the systemic circulation, and therefore they can be measured in serum. RESULTS: Sixty-two subjects were enrolled. They were allocated into the H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative groups. VacA and CagA were measured by immunoassays. The serum levels of VacA and CagA above an upper limit cut-off (mean plus two standard deviations of the mean in patients without H. pylori infection) were considered positive for antigen circulating level. Five out of 25 H. pylori-positive patients were positive for both serum VacA and serum CagA. The serum levels of VacA and CagA were significantly correlated with the serum levels of anti- H. pylori antibody and interleukin-12p70 among all H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that spill-over of VacA and CagA antigens in the systemic circulation may occur in some patients with H. pylori infection.

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma in the abdominal cavity: a case report.

Liposarcoma adherent to the mesentery is extremely rare and difficult to diagnose. A 70-year-old woman presented to the hospital with a right lower abdominal mass. After surgical resection, the patient was diagnosed with dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the transverse colon with a mesenteric origin, and chemotherapy was administered. Diagnosing dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the transverse mesocolon based on imaging findings alone is challenging. Surgical resection can aid diagnosis. Moreover, cancer-specific genetic testing was performed in this case because dedifferentiated liposarcoma is a disease for which novel therapeutic agents are expected to be developed.

Propensity-score matched analysis to evaluate efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal cancer in gastrectomized patients.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a minimally invasive treatment option for superficial esophageal cancer (SEC) with high rates of complete resection. However, limited research exists on the efficacy of ESD for SEC in gastrectomized patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ESD for SEC in gastrectomized patients. We included 318 patients of SEC treated at our institution between April 2005 and October 2021. To minimize bias between the gastrectomized and non-gastrectomized groups, we conducted a propensity-score matched analysis and compared the ESD outcomes for SEC of the two groups. Of the 318 patients included in the study, 48 and 270 patients were in the gastrectomized and non-gastrectomized groups, respectively. After 1:2 propensity-score matching, we matched 44 patients in the gastrectomized group to 88 patients in the non-gastrectomized group, and found no significant differences in the baseline clinicopathological characteristics. Regarding the ESD outcomes, there were no significant differences in the complete resection rate, procedure time, hospitalized period, and recurrence rates between the two groups. Multivariate analysis also cofirmed that the history of gastrectomy was not a risk factor of the difficult case of esophageal ESD. In conclusion, history of gastrectomy might not negatively affect the ESD outcomes of SECs.

Usefulness of magnifying endoscopy with acetic acid and narrow-band imaging for the diagnosis of duodenal neoplasms: proposal of a diagnostic algorithm.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to clarify the features of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) on magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (M-NBI) and magnifying endoscopy with acetic acid and narrow-band imaging (M-AANBI), and evaluate the efficacy of M-NBI/M-AANBI to distinguish high-grade adenomas or adenocarcinomas (HGA/AC) from low-grade adenomas (LGA). METHODS: Clinicopathological data on 62 SNADETs in 58 patients who underwent preoperative M-NBI/M-AANBI and endoscopic resection were retrospectively reviewed. The pathological results were classified into two categories, LGA and HGA/AC. We evaluated microvascular patterns (MVPs) and microsurface patterns (MSPs) observed by M-NBI and MSPs observed by M-AANBI for characterizing LGA and HGA/AC. The kappa value was calculated to assess the interobserver and intraobserver agreements of evaluation of M-AANBI images. RESULTS: Pathologically, 38 lesions (61.3%) were LGA and 24 lesions (38.7%) were HGA/AC. HGA/AC tended to have irregular MVP and/or MSP on M-NBI. M-NBI diagnostic performance to distinguish HGA/AC from LGA showed 62.5% sensitivity, 68.4% specificity, and 66.1% accuracy. SNADETs had irregular MSP on M-AANBI. Three irregularity grades (iG) of MSP were observed by M-AANBI as follows: iG1, mild; iG2, moderate; iG3, significant. HGA/AC lesions had a significantly higher rate of iG3 than LGA lesions (p < 0.001). The iG2 was associated with HGA/AC in elevated lesions and LGA in depressed lesions. The diagnostic performance of M-AANBI was as follows: 95.8% sensitivity, 97.4% specificity, and 96.8% accuracy. The diagnostic accuracy of M-AANBI was significantly higher than that of M-NBI (p < 0.001). The kappa value for interobserver agreement on the diagnosis and irregularity grading of M-AANBI images was 0.742 and 0.719, respectively. These data indicate substantial interobserver agreement. Based on the above-mentioned results, we developed a M-AANBI diagnostic algorithm for SNADETs. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic algorithm for SNADETs using M-AANBI may be useful for differentiating between LGA and HGA/AC.