Prognostic Impact of Post-operative Infectious Complications in Gastric Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial, JCOG0501.

PURPOSE: Post-operative infectious complication (IC) is a well-known negative prognostic factor, while showing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may cancel out the negative influence of IC. This analysis compared the clinical impacts of IC according to the presence or absence of NAC in gastric cancer patients enrolled in the phase III clinical trial (JCOG0501) which compared upfront surgery (arm A) and NAC followed by surgery (arm B) in type 4 and large type 3 gastric cancer. METHODS: The subjects were 224 patients who underwent R0 resection out of 316 patients enrolled in JCOG0501. The prognoses of the patients with or without ICs in each arm were investigated by univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: There were 21 (20.0%) IC occurrences in arm A and 15 (12.6%) in arm B. In arm A, the overall survival (OS) of patients with ICs was slightly worse than those without IC (3-year OS, 57.1% in patients with ICs, 79.8% in those without ICs; adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 1.292 (0.655-2.546)). In arm B, patients with ICs showed a trend of better survival than those without ICs (3-year OS, 80.0% in patients with IC, 74.0% in those without IC; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.573 (0.226-1.456)). CONCLUSION: This study could not indicate the negative prognostic influence of ICs in gastric cancer patients receiving NAC, which might be canceled by NAC. To build exact evidence, further investigation with prospective and large numbers of data might be expected.

Risk factors for intraoperative and delayed perforation related with gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Perforation is one of the most important complications of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC). Several studies have examined risk factors for intraoperative and delayed perforations, but most were retrospective analyses with small numbers of patients. METHODS: This study represents a secondary analysis of a Japanese multicenter prospective cohort study. We investigated the factors associated with each type of perforation using 9015 patients with 9975 EGCs undergoing ESD between July 2010 and June 2012. RESULTS: Intraoperative perforation occurred in 198 patients (2.2%) with 203 lesions (2.0%), necessitating emergency surgery for four lesions (0.04% [2.0%, 4/203]). Delayed perforation occurred in another 37 patients (0.4%) with 42 lesions (0.4%), requiring emergency surgery for 12 lesions (0.12% [28.6%, 12/42]). Factors showing significant independent correlations with intraoperative perforation were upper or middle third of the stomach; remnant stomach or gastric tube; procedure time ≥100 min; tumor size >35 mm; body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2; and ≥72 years. Factors showing significant independent correlations with delayed perforation were procedure time ≥60 min; BMI < 18.5 kg/m2; ≥75 years; ulceration; and tumor size >20 mm. Intraoperative perforation occurred most frequently at the greater curvature in the upper third of the stomach (7.9%), whereas delayed perforation occurred most frequently at the greater curvature in the middle third (1.2%). CONCLUSION: This multicenter prospective cohort study clarified the risk and risk factors of intraoperative and delayed perforation related to ESD for EGCs, providing information to help endoscopists reduce perforation.

Potential for expanding indications and curability criteria of endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer in elderly patients: results from a Japanese multicenter prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence for endoscopic resection (ER) in elderly patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) is limited. We assessed its clinical outcomes, and explored new indications and curability criteria. METHODS: We analyzed data from a Japanese multicenter prospective cohort study. Patients aged ≥75 years with EGC treated with ER were included. We classified "eCuraC-2 (corresponding to noncurative ER, defined in the Japanese gastric cancer treatment guidelines)" into "elderly-high (EL-H)" (>10% estimated metastatic risk) and "elderly-low (EL-L)" (≤10%). RESULTS: In total, 3,371 patients with 3,821 EGCs were included; endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was the prominent treatment choice. Among them, 3,586 lesions met the guidelines' ER indications and 235 did not. The proportions of en bloc and R0 resections and perforations were 98.9%, 94.4%, and 0.8%, respectively, in EGCs within the indications. In EGCs beyond the indications, they were 99.5%, 85.4%, and 5.9%, respectively, for lesions diagnosed as ≤3 cm, and 96.0%, 64.0%, and 18.0% for those >3 cm. Curative ER ("eCuraA/B") and EL-L were observed in 83.6% and 6.2% of lesions within the indications, respectively, and in 44.2% and 16.8% of lesions <3 cm beyond the indications, respectively. The 5-year cumulative gastric cancer death rates following eCuraA/B and EL-H were 0.3% (95% CI, 0.2-0.6) and 3.5% (2.0-5.7), respectively. Following EL-L, the rate was 0.9% (0.2-3.5) even without subsequent treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Usefulness of ESD for elderly EGC patients was confirmed by their clinical outcomes. Lesions ≤3 cm and EL-L emerged as new ER indication and curability criterion, respectively.

Endoscopic Removal of Premalignant Lesions Reduces Long-Term Colorectal Cancer Risk: Results From the Japan Polyp Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To date, no regional evidence of long-term colorectal cancer (CRC) risk reduction after endoscopic premalignant lesion removal has been established. We aimed to analyze this over a long-term follow-up evaluation. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of participants from the Japan Polyp Study conducted at 11 Japanese institutions. Participants underwent scheduled follow-up colonoscopies after a 2-round baseline colonoscopy process. The primary outcome was CRC incidence after randomization. The observed/expected ratio of CRC was calculated using data from the population-based Osaka Cancer Registry. Secondary outcomes were the incidence and characteristics of advanced neoplasia (AN). RESULTS: A total of 1895 participants were analyzed. The mean number of follow-up colonoscopies and the median follow-up period were 2.8 years (range, 1-15 y) and 6.1 years (range, 0.8-11.9 y; 11,559.5 person-years), respectively. Overall, 4 patients (all males) developed CRCs during the study period. The observed/expected ratios for CRC in all participants, males, and females, were as follows: 0.14 (86% reduction), 0.18, and 0, respectively, and 77 ANs were detected in 71 patients (6.1 per 1000 person-years). Of the 77 ANs detected, 31 lesions (40.3%) were laterally spreading tumors, nongranular type. Nonpolypoid colorectal neoplasms (NP-CRNs), including flat (<10 mm), depressed, and laterally spreading, accounted for 59.7% of all detected ANs. Furthermore, 2 of the 4 CRCs corresponded to T1 NP-CRNs. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic removal of premalignant lesions, including NP-CRNs, effectively reduced CRC risk. More than half of metachronous ANs removed by surveillance colonoscopy were NP-CRNs. The Japan Polyp Study: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry, C000000058; cohort study: UMIN000040731.

Clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumors in a large Japanese national cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Optimal management of type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumors (T1-GNETs) remains unknown, with few reports on their long-term prognosis. This study investigated the clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of T1-GNETs. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with T1-GNET during 1991-2019 at 40 institutions in Japan. RESULTS: Among 172 patients, endoscopic resection (ER), endoscopic surveillance, and surgery were performed in 84, 61, and 27, respectively, including 27, 77, and 2 patients with pT1a-M, pT1b-SM, and pT2 tumors, respectively. The median tumor diameter was 5 (range 0.8-55) mm. Four (2.9%) patients had lymph node metastasis (LNM); none had liver metastasis. LNM rates were significantly higher in tumors with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (15.8%; 3/19) than in those without (1.1%; 1/92) (P = 0.016). For tumors <10 mm, LVI and LNM rates were 18.4% (14/76) and 2.2% (2/90), respectively, which were not significantly different from those of tumors 10-20 mm (LVI 13.3%; 2/15, P = 0.211; and LNM 0%; 0/17, P = 1.0). However, these rates were significantly lower than those of tumors >20 mm (LVI 60%; 3/5, P = 0.021; and LNM 40%; 2/5, P = 0.039). No tumor recurrence or cause-specific death occurred during the median follow-up of 10.1 (1-25) years. The 10-year overall survival rate was 97%. CONCLUSIONS: Type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumors showed indolent nature and favorable long-term prognoses. LVI could be useful in indicating the need for additional treatments. ER for risk prediction of LNM should be considered for tumors <10 mm and may be feasible for tumors 10-20 mm. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) under the identifier UMIN000029927.

Plasmablastic lymphoma occurring in ulcerative colitis during treatment with immunosuppressive therapy.

A 53-year-old man who had a history of ulcerative colitis (UC) for 2 years underwent colonoscopy as regular follow-up. The results showed an elevated lesion in the descending colon, which was diagnosed as plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) based on pathological findings. In situ hybridization for the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA probe was positive. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed rearrangement of the MYC gene. He had been taking prednisolone, 5-aminosalicylic acid, azathiopurine, and ustekinumab at the diagnosis of PBL and had multiple prior therapies for UC including infliximab, tacrolimus, and tofacitinib due to steroid dependence. PBL is a rare aggressive B cell lymphoma initially described in the oral cavity of human immunodeficiency virus positive patients and it is suspected to have an association with immunocompromised status of patients. The number of cases of PBL in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is extremely rare. All these patients were administered immunosuppressive therapy including thiopurines or biologics. IBD patients with immunosuppressive therapy have a higher potential for developing lymphoproliferative disorders. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of lymphoma, including PBL.

Long-term Survival After Endoscopic Resection For Gastric Cancer: Real-world Evidence From a Multicenter Prospective Cohort.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We aimed to clarify the long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection (ER) for early gastric cancers (EGCs) based on pathological curability in a multicenter prospective cohort study. METHODS: We analyzed the long-term outcomes of 9054 patients with 10,021 EGCs undergoing ER between July 2010 and June 2012. Primary endpoint was the 5-year overall survival (OS). The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model. We also compared the 5-year OS with the expected one calculated for the surgically resected patients with EGC. If the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the 5-year OS exceeded the expected 5-year OS minus a margin of 5% (threshold 5-year OS), ER was considered to be effective. Pathological curability was categorized into en bloc resection, negative margins, and negative lymphovascular invasion: differentiated-type, pT1a, ulcer negative, ≤2 cm (Category A1); differentiated-type, pT1a, ulcer negative, >2 cm or ulcer positive, ≤3 cm (Category A2); undifferentiated-type, pT1a, ulcer negative, ≤2 cm (Category A3); differentiated-type, pT1b (SM1), ≤3 cm (Category B); or noncurative resections (Category C). RESULTS: Overall, the 5-year OS was 89.0% (95% CI, 88.3%-89.6%). In a multivariate analysis, no significant differences were observed when the hazard ratio of Categories A2, A3, and B were compared with that of A1. In all the pathological curability categories, the lower limit of the 95% CI for the 5-year OS exceeded the threshold 5-year OS. CONCLUSION: ER can be recommended as a standard treatment for patients with EGCs fulfilling Category A2, A3, and B, as well as A1 (UMIN Clinical Trial Registry, UMIN000005871).

Current status of diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy in Japan: The Japan Endoscopic Database Project.

OBJECTIVES: The Japan Endoscopy Database Project was initiated to develop the world's largest endoscopy data repository. This study describes the first phase of the colonoscopy project in Japan. METHODS: Data were aggregated offline by integrating information from the endoscopy database software from January 2015 through March 2017. The study population included all patients who underwent colonoscopy at eight centers. RESULTS: A total of 31,395 patients who underwent 38,497 colonoscopy procedures were registered. The majority of procedures were performed for screening (n = 14,156), followed by fecal immunochemical test positivity (n = 3960), abdominal symptoms (n = 3864), post-colorectal surgery surveillance (n = 3431), post-endoscopic treatment surveillance (n = 3757), thorough pre-treatment examination (n = 2822), and therapeutic purposes (n = 6507). In the screening group, advanced cancers, early cancers, and adenomas were diagnosed endoscopically in 2.1%, 1.3%, and 28.7% of cases, respectively, while in the fecal immunochemical test-positive group, they were diagnosed in 2.5%, 1.9%, and 41.6% of cases, respectively. The incidence of complications was 0.177% and 0.152% in the screening and fecal immunochemical test-positive groups, respectively. The therapeutic procedures included 1446 cold forceps polypectomy procedures, 4770 cold snare polypectomy procedures, 368 hot biopsies, 2998 hot snare polypectomy procedures, 9775 endoscopic or piecemeal endoscopic mucosal resections, and 1660 endoscopic submucosal dissections. A total of 173 procedure-related complications (0.82%) occurred in 21,017 therapeutic procedures performed in 15,744 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The first phase of the Japan Endoscopy Database Project established the proportions of the diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy procedures, and complication rates in real-world settings.

Renal Dysfunction is an Independent Risk Factor for Rebleeding After Endoscopic Hemostasis in Patients with Peptic Ulcer Bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Despite the progress in endoscopic hemostasis and pharmacological treatment, the mortality rate of peptic ulcer bleeding remains at 5-10%. Rebleeding after peptic ulcer bleeding is believed to be a risk factor for mortality. This study aimed to evaluate whether renal dysfunction is a predictor of rebleeding after endoscopic hemostasis in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding. METHODS: In this retrospective study, consecutive patients with peptic ulcer bleeding who underwent endoscopic hemostasis at our Hospital from January 2010 to December 2018 were enrolled. The relationship between rebleeding within 30 days after endoscopic hemostasis and the patients' admission and endoscopic characteristics were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression models. RESULTS: Out of 274 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding, 17 (6.2%) patients experienced rebleeding. In the analysis of the patients' admission characteristics, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 was an independent risk factor for rebleeding (odds ratio 4.77, 95% confidence interval 1.168-18.211, p = 0.03). Patients with eGFR < 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 with or without hemodialysis had the highest rebleeding rate at 36.8%. With respect to endoscopic characteristics, the rate of rebleeding was associated with combination therapy (p < 0.0001) and active bleeding (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Renal dysfunction might be an independent risk factor for rebleeding after endoscopic hemostasis in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding.

Long-term outcomes after endoscopic submucosal dissection for differentiated-type early gastric cancer that fulfilled expanded indication criteria: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (EGC) is widely performed. However, there is still a paucity of strong evidence regarding long-term outcomes after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the expanded indication criteria of the Japanese guidelines (ver. 2010). METHODS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed in patients with EGC that met the expanded indication criteria: (i) cT1a, differentiated-type EGC of 2 to 5 cm, ulcer negative or (ii) cT1a, differentiated-type EGC of ≤3 cm, ulcer positive. Patients whose pathological examination fulfilled the curative resection criteria were then enrolled in this cohort study: negative vertical margin, negative lymphovascular invasion, and (i) pT1a, differentiated-type, and ulcer negative; (ii) pT1a, differentiated-type, ≤3 cm, and ulcer positive; or (iii) pT1b1 (<500-µm submucosal invasion), differentiated-type, and ≤3 cm. Patients with only a positive horizontal margin as a noncurative factor were included for follow-up. RESULTS: From September 2003 to February 2012, a total of 356 patients underwent ESD, and 214 were enrolled in the survival analysis. One hundred twenty patients (56%) had >2 cm in diameter and ulcer-negative lesions, and 94 (44%) had ≤3 cm and ulcer-positive lesions. The vital status at 5 years after ESD was confirmed in all (100%) patients. No local or metastatic recurrence was detected; however, 26 metachronous gastric cancers developed, and 1 patient died of metachronous gastric cancer. The 5-year disease-specific and overall survival rates were 99.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 97.2%-100%) and 93.9% (95% CI, 89.8%-96.4%), respectively. CONCLUSION: ESD for EGC that fulfills the expanded criteria is feasible and shows favorable long-term outcomes.

Guidelines for endoscopic submucosal dissection and endoscopic mucosal resection for early gastric cancer (second edition).

In response to the rapid and wide acceptance and use of endoscopic treatments for early gastric cancer, the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society, in collaboration with the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association, produced "Guidelines for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection and Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for Early Gastric Cancer" in 2014, as a set of basic guidelines in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine. At the time, a number of statements had to be established by consensus (the lowest evidence level), as evidence levels remained low for many specific areas in this field. However, in recent years, the number of well-designed clinical studies has been increasing. Based on new findings, we have issued the revised second edition of the above guidelines that cover the present state of knowledge. These guidelines are divided into the following seven categories: indications, preoperative diagnosis, techniques, evaluation of curability, complications, long-term postoperative surveillance, and histology.

Randomised comparison of postpolypectomy surveillance intervals following a two-round baseline colonoscopy: the Japan Polyp Study Workgroup.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether follow-up colonoscopy after polypectomy at 3 years only, or at 1 and 3 years would effectively detect advanced neoplasia (AN), including nonpolypoid colorectal neoplasms (NP-CRNs). DESIGN: A prospective multicentre randomised controlled trial was conducted in 11 Japanese institutions. The enrolled participants underwent a two-round baseline colonoscopy (interval: 1 year) to remove all neoplastic lesions. Subsequently, they were randomly assigned to undergo follow-up colonoscopy at 1 and 3 years (2-examination group) or at 3 years only (1-examination group). The incidence of AN, defined as lesions with low-grade dysplasia ≥10 mm, high-grade dysplasia or invasive cancer, at follow-up colonoscopy was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 3926 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 57.3 (range: 40-69) years, and 2440 (62%) were male. Of these, 2166 patients were assigned to two groups (2-examination: 1087, 1-examination: 1079). Overall, we detected 29 AN in 28 patients at follow-up colonoscopy in both groups. On per-protocol analysis (701 in 2-examination vs 763 in 1-examination group), the incidence of AN was similar between the two groups (1.7% vs 2.1%, p=0.599). The results of the non-inferiority test were significant (p=0.017 in per-protocol, p=0.001 in intention-to-treat analysis). NP-CRNs composed of dominantly of the detected AN (62%, 18/29), and most of them were classified into laterally spreading tumour non-granular type (83%, 15/18). CONCLUSION: After a two-round baseline colonoscopy, follow-up colonoscopy at 3 years detected AN, including NP-CRNs, as effectively as follow-up colonoscopies performed after 1 and 3 years.

Clinical Questions and Answers on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy during the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic.

Some situations may require endoscopy during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic. Here, we describe the necessary precautions in the form of clinical questions and answers (Q&A) regarding the safe deployment of gastrointestinal endoscopy in such situations while protecting endoscopy staff and patients from infection. Non-urgent endoscopy should be postponed. The risk of infection in patients should be evaluated in advance by questionnaire and body temperature. The health of staff must be checked every day. Decisions to employ endoscopy should be based on the institutional conditions and aims of endoscopy. All endoscopic staff need to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The endoscope and other devices should be cleaned and disinfected after procedures in accordance with the relevant guidelines. Optimal management of the endoscopy unit is required. Endoscopy for infected patients or those with suspected infection demands exceptional caution. When a patient who undergoes endoscopy is later found to have COVID-19, the members of staff involved are considered exposed to the virus and must not work for at least 14 days if their PPE is considered insufficient. When PPE resources are limited, some equipment may be used continuously throughout a shift as long as it is not contaminated. Details of the aforementioned protective measures are described.

Gastrointestinal endoscopy in the era of the acute pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019: Recommendations by Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society (Issued on April 9th, 2020).

All gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures have a high risk of aerosol contamination of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to endoscopists, nurses, and healthcare assistants. Given the current pandemic situation of COVID-19, the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society issued the recommendation for gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy based on the status of COVID-19 as of April 9, 2020, in Japan: (i) indications for GI endoscopy in the pandemic of COVID-19; (ii) practical protective equipment for medical personnel depending on the risk for COVID-19; (iii) preprocedural management, such as pharyngeal local anesthesia using lidocaine spray which has a potential to generate the aerosols; (iv) ideal settings of the endoscopy room including the numbers of the staff and the patients; (v) postprocedural management, such as undressing and follow-up of the patients, as well as the involved staff, were documented to fit the practical scenarios in GI endoscopy, with the available data in Japan and the world. We believe that certain measures will prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Predictors of invasive cancer of large laterally spreading colorectal tumors: A multicenter study in Japan.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although colorectal laterally spreading tumors (LSTs) can be classified into four subtypes, the histopathological characteristics are known to differ among these subtypes. We therefore performed a logistic regression analysis to determine whether the risk of pathological T1 cancer of large colorectal LSTs can be predicted based on factors such as endoscopic findings in a large group of patients enrolled in a multicenter study in Japan. METHODS: In the main study, we assessed 1236 colorectal adenomas or early cancers that were classified as LSTs measuring 20 mm or more in diameter and treated endoscopically. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether factors such as the subtype of LST could be used to predict the risk of pathological T1 cancer. A validation study of 356 large colorectal LSTs was conducted to confirm the validity of the results obtained in the main study. RESULTS: The locations and tumor diameter of the LSTs in the main study were found to differ significantly according to the LST subclassification (P < 0.001). The frequency of pathological T1 cancers was the highest at 36% of LST nongranular pseudodepressed type, followed by 14% of LST nongranular flat-elevated type, 11% of LST granular nodular mixed type, and 3% of LST granular homogenous type lesions. The risk of pathological T1 cancer was significantly associated with LST subclassification and tumor diameter. The area under the curve (AUC) was high (0.743). In the validation study, the AUC was 0.573. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with large colorectal LSTs resected endoscopically, the risk of pathological T1 cancer can be predicted on the basis of the LST subclassification and tumor diameter.

Differentiation between duodenal neoplasms and non-neoplasms using magnifying narrow-band imaging - Do we still need biopsies for duodenal lesions?

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic biopsies for nonampullary duodenal epithelial neoplasms (NADENs) can induce submucosal fibrosis, making endoscopic resection difficult. However, no biopsy-free method exists to distinguish between NADENs and non-neoplasms. We developed a diagnostic algorithm for duodenal neoplasms based on magnifying endoscopy findings and evaluated the model's diagnostic ability. METHODS: Magnified endoscopic images and duodenal lesion histology were collected consecutively between January 2015 and April 2016. Diagnosticians classified the surface patterns as pit, groove or absent. In cases of nonvisible surface patterns, the vascular pattern was evaluated to determine regularity or irregularity. The correlation between our algorithm (pit-type or absent with irregular vascular pattern) and the lesion histology were evaluated. Four evaluators, who were blinded to the histology, also classified the endoscopic findings and evaluated the diagnostic performance and interobserver agreement. RESULTS: Endoscopic images of 114 lesions were evaluated (70 NADENs and 44 non-neoplasms, 31 in the superior and 83 in the descending and horizontal duodenum). Of the NADEN surface patterns, 88% (62/70) were pit-type, while 79% (35/44) of the non-neoplasm surface patterns were groove-type. Our diagnostic algorithm for differentiating NADENs from non-neoplasms was high (sensitivity 96%, specificity 95%) in the descending and horizontal duodenum. The evaluators' diagnostic performances were also high, and interobserver agreement for the algorithm was good between each diagnostician and evaluator (κ = 0.60-0.76). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic performance of our algorithm sufficiently enabled eliminating endoscopic biopsies for diagnosing the descending and horizontal duodenum.

Factors associated with technical difficulty of endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer that met the expanded indication criteria: post hoc analysis of a multi-institutional prospective confirmatory trial (JCOG0607).

BACKGROUND: There are few reports on the technical difficulty of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with the technical difficulty of ESD for early gastric cancer (EGC) using the data from the multicenter non-randomized confirmatory trial of expanded indication criteria of ESD (JCOG0607). METHODS: The major inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) histologically proven intestinal-type adenocarcinoma; (2) cT1aN0M0; (3) lesion without finding of ulcer (UL-negative) with > 2 cm in size, or UL-positive with ≤ 3 cm; (4) age 20-75 years. The difficult case was defined as ESD taking ≥ 120 min, piecemeal resection, and/or developing perforation during procedure. RESULTS: Between June 2007 and October 2010, 470 patients were enrolled from 29 institutions. Median procedure time was 79 (range 14-462) min, and it was ≥ 120 min in 127 patients. Twelve patients developed perforation during ESD, and the procedure time was ≥ 120 min in 9 of them. Therefore, 130 patients (27.7%) were identified as difficult cases. Multivariable analysis showed that UL-negative with > 5 cm (vs. UL-negative with ≤ 3 cm, odds ratio, 24.993; 95% CI 6.130-101.897, p < 0.0001) had the largest odds ratio and followed by UL-negative with 3-5 cm upper or middle portion of stomach and age ≤ 60 years were significantly associated with difficulty. CONCLUSIONS: UL-negative lesion with > 3 cm, upper or middle portion of stomach and age ≤ 60 years were independent factors associated with technical difficulty of ESD for EGC. Trial registered number was UMIN000000737.

Endoscopic appearance of esophageal xanthoma.

Background and study aims Esophageal xanthomas are considered to be rare, and their endoscopic diagnosis has not been fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to determine the characteristics of the endoscopic appearance of esophageal xanthomas. Patients and methods This was a retrospective study of consecutive patients with histologically diagnosed esophageal xanthomas at a referral cancer center in Japan. The endoscopic appearance, by magnifying or image-enhanced endoscopy, and histological findings of esophageal xanthomas were investigated. Results Seven patients (six men and one woman) were enrolled. All of the patients had a solitary lesion, and the median size was 2 mm (range, 1 - 5 mm). Conventional white-light endoscopy showed the lesions as flat areas with yellowish spots in four cases and slightly elevated yellowish lesions in three cases. Magnifying endoscopy, performed in six patients, revealed the lesions as areas with aggregated minute yellowish spots with tortuous microvessels inside. Magnifying narrow-band imaging contrasted the yellowish spots and microvessels better than white-light endoscopy. In all lesions, histological examination showed that the yellowish spots corresponded to papillae filled with foam cells. The foam cells were strongly immunopositive for CD68, and in all lesions, CD34-positive intrapapillary capillaries surrounded the aggregated foam cells. The different morphologies of the flat and slightly elevated lesions corresponded to different densities of papillae filled with foam cells. Conclusions Magnifying endoscopy revealed minute yellowish spots with tortuous microvessels inside. These correspond well with histological findings and so may be useful in the diagnosis of esophageal xanthomas.

[Anaphylactic shock secondary to the use of macrogol 4000 as a bowel cleanser:a case report].

A 44-year-old man was administered Niflec® containing macrogol 4000 as a bowel cleanser for colonoscopic examination. Immediately after ingestion, he experienced oral cavity discomfort and nasal congestion, followed by acute urticaria and presyncope. His systolic blood pressure and peripheral capillary oxygen saturation dropped to 66mmHg and 89%, respectively. Fluid infusion, as well as steroid and epinephrine administration, improved his symptoms. Skin prick tests were then performed using Niflec®, macrogol 4000, and Actosin® ointment (containing macrogol 4000), all of which were positive. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with anaphylactic shock caused by macrogol 4000 included in Niflec®. Macrogol present in bowel cleansers used for colonoscopy rarely causes anaphylactic shock. However, clinicians need to be mindful of this risk. Prompt and appropriate treatment is needed should this condition occur.

Sporadic Minute Pharyngeal Xanthomas Detected Incidentally During Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: A Case Series.

Pharyngeal xanthomas are considered rare, and no reports have described their endoscopic appearance under magnifying or image-enhanced endoscopy. We report three cases of asymptomatic sporadic pharyngeal xanthoma that were detected incidentally during routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy. All the patients were men and had a solitary lesion of about 1 mm in size. Two of the lesions were located in the oropharynx, while one was in the hypopharynx. Non-magnifying endoscopy showed yellowish lesions, and magnifying endoscopy showed an aggregation of minute yellowish nodules with tortuous microvessels on their surface. Histopathological examination revealed foam cells filling the intraepithelial papillae. The foam cells were strongly immunopositive for cluster of differentiation (CD) 68. Immunohistochemical staining for CD34 showed intrapapillary capillaries around the foam cells. This characteristic magnifying endoscopic appearance corresponded to the histopathological findings of pharyngeal xanthomas. The present cases reveal the relationship between the endoscopic appearance and histopathological findings of pharyngeal xanthomas.