The lncRNA KIF9-AS1 Accelerates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth by Recruiting DNMT1 to Promote RAI2 DNA Methylation.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a very common malignant tumor. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) enable discoveries of new therapeutic tumor targets. We aimed to study the role and potential regulatory mechanisms of the lncRNA KIF9-AS1 in HCC. Methods: CCK-8, scratch assay, and flow cytometry were used to detect cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, respectively. Bax, Bcl-2, ERK, and pERK expression were measured by western blotting. StarBase predicted KIF9-AS1 expression in HCC and paracancerous tissues. RPISeq predicted the interaction score of KIF9-AS1 and DNMT1, and MethyPrimer revealed the CpG island distribution in the RAI2 promoter. MSP was performed to measure RAI2 methylation. RIP and ChIP were performed to examine lncRNA KIF9-AS1, DNMT1, and RAI2 interactions. Finally, the effect of KIF9-AS1 knockdown on HCC was verified with nude mice. Results: We found that KIF9-AS1 expression was increased in HCC tissues. KIF9-AS1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and migration, and facilitated the apoptosis of HCC cells. lncRNA KIF9-AS1-mediated RAI2 expression led to DNMT1 recruitment and regulated RAI2 DNA methylation. RAI2 overexpression inhibited the proliferation and migration and promoted the apoptosis of HCC cells. KIF9-AS1 knockdown inhibited subcutaneous tumor formation in vivo. Conclusion: This study shows that KIF9-AS1 accelerates HCC growth by inducing DNMT1 promotion of RAI2 DNA methylation.

Novel endoscopic papillectomy for reducing postoperative adverse events (with videos).

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic adenoma can potentially transform into adenocarcinoma, so it is recommended to be resected surgically or endoscopically. Endoscopic papillectomy is one of the main treatments for papillary adenoma, and bleeding, perforation, and pancreatitis are the most frequent and critical adverse events that restrict its wider use. There is no standard procedure for endoscopic papillectomy yet. The procedure is relevant to postoperative adverse events. AIM: To reduce the postoperative adverse event rates and improve patients' postoperative condition, we developed a standard novel procedure for endoscopic papillectomy. METHODS: The novel endoscopic papillectomy had two main modifications based on the conventional method: The isolation of bile from pancreatic juice with a bile duct stent and wound surface protection with metal clips and fibrin glue. We performed a single-center retrospective comparison study on the novel and conventional methods to examine the feasibility of the novel method for reducing postoperative adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 76 patients, of whom 23 underwent the novel procedure and 53 underwent the conventional procedure, were retrospectively evaluated in this study. The postoperative bleeding and pancreatitis rates of the novel method were significantly lower than those of the conventional method (0 vs 20.75%, P = 0.028, and 17.4% vs 41.5%, P = 0.042, respectively). After applying the novel method, the most critical adverse event, perforation, was entirely prevented, compared to a prevalence of 5.66% with the conventional method. Several postoperative symptoms, including fever, rapid pulse, and decrease in hemoglobin level, were significantly less frequent in the novel group (P = 0.042, 0.049, and 0.014, respectively). Overall, the total adverse event rate of the novel method was lower (0 vs 24.5%, P = 0.007) than that of the conventional method. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent the novel procedure had lower postoperative adverse event rates. This study demonstrates the potential efficacy and safety of the novel endoscopic papillectomy in reducing postoperative adverse events.

The role of seed implantation in patients with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma after relief of obstructive jaundice using ERCP.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of iodine-125 seed implantation, guided by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and/or percutanous ultrasound, in patients with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma after relief of obstructive jaundice using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 101 patients with obstructive jaundice due to unresectable pancreatic carcinoma were enrolled between January 2010 and December 2017 in this retrospective study. Of these patients, 50 underwent implantation of iodine-125 seeds under EUS and/or percutaneous ultrasound guidance after receiving a stent via ERCP (treatment group), and 51 received a stent via ERCP without undergoing seed implantation (control group). The clinical data and therapeutic outcomes of these patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the treatment group obtained significant relief of abdominal pain at the 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month followup (p < 0.05), with a significantly lower visual analog scale pain score (p < 0.05). The treatment group obtained a longer median survival (8.8 vs. 6.5 months, p = 0.02), longer median duration of stent patency (10.8 ± 1.4 vs. 6.9 ± 0.8 months, p = 0.02), and prolonged average time to gastric outlet obstruction (6.8 ± 1.6 vs. 5.3 ± 1.3 months, p = 0.02). Differences between liver function and appetite for the two groups were not significant (p > 0.05 and p = 0.59, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Iodine-125 seed implantation after relief of obstructive jaundice via ERCP prolongs survival, biliary stent patency, and time to gastric outlet obstruction and improves patient quality of life by relieving pancreatic pain in patients with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma.

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection: An effective and safe therapy for upper gastrointestinal submucosal tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) and compare its outcomes in esophageal and cardial submucosal tumors (SMTs) of the muscularis propria (MP) layer. METHODS: From May 2012 to November 2017, 173 consecutive patients with upper gastrointestinal (GI) SMTs of the MP layer underwent STER. Overall, 165 patients were included, and 8 were excluded. The baseline characteristics of the patients and SMTs were recorded. The en bloc resection rate, complete resection rate, residual rate, and recurrence rate were calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of STER, and the complication rate was recorded to evaluate its safety. Effectiveness and safety outcomes were compared between esophageal and cardial SMTs. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve men and 53 women with a mean age of 46.9 ± 10.8 years were included. The mean tumor size was 22.6 ± 13.6 mm. Eleven SMTs were located in the upper esophagus (6.7%), 49 in the middle esophagus (29.7%), 46 in the lower esophagus (27.9%), and 59 in the cardia (35.7%). Irregular lesions accounted for 48.5% of all lesions. STER achieved an en bloc resection rate of 78.7% (128/165) for GI SMTs with an overall complication rate of 21.2% (35/165). All complications resolved without intervention or were treated conservatively without the need for surgery. The en bloc resection rates of esophageal and cardial SMTs were 81.1% (86/106) and 72.1% (42/59), respectively (P = 0.142), and the complication rates were 19.8% (21/106) and 23.7% (14/59), respectively, (P = 0.555). The most common complications for esophageal SMTs were gas-related complications and fever, while mucosal injury was the most common for cardial SMTs. CONCLUSION: STER is an effective and safe therapy for GI SMTs of the MP layer. Its effectiveness and safety are comparable between SMTs of the esophagus and cardia.

New experience of endoscopic papillectomy for ampullary neoplasms.

AIM: To establish the clinical value of endoscopic papillectomy for duodenal papillary tumor based on endoscopic and clinical characteristics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This single-center, retrospective study included 110 patients with duodenal papillary tumor who underwent endoscopic papillectomy between January 2006 and April 2017 at the gastrointestinal endoscopic center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Clinical data, postoperative pathology, procedure-related complications, and therapeutic outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Endoscopic papillectomy was technically feasible in all patients, and was mainly performed by four experienced endoscopists. The primary success rate of endoscopic papillectomy for ampullary neoplasms was 78.2%. A total of 13 patients experienced recurrence during a mean follow-up period of 16.28 months (range 6-132 months), the predictive factors that were related to recurrence were complete resection (53.8% vs. 94.2%; P = 0.001), and final pathology findings (P = 0.001). Delayed hemorrhage, the most common procedure-related complication, occurred in 20% (22/110) of patients and was significantly related to intraoperative bleeding (P = 0.042). Pancreatitis was the second most common complication, which was closely related to intraoperative bleeding requiring intervention (P = 0.040) and larger tumor size (P = 0.044). Histology, type of resection, stent placement, sphincterotomy, and duration of procedure were not related to post-procedure hemorrhage or pancreatitis. Older age (63.7 ± 13.5 vs. 57.4 ± 12.2; P = 0.033), jaundice (47.8% vs. 13.8%; P = 0.001), endoscopic forceps biopsy diagnosis of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (82.6% vs. 14.9%; P = 0.001), tumor size ≥ 2 cm (60.9% vs. 34.5%; P = 0.022), and dilation of the bile duct (34.8% vs. 9.2%; P = 0.006) were clinical features for ampullary carcinoma. The rate of complete resection (52.2% vs. 92.0%; P = 0.001) and recurrence (34.8% vs. 6.8%; P = 0.001) were also related to the diagnosis of ampullary carcinoma at final pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic papillectomy is a feasible and reasonable option for both diagnosis and treatment of tumors of the duodenal papilla in properly selected patients.

Treatment of cardial submucosal tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer: submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection versus endoscopic submucosal excavation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) is increasingly used for the treatment of submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria layer; however, endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE) is still performed in many hospitals for its low-skill and experience requirements. This study aimed to compare STER with ESE for cardial SMTs. METHODS: From March 2013 to February 2017, patients with cardial SMTs undergoing STER (n = 47) and ESE (n = 40) were retrospectively assessed. Clinicopathological, endoscopic, and complication data were compared between STER and ESE groups. RESULTS: The 87 enrolled patients included 31 females and 56 males, aged 48.2 ± 9.8 years. Mean tumor size was 22.0 mm (range 5.0-80.0 mm) as evaluated by pathology. Demographic and lesion features were similar in both groups. Despite similar hospital stay duration and cost, ESE was superior to STER with reduced operation time (34 vs. 46 min, P = 0.013) and less clips required (3 vs. 5, P = 0.000). En bloc resection rates, complete resection rates, hospital stay duration, cost, complications, and hemoglobin levels were similar in both groups. Irregular-shaped SMTs were more likely to achieve piecemeal resection in both STER and ESE groups (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the piecemeal resection rate was significantly higher for larger tumors in the STER group. CONCLUSION: Compared with ESE, STER does not show overt advantages for cardial SMTs. However, ESE is superior to STER for reduced operation time. Irregular tumor shape seems to be a risk factor for piecemeal resection in both STER and ESE.

Endoscopic Submucosal Tunnel Dissection for Large Gastric Neoplastic Lesions: A Case-Matched Controlled Study.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD) for resection of large superficial gastric lesions (SGLs). METHODS: The clinicopathological records of patients performed with ESTD or endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for SGLs between January 2012 and January 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. 7 cases undergoing ESTD were enrolled to form the ESTD group. The cases were individually matched at a 1 : 1 ratio to other patients performed with ESD according to lesion location, ulcer or scar findings, resected specimen area, operation time and operators, and the matched cases constituting the ESD group. The treatment outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean specimen size was 46 mm. 10 lesions were located in the cardia and 4 lesions in the lesser curvature of the lower gastric body. En bloc resection was achieved for all lesions. The mean ESTD resection time was 69 minutes as against 87.7 minutes for the ESD (P = 0.01). The mean resection speed was faster for ESTD than for ESD (18.86 mm2/min versus 13.76 mm2/min, P = 0.03). There were no significant differences regarding the safety and curability during the endoscopic follow-up (mean 27 months). CONCLUSIONS: ESTD is effective and safe for the removal of SGLs and appears to be an optimal option for patients with large SGLs at suitable sites.

Factors affecting the effectiveness and safety of submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection for esophageal submucosal tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) has been proved to be effective and safe for esophageal submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer. This study was aimed to further evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and influencing factors especially the types of mucosal incision of STER in a larger population. METHODS: A total of 89 patients undergoing STER with esophageal SMTs were retrospectively enrolled in this study from May 2012 to November 2016. Clinicopathological, endoscopic, and adverse events (AEs) data were collected and analyzed. Different incision methods were compared to evaluate the optimum incision method. RESULTS: There were 27 females and 62 males with mean age of 46.5 ± 10.3 years. The medium size of the tumors was 16.0 mm (ranging 10.0-60.0 mm). Inverted T incisions were made in 29 (32.6%) patients, transverse incisions in 12 (13.5%) while longitudinal incisions in 48 (53.9%). En bloc resection was achieved in 70 (78.7%) patients. The residual rate was 1.1% (1/89), and no recurrence was noted even after piecemeal resection. The rate of AEs was 21.3% (19/89), and all of the AEs were cured without intervention or treated conservatively without the need for surgery. The en bloc resection rate was comparable among the three incision groups (P = 0.868); however, the incidence of AEs in the inverted T incision was lower than that in the longitudinal incision (P = 0.003). Fewer clips were used in the inverted T incision group than in the transverse incision group (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Although STER failed to achieve en bloc resection in 21.3% patients, it was still an effective therapy owing to low residual rate and no recurrence rate after piecemeal resection. STER was safe with no severe AEs; however, minor AEs were common. Inverted T incision seems to be the optimum entry point.

[Factors affecting the safety and efficacy of peroral endoscopic myotomy for achalasia].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors that affect the safety and efficacy of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for treatment of achalasia. METHODS: Data of consecutive patients undergoing POEM for confirmed achalasia between December, 2010 and December, 2015 were collected, including the procedure time, approach of tunnel entry incision, approach of myotomy, complications and follow-up data. RESULTS: Among the total of 439 patients enrolled, the overall complication rate was 28.7% (126/439). Treatment success (Eckardt score≤3) was achieved in 94.5% of 364 patients followed up for a median of 6 months (1-48 months), and the mean score was reduced significantly from 6.7∓1.5 before treatment to 1.2∓1.1 after the treatment (P<0.05). Logistic regression revealed that the year when POEM was performed and the approach of entry incision were two significant factors contributing to complications: with the year 2015 as the reference, the odds ratio (OR) was 9.454 (95% CI: 2.499-35.76) for the years before 2011, 2.177 (95% CI: 0.794-5.974) for 2012, 3.975 (95% CI: 1.904-8.298) for 2013, and 1.079 (95% CI: 0.601-1.940) for 2014; with the longitudinal entry incision as the reference, the OR was 0.369 (95% CI: 0.165-0.824) for inverted T entry incision and 0.456 (95% CI: 0.242-0.859) for transverse entry incision. The approach of myotomy was the significantly associated with symptomatic relapse: with full-thickness myotomy combined with indwelling an anti-reflux belt as the reference, the OR was 0.363 (95% CI: 0.059-2.250) for gradual full-thickness myotomy, 2.137 (95% CI: 0.440-10.378) for circular muscle myotomy, and 4.385 (95% CI: 0.820-23.438) for circular muscle myotomy in combination with balloon shaping; the recurrence rate was 0 with a full-thickness myotomy. CONCLUSION: The complication rates of POEM appears to decrease over time, and an inverted T entry incision is the best choice for controlling the complications. Gradual full-thickness myotomy is an excellent approach for treatment of achalasia in terms of the relapse rate, procedure time and the incidence of reflux esophagitis.

Confocal laser endoscopy in the diagnosis for abdominal lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer.

Confocal laser endoscopy (CLE) diagnostic criteria for lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer was established and evaluated to provide a basis for CLE clinical application in the diagnosis of abdominal lymph node metastasis. CLE scanning (surface scanning and sectional scanning) and pathology examination were conducted in gastric cancer tissues and lymph nodes of 5 cases. Characteristics of lymphatic metastasis in CLE imaging were observed and summarized in combination with pathology. The diagnostic criteria were corroborated in 124 lymph nodes of another 14 cases and CLE detection time needed for diagnosis was recorded. The CLE diagnostic criteria were tested and evaluated, and the effect of lymph node size on the diagnosis accuracy was determined. All the 19 participants were confirmed as gastric cancer. Sectional scanning can get comprehensive observation for internal structures of lymph nodes, in which abnormal large heterocyst appeared with special structural changes. CLE scanning could detect 88.75% of the positive metastasis and 68.18% of the negative metastasis examined by the pathology methods based on the established CLE diagnostic criteria. In comparison with pathological diagnosis, specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of CLE diagnosis were 88.75%, 68.18% and 81.45%, respectively. Accuracies of CLE diagnosis on the lymph nodes grouped by size were 85.29%, 77.78% and 88.89%, respectively, with no significant difference between groups (P > 0.05). Complete internal structures of lymph nodes can be observed clearly by CLE sectional scanning. The size of lymph nodes had no effects on diagnosis accuracy. CLE shows better sensitivity and specificity than traditional pathological diagnosis.

Endoscopic mucosal resection with circumferential incision for treatment of rectal carcinoid tumours.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is simple and quick and has low complication rates. However, the disadvantage of local recurrence or remnant rate limits the use of this technique. We aimed to analyse the outcomes of conventional EMR and EMR with circumferential incision (CIEMR), a simplified modification of EMR, in the endoscopic treatment of rectal carcinoid tumours. METHODS: A total of 59 consecutive patients with rectal carcinoid tumours without regional lymph node enlargement confirmed by endoscopic ultrasonography were included in the study. These patients underwent endoscopic treatment from January 2009 to September 2011 and were randomly designated into CIEMR (n = 31) or EMR group (n = 28). En bloc resection rate, pathological complete resection rate, procedure time, complications and follow-up outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: The en bloc resection rate was not significantly different between the CIEMR and EMR groups (100% versus 96.55%, P > 0.05). The pathological complete resection rate was higher in the CIEMR group than in the EMR group (96.7% versus 82.14%, P < 0.05). The overall complication rate, delayed bleeding and procedure time were not significantly different between the two groups. No recurrence was observed in either the EMR or CIEMR group. CONCLUSIONS: CIEMR optimises the procedure of EMR and simplifies the technique of endoscopic submucosal dissection; thus, it has a better histologically complete resection rate and more acceptable complication rate than EMR. Thus, CIEMR may be preferable to conventional EMR for resection of rectal carcinoid tumours less than 15 mm.

Relevant risk factors and prognostic impact of positive resection margins after endoscopic submucosal dissection of superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the treatment of esophageal mucosal lesions has a risk of resection margin residues. The related risk factors and prognosis of post-ESD resection margin residues have not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the associated risk factors and the prognostic impact of resection margin residues after ESD of superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical records at our hospital, including the clinical, endoscopic, and pathological data from patients who underwent ESD for the treatment of superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia from January 2008 to December 2012. In addition, we conducted a statistical analysis of the following factors: sex, age, location, the proportion of circumferential extension, the maximum diameter of the resected specimen, macroscopic type, the depth of invasion, and the endoscopists. RESULTS: A total of 145 patients were included in the study. Overall, 148 lesions were completely resected. There were 17 patients (17 lesions) presenting with positive resection margin after ESD and the positive rate was 11.5 %. A total of 16 patients were followed-up. Among the patients who had resection margin residues, three underwent surgical esophageal resection, one underwent radiotherapy, two received ESD, and one received endoscopic mucosal resection. The remaining nine patients were periodically followed-up, and no recurrences were found. The results of a one-dimensional analysis suggested that there were significant differences in the maximum diameters of the resected specimens, macroscopic type, and the depth of invasion between the positive resection margin group and the negative resection margin group. The results of a multivariate regression analysis suggested that the maximum diameter of the resected specimens and the depth of invasion were risk factors for resection margin residues. CONCLUSIONS: The maximum diameter of the resected specimens and the depth of tumor invasion are risk factors for post-ESD positive resection margins, which suggests that larger lesions and a greater depth of invasion increases the chance of residual tumor after ESD.

[Comparison of endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection with endoscopic submucosal dissection for large esophageal superficial neoplasms].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficiency of endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for large esophageal superficial neoplasms. METHODS: A total of 235 consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic resection for esophageal neoplasms between October, 2010 and June, 2013 in our endoscopy center were analyzed retrospectively. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 29 patients receiving ESTD or ESD for large esophageal superficial neoplasms were enrolled for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 29 patients, 11 underwent ESTD and 18 received ESD. The dissection speed of ESTD was significantly higher than that of ESD (22.4∓5.2 mm(2)/min vs 12.2∓4.0 mm(2)/min, P<0.05). Despite a similar en bloc rate between the two groups (100% [11/11] vs 88.9% [16/18], P>0.05), the radical curative rate of ESTD was significantly greater than that of ESD (81.8% [9/11] vs 66.7% [12/18], P<0.05). No serious bleeding or perforation occurred in the patients except for 1 in ESD group with intraoperative bleeding, which was managed with hemostatic forceps. Eight patients had postoperative esophageal strictures in relation with circumferential extension and the longitudinal length (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: ESTD is a safe and effective alternative for large esophageal superficial neoplasms with a shortened operative time, a higher dissection speed and a higher radical curative rate in comparison with ESD, but postoperative esophageal strictures should be closely monitored especially for lesions more than 3/4 of the circumferential extension or exceeding 50 mm.

Effectiveness and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection for intraepithelial neoplasia of the esophagogastric junction.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection of the esophagogastric junction is the most difficult gastric and esophageal dissection procedure. No reports of endoscopic submucosal dissection for Siewert type II carcinoma of the esophagogastric junction have compared the outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for all three Siewert types of adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection for intraepithelial neoplasia of the esophagogastric junction. METHODS: From October 2008 to June 2013, 73 patients underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for intraepithelial neoplasia of the esophagogastric junction. The patients were prospectively evaluated regarding the executability of the technique, short-term results of the procedure, en bloc resection rate, curative resection rate, complications and additional treatment after endoscopic submucosal dissection, and follow-up outcomes. RESULTS: Sixty-eight of the 73 patients (93.2%) underwent en bloc resection; the mean maximum specimen diameter was 33.7 mm. Fifty-seven of 61 patients (93.4%) who underwent curative resection were successfully followed-up for 1.0 to 56.0 months (average, 24.1 months). Local recurrence developed in one patient with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasm. Twelve patients underwent noncurative resection, including lateral resection margin residues in three, vertical resection margin residues in one, signet ring cell carcinoma or undifferentiated adenocarcinoma in four, lymphatic or vessel invasion in one, vertical residual margin residues combined with signet ring cell carcinoma in one, and undifferentiated adenocarcinoma with lymphatic or vessel invasion in two. In the noncurative resection group, one patient was lost to follow-up, seven underwent additional surgery, and the remaining four were periodically followed up; none had local recurrence or distant metastases. The only complication was delayed bleeding in three patients, which was successfully controlled by conservative treatment or endoscopic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection is safe and effective for intraepithelial neoplasia of the esophagogastric junction. R0 en bloc resection is possible and can avoid the risk of local recurrence.

Preventing stricture formation by covered esophageal stent placement after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fully covered esophageal stent placement for preventing esophageal strictures after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). METHODS: Twenty-two patients with a mucosal defects that exceeded 75 % of the circumference of the esophagus after ESD treatment for superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinomas were grouped according to the type of mucosal defect and randomized to undergo fully covered esophageal stent placement post-ESD (group A, n = 11) or no stent placement (group B, n = 11). In group A, the esophageal stents were removed 8 weeks post-ESD. Endoscopy was performed when patients reported dysphagia symptoms and at 12 weeks post-ESD in patients without symptoms. Savary-Gilliard dilators were used for bougie dilation in patients experiencing esophageal stricture in both groups, and we compared the rates of post-ESD strictures and the need for bougie dilation procedures. RESULTS: The proportion of patients who developed a stricture was significantly lower in group A (18.2 %, n = 2) than in group B (72.7 %, n = 8) (P < 0.05). Moreover, the number of bougie dilation procedures was significantly lower in group A (mean 0.45, range 0-3) than in group B (mean 3.9, range 0-17) (P < 0.05). The two patients in group A who experienced stricture also had stent displacement. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal stents are a safe and effective method of preventing esophageal strictures in cases where >75 % of the circumference of the esophagus has mucosal defects after ESD treatment for early esophageal cancer.

Comparison of two editions of Tokyo guidelines for the management of acute cholangitis.

BACKGROUND: The Tokyo guidelines from 2007 (TG07) and 2013 (TG13) were compared for the management of acute cholangitis (AC). METHODS: We reviewed patients with clinically-proven AC by detecting purulent biles during biliary drainage. TG07 and TG13 were compared regarding diagnosis, severity grading and prognostic values. New risk factors for 30-day mortality were investigated. RESULTS: Definite diagnosis for 120 eligible patients was made in 104 (86.7%) and 101 (84.2%) cases by TG07 and TG13, respectively (P = 0.36), higher than 61 (50.8%) by Charcot's triad (P < 0.001). Diagnostic overlap and concordance (κ) are 90.8% (109/120) and 0.63 (P < 0.0001). Patients classified into mild and moderate grades by TG07 and TG13 differed significantly (P = 0.043). Both guidelines could not predict clinical outcomes except the needs for multi ERCP session by TG13. Intrahepatic obstruction (OR = 11.2, 95% CI: 1.55-226.9) and hypoalbuminemia (≤ 25.0 g/l; OR = 17.3, 95% CI: 3.5-313.6) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in multivariate model. CONCLUSION: Two guidelines are reproducible and reliable in AC diagnosis but different in severity grading. TG13 are more practical for immediate severity grading, enabling planning treatment upon admission. Intrahepatic obstruction is a new candidate predictor of 30-day mortality for further assessment.

Non-radiation endoscopic removal of common bile duct stone assisted with abdominal ultrasonography in a pregnant patient.

A common bile duct stone was detected in a pregnant patient who was in her second trimester. Avoiding the use of fluoroscopy, abdominal ultrasonography-assisted endoscopic removal of the stone was successful.

[Comparison of peroral endoscopic myotomy with transverse entry incision versus longitudinal entry incision for achalasia].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and efficiency of transverse-incision peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) with longitudinal-incision POEM. METHODS: POEM, with a transverse or longitudinal entry incision, was performed in 53 consecutive patients with confirmed achalasia (AC) between December 2010 and September 2012. Data of those patients was collected including the time spent for different procedures and complications. RESULTS: All the 53 patients underwent POEM successfully, among whom 41 patients had a transverse entry incision and 12 had a longitudinal incision. Treatment success (Eckardt score≤3) with a follow-up for 3-24 months (median 5 month) was achieved in 96.2% of the cases (mean score pre-treatment vs. post-treatment: 7.5 vs 0.6, P<0.001). The whole operation time of transverse-incision group was slightly shorter than that of longitudinal-incision group (65.0∓18.0 min vs 74.1∓18.2 min, P=0.142), but it took much less time in tunnel built-up and muscle dissection in the transverse-incision group (36.3∓9.0 min vs 45.4∓10.5 min; 10.2∓4.6 min vs 15.5∓5.5 min, P<0.05). In addition, patients in transverse incision group were much less likely to develop pneumatosis- related complications [9.8% (4/41) vs 41.7% (5/12), P<0.05). No serious complications occurred in these two groups such as pleural effusion, mediastinitis or digestive tract fistula. CONCLUSIONS: POEM with a transverse entry incision can significantly decrease the operation time and reduce the incidence of pneumatosis-related complications while obviously relieving the symptoms.

Verification of the Tokyo guidelines for acute cholangitis secondary to benign and malignant biliary obstruction: experience from a Chinese tertiary hospital.

BACKGROUND: The lack of widely-accepted guidelines for acute cholangitis largely lags behind the progress in medical and surgical technology and science for the management of acute cholangitis. This study aimed to verify the Tokyo guidelines for the management of acute cholangitis and cholecystitis of 2007 edition (TG07) in patients with obstructive cholangitis due to benign and malignant diseases. METHODS: The patients were retrieved from our existing ERCP database. Final diagnosis of acute cholangitis was made by detecting purulent bile during biliary drainage. We examined and compared the guidelines concerning benign and malignant obstruction. RESULTS: In 120 patients in our study, 82 and 38 had benign and malignant biliary obstruction, respectively. Guidelines based diagnosis was made in 68 (82.9%), 36 (94.7%), and 104 (86.7%) patients with benign, malignant, and overall biliary obstruction, respectively, which were significantly higher than 44 (53.7%), 17 (44.7%), and 61 (50.8%) diagnosed by Charcot's triad (P<0.001). Treatment consistent with the guidelines was offered to 58 (70.7%) patients with benign obstruction and 15 (39.5%) patients with malignant obstruction (P=0.001). No significant association was observed between clinical compliance, guidelines-based severity grades and clinical outcomes. In the multivariate model, intrahepatic obstruction (OR=11.2, 95% CI: 1.55-226.9) and hypoalbuminemia (≤25.0 g/L; OR=17.3, 95% CI: 3.5-313.6) were independent risk factors for a 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The TG07 are more reliable than Charcot's triad for the diagnosis of acute cholangitis albeit with limited prognostic values. Intrahepatic obstruction and hypoalbuminemia are new predictors of poor prognosis and need further assessment.

Comparison of gastrotomy closure modalities for natural orifice transluminal surgery: a canine study.

BACKGROUND: Reliable closure of the gastrotomy after transgastric natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) remains unresolved. OBJECTIVE: To compare the technical aspects and clinical and histologic outcomes of NOTES gastrotomy closure techniques. DESIGN: Experimental study. SETTING: Animal laboratory. PATIENTS: Thirty-four dogs, 14 for nonsurvival study and 20 for survival study. INTERVENTIONS: The animals randomly received different gastrotomy closures after NOTES: endoclip, omentoplasty, over-the-scope-clip (OTSC), and hand-suturing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Procedure time, closure strength, survival, postoperative adverse events, and histologic evaluation of wound healing. RESULTS: Omentoplasty and OTSC groups needed shorter procedure times and fewer clips than the endoclip group. The endoclip and omentoplasty groups generated similar leakage pressures (34.5 ± 2.6 vs 42.2 ± 4.1 mm Hg, P > .05), both lower than OTSC and hand-suturing groups (81.5 ± 2.1 and 87.0 ± 3.0 mm Hg, respectively, P < .001). Of the 20 animals in the survival study (all 4 groups), only 2 of 6 in the endoclip group were killed prematurely due to sepsis. Necropsy revealed the OTSC group reached a 100% clip retention rate, higher than the endoclip (47.9%) and omentoplasty groups (44.4%, P < .05) rates. Complete healing, defined as intact and continuous gastric layers microscopically, was seen in 83.3% of animals (5 of 6) in the omentoplasty group, comparable with OTSC (4 of 6, 66.7%, P = .500) but higher than the endoclip group (1 of 6, 16.7%, P = .04). LIMITATIONS: Animal study. CONCLUSIONS: Omentoplasty is easier and safer for NOTES gastrotomy closure than endoclips and offers safety profile and efficacy similar to OTSC and hand-suturing.