Incidentally Discovered Mucosal Prolapse of the Colon During Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Case Report.

Colonic mucosal prolapse syndrome is a rare type of non-neoplastic non-inflammatory colorectal polyps that can mimic neoplastic lesions. We present a case of a 65-year-old man with mucosal prolapse syndrome, incidentally, discovered during colorectal cancer screening. The patient was asymptomatic, and his physical exam and laboratory test results were unremarkable. During a colonoscopy, the physician removed three small tubular adenomas and two pedunculated polyps suspicious of neoplasms. Retroflexion revealed small internal hemorrhoids. The histology of the larger polyps revealed mucosal prolapse features, while the smaller polyps displayed features consistent with tubular adenomas. Management involves the removal of associated polyps during colonoscopy, followed by surveillance colonoscopy to detect any recurrent polyps or early signs of colorectal cancer. Accurate diagnosis is crucial to avoid unnecessary interventions and ensure appropriate management.

Symptomatic, clinical and biomarker associations for mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients enriched for African Americans.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Initial reports on US COVID-19 showed different outcomes in different races. In this study we use a diverse large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to determine predictors of mortality. METHODS: We analyzed data from hospitalized COVID-19 patients (n = 5852) between March 2020- August 2020 from 8 hospitals across the US. Demographics, comorbidities, symptoms and laboratory data were collected. RESULTS: The cohort contained 3,662 (61.7%) African Americans (AA), 286 (5%) American Latinx (LAT), 1,407 (23.9%), European Americans (EA), and 93 (1.5%) American Asians (AS). Survivors and non-survivors mean ages in years were 58 and 68 for AA, 58 and 77 for EA, 44 and 61 for LAT, and 51 and 63 for AS. Mortality rates for AA, LAT, EA and AS were 14.8, 7.3, 16.3 and 2.2%. Mortality increased among patients with the following characteristics: age, male gender, New York region, cardiac disease, COPD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, history of cancer, immunosuppression, elevated lymphocytes, CRP, ferritin, D-Dimer, creatinine, troponin, and procalcitonin. Use of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.001), shortness of breath (SOB) (p < 0.01), fatigue (p = 0.04), diarrhea (p = 0.02), and increased AST (p < 0.01), significantly correlated with death in multivariate analysis. Male sex and EA and AA race/ethnicity had higher frequency of death. Diarrhea was among the most common GI symptom amongst AAs (6.8%). When adjusting for comorbidities, significant variables among the demographics of study population were age (over 45 years old), male sex, EA, and patients hospitalized in New York. When adjusting for disease severity, significant variables were age over 65 years old, male sex, EA as well as having SOB, elevated CRP and D-dimer. Glucocorticoid usage was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 death in our cohort. CONCLUSION: Among this large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients enriched for African Americans, our study findings may reflect the extent of systemic organ involvement by SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent progression to multi-system organ failure. High mortality in AA in comparison with LAT is likely related to high frequency of comorbidities and older age among AA. Glucocorticoids should be used carefully considering the poor outcomes associated with it. Special focus in treating patients with elevated liver enzymes and other inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP, troponin, ferritin, procalcitonin, and D-dimer are required to prevent poor outcomes.

The Impact of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on the Outcomes of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection.

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COVID-19 among African Americans and Hispanics: Does gastrointestinal symptoms impact the outcome?

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affected African Americans (AA) and Hispanics (HSP). AIM: To analyze the significant effectors of outcome in African American patient population and make special emphasis on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, laboratory values and comorbidities. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 386 COVID-19 positive patients admitted at Howard University Hospital between March and May 2020. We assessed the symptoms, including the GI manifestations, comorbidities, and mortality, using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of these 386 COVID-19 positive patients, 257 (63.7%) were AAs, 102 (25.3%) HSP, and 26 (6.45%) Whites. There were 257 (63.7%) AA, 102 (25.3%) HSP, 26 (6.45%) Whites. The mean age was 55.6 years (SD = 18.5). However, the mean age of HSP was the lowest (43.7 years vs 61.2 for Whites vs 60 for AAs). The mortality rate was highest among the AAs (20.6%) and lowest among HSP (6.9%). Patients with shortness of breath (SOB) (OR2 = 3.64, CI = 1.73-7.65) and elevated AST (OR2 = 8.01, CI = 3.79-16.9) elevated Procalcitonin (OR2 = 8.27, CI = 3.95-17.3), AST (OR2 = 8.01, CI = 3.79-16.9), ferritin (OR2 = 2.69, CI = 1.24-5.82), and Lymphopenia (OR2 = 2.77, CI = 1.41-5.45) had a high mortality rate. Cough and fever were common but unrelated to the outcome. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most common comorbidities. Glucocorticoid treatment was associated with higher mortality (OR2 = 5.40, CI = 2.72-10.7). Diarrhea was prevalent (18.8%), and GI symptoms did not affect the outcome. CONCLUSION: African Americans in our study had the highest mortality as they consisted of an older population and comorbidities. Age is the most important factor along with SOB in determining the mortality rate. Overall, elevated liver enzymes, ferritin, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein were associated with poor prognosis. GI symptoms did not affect the outcome. Glucocorticoids should be used judiciously, considering the poor outcomes associated with it. Attention should also be paid to monitor liver function during COVID-19, especially in AA and HSP patients with higher disease severity.

Clinical characteristics, gastrointestinal manifestations and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Iran; does the location matters?

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in Asia, and Iran was one of its first epicenters. AIM: To study the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and comorbidities associated with this pandemic in four different regions of Iran. METHODS: We analyzed data from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive patients evaluated at four hospitals of Iran (n = 91), including South (Shiraz), Southeast (Dezful), Rasht (North), and Northwest (Mashhad) between April and September 2020. Demographics, comorbidities and clinical findings including GI symptoms were collected. Statistical descriptive analysis and correlation analyses of symptoms, comorbidities, and mortality were performed. RESULTS: The average age of COVID-19 patients was 51.1 years, and 56% were male. Mortality rate was 17%. Cough with 84.6%, shortness of breath with 71.4%, fever with 52.7%, and loss of appetite with 43.9% were the main symptoms. Overall cardiac disease was the most common comorbidity with an average of 28.5% followed by hypertension (28.5%) and diabetes (25.2%). The highest comorbidity in North (Rasht) was diabetes (30%) and in South (Dezful) hypertension (37%). Shiraz leads cardiac disease with 43.4%. The most reported GI symptoms included nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, with 42.8%, 31.8%, 26.8%, and 12% prevalence, respectively. In addition, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were elevated in 26.3%. CONCLUSION: Our results show hypertension and diabetes as the most common comorbidities, but their distribution was different in COVID-19 patients in the four studied regions of Iran. Nausea, diarrhea, and elevated liver enzymes were the most common GI symptoms. There was also a high mortality rate that was associated with high infection rates in Iran at the beginning of the pandemic.

Trends in the Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Washington DC: A Single Institutional Cohort Study (1959-2013).

The African American (AA) community in Washington DC is at an elevated risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that has a dismal prognosis. The recent rapid increase in the incidence and diagnosis of HCC and liver metastases (LM) in DC prompted us to evaluate the past six decades of this incidence and some of its underlying causes using a single institutional cohort in a hospital located in the center of the city. Electronic medical and pathology records of 454 liver cancer patients from 1959 to 2013 at Howard University Hospital (HUH) were reviewed. Demographic, clinical and pathology characteristics were examined, and statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Incidence of HCC rose substantially between 1959 and 2013, increasing eight-fold from 1.05 to 8.0 per 100,000 AAs. The rate of increase in the last decade was highest at 550%. Cases were disproportionately male (67.2%), and median age at diagnosis was 57 years. Towards the last decade, the most common etiology for HCC was nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) followed by NAFLD/HCV combination. Liver cancer was clustered in the eastern region of DC in wards 4, 5, 7, and 8. Cases of liver metastases clinically diagnosed and confirmed by biopsies increased 96.4% from 1959 to 1968 to 2009-2013. This study confirms that HCC incidence has been increasing (initially driven by HCV, and NAFLD in the latter decades) more rapidly in DC than previously believed, highlighting the impact of case definitions especially regarding NAFLD in the context of changing diagnostic approaches including the revised ICD10. The rising burden, disproportionate population distribution, and low survival rate among AAs emphasize the importance of prevention and early detection as a public health imperative.

A Comprehensive Analysis of COVID-19 Impact in Latin America.

Background: Latin America has now become the epicenter of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic, a profound burden of SARS-COV-2 infection has been reported in Latin America. In the present study, we aim to determine the profiles that are associated with this disease in Latin America. We analyzed symptoms, morbidities and gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations by country. Methods: We analyzed data from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients evaluated at healthcare centers and hospitals of 8 Latin American countries including Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia between March 1 and July 30, 2020. These countries consist of a total population that exceeds 519 million. Demographics, comorbidities and clinical symptoms were collected. Statistical descriptive analysis and correlation analyses of symptoms, comorbidities and lethality were performed. Results: A total of 728,282 patients tested positive for COVID-19 across all the 8 Latin American countries. Of these, 52.6% were female. The average age was 48.4 years. Peru had the oldest cohort with 56.8 years old and highest rate of females (56.8%) while Chile had the youngest cohort (39 years old). Venezuela had the highest male prevalence (56.7%). Most common symptoms were cough with 60.1% (Bolivia had the highest rate 78%), fatigue/tiredness with 52.0%, sore throat with 50.3%, and fever with 44.2%. Bolivia had fever as the top symptom (83.3%). GI symptoms including diarrhea (highest in Mexico with 22.9%), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain were not associated with higher mortality.Hypertension was among the top (12.1%) comorbidities followed by diabetes with 8.3% and obesity 4.5%. In multivariable analyses, the leading and significant comorbidities were hypertension (r=0.83, p=0.02), diabetes (r=0.91, p=0.01), and obesity (r=0.86, p=0.03). Asthma (r=0.37, p=0.54) and increasing age (0.13 p=0.81) were not independently associated with higher mortality. Lethality was highest in Mexico (16.6%) and lowest in Venezuela (0.9%) among the analyzed cohorts. Conclusion: Nearly, 10.5%-53% of patients with COVID-19 have GI manifestations. Differential clinical symptoms were associated with COVID-19 in Latin America countries. Metabolic syndrome components were the main comorbidities associated with poor outcome. Country-specific management and prevention plans are needed. Country-specific management and prevention plans can be established from this meta-analysis.

A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of COVID-19 in Latin America.

Background: Latin America has become the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aim to perform a systematic comparative review of the clinical characteristics that are associated with this disease in Latin American countries. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of published articles, journal and/or epidemiological reports of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latin America. Data were obtained either through publicly available information from Ministries of Health, published journal reports and/or unpublished datasets. We analyzed data from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients evaluated at healthcare centers and hospitals of 8 countries including Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia, between March 1st and July 30th, 2020. These countries consist of a total population that exceeds 519 million. Demographics, comorbidities, and clinical symptoms were collected. Statistical descriptive analysis and correlation analyses of symptoms, comorbidities and mortality were performed. Results: A total of 728,282 COVID-19 patients were included in this study. Of these, 52.6% were female. The average age was 48.4 years. Peru had the oldest cohort with 56.8 years and highest rate of females (56.8%) while Chile had the youngest cohort (39 years old). Venezuela had the highest male prevalence (56.7%). Most common symptoms were cough with 60.1% (Bolivia had the highest rate 78%), fatigue/tiredness with 52.0%, sore throat with 50.3%, and fever with 44.2%. Bolivian patients had fever as the top symptom (83.3%). GI symptoms included diarrhea which was highest in Mexico with 22.9%. Hypertension was among the top (12.1%) comorbidities, followed by diabetes with 8.3% and obesity at 4.5%. In multivariate analyses, the leading and significant comorbidities were hypertension (r = 0.83, p = 0.02), diabetes (r = 0.91, p = 0.01), and obesity (r = 0.86, p = 0.03). Mortality was highest in Mexico (16.6%) and lowest in Venezuela (0.9%) among the analyzed cohorts. Conclusion: Overall, COVID-19 patients in Latin America display cough, fatigue, and fever as main symptoms. Up to 53% of patients with COVID-19 have GI manifestations. Different clinical symptoms were associated with COVID-19 in Latin American countries. Metabolic syndrome components were the main comorbidities associated with poor outcome. Country-specific management and prevention plans are needed and can be established from this meta-analysis.

Association of Patients' Perception of Quality of Healthcare Received and Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake: An Analysis of 2 National Surveys in the USA.

OBJECTIVE: It is not known whether patients' ratings of the quality of healthcare services they receive truly correlate with the quality of care from their providers. Understanding this association can potentiate improvement in healthcare delivery. We evaluated the association between patients' ratings of the quality of healthcare services received and uptake of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We used 2 iterations of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of adults in the USA. HINTS 2007 (4,007 respondents; weighted population = 75,397,128) evaluated whether respondents were up to date with CRC screening while HINTS 4 cycle 3 (1,562 respondents; weighted population = 76,628,000) evaluated whether participants had ever received CRC screening in the past. All included respondents from both surveys were at least 50 years of age, had no history of CRC, and had rated the quality of healthcare services that they had received at their healthcare provider's office in the previous 12 months. RESULTS: HINTS 2007 data showed that respondents who rated their healthcare as good or fair/poor were significantly less likely to be up to date with CRC screening compared to those who rated their healthcare as excellent. We found comparable results from analysis of HINTS 4 cycle 3 data with poorer uptake of CRC screening as the healthcare quality ratings of respondents reduced. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that patients who reported receiving lower quality of healthcare services were less likely to have undergone and be compliant with CRC screening recommendations. It is important to pay close attention to patient feedback surveys in order to improve healthcare delivery.

Inflammatory polyps occur more frequently in inflammatory bowel disease than other colitis patients.

BACKGROUND: Colitis is generally considered a risk factor for colon neoplasia. However, not all types of colitis seem to have equal neoplastic transformation potential. AIM: To determine the prevalence of colorectal polyps in a predominantly African American population with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Non-IBD/Non-Infectious Colitis (NIC). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 1060 patients previously identified with colitis at Howard University Hospital, based on ICD-10 code. Among these, 485 patients were included in the study: 70 IBD and 415 NIC based on a thorough review of colonoscopy, pathology and clinical reports. Logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the risk of polyps in patients with IBD compared to those with NIC after adjusting for age and sex. A subgroup analysis within the IBD group was performed. RESULTS: Of the 485 patients, 415 were NIC and 70 were IBD. Seventy-three percent of the NIC patients and 81% of the IBD patients were African Americans. Forty six percent of IBD and 41% of NIC cases were male. IBD patients were younger than NIC patients (median age of 38 years vs. 50, P < 0.001). The prevalence of all types of polyps was 15.7 and 8.2% in the IBD and NIC groups, respectively (P = 0.045). Among patients with polyps, the prevalence of inflammatory polyps was higher in the IBD group (55%) compared to the NIC group (12%). After adjusting for age, sex and race, odds ratio of inflammatory polyps in IBD patients was 6.0 (P = 0.016). Adenoma prevalence was 4.3% (3/70) in IBD patients and 3.9% (16/415) in the NIC patients (p = 0.75). The anatomic distribution of lesions and colitis shows that polyps occur predominantly in the colitis field regardless of colitis type. More polyps were present in the ulcerative colitis patients when compared to Crohn's disease patients (27% vs. 5%, P < 0.001) within the IBD group. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that inflammatory polyps are more common in IBD patients when compared to NIC patients. Most polyps were in the same location as the colitis.

Elevated Risk for Sessile Serrated Polyps in African Americans with Endometrial Polyps.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal and endometrial lesions increase with age. It is not known if these two precursor lesions in sporadic cases associate with each other. AIM: To determine the association between colorectal polyps and endometrial polyps (EP) in African Americans. METHODS: We reviewed records of patients referred to gynecology clinics and had colonoscopy at Howard University Hospital from January 2004 to December 2015. We defined cases as all patients who had EP and underwent colonoscopy. For controls, we used EP-free patients who underwent colonoscopy. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between colon polyps and EP. RESULTS: The median age was 60 years in 118 Cases and 57 years in 664 Controls. The overall colorectal polyps prevalence in the two groups was not statistically different (54% in controls vs. 52% in cases, P = 0.60). Sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (SSPs) were more frequent in cases (8% vs. 2% in controls, P = 0.003). Sigmoid and rectal locations were more prevalent in controls than cases. In multivariate analysis and after adjusting for age, diabetes mellitus (DM), and BMI, SSPs were associated with EP occurrence with an odds ratio of 4.6 (CI 1.2-16.7, P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Colorectal polyp prevalence was similar in EP patients compared to EP-free controls. However, we observed a significant association between higher-risk SSPs in patients with EP. The prevalence of smoking and DM was higher in these patients. Females with EP might benefit from a screening for colonic lesions in an age-independent manner.

Rheumatologic Diseases and the Liver.

A variety of rheumatologic disorders may affect the liver. There is a significant epidemiologic, genetic, and immunologic overlap between immune-mediated rheumatologic disorders and autoimmune liver diseases. There is an increased frequency of autoimmune liver diseases, such as primary biliary cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, or overlap syndrome, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren syndrome, systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, and other immune-related diseases. Non-immune-mediated rheumatologic diseases such as gouty arthritis may also have hepatic manifestations. Furthermore, medications used to treat rheumatologic diseases occasionally cause liver dysfunction. Conversely, primary immune-mediated and non-immune-mediated liver disorders may present with rheumatologic manifestations.

Systemic Mastocytosis Causing Refractory Pruritus in a Liver Disease Patient.

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) results from clonal, neoplastic proliferation of abnormal mast cells. Patients become susceptible to itching, urticaria, and anaphylactic shock, which occurs due to histamine release from mast cells. SM may coexist alongside other systemic diseases, thus confounding the overall clinical presentation. We discuss a 23-year-old woman with refractory pruritus, which was initially attributed to primary sclerosing cholangitis but had a nonresponse to antihistaminics, ursodiol, and cholestyramine. Concurrent evaluation for polyarthritis revealed increased uptake in the proximal femur on a bone scan, and subsequent bone marrow biopsy revealed indolent SM, and this was understood to be the cause of her intractable pruritus.

Primary Bile Duct Melanoma Causing Obstructive Jaundice.

Malignant melanoma is one of the few malignancies that are well known for unusual behavior. Primary malignant melanoma usually originates from squamous epithelium of skin, mucous membranes, retina, and uvea. Although melanoma can metastasize to any part of the body, including biliary tract, primary malignant melanoma of bile ducts is an extremely rare entity. We present a 52-year-old man who presented with 5-month epigastric pain and 15-pound weight loss, with 1-week duration of jaundice, nausea/vomiting, pale stools, and dark urine, blood work suggested cholestatic jaundice. Imaging revealed a large perihilar/peripancreatic mass involving the portal vein and hepatic artery, and intrahepatic biliary dilation. Biliary brushings revealed neoplastic cells strongly suggestive of malignant melanoma.

Ipilimumab-Induced Gastrointestinal Toxicities: A Management Algorithm.

Ipilimumab is a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4-blocking monoclonal antibody, which has shown a significant survival benefit in metastatic melanoma patients. Despite being a promising therapy for a disease with an otherwise rather dismal prognosis, it is associated with several immune-related adverse effects (IRAE) mainly targeted toward the digestive tract, skin, liver, and hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Ipilimumab-induced gastrointestinal toxicity (IGT) include diarrhea (~44 %), colitis (~18 %), bowel perforation (<1 %), and pancreatitis (<1.5 %). Early recognition of IRAE and treatment initiation are critical to decrease the risk of further complications. Management included steroids as initial therapy, followed by infliximab (anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody) and/or surgical option for complications like bowel perforation. We present a series of three patients with metastatic melanoma, who received treatment with ipilimumab, and presented with varying gastrointestinal clinical manifestations and complications. Through this case series, our attempt is to make practicing gastroenterologists cognizant about the wide spectrum of gastrointestinal toxicity of this rather new clinical entity, as well as to discuss management algorithm for IGT.

FIBROVASCULAR POLYP: AN UNUSUAL MASS IN THE ESOPHAGUS CAUSING DYSPHAGIA.

We present a case of a 56-year-old Caucasian women with long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease complicated with non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus and stricture presented with difficulty in swallowing.

A case of rectal stricture associated with the use of a fecal management system / Caso de constrição retal associada ao uso de um Sistema de manejo fecal

Fecal management systems are widely used to prevent complications of fecal incontinence such as skin breakdown and pressure ulcers. However they are occasionally associated with complications such as bleeding and pressure necrosis of rectal mucosa. We present a patient with Clostridium difficile colitis with a prolonged hospital stay requiring the use of Flexi-Seal Fecal Management System who developed abdominal pain and distention with obstipation. Computed tomography of abdomen showed dilatation of small and large bowel loops with a transition point at rectosigmoid junction. Flexible sigmoidoscopy revealed the presence of a severe stricture at the rectosigmoid junction that was not amenable to endoscopic dilation. Surgical resection with an end-colostomy was performed to relieve the obstruction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a high-grade stricture due to use of bowel management system that needed bowel resection surgery. (AU)

Sistemas de manejo fecal são amplamente utilizados com o objetivo de evitar as complicações da incontinência fecal, além de avarias à pele e úlceras de decúbito. No entanto, ocasionalmente esses sistemas estão associados a complicações, como sangra- mento e necrose por pressão da mucosa retal. Apresentamos um paciente com colite por Clostridium difficile com prolongada permanência no hospital e que necessitou do uso doFlexi-Seal Fecal Management System; esse paciente veio a sofrer dores e distensão abdominal, juntamente com obstipação. A tomografia computadorizada do abdome revelou dilatação de alças de intestine delgado e grosso, com um ponto de transição na junção retossigmóidea. A sigmoidoscopia flexível revelou presença de grande constrição na junção retossigmóidea, que não permitia dilatação endoscópica. Realizamos ressecção cirúrgica com colostomia terminal, com o objetivo de aliviar a obstrução. Até onde vai nosso conhecimento, este é o primeiro caso relatado de constrição de alto grau causada pelo uso de um sistema de manejo intestinal necessitando de cirurgia de ressecção intestinal. (AU)