Outcomes in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices, Pacemakers, and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Undergoing Single Balloon Enteroscopy.

OBJECTIVES: Obscure overt gastrointestinal bleeding can be challenging to evaluate in patients with electronic cardiac devices such as continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), pacemakers (PPMs), and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Limited data exist on the utility and safety of single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) in patients with cardiac devices. We aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, diagnostic, and therapeutic outcomes of the aforementioned devices in patients undergoing SBE. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed using the medical records of 57 patients undergoing SBE at our institution from 2010 to 2014. Patients were divided into two groups: those with cardiac devices and those without. Data on comorbidities, complications, findings, diagnostic, and therapeutic yield were compared. t Test and logistic regression assessed the association between dependent and independent variables. For continuous data, the results were summarized as mean difference and standard deviation. For dichotomous data, the results were summarized as odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The overall age in patients with cardiac devices was 67.89 ± 6.96 versus 66.03 ± 11.95 years in the control. The cardiac device group was composed of 42.1% women; the control comprised 21.1% women. There were 19 patients with cardiac devices; 8 (LVAD + ICD), 1 (LVAD + PPM + ICD), 2 (PPM + ICD), 6 (PPM), 2 (ICD); 38 patients were in the control group. Patients with cardiac devices were hospitalized more often than patients without devices; this finding was not statistically significant (odds ratio 1.826, 95% confidence interval 0.544-6.128, P = 0.389). Procedure times were longer in the cardiac device group, 65.16 ± 49.92 minutes, when compared with the control, 57.40 ± 20.42, but it also did not reach statistical significance (mean difference 7.758, 95% confidence interval -11.360 to 26.876, P = 0.049). There was no statistically significant difference in major or minor events between patients with cardiac devices and the control group. Diagnostic and therapeutic yield and rebleeding rates were similar across both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the cardiac device group did not appear to be at any more significant risk than those without cardiac devices. Furthermore, diagnostic and therapeutic yield and rebleeding rates appear to be similar across both groups. Clinicians may perform SBE in these patients safely and effectively, with good overall outcomes.

The Use of a Stylet in Endoscopic Ultrasound With Fine-Needle Aspiration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is the most efficacious way to collect specimens from a solid lesion adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract and is performed with an internal stylet during puncture. However, its reinsertion into the needle is time-consuming. Controversy surrounds whether quality of cytology specimen improves with stylet use. We performed a meta-analysis comparing the use of stylet versus no stylet with EUS-FNA of gastrointestinal-related masses. METHODS: Multiple databases were searched from inception until April 28, 2016. Discordant findings from independent extractions were reviewed by at least 2 investigators. Methods were executed as per the standards of the Cochrane Collaboration. Primary outcomes assessed were diagnostic adequacy of individual specimen samples, accuracy, and yield. Secondary outcomes included overall diagnostic accuracy of per-malignant lesion, cellularity, contamination, and bloodiness of the sample, and adverse events. RESULTS: Five randomized control trials were identified comparing stylet versus no stylet use, which enrolled 504 patients, evaluated 537 lesions, and 1914 distinct specimens. There was no difference in diagnostic adequacy [risk ratio (RR)=1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.95-1.07], accuracy (RR=0.98; 95% CI, 0.90-1.06), or yield (RR=0.96; 95% CI, 0.89-1.03). No stylet use was favored in per-lesion malignant diagnosis (RR=0.85; 95% CI, 0.76-0.96). There was no difference in representative cellularity, contamination, or bloodiness of specimens obtained with or without stylet use. CONCLUSIONS: Stylet use confers no significant advantage in diagnostic adequacy, accuracy, yield, contamination, bloodiness, or cellularity over no stylet. We reinforce that no stylet use may be used preferentially in EUS-FNA as a more convenient technique and is favored with a higher per-lesion malignant diagnosis.

Role of Esophageal Metal Stents Placement and Combination Therapy in Inoperable Esophageal Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: More than 50% of patients with esophageal cancer already have inoperable disease at the time of diagnosis. Controversy surrounds the outcomes of patients with advanced esophageal cancer who receive palliative care by either stent alone or stent plus an additional modality. We set out to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing the use of metal stents as treatment options for symptomatic improvement, survival, and adverse events. METHODS: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from inception until January 14, 2016, as well as other databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing esophageal stent versus either esophageal stent plus brachytherapy, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. For quality assurance purposes throughout the systematic review, multiple independent extractions were performed, and the process was executed as per the standards of the Cochrane collaboration. Primary outcomes were mean change in dysphagia score, overall survival, and quality of life. Secondary outcomes were adverse events including fever, severe pain, aspiration, fistula, stent migration, perforation, and restenosis. RESULTS: Eight RCTs enrolling 732 patients were included with three distinct comparisons: stents combination therapy vs stents alone (5 studies, n = 417), stents alone versus brachytherapy alone (2 studies, n = 274), and stents + brachytherapy vs brachytherapy alone (1 study, n = 41). Stents combination therapy was defined as stents plus radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both. Mean change in dysphagia scores favored stents combination therapy versus stents alone, and the effect was seen in patients surviving longer than 3 months. Stents combination therapy was also associated with a more favorable overall survival. The risks of stent migration, aspiration pneumonia, and restenosis were lower in the stents combination group compared to stents alone, while the risks of severe pain, hemorrhage, and fistula formation were higher. Changes in dysphagia scores and overall survival did not differ significantly in the brachytherapy-alone vs stents-alone comparison. The risk of fistula formation and hemorrhage were higher in the stents-alone group, while the risk of perforation was lower, compared to brachytherapy alone. Quality of life improvements were seen in all treatment groups, but were not pooled in analysis due to differing methods of measurement. DISCUSSION: While there appears to be no immediate short-term differences, those who live longer than 3 months experience a significant improvement in dysphagia score using a stents combination therapy approach vs stents alone. The combination therapy significantly improves the overall survival as well as showed improvements in quality of life scores. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to assess improvements in dysphagia score, overall survival, quality of life, and adverse events.

Efficacy of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication vs Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication or Proton Pump Inhibitors in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The effects of transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) and laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) have been compared with those of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or a sham procedure in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but there has been no direct comparison of TIF vs LNF. We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to compare the relative efficacies of TIF vs LNF in patients with GERD. METHODS: We searched publication databases and conference abstracts through May 10, 2017 for randomized controlled trials that compared the efficacy of TIF or LNF with that of a sham procedure or PPIs in patients with GERD. We performed a network meta-analysis using Bayesian methods under random-effects multiple treatment comparisons. We assessed ranking probability by surface under the cumulative ranking curve. RESULTS: Our search identified 7 trials comprising 1128 patients. Surface under the cumulative ranking curve ranking indicated TIF had highest probability of increasing patients' health-related quality of life (0.96), followed by LNF (0.66), a sham procedure (0.35), and PPIs (0.042). LNF had the highest probability of increasing percent time at pH <4 (0.99), followed by PPIs (0.64), TIF (0.32), and the sham procedure (0.05). LNF also had the highest probability of increasing LES pressure (0.78), followed by TIF (0.72) and PPIs (0.01). Patients who underwent the sham procedure had the highest probability for persistent esophagitis (0.74), followed by those receiving TIF (0.69), LNF (0.38), and PPIs (0.19). Meta-regression showed a shorter follow-up time as a significant confounder for the outcome of health-related quality of life in studies of TIF. CONCLUSIONS: In a systematic review and network meta-analysis of trials of patients with GERD, we found LNF to have the greatest ability to improve physiologic parameters of GERD, including increased LES pressure and decreased percent time pH <4. Although TIF produced the largest increase in health-related quality of life, this could be due to the shorter follow-up time of patients treated with TIF vs LNF or PPIs. TIF is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure, yet based on evaluation of benefits vs risks, we do not recommend it as a long-term alternative to PPI or LNF treatment of GERD.

PPI Trial for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Chaos in the Community.

INTRODUCTION: Despite consensus eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) statement published in 2011 calling for a 2-month trial of protons pump inhibitor (PPI), the guidelines are not followed by many. We studied the practice patterns in our community and response to a PPI retrial in patients previously diagnosed with "idiopathic EoE." METHODS: All patients presenting to the senior author's practice with suspected EoE from 2011 to 2015. Two cohorts were studied: (1) patients diagnosed in the community as "idiopathic EoE"; (2) treatment naïve patients given a PPI trial at University of South Florida. PPI responsive eosinophilia was defined after 2 months of high dose PPIs after initial diagnosis of mucosal eosinophilia and histologic response of <15 eosinophils per HPF. SPSS v19.0 was used to calculate mean difference and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In total, 78 patients met inclusion criteria, 46 patients had outside diagnosis of "idiopathic EoE," and 41 patients received a PPI trial at University of South Florida. In total, 34/46 (73.9%) community patients were placed on a PPI, 3/46 (6.5%) were placed on elimination diets, 31/46 (67.4%) steroids, and 21/46 (45.7%) were treated with both steroids/PPIs. Fewer patients received PPI trials in the community 3/46 (6.5%) versus 26/34 (76.5%) at our center [OR, 46.6 (95% CI, 11.3-191.5); P<0.0001]. In total, 12/26 (46.2%) were PPI responders on our retrial despite previously being diagnosed with idiopathic EoE. The group initially diagnosed at our center had a higher PPI response rate 12/15 (80%) versus 12/26 (46.2%) in the community group [OR, 7.58 (1.42, 40.55; P=0.018)]. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of a PPI trial is misunderstood and may be confused with the more traditional PPI trial for gastroesophageal reflux disease. This algorithm is critical and should be done before empiric steroids/diet therapies.

Successful Esophageal Dilation of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) Patients With a Previous Postdilation Complication: Start Low and Go Slow.

INTRODUCTION: Esophageal dilation is an effective and safe treatment option for fibrostenotic eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Despite the safety, adverse events occur, yet there is scarce literature on the best treatment postcomplications. METHODS: Patients with diagnosis of EoE (≥15 eosinophils per high-power field) from 2011 to 2015 treated at our center were included. Thirty patients with fibrostenotic disease had records available regarding serial dilation therapy. Eight patients previously experienced complications by outside providers. Groups were created based on history of complication before our dilation versus a group without. Mean difference and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: There were 8 complications, 7 occurred during dilation and 1 during passage of the endoscope. Esophageal diameter at initial dilation was lower in patients with prior complications 9.0±1.51 versus 11.73±2.98 mm (95% CI: -4.44, -1.02; P=0.003). However, end-esophageal diameter was similar across both groups 15.8±1.8 versus 16.1±2.0 mm. Total number of dilation sessions: 4.0±1.8 versus 2.32±1.0 (95% CI: 0.17, 3.19; P=0.03), as well as sessions to reach 17 mm diameter 3.8±1.0 versus 2.3±1.0 (95% CI: -0.08, 2.89; P=0.04), were higher in the patients with complications. The length of time in months to reach an esophageal diameter of 17 mm was longer in patients with complications, but the difference was not statistically significant 3.50±0.6 versus 2.3±2.3 months (P=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal dilation is a safe and effective modality to treat severe fibrostenotic EoE in patients with prior history of complications. The keys to success are: (1) start with lower diameter bougies and (2) dilate slowly over a longer time course to reach targeted diameter and symptom resolution.

Carbon dioxide versus room air insufflation during balloon-assisted enteroscopy: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background and study aims Carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation has been suggested to be an ideal alternative to room air insufflation to reduce trapped air within the bowel lumen after balloon assisted enteroscopy (BAE). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the safety and efficacy of utilizing CO2 insufflation as compared to room air during BAE. Patients and methods The primary outcome is mean change in visual analog scale (VAS; 10 cm) at 1, 3, and 6 hours to assess pain. Secondary outcomes include insertion depth (anterograde or retrograde), adverse events, total enteroscopy rate, diagnostic yield, mean anesthetic dosage, and PaCO2 at procedure completion. We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from inception until May 2015. Multiple independent extractions were performed, the process was executed as per the standards of the Cochrane collaboration. Results Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis. VAS at 6 hours favored CO2 over room air (MD 0.13; 95 % CI 0.01, 0.25; p = 0.03). Anterograde insertion depth (cm) was improved in the CO2 group (MD, 58.2; 95 % CI 17.17, 99.23; p = 0.005), with an improvement in total enteroscopy rate in the CO2 group (RR 1.91; 95 % CI 1.20, 3.06; p = 0.007). Mean dose of propofol (mg) favored CO2 compared to air (MD, - 70.53; 95 % CI - 115.07, - 25.98; P = 0.002). There were no differences in adverse events in either group. Conclusions Despite the ability of CO2 to improve insertion depth and decrease amount of anesthesia required, further randomized control trials are needed to determine the agent of choice for insufflation in balloon assisted enteroscopy.

Association between chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis C/HIV co-infection and the development of colorectal adenomas.

BACKGROUND: Limited knowledge exists about the effects chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has in the development of colorectal adenomas (CRA). Data regarding the association between chronic HIV infection and the development of CRA is scarce as well. We aim to determine if there is an association between the development of CRA and chronic infection with HCV and HCV/HIV co-infection. METHODS: From July 1, 2009 to March 31, 2011 a total of 2,051 patients that underwent colonoscopy were included in our study. The population was divided into 2 study groups: those patients who tested positive for HCV, and HCV/HIC; the control groups consisted of patients whose results were negative. Fisher's exact χ(2) test for categorical variables and t-test for continuous variables was used to analyze data between groups. Logistic regression was performed to obtain odds ratios (OR). RESULTS: CRA detection was higher in the HCV than in the control group (26.3% vs. 20.2%; P=1.02); Likewise, the incidence of CRA (25.5% vs. 20.8%; P=0.63) was higher in the co-infection group. However, in both of the study groups this difference was non-statistical. CONCLUSIONS: A higher detection rate of CRP was seen in the HCV population; however, it failed to reach statistical significance. Whether co-infection with HIV/HCV increases the incidence of CRA and/or has a synergistic effect remains to be determined. The small sample population and the retrospective single institution nature of our study, as well as other confounders may have contributed to our negative results. However, our findings question whether HCV and HIV/HCV co-infected patients will benefit from screening colonoscopy at an earlier age. This issue merits further investigation with a large multi-center prospective study.

Timing of single balloon enteroscopy: significant or not?

BACKGROUND: The development of balloon assisted enteroscopy (BAE) has revolutionized diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for small-bowel disorders. Although the role of emergent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy for upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding is well defined, there is scarce data with regard to emergent BAE for gastrointestinal bleeding. STUDY: We performed a retrospective cohort study including 110 hospitalized patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding who underwent single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) between January 2010 and August 2013. Patients were divided into two groups based on procedures performed emergently (within 24 hours) versus non-emergently (greater than 24 hours). Data on patient demographics, hemodynamic characteristics, type of obscure bleed, lesions identified, location of lesions, endoscopic intervention performed, need for further surgical or radiological intervention, diagnostic and therapeutic yield, and adverse events were compared between groups. Independent samples t test and Fisher's exact test were used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables. For continuous data, the results were summarized as mean difference and 95 % confidence intervals (CI), and for binary as odds ratio and 95 %CI. RESULTS: Although patients in the group where enteroscopy was performed within 24 hours had a significantly higher incidence of radiological intervention (10.0 % vs. 0.0 %, P = 0.019), the diagnostic and therapeutic yields between the two groups were not significantly different. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups for overt and occult bleeding, transfusion requirements, type and location of lesions, endoscopic intervention performed, or adverse events. Hospital stay was shorter in the patients who had SBE within 24 hours of admission (6.2 vs. 11.3 days, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although the diagnostic and therapeutic yields of SBE were not significantly different between patients having the procedure within 24 hours and those having it later, the early SBE group required more interventional radiology procedures. While endoscopists may not necessarily have to perform emergent assessment within 24 hours in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) for greater diagnostic or therapeutic yield, early intervention may allow for earlier stabilization and thus shorter hospital stays. Prospective studies further evaluating these findings are indicated.

A Frameshift in CSF2RB Predominant Among Ashkenazi Jews Increases Risk for Crohn's Disease and Reduces Monocyte Signaling via GM-CSF.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Crohn's disease (CD) has the highest prevalence in Ashkenazi Jewish populations. We sought to identify rare, CD-associated frameshift variants of high functional and statistical effects. METHODS: We performed exome sequencing and array-based genotype analyses of 1477 Ashkenazi Jewish individuals with CD and 2614 Ashkenazi Jewish individuals without CD (controls). To validate our findings, we performed genotype analyses of an additional 1515 CD cases and 7052 controls for frameshift mutations in the colony-stimulating factor 2-receptor ß common subunit gene (CSF2RB). Intestinal tissues and blood samples were collected from patients with CD; lamina propria leukocytes were isolated and expression of CSF2RB and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-responsive cells were defined by adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) time-of-flight mass cytometry (CyTOF analysis). Variants of CSF2RB were transfected into HEK293 cells and the expression and functions of gene products were compared. RESULTS: In the discovery cohort, we associated CD with a frameshift mutation in CSF2RB (P = 8.52 × 10(-4)); the finding was validated in the replication cohort (combined P = 3.42 × 10(-6)). Incubation of intestinal lamina propria leukocytes with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor resulted in high levels of phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT5) and lesser increases in phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and AK straining transforming (AKT). Cells co-transfected with full-length and mutant forms of CSF2RB had reduced pSTAT5 after stimulation with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, compared with cells transfected with control CSF2RB, indicating a dominant-negative effect of the mutant gene. Monocytes from patients with CD who were heterozygous for the frameshift mutation (6% of CD cases analyzed) had reduced responses to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and markedly decreased activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase; activity of this enzyme has been associated with immune tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: In a genetic analysis of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals, we associated CD with a frameshift mutation in CSF2RB. Intestinal monocytes from carriers of this mutation had reduced responses to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, providing an additional mechanism for alterations to the innate immune response in individuals with CD.

Erosive Esophagitis in the Obese: The Effect of Ethnicity and Gender on Its Association.

Background. Data examining the association between obesity and erosive esophagitis (ErE) have been inconsistent, with very little known about interracial variation. Goals. To examine the association between obesity and ErE among patients of different ethnic/racial backgrounds. Methods. The study sample included 2251 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). The effects of body mass index (BMI) on ErE were assessed by gender and in different ethnic groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results. The prevalence of ErE was 29.4% (661/2251). Overweight and obese subjects were significantly more likely to have ErE than individuals with a normal BMI, with the highest risk seen in the morbidly obese (OR 6.26; 95% CI 3.82-10.28; p < 0.0001). Normal weight Black patients were less likely to have ErE as compared to Caucasians (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.27-0.79; p = 0.005), while the odds ratio comparing normal weight Hispanics to normal weight Whites was not statistically significant. No effect modification was seen between BMI and race/ethnicity or BMI and gender. Significant trends were seen in each gender and ethnicity. Conclusions. The effect of BMI on ErE does not appear to vary by race/ethnicity or gender.

The safety and efficacy of single balloon enteroscopy in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) is an important tool in the management of small bowel disease with limited data available on its performance in the elderly. We aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes of SBE in the elderly. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 366 patients undergoing 428 SBEs from 2010 to 2014. Patients were divided into different age groups: control <55, 55-64, 65-74 and ⩾75 years. Data on comorbidities, complications, findings, diagnostic and therapeutic yield were compared between groups. RESULTS: Anterograde and retrograde SBE were performed in 340 and 49 patients, respectively, with 63 patients requiring more than 1 procedure. Diagnostic yield was significantly higher for age ⩾75 years compared with <55, 66.3% versus 50%, odds ratio (OR) 1.97 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-3.41]. Therapeutic yield was significantly higher in all three older age groups compared with <55 years, 20.3%: 55-64 years, 44.4%, OR 3.13(95% CI 1.7-5.78); 65-74 years, 42%, OR 2.84 (95% CI 1.59-5.06); and >75 years, 47.5%, OR 3.55 (95% CI 1.96-6.43). No significant difference was seen between age groups in complications or failures. Our overall complication rate was 2.3% with 5 minor and 5 major complications. There was a higher yield of angioectasias in the elderly. Argon plasma coagulation (APC) and multipolar electrocoagulation were used more often in older age groups. CONCLUSION: SBE is safe in elderly patients and delivers higher diagnostic and therapeutic yields compared to younger patients. The elderly are more likely to have angioectasias and undergo APC and electrocoagulation.

Degree of concordance between single balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding after an initial positive capsule endoscopy finding.

INTRODUCTION: In patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OBGIB) capsule endoscopy (CE) is the initial diagnostic procedure of choice. Often patients undergo single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) with both diagnostic and therapeutic intention after CE. Although SBE offers a therapeutic benefit, long procedure times, complexity, and invasiveness are drawbacks. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic correlation between these two modalities after an initial positive CE finding. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 418 patients who underwent CE at our institution from January 2010 to May 2014. A total of 95 patients were analyzed after selecting patients that underwent SBE originally after a positive CE result for the evaluation for OGIB. Agreement beyond chance was evaluated using the κ coefficient. A p value less than 5% was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of our population was 65.8 ± 12.2 and it was female predominant: 57/95 (60%). The most frequent positive findings were vascular lesions found on SBE in 31.6% and on CE in 41.1%. There was a strong agreement when identifying active bleeding and clots [κ=0.97; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-1.03; p ⩽ 0.0001], and a moderate agreement when diagnosing vascular lesions (0.41; 95% CI 0.21-0.61; p ⩽ 0.0001). There was fair agreement for ulcers (0.26; 95% CI 0.07-0.59; p = 0.005). There was a low correlation between masses, polyps, and others. CONCLUSION: CE still remains the initial test of choice in evaluating stable patients with OBGIB since it has strong-to-fair concordance for the major small bowel findings. However, in cases of severe overt small bowel bleeding, balloon-assisted enteroscopy can be considered the initial procedure of choice since it is therapeutic as well as diagnostic and this approach avoids delays in treatment. Further research should focus on methods to improve interpretation of CE and enhance the ability to evaluate the entire small bowel with SBE.

Association between caffeine consumption and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Caffeine consumption is reported to be associated with reduced hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between caffeine consumption and prevalence or hepatic fibrosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in observational studies. METHODS: We searched the literature of all languages from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library from 1 January 1980 through 10 January 2015. Total caffeine consumption was defined as the daily intake of caffeine (mg/day) from all caffeine-containing products. Combined and subgroup analyses stratified by study designs, study locations, and type of caffeine intake were performed. RESULTS: Four cross-sectional and two case control studies with a total of 20,064 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. Among these, three studies with 18,990 subjects were included in the analysis for prevalence of NAFLD while the other three studies with 1074 subjects were for hepatic fibrosis. Total caffeine consumption (mg/day) was not significantly associated with either the prevalence [pooled mean difference (MD) 2.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) -35.92 to 40.64] or hepatic fibrosis (higher versus lower stages; pooled MD -39.95; 95% CI -132.72 to 52.82) of NAFLD. Subgroup analyses stratified by study designs and locations were also not significant. However, after stratifying by type of caffeine intake, regular coffee caffeine intake (mg/day) was significantly associated with reduced hepatic fibrosis of NAFLD (pooled MD -91.35; 95% CI -139.42 to -43.27; n = 2 studies). CONCLUSION: Although total caffeine intake is not associated with the prevalence or hepatic fibrosis of NAFLD, regular coffee caffeine consumption may significantly reduce hepatic fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Impact of Diagnostic Delay and Other Risk Factors on Eosinophilic Esophagitis Phenotype and Esophageal Diameter.

GOALS: Endoscopic features of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are variable with at least 2 phenotypes. The goal of this study was to classify adult EoE patients based on esophageal phenotype and diameter, and assess an association between demographical and clinical histories to define EoE phenotypes and overall disease progression. METHODS: All consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of EoE from 1988 to 2013 treated at University of South Florida were included. Patients were grouped into inflammatory or fibrostenotic phenotype, and further characterized by esophageal diameter: group 1 (6 to 9.9 mm), group 2 (10 to 16.9 mm), and group 3 (>17 mm-control). Significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: Sixty-four adult patients met inclusion criteria. Sixty-one percent of patients (39/64) were defined as fibrostenotic and 39% (25/64) as inflammatory phenotype. There was a significant difference in mean time of delayed diagnosis in patients with <10 mm esophageal diameter (14.8 y) and patients with a diameter of 10 to 16.9 mm (11.1 y) compared with patients with an esophageal diameter of ≥17 mm (5 y); P=0.002 and 0.006, respectively. Patients on aspirin with delayed diagnosis (>7 y) were significantly more likely to present with strictures (<10 mm) compared with nonaspirin users [odds ratio (OR=7.0; 95% confidence interval (CI), 7.2-31.3; P=0.008]. Similar results were found with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, smoking, and alcohol (OR=6.4; 95% CI, 1.6-26.4; P=0.01, OR=5.2; 95% CI, 1.4-20.1; P=0.02, and OR=6.4; 95% CI, 1.6-26.0; P=0.009), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our US population, a delay in diagnosis was shown to be associated with stricture formation in EoE confirming the Swiss experience. The results show the importance of reducing the diagnostic delay in EoE as there appears to be progression to fibrosis over time, aggravated by common medications and social habits.

Establishing the link between hepatitis B virus infection and colorectal adenoma.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection has been associated with malignancy, most notably hepatocellular carcinoma. Previous research has shown that hepatitis C is associated with increased colorectal adenomas and neoplasia. Currently, there are no studies on the association of CHB and colorectal adenomas. We aimed to identify a possible link between CHB and colorectal adenoma. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on 588 consecutive patients undergoing screening or diagnostic colonoscopy that were previously screened or diagnosed with hepatitis B. Comparisons between categorical variables were analyzed with Chi Square test and t-test for continuous variables. Unconditional logistic regression was used to generate age-, gender-and race-adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing medication users with non-users. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS 9.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 487 patients were analyzed in the control group vs. 71 in the hepatitis B group. The adenoma detection rate was 23.9% in hepatitis B vs. 15.9% in the non-hepatitis B group for all cause colonoscopy; however this did not reach statistical significance. There was a significantly higher number of adenomas present in the distal colon compared to control (OR =2.16; 95% CI, 1.06-4.43; P=0.04). There were no significant findings between hepatitis B infection with size, multiplicity or presence of proximal adenomas. There was a significant difference noted in regards to smoking history, BMI and age between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although the adenoma detection rate was higher in hepatitis B population vs. the non-hepatitis B group this did not reach statistical significance. However, we did find an association between CHB infection and the presence of distal colorectal adenomas. Larger prospective studies are needed to strengthen our findings along with future studies examining hepatitis B virus (HBV) and mechanisms inducing colorectal carcinogenesis.

A single-center United States experience with bleeding Dieulafoy lesions of the small bowel: diagnosis and treatment with single-balloon enteroscopy.

INTRODUCTION: A Dieulafoy lesion (DL) of the small bowel can cause severe gastrointestinal bleeding, and presents a difficult clinical setting for endoscopists. Limited data exists on the therapeutic yield of treating DLs of the small bowel using single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE). METHODS: Data were collected from Tampa General Hospital a 1 018-bed teaching hospital affiliated with University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. Patients were selected from a database of patients that underwent SBE from January 2010 - August 2013. RESULTS: Eight patients were found to have DL an incidence of 2.6 % of 309 SBE performed for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. 7/8 were identified in the jejunum, with one found in the duodenum. The mean age of patients with DL was 71.5 years old. 6/8 patients were on some form of anticoagulant/antiplatelet agent. The primary modality of therapy employed was electrocautery, multipolar electrocoagulation in seven patients and APC (argon plasma coagulation) in one patient. In three patients, electrocoagulation was unsuccessful and hemostasis was achieved with clip placement. Three patients required repeat SBE with one found to have rebleeding from a failed clip with hemostasis achieved upon reapplication of one clip. CONCLUSION: In our United States' experience, SBE offers a reasonable therapeutic approach to treat DL of the small bowel with low rates of rebleeding, no adverse events, and no patient requiring surgery.

Capsule Studies Performed in a Tertiary Care Center Versus Community Referrals Prior to Single-Balloon Enteroscopy: Does It Matter?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Within the community, patients with positive capsule endoscopy (CE) are often referred to centers performing balloon-assisted enteroscopy. There is limited data evaluating the concordance and diagnostic/therapeutic yield of CE performed in the community versus CE conducted at institutions experienced with enteroscopy. The primary aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the concordance between CE and SBE after CE was performed either in the community or at our tertiary care center. METHODS: A total of 141 patients were analyzed after selecting patients undergoing evaluation of obscure GI bleeding from January 2010 to May 2014. Forty-seven CE were performed inside and the remaining 94 CE were performed at outside institutions prior to single-balloon enteroscopy at our institution. Agreement beyond chance was evaluated using kappa coefficient. A p value <5% was considered significant. RESULTS: The most frequent findings on CE were vascular lesions in 39 patients (41.5%) within the referral group and 23 within inside patients (48.9%), followed by active bleeding/clots in 23 patients (24.5%) and in 14 patients (29.8%) respectively. There was a fair degree of concordance in the referral group for vascular lesions 0.23 (0.03-0.42) compared to a good degree in the inside group 0.65 (0.44-0.87). Fair agreement was found looking at ulcers within the referral group 0.29 (0.06-0.65) compared to a moderate agreement in the inside group 0.55 (0.17-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: Degree of concordance for vascular lesions and ulcers was significantly higher for patients undergoing CE at our institution compared to those referred from the community. Patients referred to tertiary care centers for balloon-assisted enteroscopy may benefit from advanced endoscopists re-reading the capsule findings or even potentially repeating CE in hemodynamically stable patients if the study is not available.