Pan-Enteric Capsule Endoscopy: Current Applications and Future Perspectives.

Background: The role of capsule endoscopy in the evaluation of the small bowel is well established, and current guidelines position it as a first-line test in a variety of clinical scenarios. The advent of double-headed capsules further enabled the endoscopic assessment of colonic mucosa and the opportunity for a one-step noninvasive examination of the entire bowel (pan-enteric capsule endoscopy [PCE]). Summary: We reviewed the technical procedure and preparation of patients for PCE, as well as its current clinical applications and future perspectives. In non-stricturing and non-penetrating Crohn's disease affecting the small bowel and colon, PCE monitors disease activity by assessing mucosal healing, a major treatment outcome, with a higher diagnostic yield than cross-sectional imaging or conventional colonoscopy. Also in ulcerative colitis, double-headed capsules have been used to monitor disease activity noninvasively. Currently, validated scoring systems have been specifically devised for these double-headed capsules and permit a standardized assessment of the inflammatory burden. In suspected mid-lower digestive bleeding, some exploratory studies have demonstrated the feasibility and high diagnostic yield of PCE, which may work as a filter indicating which patients may benefit of further invasive procedures, namely, for planned hemostatic procedures. The possibility of using PCE is also discussed in the context of polyposis syndromes with simultaneous involvement of the small intestine and colon. Key Messages: PCE is a feasible, effective, and safe diagnostic procedure to evaluate the small bowel and colon. It has been increasingly explored in the setting of inflammatory bowel diseases and, more recently, in suspected mid-lower digestive bleeding. PCE is expected to reduce the demand for invasive procedures and expand the scope of noninvasive intestinal evaluation in the coming future.

Introdução: O papel da endoscopia por cápsula na avaliação do intestino delgado encontra-se bem estabelecido, e as orientações atuais posicionam-na como um teste de primeira linha numa variedade de cenários clínicos. O advento das cápsulas de dupla câmara permitiu expandir a sua aplicação para a avaliação endoscópica da mucosa do cólon, oferecendo a oportunidade de um exame não invasivo de todo o intestino (endoscopia pan-entérica por cápsula, PCE). Sumário: Procedemos a uma revisão de vários aspectos do procedimento e preparação dos doentes para a PCE, bem como as aplicações clínicas atuais e as perspetivas futuras das cápsulas de dupla câmara. Na doença de Crohn não estenosante e não penetrante localizada ao intestino delgado e cólon, a PCE permite monitorizar a atividade da doença e avaliar a cicatrização da mucosa, um indicador importante da eficácia da terapêutica, com um rendimento de diagnóstico superior aos métodos convencionais, nomeadamente os exames imagiológicos ou a colonoscopia invasiva. Também na colite ulcerosa, as cápsulas de dupla câmara têm sido utilizadas para monitorizar a atividade da doença de forma não invasiva. Existem índices endoscópicos validados e especificamente concebidos para as cápsulas de dupla câmara, que permitem uma avaliação sistematizada e quantificação objetiva da atividade inflamatória. Na suspeita de hemorragia digestiva média ou baixa, alguns estudos exploratórios demonstraram a aplicabilidade e o elevado rendimento diagnóstico da PCE, podendo funcionar como um filtro de modo a permitir indicar quais os doentes que mais irão beneficiar de um procedimento invasivo subsequente, nomeadamente para a realização de procedimentos hemostáticos dirigidos. A possibilidade de utilização da PCE é também discutida no contexto das síndromes de polipose com envolvimento simultâneo do intestino delgado e do cólon. Mensagens-chave: A PCE é um procedimento diagnóstico eficaz e seguro para avaliar diretamente a mucosa do intestino delgado e cólon. A sua aplicação tem vindo a expandir-se no contexto das Doenças Inflamatórias Intestinais e, mais recentemente, na suspeita de hemorragia digestiva média ou baixa. Existe a expectativa de que no futuro próximo possamos assistir a uma redução substancial da demanda por procedimentos endoscópicos invasivos, face à utilização crescente da PCE enquanto método de diagnóstico pan-intestinal não invasivo.

The Crisis Migration Experience Scale: Developing and validating a tool for Venezuelan youth and adults residing in Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: Although prior research has shown that an array of distinct experiences related to crisis migration are associated with mental health, there is a pressing need for a theory-driven, multidimensional measure to assess the broad spectrum of crisis migration experiences. As such, the present study focused on developing and validating the Crisis Migration Experience Scale (CMES) with a sample of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. METHOD: Participants were adolescent (ages 12-17; n = 430) and adult migrants from Venezuela (ages 18+; n = 569). Randomly splitting the adolescent and adult samples in half, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted with 26 original items. After identifying a satisfactory factor structure to generate a 16-item CMES (CMES-16), we examined the associations of the CMES-16 with mental health outcomes. RESULTS: We provide evidence for reliability, factorial validity, and concurrent validity of scores generated by the CMES-16 in a sample of Venezuelan crisis migrants in Colombia. Whereas our a priori conceptualization included seven domains, the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that four are especially salient: material hardship, desperation, danger, and unplanned departure. CONCLUSIONS: Crisis migration is an increasingly important construct frequently referenced in the literature on migrant health and by international humanitarian organizations. The number of crisis migrant groups worldwide is increasing, with Ukrainians and Afghans recently added to the list of such groups, along with Venezuelans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Iraqis, and Central Americans. Developing and validating the CMES-16 with Venezuelan crisis migrants opens up important avenues of research, including work that incorporates other crisis migrant populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

From Data to Insights: How Is AI Revolutionizing Small-Bowel Endoscopy?

The role of capsule endoscopy and enteroscopy in managing various small-bowel pathologies is well-established. However, their broader application has been hampered mainly by their lengthy reading times. As a result, there is a growing interest in employing artificial intelligence (AI) in these diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, driven by the prospect of overcoming some major limitations and enhancing healthcare efficiency, while maintaining high accuracy levels. In the past two decades, the applicability of AI to gastroenterology has been increasing, mainly because of the strong imaging component. Nowadays, there are a multitude of studies using AI, specifically using convolutional neural networks, that prove the potential applications of AI to these endoscopic techniques, achieving remarkable results. These findings suggest that there is ample opportunity for AI to expand its presence in the management of gastroenterology diseases and, in the future, catalyze a game-changing transformation in clinical activities. This review provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art of AI in the scope of small-bowel study, with a particular focus on capsule endoscopy and enteroscopy.

Artificial Intelligence and Panendoscopy-Automatic Detection of Clinically Relevant Lesions in Multibrand Device-Assisted Enteroscopy.

Device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) is capable of evaluating the entire gastrointestinal tract, identifying multiple lesions. Nevertheless, DAE's diagnostic yield is suboptimal. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) are multi-layer architecture artificial intelligence models suitable for image analysis, but there is a lack of studies about their application in DAE. Our group aimed to develop a multidevice CNN for panendoscopic detection of clinically relevant lesions during DAE. In total, 338 exams performed in two specialized centers were retrospectively evaluated, with 152 single-balloon enteroscopies (Fujifilm®, Porto, Portugal), 172 double-balloon enteroscopies (Olympus®, Porto, Portugal) and 14 motorized spiral enteroscopies (Olympus®, Porto, Portugal); then, 40,655 images were divided in a training dataset (90% of the images, n = 36,599) and testing dataset (10% of the images, n = 4066) used to evaluate the model. The CNN's output was compared to an expert consensus classification. The model was evaluated by its sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), accuracy and area under the precision recall curve (AUC-PR). The CNN had an 88.9% sensitivity, 98.9% specificity, 95.8% PPV, 97.1% NPV, 96.8% accuracy and an AUC-PR of 0.97. Our group developed the first multidevice CNN for panendoscopic detection of clinically relevant lesions during DAE. The development of accurate deep learning models is of utmost importance for increasing the diagnostic yield of DAE-based panendoscopy.

Deep Learning in High-Resolution Anoscopy: Assessing the Impact of Staining and Therapeutic Manipulation on Automated Detection of Anal Cancer Precursors.

INTRODUCTION: High-resolution anoscopy (HRA) is the gold standard for detecting anal squamous cell cancer (ASCC) precursors. Preliminary studies on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) models to this modality have revealed promising results. However, the impact of staining techniques and anal manipulation on the effectiveness of these algorithms has not been evaluated. We aimed to develop a deep learning system for automatic differentiation of high (HSIL) versus low-grade (LSIL) squamous intraepithelial lesions in HRA images in different subsets of patients (non-stained, acetic acid, lugol, and after manipulation). METHODS: A convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed to detect and differentiate high and low-grade anal squamous intraepithelial lesions based on 27,770 images from 103 HRA exams performed in 88 patients. Subanalyses were performed to evaluate the algorithm's performance in subsets of images without staining, acetic acid, lugol, and after manipulation of the anal canal. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated. RESULTS: The CNN achieved an overall accuracy of 98.3%. The algorithm had a sensitivity and specificity of 97.4% and 99.2%, respectively. The accuracy of the algorithm for differentiating HSIL vs LSIL varied between 91.5% (post-manipulation) and 100% (lugol) for the categories at subanalysis. The AUC ranged between 0.95 and 1.00. DISCUSSION: The introduction of AI to HRA may provide an accurate detection and differentiation of ASCC precursors. Our algorithm showed excellent performance at different staining settings. This is extremely important as real-time AI models during HRA exams can help guide local treatment or detect relapsing disease.

Congenital Pediatric Hydrocephalus in the Brazilian Public Health System: The Reality of a Middle-Income Country in the Past 13 Years.

BACKGROUND: Congenital hydrocephalus is a significant challenge in neurosurgery, particularly in resource-limited settings. This study focuses on the congenital hydrocephalus in Brazil, a developing country, over the past 13 years. METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of congenital hydrocephalus treatment and outcomes using data records on DATASUS from January 2008 to July 2021. Demographics, cost of hospitalizations, amount paid to professionals, mortality, and mean length of stay (LOS) were analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine significant associations between these indicators and pediatric hydrocephalus. RESULTS: DATASUS recorded 8493 cases of congenital hydrocephalus in the studied period, with a prevalence of 24.28 per 100,000 newborns, mostly linked to spina bifida. Congenital hydrocephalus caused 60.83 ± 13.98 neonatal deaths per year, with the highest rate among 32-36 weeks gestational age. Acquired hydrocephalus led to 1063 infant deaths, whereas congenital hydrocephalus resulted in 3122 deaths, with no clear trend by the years. White infants had the highest mortality. A total of 33,184 shunt procedures were performed, with an average cost of $715.37 per procedure. The mortality model showed no significant effects of cost or professionals' salary, but a significant effect of LOS on hospitalization costs was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric hydrocephalus in Brazil's public health system is a significant burden. Congenital hydrocephalus prevalence and mortality emphasize the need for early diagnosis and treatment. Early diagnosis, prenatal care, and adequate resources are crucial. This study offers insights into congenital hydrocephalus, highlighting challenges and future directions for improved care.

The Future of Minimally Invasive Capsule Panendoscopy: Robotic Precision, Wireless Imaging and AI-Driven Insights.

In the early 2000s, the introduction of single-camera wireless capsule endoscopy (CE) redefined small bowel study. Progress continued with the development of double-camera devices, first for the colon and rectum, and then, for panenteric assessment. Advancements continued with magnetic capsule endoscopy (MCE), particularly when assisted by a robotic arm, designed to enhance gastric evaluation. Indeed, as CE provides full visualization of the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract, a minimally invasive capsule panendoscopy (CPE) could be a feasible alternative, despite its time-consuming nature and learning curve, assuming appropriate bowel cleansing has been carried out. Recent progress in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the development of convolutional neural networks (CNN) for CE auxiliary reading (detecting and diagnosing), may provide the missing link in fulfilling the goal of establishing the use of panendoscopy, although prospective studies are still needed to validate these models in actual clinical scenarios. Recent CE advancements will be discussed, focusing on the current evidence on CNN developments, and their real-life implementation potential and associated ethical challenges.

Prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection and knowledge, perceptions, and practices in blood donors in mainland Portugal.

BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic infection is the most common outcome of exposure to Leishmania parasites. In the Mediterranean region, where Leishmania infantum is endemic, studies on the prevalence of asymptomatic infection have often relied on serological testing in blood donors. In Spain, regional studies have shown seroprevalence in blood donors between 1 and 8%; in Portugal, values of 0 and 2% were suggested by two localized studies, in different populations. The purpose of this study was (i) to estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection in blood donors in mainland Portugal, and (ii) to study the association between the detection of antibodies to Leishmania and sociodemographic factors, and also the knowledge, perceptions and practices (KPP) of the blood donors regarding leishmaniasis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study targeted the population of people who donated blood in mainland Portugal. Participants, distributed proportionally by municipality and aged between 18 and 65 years, were selected randomly in 347 blood collection points between February and June 2022, and completed a sociodemographic and a KPP questionnaire. Detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies in serum was performed using an ELISA commercial kit. Individual KPP scores were calculated by adding grades defined for each question. RESULTS: Globally, 201/3763 samples were positive. The estimated national true seroprevalence was 4.8% (95% CI 4.1-5.5%). The proportion of positive results was significantly different between NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) regions. Models suggested that seropositivity was significantly higher in male sex, people older than 25 years, or residing in the Centro NUTS2 region, but not in dog owners nor people with lower KPP scores. Overall, 72.3% of participants had previously heard of leishmaniasis and, in multivariate analysis, a higher Knowledge score was associated with age 25-40 years, female sex, ownership of dogs, and higher education. CONCLUSIONS: Global estimated true seroprevalence (4.8%) was similar to previous regional studies in blood donors in neighboring Spain. Higher seroprevalence values in the NUTS2 Centro region were consistent with incidence data from humans and seroprevalence studies in dogs. On the other hand, the low values in the Alentejo and the high values in the northern subregions may be the result of geographical shifts in parasite circulation due to climate change and should prompt localized and integrated, vector, canine, and human research, following a One Health approach.

Spleen stiffness: a new tool to predict high-risk varices in cirrhotic patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cirrhosis is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Portal hypertension is the major contributor of cirrhosis-related complications and is defined as a hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) > 5 mmHg. Measurement of HVPG is an invasive, difficult, and costly procedure. Therefore, it is only performed in specialized centers. Liver stiffness measured with transient elastography is one of the most studied noninvasive markers of portal hypertension, and spleen elastography has recently emerged as an important adjuvant tool. The development of a new probe (100 Hz) that more reliably reflect the grade of portal hypertension evaluated by spleen stiffness measurement has improved the accuracy of this technique. The aim of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of spleen stiffness with the new dedicated probe to predict the presence of high-risk varices, as well as to determine the ideal cutoff to predict it. METHODS: Prospective study of cirrhotic patients admitted to upper endoscopy that were also submitted to liver and spleen elastography with the 100-Hz probe by the same blinded operator in a tertiary center. RESULTS: We included 209 cirrhotic patients, with mean age of 61.9 years (±9.9), 77.0% male. The most common etiology was alcoholic liver disease (72.7%). The median value of liver elastography was 25.3 [4.5-75] kPa, and the median value of spleen elastography was 42.4 [7.6-100] kPa. At the cutoff of 53.25 kPa, we obtained sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 72.6% to predict high-risk varices, and, according to this cutoff, 133/175 of esophagogastroduodenoscopy could have been spared (76.0%), while according to Baveno guidelines, only 51/175 would have been spared (29.1%). CONCLUSION: In the era of noninvasive exams, spleen elastography with the 100-Hz probe emerges as an excellent tool for prediction of presence of high-risk varices. At the cutoff of 53.25 kPa, spleen elastography avoids upper endoscopy for screening for high-risk varices, promising to be become part of the hepatologists' daily routine.

Impacts of smoking on oral health-what is the role of the dental team in smoking cessation?

DATA SOURCES: Electronic searches were conducted on databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar). In addition, websites of national organisations (US Food and Drug Administration, National Cancer Institute, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, American Dental Association, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) were also searched. STUDY SELECTION: To achieve the objectives of the study, systematic reviews, controlled clinical trials, and observational studies published between October 2021 and February 2022 were considered. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: This narrative review included articles which investigated the role of Dentistry professionals and their impact on smoking cessation and the effects resulting from tobacco use on oral health. RESULTS: The review revealed that smokers have a significantly higher likelihood of developing oral cancer (95% CI: 3.19-6.77) compared to non-smokers. Passive smokers also have an increased risk (1.51 times) of developing oral cancer (95% CI: 1.20-1.91). Additionally, smokers have an 80% increased risk of periodontitis (RR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.43-2.31), an 85% worsened periodontal condition (RR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.5-2.2), and a 36.6% increase in caries prevalence (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.64-2.07). Smoking is also associated with a higher potential for dental implant failure in a dose-dependent manner. Brief educational interventions by the dental team resulted in a smoking cessation rate of 74/1000 individuals versus 27/1000 individuals in the control group. When combined with pharmacological therapy, these interventions may lead to an additional 50 to 70% increase in long-term smoking abstinence. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is strongly linked to an increased risk of oral cancer, dental caries, implant failure, and periodontal disease. Dental teams play a vital role in identifying and addressing oral pathologies related to smoking and providing necessary care for smoking cessation. Brief educational interventions, either alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy, offer valuable approaches for the dental team to support smoking cessation. However, establishing a comprehensive training and continuing education program is crucial to integrate dental professionals into a multidisciplinary smoking cessation program.

Preparation and characterization of porous membranes of glucomannan and silver decorated cellulose nanocrystals for application as biomaterial.

Bacterial infection usually represents a threat in medical wound care, due to the increase in treatment complexity and the risk of antibiotic resistance. For presenting interesting characteristics for the use as biomaterial, natural polymers have been explored for this application. Among them, a promising candidate is the konjac glucomannan (KGM) with outstanding biocompatibility and biodegradability but lack of antibacterial activity. In this study, KGM was combined with silver decorated cellulose nanocrystals (CNC-Ag) to prepare membranes by using a recent reported casting-freezing method. The results highlight the potential anti-adhesive activity of the new materials against Staphylococcus aureus upon contact, without the burst release of silver nanoparticles. Furthermore, the incorporation of CNC enhanced the thermal stability of these membranes while preserving the favorable mechanical properties of the KGM-based material. These findings highlight a straightforward approach to enhance the antibacterial properties of natural polymers, which can be effectively useful in medical devices like wound dressings that typically lack such properties.

Deep Learning and Minimally Invasive Endoscopy: Automatic Classification of Pleomorphic Gastric Lesions in Capsule Endoscopy.

INTRODUCTION: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a minimally invasive examination for evaluating the gastrointestinal tract. However, its diagnostic yield for detecting gastric lesions is suboptimal. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are artificial intelligence models with great performance for image analysis. Nonetheless, their role in gastric evaluation by wireless CE (WCE) has not been explored. METHODS: Our group developed a CNN-based algorithm for the automatic classification of pleomorphic gastric lesions, including vascular lesions (angiectasia, varices, and red spots), protruding lesions, ulcers, and erosions. A total of 12,918 gastric images from 3 different CE devices (PillCam Crohn's; PillCam SB3; OMOM HD CE system) were used from the construction of the CNN: 1,407 from protruding lesions; 994 from ulcers and erosions; 822 from vascular lesions; and 2,851 from hematic residues and the remaining images from normal mucosa. The images were divided into a training (split for three-fold cross-validation) and validation data set. The model's output was compared with a consensus classification by 2 WCE-experienced gastroenterologists. The network's performance was evaluated by its sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, and area under the precision-recall curve. RESULTS: The trained CNN had a 97.4% sensitivity; 95.9% specificity; and positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 95.0% and 97.8%, respectively, for gastric lesions, with 96.6% overall accuracy. The CNN had an image processing time of 115 images per second. DISCUSSION: Our group developed, for the first time, a CNN capable of automatically detecting pleomorphic gastric lesions in both small bowel and colon CE devices.

A modified tunnel technique to treat multiple gingival recessions: Case Series.

This case series reports a modified tunnel technique with connective tissue graft for the root coverage of multiple Miller Class I, II, and III gingival recessions. The modified approach presents an innovative suture technique to improve the stability and position of the graft. Ten patients with multiple gingival recessions (n=85 teeth) received surgical root coverage treatment. The gingival recession height and width were measured and presented as median, minimum, and maximum values. The percentage of the root coverage after at least 12 months expressed the treatment effectiveness. The Shapiro-Wilk test evaluated the normality; pared Wilcoxon test determined the exact P-value for the differences in the height of the gingival recession before and after surgical treatment (α = 0.05). An average of 97.9% (± 5.6%, p < 0.0001) root coverage after treatment occurred, and 73 out of 85 recessions presented complete root coverage after 12 months. Treatment of Miller class I and II gingival recessions resulted in root coverage higher than 99 and class III higher than 95% (p < 0.0001). The presented case series report the efficacy of a modified surgical technique promoting more than 95% of root coverage after 12 months in multiple Miller Class I, II, and III gingival recessions. Well-designed blind randomized controlled trials are needed to validate the proposed technique.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of small bowel lymphomas: a retrospective single-center study.

Background: There is little information on diagnosis and management of small bowel lymphomas, and optimal management strategies are still undefined. This study aims to describe their main clinical and pathological characteristics and identify poor prognostic factors. Methods: A retrospective observational study of all patients with histological diagnosis of small bowel lymphoma between January 2010 and December 2020 was performed. Results: We included 40 patients, with male predominance (60%) and mean age of 60.7 years. The ileum was the most common location, and the most common histological subtypes were follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Clinical presentation was variable from asymptomatic patients (30%) to acute surgical complications (35%) including perforation, intestinal obstruction, ileal intussusception, or severe bleeding. Diagnosis was established by endoscopy in 22 patients (55%), and the most common findings included polyps, single mass, diffuse infiltration, or ulceration, whereas 18 (45%) required surgery because of acute presentations or tumor resection, and lymphoma was diagnosed postoperatively. Surgery was curative in one-third of those patients. Median survival was 52 months. Acute presentation (P = 0.001), symptomatic disease (P = 0.003), advanced stage (P = 0.008), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (P = 0.007), anemia (P = 0.006), hypoalbuminemia (P < 0.001), elevated lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.02), elevated C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), and absence of treatment response (P < 0.001) were significant predictors of mortality. Conclusion: Small bowel lymphoma is a rare malignancy with diverse clinical and endoscopic presentations that require a high index of suspicion. Primary factors associated with worse outcome included acute presentation, advanced stage, histological subtype, biochemical abnormalities, and absence of treatment response.

A modified tunnel technique to treat multiple gingival recessions: Case Series

Abstract This case series reports a modified tunnel technique with connective tissue graft for the root coverage of multiple Miller Class I, II, and III gingival recessions. The modified approach presents an innovative suture technique to improve the stability and position of the graft. Ten patients with multiple gingival recessions (n=85 teeth) received surgical root coverage treatment. The gingival recession height and width were measured and presented as median, minimum, and maximum values. The percentage of the root coverage after at least 12 months expressed the treatment effectiveness. The Shapiro-Wilk test evaluated the normality; pared Wilcoxon test determined the exact P-value for the differences in the height of the gingival recession before and after surgical treatment (α = 0.05). An average of 97.9% (± 5.6%, p < 0.0001) root coverage after treatment occurred, and 73 out of 85 recessions presented complete root coverage after 12 months. Treatment of Miller class I and II gingival recessions resulted in root coverage higher than 99 and class III higher than 95% (p < 0.0001). The presented case series report the efficacy of a modified surgical technique promoting more than 95% of root coverage after 12 months in multiple Miller Class I, II, and III gingival recessions. Well-designed blind randomized controlled trials are needed to validate the proposed technique.

Resumo Esta série de casos relata uma técnica de túnel modificada com enxerto de tecido conjuntivo para o recobrimento radicular de múltiplas recessões gengivais Classe I, II e III de Miller. A abordagem modificada apresenta uma técnica de sutura inovadora para melhorar a estabilidade e a posição do enxerto. Dez pacientes com múltiplas recessões gengivais (n=85 dentes) receberam tratamento cirúrgico de recobrimento radicular. A altura e a largura da recessão gengival foram mensuradas e apresentadas como valores medianos, mínimos e máximos. A eficácia do tratamento foi expressa como uma porcentagem da cobertura radicular após pelo menos 12 meses. O teste de Shapiro-Wilk avaliou a normalidade; o teste de Wilcoxon pared determinou o valor P exato para as diferenças entre a altura da recessão gengival antes e após o tratamento cirúrgico (α = 0,05). Uma média de 97,9% (± 5,6%, p < 0,0001) de cobertura radicular após o tratamento ocorreu, e 73 das 85 recessões apresentaram cobertura radicular completa após 12 meses. O tratamento das recessões gengivais classe I e II de Miller resultou em recobrimento radicular superior a 99 e classe III superior a 95% (p < 0,0001). A série de casos apresentada relata a eficácia de uma técnica cirúrgica modificada promovendo mais de 95% de cobertura radicular após 12 meses em múltiplas recessões gengivais Classe I, II e III de Miller. Ensaios controlados randomizados cegos bem desenhados são necessários para validar a técnica proposta.

The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in Digestive Healthcare and the Bioethics Challenges It Presents.

With modern society well entrenched in the digital area, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to extract useful information from big data has become more commonplace in our daily lives than we perhaps realize. Medical specialties that rely heavily on imaging techniques have become a strong focus for the incorporation of AI tools to aid disease diagnosis and monitoring, yet AI-based tools that can be employed in the clinic are only now beginning to become a reality. However, the potential introduction of these applications raises a number of ethical issues that must be addressed before they can be implemented, among the most important of which are issues related to privacy, data protection, data bias, explainability and responsibility. In this short review, we aim to highlight some of the most important bioethical issues that will have to be addressed if AI solutions are to be successfully incorporated into healthcare protocols, and ideally, before they are put in place. In particular, we contemplate the use of these aids in the field of gastroenterology, focusing particularly on capsule endoscopy and highlighting efforts aimed at resolving the issues associated with their use when available.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Placement under NIV in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with Severe Ventilatory Dysfunction: A Safe and Effective Procedure.

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with an inexorably progressive course which leads to a progressive neuromuscular weakness. Weight loss is one of the major bad prognostic factors in ALS. The placement of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is of paramount importance in patients with dysphagia to improve the disease outcomes, although some fear exists regarding the possible ventilatory complications during the procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of PEG tube insertion under non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in patients with ALS and severe ventilatory impairment. Methods: A retrospective study of all consecutive PEGs placed in our department from May 2011 to January 2018 in patients with ALS was performed. The procedure was performed under non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation for ventilatory support. Results: We included 59 patients with ALS with severe ventilatory impairment, 58% were female, with a mean age of 67.2 ± 10.1 years and a median follow-up of 6 [2-15] months. The main indication for PEG placement was dysphagia (98%). The median time for PEG tube insertion since the established diagnosis of ALS was 12 [6-25] months and 4 [2-18] months since the beginning of bulbar symptoms. The majority of the patients had placed a 20-Fr PEG (63%) and under mild sedation with midazolam (80%), all under NIV. There were no immediate complications during and after the procedure (no episodes of aspiration or orotracheal intubation) and mortality. Conclusion: The placement of PEG is a very important procedure in patients with ALS and severe ventilatory impairment. The interdisciplinary department collaboration permitted the placement of PEG under NIV, in a safe and effective procedure in this special population.

Introdução: A esclerose lateral amiotrófica (ELA) é uma doença neurodegenerativa com um curso inexorável que leva a fraqueza neuromuscular progressiva. A perda de peso é um dos principais fatores de mau prognóstico na ELA. Apesar do receio de complicações ventilatórias durante o procedimento, a colocação de gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica em doentes com disfagia é extremamente importante para melhorar o prognóstico. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a segurança e eficácia da colocação de gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica (GEP) sob ventilação não invasiva (VNI) em doentes com ELA e disfunção ventilatória grave. Métodos: Estudo retrospetivo de todas as gastrostomias percutâneas endoscópicas colocadas em doentes com ELA no nosso departamento entre Maio 2011 e Janeiro 2018. O procedimento foi realizado sob VNI para suporte ventilatório. Resultados: Foram incluídos 59 doentes com ELA e disfunção ventilatória grave, 58% do sexo feminino, com uma idade média de 67.2 ± 10.1 anos e um follow-up mediano de 6 [2­15] meses. A principal indicação para colocação de gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica foi disfagia (98%). O tempo mediano para a colocação de GEP desde o diagnóstico de ELA foi 12 [6­25] meses e 4 [2­18] meses desde o início dos sintomas bulbares. A maioria dos doentes colocaram uma GEP de 20 Fr (63%) e sob sedação com midazolam (80%), todos sob VNI. Não se verificaram complicações imediatas durante e após o procedimento (sem episódios de aspiração ou entubação orotraqueal) e mortalidade. Conclusão: A colocação de GEP é um procedimento muito importante em doentes com ELA e disfunção ventilatória grave. A colaboração interdisciplinar permitiu a colocação de GEP sob ventilação não invasiva, tornando-o um procedimento seguro e eficaz nesta população especial.

Deep-Learning and Device-Assisted Enteroscopy: Automatic Panendoscopic Detection of Ulcers and Erosions.

Background and Objectives: Device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) has a significant role in approaching enteric lesions. Endoscopic observation of ulcers or erosions is frequent and can be associated with many nosological entities, namely Crohn's disease. Although the application of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing exponentially in various imaged-based gastroenterology procedures, there is still a lack of evidence of the AI technical feasibility and clinical applicability of DAE. This study aimed to develop and test a multi-brand convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithm for automatically detecting ulcers and erosions in DAE. Materials and Methods: A unicentric retrospective study was conducted for the development of a CNN, based on a total of 250 DAE exams. A total of 6772 images were used, of which 678 were considered ulcers or erosions after double-validation. Data were divided into a training and a validation set, the latter being used for the performance assessment of the model. Our primary outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and an area under the curve precision-recall curve (AUC-PR). Results: Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were respectively 88.5%, 99.7%, 96.4%, and 98.9%. The algorithm's accuracy was 98.7%. The AUC-PR was 1.00. The CNN processed 293.6 frames per second, enabling AI live application in a real-life clinical setting in DAE. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study regarding the automatic multi-brand panendoscopic detection of ulcers and erosions throughout the digestive tract during DAE, overcoming a relevant interoperability challenge. Our results highlight that using a CNN to detect this type of lesion is associated with high overall accuracy. The development of binary CNN for automatically detecting clinically relevant endoscopic findings and assessing endoscopic inflammatory activity are relevant steps toward AI application in digestive endoscopy, particularly for panendoscopic evaluation.

Liver biopsy in inflammatory bowel disease patients with sustained abnormal liver function tests: a retrospective single-center study.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be associated with a wide range of hepatobiliary manifestations. This study aimed to characterize the spectrum of hepatobiliary disorders in patients with IBD who underwent liver biopsy for sustained abnormal liver function tests (LFT). Method: A retrospective study was performed of all patients with IBD who underwent liver biopsy between January 2010 and December 2020 for sustained abnormal LFT (at least 6-month duration). Results: A total of 101 patients were included, mostly male (62.4%), with a mean age of 44.4±13.3 years. The most common IBD type was Crohn's disease (61.4%). Median time interval between abnormal LFT and biopsy was 14 (7-36) months. Abnormal LFT was predominantly hepatocellular in 40 patients (39.6%), cholestatic in 26 (25.7%) and mixed in 35 (34.7%). The most frequent diseases were nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 33 patients (32.7%), drug-induced liver disease (DILI) in 30 (29.7%), autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in 13 (12.9%) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in 13 (12.9%). Three patients had primary biliary cholangitis. Remarkably, 70 patients (69.3%) already had fibrosis by the time of liver biopsy and in 6 (5.9%) liver disease was already detected in the stage of cirrhosis. Conclusions: Abnormal LFT in IBD patients had a wide range of etiologies and histology was often essential for reaching a correct diagnosis. NAFLD, DILI, AIH and PSC were the most common diagnoses and patients often presented in cirrhotic stage. Therefore, liver biopsy must be considered early in IBD patients with unexplained sustained abnormal LFT.