Novel Endoscopic Findings of Lesions with a Short White Hair-like Appearance in the Lower Esophagus.

Objective The presence of a short white hair-like appearance in the lower esophagus has recently been noted during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) at our institution. Histological findings showed that this formation was a spiked protrusion of the esophageal papilla. The results regarding the prevalence of such lesions in individuals who underwent EGD examinations as part of medical checkup procedures are herein presented. Methods The EGD results of 14,338 individuals (9,225 males, 5,113 females; mean age 54.0±9.8 years) were examined. The findings related to the presence of multiple lesions with a short white hair-like appearance in the lower esophagus of patients with reflux esophagitis, esophageal squamous papilloma, or gastric mucosal atrophy (GMA), as well as the hiatal hernia width, were investigated. Results Endoscopic findings indicating short white hair-like appendages in the lower esophagus were noted in 167 patients, with a prevalence rate of 1.2%. A female sex, younger age, lower body mass index, lower percentages of habitual smoking and drinking, and the presence of esophageal squamous papilloma were characteristic features of cases with such findings. In addition, a significantly lower prevalence of reflux esophagitis and a smaller diaphragmatic hiatus size were observed. A multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that a female sex, absence of reflux esophagitis, presence of esophageal squamous papilloma, and a smaller diaphragmatic hiatus were factors significantly related to the presence of these short white hair-like appendages. An analysis of circumferential localization revealed the main location to be the left-posterior wall. Conclusion This study is the first to report the prevalence of multiple short white hair-like appendages in the lower esophagus. The occurrence of such lesions is inversely associated with the presence of reflux esophagitis.

Dynamic ultrasonography for optimizing treatment position in superior mesenteric artery syndrome: Two case reports and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare cause of duodenal obstruction by extrinsic compression between the SMA and the aorta (SMA-Ao). Although the left lateral recumbent position is considered effective in the treatment of SMA syndrome, individual variations in the optimal patient position have been noted. In this report, we present two elderly cases of SMA syndrome that exhibited rapid recovery due to ultrasonographic dynamic evaluation of the optimal position for each patient. CASE SUMMARY: Case 1: A 90-year-old man with nausea and vomiting. Following diagnosis of SMA syndrome by computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US) revealed the SMA-Ao distance in the supine position (4 mm), which slightly improved in the lateral position (5.7-7.0 mm) without the passage of duodenal contents. However, in the sitting position, the SMA-Ao distance was increased to 15 mm accompanied by improved content passage. Additionally, US indicated enhanced passage upon abdominal massage on the right side. By day 2, the patient could eat comfortably with the optimal position and massage. Case 2: An 87-year-old woman with vomiting. After the diagnosis of SMA syndrome and aspiration pneumonia by CT, dynamic US confirmed the optimal position (SMA-Ao distance was improved to 7 mm in forward-bent position, whereas it remained at 5 mm in the supine position). By day 7 when her pneumonia recovered, she could eat with the optimal position. CONCLUSION: The optimal position for SMA syndrome varies among individuals. Dynamic US appears to be a valuable tool in improving patient outcomes.

Validation of rapid fecal calprotectin assay using particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay for inflammatory bowel disease.

Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a promising biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease. An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is widely used for FC detection, though the considerable lag time, up to several days, causes clinical management delay. This study was performed to examine the new rapid kit fCAL-turbo, which is based on a particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (15 min), by comparing FC values with other EIAs (EliA, PhiCal, Bühlmann) and endoscopic scores. Using 94 samples, fCAL-turbo showed strong significant positive correlations with the other kits (Spearman's r = 0.9178-0.9886). Of 74 UC patients, 69 underwent an endoscopy and fCAL-turbo reflected endoscopic activity with a moderate correlation with Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) (r = 0.6945, others r = 0.6682-0.7013). Receiver operating characteristic analyses based on MES 0 versus 1-3 showed a similar efficacy as compared to the other kits (cut-off and area under the curve: 89.70 µg/g and 0.8592, respectively, others 62.35-138.4 µg/g and 0.8280-0.8611, respectively). Furthermore, multiple regression analysis confirmed that fCAL-turbo results significantly contributed to prediction of MES 0 with a higher t-value as compared to the other biomarkers. fCAL-turbo showed strong correlations with the other kits and also demonstrated excellent performance for predicting endoscopic remission of UC.

Prevalence of Gastric Epithelial Tumors in Helicobacter pylori-uninfected Individuals Undergoing a Medical Checkup.

Objective This study investigated the prevalence of gastric epithelial tumor in Helicobacter pylori-uninfected subjects who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) as part of an annual checkup. Methods A total of 20,540 EGD examinations of H. pylori-uninfected individuals (12,917 men, 7,623 women; mean age 51.5±9.2 years old) were performed between April 2016 and March 2023. The prevalence of gastric epithelial tumor discovery and the size and location of each lesion type were analyzed. Results According to 20,540 examinations, 61 gastric epithelial tumors were endoscopically and histologically diagnosed in 58 of the subjects, with a prevalence rate of 0.28%. These tumors included signet-ring carcinoma (n=10, 0.05%), gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic-gland type (n=10, 0.05%), intestinal-type well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (n=2, 0.01%), and raspberry-type gastric foveolar tumors (n=36, 0.18%). One subject had two intestinal-type well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, and two each had two raspberry-type gastric foveolar tumors. The mean sizes of the signet-ring carcinomas, gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic-gland type, intestinal-type well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, and raspberry-type gastric foveolar tumors were 6.4, 4.7, 5.0, and 3.4 mm, respectively. Each lesion was located at a specific site in the stomach characteristic of its type. Conclusion In the present H. pylori-uninfected subjects, the prevalence of gastric epithelial tumors found on an EGD examination was 0.28%. Endoscopic examination should be performed in H. pylori-uninfected individuals to detect such tumors in characteristic locations.

Clinicopathologic differences of gastric neoplasms between Helicobacter pylori-infected and -naïve patients: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric neoplasms in Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-naïve patients has recently increased due to a remarkable decrease in the Hp-infected population in Japan. We investigated the clinicopathologic differences between Hp-infected gastric neoplasms (HpIGNs) and Hp-naïve gastric neoplasms (HpNGNs) that have not been fully elucidated so far. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study investigated 966 consecutive patients with 1131 gastric dysplasia or cancers who underwent endoscopic or surgical treatment for the recent decade. Clinicopathologic features were compared between HpIGN and HpNGN cases. RESULTS: One thousand and sixty-eight HpIGNs in 916 patients included 877 differentiated types and 191 undifferentiated types. Sixty-three HpNGNs in 50 patients included 57 differentiated types (35 foveolar types, 15 intestinal types, 6 fundic-gland types, and 1 other differentiated type) and 6 undifferentiated types. HpNGNs occurred in younger (59.5 vs. 71.8 years, p < 0.05) and female patients (40.0% vs. 26.5%, p < 0.05), were found more frequently in the proximal compartment (p < 0.05), and had smaller size (median 4.0 vs. 20.0 mm, p < 0.05). Histologically, HpNGNs and HpIGNs both primarily consisted of differentiated type (90.5% vs. 82.1%, p = 0.089) and HpNGNs showed lower prevalence of invasive cancer (11.1% vs. 37.6%, p < 0.05) and lymphovascular invasion (1.6% vs. 31.6%, p < 0.05). Nearly all HpNGNs (62/63, 98.4%) were diagnosed in early pathological stage, while 16.1% (172/1068) of HpIGNs were diagnosed in advanced stage (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HpNGNs is recently on the increase but shows lower malignant nature regardless of histologic type than HpIGN. Endoscopic gastric cancer screening will be reviewed via cost effectiveness for Hp-naïve individuals in future.

Gastric Metastasis from Salivary Duct Carcinoma Mimicking Scirrhous Gastric Cancer.

A 59-year-old man underwent submandibular gland excision for salivary duct carcinoma (SDC). One year later, esophagogastroduodenoscopy indicated gastric diffuse mucosal thickening with luminal contraction, mimicking scirrhous gastric carcinoma. Biopsy specimens showed dense proliferation of neoplastic cells expressing androgen receptor and human epidermal growth factor 2, indicating SDC. Gastric diffuse infiltrative metastasis is generally characteristic of gastric metastasis from invasive ductal carcinoma, which shows histologic features similar to SDC. This is the first known report of gastric diffusely infiltrating metastasis in an SDC patient. Rapidly progressing, diffuse gastric wall thickening should also be considered indicative of salivary tumor-associated gastric metastasis.

Association of lysophosphatidic acid molecules with liver fibrosis: different roles indicated.

Lysophosphatidic acid is composed of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) molecules with varied chemical forms. The present cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the associations of various LPA molecules with liver fibrosis. Forty-six patients affected by various types of liver disease who underwent an ultrasound-guided liver biopsy were recruited for this study. Liver fibrosis was evaluated using histological grading, as well as shear wave velocity (Vs) and serum level of type IV collagen 7S (T4c7s). Serum levels of LPA molecules were determined using liquid-chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MSMS). Total LPA showed a significant positive association with fibrosis severity evaluated based on histological grading, Vs, and T4c7s used as parameters, following adjustment for other confounding factors, including disease type, age, gender, body mass index, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. This association was replicated when 16:0-LPA was substituted for total LPA. In contrast, when 20:4-LPA was substituted for total LPA, no significant association with liver fibrosis was observed. In conclusion, the degree of association varied among the different LPA molecule chemical forms, suggesting different pathophysiological roles of individual LPA molecules, although total LPA concentration was shown to be associated with liver fibrosis.

Predictive Factors for Efficacy of Oral Tacrolimus Induction Therapy in Moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis Patients: Large Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Tacrolimus (TAC), a calcineurin inhibitor, is used for remission induction therapy in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC), with short-term efficacy and related predictive factors shown in previous cohort studies. However, most studies reported data for only a limited number of patients enrolled from a single center. We performed a large multicenter retrospective cohort study to identify factors related to prediction of clinical remission in UC patients treated with oral TAC. METHODS: The medical records of patients with moderate to severe UC treated with oral TAC as induction therapy at 7 institutions between April 2009 and March 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 216 patients who received TAC for induction were analyzed, of whom 123 (56.9%) showed clinical remission at week 12. Logistic regression analysis indicated that previous or current use of antitumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibodies (odds ratio [OR], 0.259; P = .006), and concomitant treatment with 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) at the baseline (OR, 0.268; P = .005) were independent predictive factors correlated with failure of clinical remission, whereas higher levels of C-reactive protein (OR, 1.124; P = .014) predicted achievement of clinical remission. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this multicenter study clearly indicate the efficacy of TAC induction therapy for patients with moderate to severe UC. Notably, previous or current use of anti-TNF-α antibodies was associated with poor achievement of clinical remission by week 12.

Endoscopic differential diagnosis between foveolar-type gastric adenoma and gastric hyperplastic polyps in Helicobacter pylori-naïve patients.

BACKGROUND: Foveolar-type gastric adenoma (FGA) occurs in Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-naïve individuals and morphologically mimics Hp-naïve gastric hyperplastic polyp (HpN-GHP). FGA is often difficult to distinguish from HpN-GHP even by biopsy, due to its low-grade histologic atypia. We conducted a retrospective study to create an endoscopic diagnostic index. METHODS: We analyzed 51 FGAs in 41 patients and 36 HpN-GHPs in 24 patients. All lesions were photographed by white-light endoscopy (WLE) and narrow-band imaging with magnification endoscopy (NBIME). Three experts and three non-experts reviewed the WLE and WLE+NBIME images to assess six items for lesion diagnosis. We analyzed correlations between the diagnostic items and histologic features and compared the diagnostic accuracy between modalities. We created a composite diagnostic index and calculated its accuracy and consistency. RESULTS: FGAs more frequently showed the following features vs. HpN-GHPs: bright-red color (94.1% vs. 44.4%), peripheral hyperplasia (58.8% vs. 8.3%), papillary/gyrus-like microstructure (96.1% vs. 33.3%), visible capillaries (70.6% vs. 38.9%), and demarcation line (98.0% vs. 41.7%) (P < 0.05). White-zone thickening was seen only in HpN-GHPs (52.8%). Diagnostic accuracy (mean, WLE vs. WLE+NBIME) was 90.8 ± 1.1% vs. 93.5 ± 2.4% (P = 0.15) for experts and 88.5 ± 3.0% vs. 86.6 ± 3.5% (P = 0.51) for non-experts. When satisfying the four criteria (bright-red color, papillary/gyrus-like microstructure, demarcation line, and absent white-zone thickening), sensitivity and specificity for FGA were 90.2% and 94.4%, respectively, with a kappa value of ≥ 0.6 for interobserver diagnostic agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Composite diagnostic index contributes to the reproducible, accurate, preoperative differential diagnosis of FGA and HpN-GHP.

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome: Diagnosis and management.

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome (also known as Wilkie's syndrome, cast syndrome, or aorto-mesenteric compass syndrome) is an obstruction of the duodenum caused by extrinsic compression between the SMA and the aorta. The median age of patients is 23 years old (range 0-91 years old) and predominant in females over males with a ratio of 3:2. The symptoms are variable, consisting of postprandial abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, early satiety, anorexia, and weight loss and can mimic anorexia nervosa or functional dyspepsia. Because recurrent vomiting leads to aspiration pneumonia or respiratory depression via metabolic alkalosis, early diagnosis is required. The useful diagnostic modalities are computed tomography as a standard tool and ultrasonography, which has advantages in safety and capability of real-time assessments of SMA mobility and duodenum passage. The initial treatment is usually conservative, including postural change, gastroduodenal decompression, and nutrient management (success rates: 70%-80%). If conservative therapy fails, surgical treatment (i.e., laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy) is recommended (success rates: 80%-100%).

Gastric Flat Elevated Undifferentiated Signet-ring Cell Mucosal Cancer Lesion Detected in a Case without Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Protruded signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is extremely rare. We herein report a rare case of flat elevated gastric SRCC in a patient without Helicobacter pylori infection. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy of a woman in her 50s revealed a flat, whitish lesion in the gastric body with elevation. Histological results of an endoscopically biopsied specimen led to a diagnosis of SRCC. Resection using endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed, and histology results revealed that the tumor was localized in the lamina propria. The size was 10×6 mm, and a protrusion had been formed by SRCC enlargement without destruction of the surface epithelium structure.

Prevalence of Raspberry-type Gastric Foveolar-type Tumor in Individuals Undergoing Medical Checkups.

Objective This study was performed to clarify the prevalence of raspberry-type gastric foveolar-type tumors, along with the time-course changes in the size and clinical course. Methods The subjects were 10,663 consecutive patients who underwent a medical checkup between April 2016 and March 2022, including an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) examination and determination of Helicobacter pylori infection status (uninfected, positive, post-eradication). The presence of characteristic reddish polypoid lesions in the stomach was investigated, and a diagnosis of raspberry-type gastric foveolar-type tumor was made based on histological findings. Results Thirty-eight cases had gastric polyps with a raspberry-like appearance on endoscopy, with 29 lesions in 28 cases endoscopically and histologically diagnosed as a raspberry-type gastric foveolar-type tumor. All of the affected subjects were determined to be H. pylori-uninfected. The prevalence of this type of lesion in all subjects was 0.26%, while that in the 6,635 H. pylori-uninfected subjects was 0.42%. An older age and the presence of a fundic gland polyp were found to be significant risk factors associated with the occurrence of the tumor. The mean size was 3.8±1.9 (range: 2-10) mm, and the location was in a fundic gland area in all affected subjects. Furthermore, examinations of previous EGD images revealed that two-thirds of the lesions had not changed in size, while follow-up EGD findings showed that lesions ≤5 mm in size had disappeared after a biopsy procedure. Conclusion The prevalence of raspberry-type gastric foveolar-type tumors was 0.42% in H. pylori-uninfected subjects. More than half of the lesions were too small to be removed by an endoscopic biopsy.

Anxiety and behavioral changes in Japanese patients with inflammatory bowel disease due to COVID-19 pandemic: a national survey.

BACKGROUND: Given the increasing health concerns for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the impact of the pandemic on the anxiety and behavioral changes in Japanese patients with IBD. METHODS: We analyzed 3032 questionnaires from patients with IBD, aged 16 years or older visiting 30 hospitals and 1 clinic between March 2020 and June 2021. The primary outcome was the score of the anxiety experienced by patients with IBD during the pandemic. RESULTS: Participants reported a median age of 44 years; 43.3% of the patients were women. Moreover, 60.6% and 39.4% were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively, with a median disease duration of 10 years. Participants indicated an average of disease-related anxiety score of 5.1 ± 2.5 on a ten-point scale, with a tendency to increase, 1 month after the number of infected persons per population increased. The top three causes for anxiety were the risk of contracting COVID-19 during hospital visits, SARS-CoV-2 infection due to IBD, and infection by IBD medication. Factors associated with anxiety were gender (women), being a homemaker, hospital visit timings, mode of transportation (train), use of immunosuppressive drugs, and nutritional therapy. Most patients continued attending their scheduled hospital visits, taking their medications, experienced the need for a family doctor, and sought guidance and information regarding COVID-19 from primary doctors, television, and Internet news. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IBD experienced moderate disease-related anxiety due to the pandemic and should be proactively informed about infectious diseases to relieve their anxiety.

Development of in-situ Raman diagnosis technique of eosinophil esophagitis.

The spectra of the live tissue with blood flow measured with 785 nm-excitation light showed a very weak signal due to hemoglobin (Hb). It suggested the possibility to detect eosinophil accumulation in the tissue with the 785 nm-excitation light. The excitation wavelength of 633 nm induced strong fluorescence of sapphire glass that is a material of the ball lens of BHRP (Ball lens top hollow optical fiber Raman probe). On the other hand, the previous study suggested that eosinophil including eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) that showed a strong resonance Raman effect with 633 nm-excitation light. The purpose of the present study is to collect basic information and to evaluate the viability of Raman spectroscopic analysis for the detection of eosinophil accumulation in the live esophagus. BHRP with a sapphire ball lens with 500 µm diameter was applied for measurement of live esophagus tissue of a mouse. In this study, Raman spectra of eosinophil were measured with 633 and 785 nm-excitation. The Raman spectra of eosinophil showed a strong contribution of EPO, suggested that a heme chromophore in EPO had pre-resonance enhancement via Q band with the 785 nm-excitation light. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied for the analysis of Raman spectra of eosinophil, erythrocyte and other granulocytes. Eosinophil was successfully discriminated from other blood cells in the PCA score plots built for the datasets of the spectra measured with 633 and 785 nm-excitation wavelengths. Consequently, our study demonstrates that Raman spectroscopy with 785 nm-excitation had high viability for in situ analysis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

Low Fecal Calprotectin Predicts Histological Healing in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis with Endoscopic Remission and Leads to Prolonged Clinical Remission.

BACKGROUND: Consensus regarding the cutoff value of fecal calprotectin (FC) for predicting histological healing (HH) in ulcerative colitis (UC) is lacking. This study aimed to determine an optimal FC cutoff value for predicting HH in patients with UC with clinical and endoscopic remission. Furthermore, FC's predictability for prolonged clinical remission (CR) was investigated. METHODS: Patients with UC in clinical and endoscopic remission, defined as a partial Mayo score (PMS) ≤ 2 points and a Mayo endoscopic subscore 0-1, were prospectively enrolled. Biopsy samples were evaluated by Geboes score (GS), with HH defined as a GS < 2.0. Patients were followed for 2 years or until relapse, defined as a PMS > 2 or medication escalation. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients with UC were included. The median FC value in patients with HH (n = 40) was 56.2 µg/g, significantly lower than that in those with histological activity (118.1 µg/g; P < .01). The area under the curve (AUC) in a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to predict HH for FC was 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.83), with an optimal cutoff value of 82.7 µg/g (73% sensitivity; 64% specificity; P < .01). Of 74 patients observed for 2 years, 54 (73%) had prolonged CR. In the ROC curve analysis, the AUC to predict prolonged CR for FC was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.68-0.90), equivalent to that for HH (0.73; 95% CI, 0.64-0.86; P = .40). The optimal FC cutoff value to predict prolonged CR was 84.6 µg/g (72% sensitivity; 85% specificity; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Fecal calprotectin < 82 µg/g predicts HH in patients with UC with clinical and endoscopic remission. Low FC leads to prolonged CR, equivalent to HH.

Fecal calprotectin (FC) levels < 82 µg/g predict histological healing in ulcerative colitis patients with clinical and endoscopic remission. Low FC leads to prolonged clinical remission for up to 2 years in those with clinical and endoscopic remission, equivalent to histological healing.

Degree of Gastric Mucosal Atrophy Correlated Well with Gastric Cancer Occurrence in Patients with Helicobacter pylori-eradicated Status.

Objective This study was performed to clarify the association of the degree of gastric mucosal atrophy (GMA) with the occurrence of gastric cancer in patients with Helicobacter pylori-eradicated status. Methods The subjects were 3,058 patients (2,035 men, 1,023 women; mean age 57.9 ± 9.5 years old) with H. pylori eradication who underwent esophago-gastroduodenal endoscopy examinations as part of medical checkups conducted between April 2013 and March 2022. The gender, age at eradication, time since eradication, usage of anti-secretory drugs, degree of endoscopic GMA, and the fundic gland polyp (FGP) prevalence were compared between subjects with and without gastric cancer occurrence. Results Gastric cancer was newly detected in 26 subjects (0.85%) during the study period, with an older age at H. pylori eradication and severe grade of endoscopic GMA being significant risk factors for its occurrence. The gender, smoking history, and usage of anti-secretory drugs were not significantly different between subjects with and without gastric cancer occurrence. A Cox regression analysis showed that an older age at eradication and the degree of GMA were risk factors significantly related to occurrence. Furthermore, the degree of GMA was inversely correlated with FGP development, and gastric cancer was not detected in 467 subjects with FGP prevalence. Conclusion An older age at the time of H. pylori eradication and the degree of GMA are significant risk factors for gastric cancer occurrence in H. pylori-eradicated patients. The FGP prevalence in subjects with H. pylori eradication was inversely associated with GMA, suggesting it was negatively related with gastric cancer occurrence.