Cholangioscopy-guided tunneling and coaxial stenting of a large choledocholithiasis: a novel approach to mechanical lithotripsy.

Video 1Cholangioscopy-guided tunneling and coaxial stenting of a large choledocholithiasis: a novel approach to mechanical lithotripsy. Fluoroscopy image of initial ERCP shows large filling defect (blue circle) and guidewire passing toward the common hepatic duct (black arrow).

Refractory Cytomegalovirus Colitis in Common Variable Immunodeficiency Requiring Total Colectomy.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis is an uncommon infection in immunocompetent hosts, usually occurring in the presence of an underlying immunodeficiency condition that allows for the reactivation of latent CMV infection. CMV colitis typically presents with persistent diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by bloody stools and nonspecific abdominal pain. We present the case of a 76-year-old woman known to have chronic CMV colitis, which was diagnosed in the context of underlying common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Despite multiple attempts at managing CMV colitis, her symptoms persisted over the years. Ultimately, the patient required a pan colectomy due to refractory CMV colitis.

Ectopic Cecal Varices as a Cause of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Ectopic varices account for 1%-5% of all variceal bleeding episodes in patients with portal hypertension. They can be found at any part of gastrointestinal tract including the small intestines, colon, or rectum. We report a case of a 59-year-old man who presented with bleeding per rectum 2 days after a routine colonoscopy, in which 2 lesions were biopsied. Gastroscopy was negative for bleeding, and he was not stable enough to undergo colonoscopy. CT angiography showed a large portosystemic shunt with multiple collaterals in the right lower quadrant. These findings were clues for a diagnosis of ectopic cecal varices.

Effectiveness, safety, and drug sustainability of biologics in elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Biologic therapy resulted in a significant positive impact on the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) however data on the efficacy and side effects of these therapies in the elderly is scant. AIM: To evaluate retrospectively the drug sustainability, effectiveness, and safety of the biologic therapies in the elderly IBD population. METHODS: Consecutive elderly (≥ 60 years old) IBD patients, treated with biologics [infliximab (IFX), adalimumab (ADAL), vedolizumab (VDZ), ustekinumab (UST)] followed at the McGill University Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center were included between January 2000 and 2020. Efficacy was measured by clinical scores at 3, 6-9 and 12-18 mo after initiation of the biologic therapy. Patients completing induction therapy were included. Adverse events (AEs) or serious AE were collected during and within three months of stopping of the biologic therapy. RESULTS: We identified a total of 147 elderly patients with IBD treated with biologicals during the study period, including 109 with Crohn's disease and 38 with ulcerative colitis. Patients received the following biologicals: IFX (28.5%), ADAL (38.7%), VDZ (15.6%), UST (17%). The mean duration of biologic treatment was 157.5 (SD = 148) wk. Parallel steroid therapy was given in 34% at baseline, 19% at 3 mo, 16.3% at 6-9 mo and 6.5% at 12-18 mo. The remission rates at 3, 6-9 and 12-18 mo were not significantly different among biological therapies. Kaplan-Meyer analysis did not show statistical difference for drug sustainability (P = 0.195), time to adverse event (P = 0.158) or infection rates (P = 0.973) between the four biologics studied. The most common AEs that led to drug discontinuation were loss of response, infusion/injection reaction and infection. CONCLUSION: Current biologics were not different regarding drug sustainability, effectiveness, and safety in the elderly IBD population. Therefore, we are not able to suggest a preferred sequencing order among biologicals.

Pan-Esophageal Submucosal Dissection following Transesophageal Echocardiography.

A 73-year-old female underwent open mitral valve replacement with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance. She developed upper gastrointestinal bleeding postoperatively and was found on upper endoscopy to have a bleeding site at the gastric cardia with the appearance of focal trauma and a possible puncture site. A submucosal bluish protrusion was seen throughout the esophagus with a mucosal flap at the proximal esophagus. As a unifying diagnosis, it was suspected that the intraoperative TEE probe caused a submucosal dissection with point of entry at the proximal esophagus, running the entire length of the esophagus and exiting at the gastric cardia, giving rise to a clinical upper gastrointestinal bleed. Closure of the esophageal defect was achieved using an endoclip. A CT scan showed focal pneumomediastinum along the proximal esophagus, confirming the hypothesis. We report the first case to our knowledge of iatrogenic pan-esophageal submucosal dissection, which, in this case, presented as a clinical bleed from the exit point trauma to the gastric cardia mucosa caused by a TEE probe. Endoscopic management of the gastric injury as well as the esophageal defect led to resolution of the bleeding and avoidance of mediastinitis, respectively, allowing for an excellent recovery.

Fucosyltransferase 2 Mutations Are Associated With a Favorable Clinical Course in Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) participates in intestinal antigen secretion and bacterial adherence. FUT2 homozygous nonsense mutations (FUT2M) and subsequent nonsecretor status is associated with Crohn's disease (CD). The common null allele is rs601338. We assessed the relationship between FUT2M and disease course. METHODS: In consecutive adult CD outpatients, clinical, biochemical, and genetic data were collected at baseline visits. Patients were longitudinally followed over 5 years. The primary outcome analyzed the relationship between FUT2M and rates of CD patients in persistent steroid-free clinical remission requiring neither surgery, biologics, nor immunomodulators. RESULTS: Sixty-two CD patients were recruited. FUT2M homozygotes (rs601338 or any mutation in linkage disequilibrium) were detected in 27% of CD (17/62). Patients with rs601338 mutations had higher rates of the primary outcome (homozygous: 46.6%, heterozygous: 28.0%, wild-type: 5.3%, P=0.02). Similar findings existed for CD patients with homozygous mutations in any single-nucleotide polymorphism for FUT2 (homozygous: 41.2%, heterozygous: 25.9%, wild-type: 5.6%, P=0.04). On multivariable analysis, rs601338 mutation was associated with the primary outcome (odds ratio=3.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-8.7, P=0.01), while other parameters were not. Mutation of rs601338 was associated with lower rates of penetrating disease (homozygous: 13.3%, heterozygous: 28.0%, wild-type: 52.6%, P=0.05) and particularly in high-risk patients (homozygous: 0%, heterozygous: 37.5%, wild-type: 83.3%, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: FUT2 mutation status is associated with a favorable clinical course in CD. Further confirmatory studies are needed.

Acute reversible rhabdomyolysis during direct-acting antiviral hepatitis C virus treatment: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of hepatitis C infection has evolved dramatically since 2011. Previous conventional therapy with interferon and ribavirin used to have a low sustained virological response rate of less than 40%. In the new direct-acting antiviral therapy era, a sustained virological response can be achieved in more than 90% of cases. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a rare case of severe reversible acute rhabdomyolysis in a 31-year-old Saudi male patient with very long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency and chronic hepatitis C infection. The patient was clinically asymptomatic with no signs of decompensated liver disease. The patient received new direct-acting antiviral agents: sofosbuvir and daclatasvir. Fourteen days after initiation of direct-acting antiviral agents, the patient was found to have asymptomatic rhabdomyolysis. His creatine kinase peaked at 2572 IU/l, and he was treated conservatively; the direct-acting antiviral agents were discontinued and within 7 days, the patient's creatine kinase levels normalized. CONCLUSION: This case highlights possible direct-acting antiviral agent-induced rhabdomyolysis in a patient with very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, presumably through alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential. Further studies are required to assess the possible impact and associations.