Efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy using self-expandable metallic stent for afferent loop syndrome: A single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy is a procedure used to connect the stomach and dilated afferent loop using a stent under endoscopic ultrasound for afferent loop syndrome. However, the actual efficacy and safety of this procedure remain unclear. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy using a laser-cut-type fully covered self-expandable metallic stent and an anchoring plastic stent for afferent loop syndrome. METHODS: Technical and clinical success rates, adverse events, recurrent intestinal obstruction rates, time to recurrent intestinal obstruction, and technical and clinical success rates of re-intervention were evaluated in intended patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy for afferent loop syndrome from October 2018 to August 2022. RESULTS: In 25 intended patients with afferent loop syndrome who intended endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy, the technical success rate was 100% (25/25), whereas the clinical success rate was 96% (24/25). Two patients experienced grade ≥ 3 early adverse events, including one with intra-abdominal abscess and one with hypotension. Both events were attributed to intestinal fluid leakage. No late adverse events were observed. The recurrent intestinal obstruction rate was 32% (8/25), and the median time to recurrent intestinal obstruction was 6.5 months (95% confidence interval: 2.8-not available). The technical and clinical success rates of re-intervention were both 100% (8/8). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy using a fully covered self-expandable metallic stent and an anchoring plastic stent is effective and safe as a treatment procedure for afferent loop syndrome.

The 10 Hz dynamic response of a fluid-filled pressure monitoring system is a novel alternative to the fast flush test and indicative of unacceptable systolic pressure overshoot.

The standard method for qualitatively evaluating the dynamic response is to see if the gain of the amplitude spectrum curve approaches 1 (input signal = output signal) over the frequency band of the blood pressure waveform. In a previous report, Watanabe reported that Gardner's natural frequency and damping coefficient, which are widely used as evaluation methods, do not reflect the dynamic response of the circuit. Therefore, new parameters for evaluating the dynamic response of pressure monitoring circuits were desired. In this study, arterial pressure catheters with length of 30, 60, 150, and 210 cm were prepared, and a blood pressure wave calibrator, two pressure monitors with analog output and a personal computer were used to analyze blood pressure monitoring circuits. All data collection and analytical processes were performed using step response analysis program. The gain at 10 Hz was close to 1 and the systolic blood pressure difference was small in the short circuits (30 cm, 60 cm), and the gain at 10 Hz was 1.3-1.5 in the 150 cm circuit and over 1.7 in the 210 cm circuit. The difference in systolic blood pressure increased in proportion to the length of the circuit. It could also be inferred that the gain at 10 Hz should be less than 1.2 to meet a clinically acceptable blood pressure difference. In conclusion, the gain at 10 Hz is sufficiently useful as an indicator to determine the correct systolic blood pressure.

IgG4-related pancreatobiliary diseases could be associated with onset of pancreatobiliary cancer: A multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The risk and prognosis of pancreatobiliary cancer and in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4-SC) remain unclear. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated the risk of pancreatobiliary cancer and prognosis in patients with AIP and IgG4-SC. METHODS: Patients with AIP and IgG4-SC at seven centers between 1998 and 2022 were investigated. The following data were evaluated: (1) the number of cancers diagnosed and standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for pancreatobiliary and other cancers during the observational period and (2) prognosis after diagnosis of AIP and IgG4-SC using standardized mortality ratio (SMR). RESULTS: This study included 201 patients with AIP and IgG4-SC. The mean follow-up period was 5.7 years. Seven cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed, and the SIR was 8.11 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.29-9.13). Three cases of bile duct cancer were diagnosed, and the SIR was 6.89 (95% CI: 6.20-7.75). The SMR after the diagnosis of AIP and IgG4-SC in cases that developed pancreatobiliary cancer were 4.03 (95% CI: 2.83-6.99). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with autoimmune pancreatitis and IgG4-SC were associated with a high risk of pancreatic and bile duct cancer. Patients with AIP and IgG4-SC have a worse prognosis when they develop pancreatobiliary cancer.

Incidence and factors associated with stent dysfunction and pancreatitis after gastroduodenal stenting for malignant gastric outlet obstruction.

Background and study aims Endoscopic gastroduodenal stent (GDS) deployment is currently a standard treatment for malignant gastric outlet obstruction (mGOO) in patients with limited life expectancy; however, stent dysfunction (SD) and complicated pancreatitis often occur after GDS deployment. We investigated incidence and contributing factors of SD and complicated pancreatitis. Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed 203 patients who underwent initial GDS deployment for palliation of mGOO symptoms between October 2017 and July 2022, including 109 who underwent GDS deployment across the duodenal papilla (sub-cohort). Results SDs, including tumor ingrowth (n = 26), kinking (n = 14), and migration (n = 13), occurred in 68 patients (33.5%). Cumulative SD incidence was 41.1% (95% confidence interval, 32.6-49.4%). SD incidence increased to 0.4%, 0.16%, and 0.06% per day at < 8, 8-16, and>16 weeks, respectively. On multivariate analysis, Niti-S pyloric/duodenal stent deployment (sub-distribution hazard ratio [sHR] 0.26, P = 0.01) and survival length ≥ 90 days (sHR 2.5, P = 0.01) were respectively identified as favorable and risk factors significantly associated with SD. Pancreatitis developed in 14 patients (12.8%) in the sub-cohort, which had significantly higher parenchymal diameter ( P < 0.01) and lower main pancreatic duct (MPD) caliber ( P < 0.01) than the non-pancreatitis cohort. On multivariate analysis, MPD caliber < 3 mm independently predicted pancreatitis (odds ratio 6.8, P = 0.03). Conclusions Deployment of the Niti-S pyloric/duodenal stent, with conformability even for angulated strictures, significantly reduced the incidence of SD. Stent selection, life expectancy, and MPD caliber should be taken into consideration during decision-making for GDS deployment for mGOO.

Feasibility and safety of a novel plastic stent designed specifically for endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic duct drainage.

Background and study aims Endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic duct drainage (EUS-PD) is emerging as an effective alternative treatment for obstructive pancreatitis after unsuccessful endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP). However, the high incidence of adverse events associated with EUS-PD (approximately 20%) remains an issue. Recently, we developed a novel plastic stent for EUS-PD, with a radiopaque marker positioned at approximately one-third of the length from the distal end of the stent and side holes positioned exclusively distal to the marker. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of using this stent in EUS-PD. Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed data from 10 patients who underwent EUS-PD with the novel plastic stent at the National Cancer Center Hospital between March 2021 and October 2023. Technical and clinical success, procedure times, adverse events (AEs), recurrent pancreatic duct obstruction (RPO), and time to RPO were assessed. Results Of the 10 patients, five had postoperative benign pancreaticojejunal anastomotic strictures and five had malignant pancreatic duct obstruction. The technical and clinical success rates were both 100% (10/10). An AE (self-limited abdominal pain) occurred in one patient (10.0%). Two patients (20.0%) died of their primary disease during the follow-up period (median, 44 days; range, 25-272 days). The incidence of RPO was 10.0% (1/10), and the 3-month non-RPO rate was 83.3%. Conclusions The novel plastic stent shows potential as a useful and safe tool in EUS-PD.

Comparison of stent patency between EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging and endoscopic transpapillary biliary drainage for hilar obstruction.

Background and study aims Endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging between the left and right bile ducts is an alternative to endoscopic transpapillary drainage for malignant hilar biliary obstruction. We aimed to analyze the long-term stent patency of endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging. Patients and methods Patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging between April 2018 and July 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. We retrospectively compared the stent patency of these patients with that of the individuals who underwent endoscopic transpapillary drainage-multi-stenting using unmatched (entire) and propensity score-matched cohorts. Results Endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging had a technical success rate of 90% (18/20). Adverse events were minimal. The number of clinical success cases was 17 and 82 for endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging using metallic stent and endoscopic transpapillary drainage-multi-stenting, respectively. The recurrent biliary obstruction rate was 17.6% and 58.5% for endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging and endoscopic transpapillary drainage-multi-stenting, respectively; the median time to recurrent biliary obstruction (days) was significantly longer for endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging in the entire (not reached vs. 104, P =0.03) and propensity score-matched (183 vs. 79, P =0.05) cohorts. The non-recurrent biliary obstruction rate for endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging was 91.6% at 3 and 6 months and 57% at 12 months. Multivariate analyses revealed that endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging contributed to a lower recurrent biliary obstruction incidence (hazard ratio, 0.31, P =0.05) without significant difference. Conclusions Stent patency was significantly better for endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy with bridging. However, future prospective studies are needed.