Endoscopic sphincterotomy and endoscopic biliary stenting do not affect the sensitivity of transpapillary forceps biopsy for the diagnosis of bile duct adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The pathological evaluation of tissues with cholangitis is considered difficult, which can often occur after endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and endoscopic biliary stenting (EBS). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of a history of EST and EBS on the sensitivity of transpapillary forceps bile duct biopsy (TB) for bile duct adenocarcinoma. METHODS: This retrospective study included consecutive cases of bile duct adenocarcinoma in which TB was performed before July 2020 until the number exceeded that required to support statistical and noninferiority analyses of the sensitivity of TB between patients with and without each variable. The incidence of postprocedural adverse events related to each factor was also investigated. RESULTS: Overall, 280 samples were required in each group, and 437 subjects (792 samples) were included. The sensitivity of TB was 63.6% for the subjects and 59.6% for the biopsy samples. For the biopsy samples, the sensitivity did not differ significantly between samples from patients with and without a history of EST (59.1% vs. 58.9%, P = 0.952) and EBS (62.1% vs. 55.4%, P = 0.065). The sensitivity was significantly higher for samples from patients with jaundice (67.9% vs. 57.0%, P = 0.008). There were significantly fewer procedure-related adverse events in patients with a history of EST (10.8% vs. 19.0%, P = 0.017) and EBS (12.0% vs. 21.7%, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: A history of EST or EBS did not influence sensitivity of TB but significantly decreased the incidence of adverse events. To safely and reliably perform TB to diagnose bile duct adenocarcinoma, planning, including for EST and EBS, is necessary.

[Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from duodenal papillary carcinoma].

A woman in her 50s presented with ataxia and repeated falls during 2nd line S-1 therapy for duodenal papillary carcinoma with metastasis. She was diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis based on gadolinium contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, although plain computed tomography (CT) and MRI of the head showed no intracranial occupying lesions. This is a rare leptomeningeal carcinomatosis case with duodenal papillary carcinoma as the primary lesion, although aggressive treatment was not possible due to the decreased consciousness level.

Diagnostic performance of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided elastography for solid pancreatic lesions: Shear-wave measurements versus strain elastography with histogram analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography (EUS-EG) is a minimally invasive diagnostic method for evaluating tissue elasticity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of newly developed EUS shear-wave measurement (EUS-SWM) and to compare diagnostic performance between EUS-SWM and the conventional strain elastography (SE) for the measurement of elasticity of solid pancreatic lesions (SPLs). METHODS: From December 2017 until August 2019, we retrospectively reviewed 64 consecutive cases with SPLs who underwent both EUS-SWM and SE. EUS-SWM was used to measure the shear-wave velocity, Vs (m/s), and the unique measurement reliability index, VsN (%), in the target lesion. SE images were assessed by strain histogram (SH) analysis, and the mean strain value of the elasticity index was measured. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of EUS-SWM and SE with SH to characterize the SPLs. RESULTS: The Vs (m/s) values of SPLs were 2.19 for pancreatic cancer (PC), 1.31 for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (PanNEN), 2.56 for mass-forming pancreatitis (MFP) and 1.58 for metastatic tumors. Vs showed no significant difference based on the disease. The mean strain values were 45.5 for PC, 47.3 for PanNEN, and 74.5 for MFP. In the comparison of tissue elasticity between PC and MFP, Vs showed no significant difference (P = 0.5687); however, the mean strain value was significantly lower in PC cases (45.4 vs 74.5: P = 0.0007). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic ultrasound SWM tended to be unstable for the measurement of elasticity of SPLs, and conventional SE with SH was superior for their characterization.

Can contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography accurately diagnose main pancreatic duct involvement in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms?

BACKGROUND: Main pancreatic duct (MPD) involvement in branch duct-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs) is a high risk finding for malignant IPMNs. However, discrepancies exist in the identification of MPD involvement between imaging findings and pathological diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative assessment of MPD involvement in IPMNs using contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS). METHODS: This study involved 166 consecutive patients with BD-IPMNs who underwent surgical resection. CH-EUS was used to evaluate the MPD involvement according to the presence of mural nodules (MN) that advanced into the MPD or involved the MPD. The CH-EUS findings were compared with the pathological findings. Additionally, we analyzed the risk factors for malignant BD-IPMNs using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 77, 51, and 38 patients were pathologically diagnosed with low-grade or intermediate-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia and invasive IPMNs, respectively. MPD involvement was diagnosed using CH-EUS (MPD-inv.-EUS) in 90 (54.2%) patients with a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 83.5%, 87.0% and 84.9%, respectively. The malignancy rate in patients with MPD-inv.-EUS was 71.6% (63/90). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MPD-inv.-EUS (OR, 3.61; 95% CI:1.45-8.98), age (OR, 5.70; 95% CI: 1.47-22.2), cyst size (OR, 2.45; 95% CI:1.04-5.78) and MN size (OR, 7.05; 95% CI:2.48-20.0) were significant for malignant BD-IPMNs. CONCLUSIONS: MPD-inv.-EUS accurately represents the pathological involvement of IPMN and may be a useful predictor of malignant BD-IPMNs.

Risks and characteristics of pancreatic cancer and pancreatic relapse in autoimmune pancreatitis patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We examined the differences in the risks and characteristics of pancreatic relapse (PR) and pancreatic cancer (PC) in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 123 type 1 AIP patients with a median follow-up of 55 months (interquartile range, 27-98). The following items were evaluated: (i) cumulative relapse rates and risk factors, (ii) the incidence of PC, (iii) PR versus PC, and (iv) outcomes after the appearance of morphological changes in the pancreas (focal enlargement, apparent mass lesions, or main pancreatic duct dilation). RESULTS: (i) The cumulative PR rates were 1.7% within 1 year, 11.5% within 3 years, and 22.6% within 5 years. Lack of maintenance therapy, IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis, and IgG4-related kidney disease were identified as independent predictors of relapse. (ii) Two patients (1.6%) were diagnosed with PC at 17 and 22 months after initial AIP diagnosis. (iii) Thirteen (59.1%) and four (18.2%) patients with PR had focal enlargement and main pancreatic duct dilation, respectively. The median CA19-9 level at initial diagnosis was significantly higher in PC patients (21 vs 220.5 U/mL, P = 0.014). (iv) Eight PR patients underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration, none of whom had malignant findings. PC was diagnosed by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in both cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of PC is low, it may mimic PR in AIP patients. Surveillance is important, and when morphological changes occur, biopsy and evaluation of serum IgG4 and CA19-9 levels (particularly if the levels were high before) should be considered.

Discrepancy Between Cognitive Test and Brain Imaging Results in Alzheimer's Disease Associated with Diabetes.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Although a large number of studies have been performed on the association between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), the underlying pathophysiology of AD associated with DM has not been fully elucidated to date. We compared cognitive functions and brain imaging findings between AD patients with and without DM to characterize the association between cognition and imaging findings in AD patients with DM. METHODS: Cognitive functions and brain imaging findings, including medial temporal lobe atrophy analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging, and hypoperfusion in the parietal, posterior cingulate, and frontal regions analyzed by single-photon emission computed tomography were compared between 126 AD patients without DM ([AD-DM]) and 51 AD patients with DM ([AD+DM]). Factors associated with cognitive-imaging associations, including education, occupation, leisure activity, comorbidity, frailty, and other demographics, were analyzed. RESULTS: The [AD+DM] group showed significantly more severe cognitive dysfunction than the [ADDM] group, despite a similar degree of brain imaging abnormalities. Among the factors associated with cognitive-imaging associations, the level of leisure activity was significantly lower in the [AD+DM] group than in the [AD-DM] group, but no significant differences in other factors were observed between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: The cognitive-imaging discrepancy observed in AD patients with DM may be associated with their low cognitive reserve, possibly caused by their low amount of leisure activities. Our findings suggest that lifestyle interventions, including physical, cognitive, and social activities, may reduce cognitive decline in AD patients with DM.

Characterization of Alzheimer's Disease Subtypes Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a biologically heterogenous disease. Previous studies have reported the existence of various AD subtypes, and the various clinical features of the subtypes. However, inconsistent results have been obtained. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the clinical characteristics of the various AD subtypes, by classifying probable AD into subtypes based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) findings. METHODS: A total of 245 patients with probable AD were classified into the typical AD (TAD) subtype, limbic-predominant (LP) subtype, hippocampal-sparing (HS) subtype, and minimal-change (MC) subtype, based on the presence of medial temporal lobe atrophy on MRI and posterior cerebral hypoperfusion on SPECT. Demographics, including age, sex, body mass index, disease duration, education years, comorbidities, frailty, leisure activity, and neuropsychological findings were compared between the AD subtypes. RESULTS: he frequency of TAD, LP, HS, and MC subtypes was 49%, 20%, 18%, and 13%, respectively. Patients with the LP subtype were older and characterized by fewer major comorbidities, higher frailty, and slower progression of disease. Patients with the HS subtype were younger and characterized by shorter disease duration, lower frailty, and preserved memory, but had prominent constructional dysfunction. Patients of the MC subtype were characterized by shorter disease duration, lower education level, less leisure activity, less impaired memory and orientation, and slower progression. CONCLUSION: Patients with different AD subtypes differed in their demographic and clinical features. The characterization of patients' AD subtypes may provide effective support for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of AD patients.

Factors associated with misdiagnosis of preoperative endoscopic ultrasound in patients with pancreatic cystic neoplasms undergoing surgical resection.

PURPOSE: Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) include various types of cysts. Accurate preoperative diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary surgery on benign cysts. In this study, we aimed to identify the factors associated with misdiagnosis in preoperative endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) imaging and clinicopathological findings for PCLs. METHODS: This study included 302 surgically resected patients with PCLs who underwent preoperative EUS. The preoperative EUS findings were re-evaluated and compared with the pathological diagnosis. Additionally, the factors associated with misdiagnosis of PCLs were investigated by multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The preoperative diagnoses of PCLs were intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) in 213 patients (70.5%), mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) in 33 patients (10.9%), serous neoplasm (SN) in 7 patients (2.3%), cystic degeneration cyst of solid tumor in 46 patients (15.2%), and pancreatic cancer with cystic degeneration in three patients (1.0%). A discrepancy between preoperative and postoperative diagnosis was found in 47 patients (15.6%). Based on the pathological diagnosis, the sensitivity of preoperative EUS imaging was IPMN 97.6% (206/211), MCN 90.0% (18/19), cystic degeneration 87.1% (27/31), and SN 15.4% (2/13). Multivariate analysis revealed that main pancreatic duct (MPD) communication ( - ) (odds ratio (OR), 4.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-15.9), honeycomb-like structure ( +) (OR, 14.7; 95% CI 2.61-83.3), and MPD size â‰¦ 2 mm (OR, 16.3; 95% CI 3.93-67.6) were independently associated with misdiagnosis. CONCLUSION: For cases in which MCN and cystic degeneration of solid tumor are presumed based on preoperative EUS imaging and cases with PCLs with a honeycomb-like structure, diagnosis with multimodalities or fluid analysis with EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration should be considered.

The role of EUS elastography-guided fine needle biopsy in the histological diagnosis of solid pancreatic lesions: a prospective exploratory study.

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of Endoscopic ultrasound elastography-guided fine needle biopsy (EUS-EG-FNB) for the diagnosis of pancreatic mass lesions. EUS-EG images were classified into heterogeneous and homogeneous groups. For the heterogeneous group, EUS-FNB was separately performed in both hard areas and soft areas. Only samples obtained during the first two passes (hard/soft areas) were used to compare the diagnostic accuracy as well as the quality and quantity of the specimens. We investigated the association of EUS-EG findings using strain histogram analysis with the histological findings. Fifty-five patients were enrolled including 25 patients with heterogeneous group. The homogeneous group had significantly lower mean strain value (hard) lesions. The adequate sampling rates from hard and soft areas were 88 and 92%, respectively (P = 0.6374). Comparison of the diagnostic accuracy and the quality and quantity of the histological core between hard and soft areas showed no significant differences. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma cases, the proportion of fibrous stroma in the core tissue was significantly correlated with the elasticity of the region. (R2 = 0.1226: P = 0.0022) EUS-EG may reflect tissue composition in pancreatic tumors, however, EUS-EG did not affect either the quality and quantity of the tissues obtained.Clinical Trial Registry No: UMIN-000033073.

Usefulness of Macroscopic On-Site Evaluation Using a Stereomicroscope during EUS-FNB for Diagnosing Solid Pancreatic Lesions.

METHODS: We reviewed a total of 60 consecutive patients who underwent both S-MOSE and rapid on-site cytopathological evaluation (ROSE) during EUS-FNB between July 2019 and October 2020, and the usefulness of S-MOSE in comparison with histology was evaluated. A 22-gauge Franseen needle was used to perform EUS-FNB in all patients, and only the specimens obtained by the first pass were evaluated. The final diagnosis was based on the surgical specimen or the clinical course consistent with the EUS-FNB results. RESULTS: The final diagnoses of the 60 patients included 45 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 6 with autoimmune pancreatitis, 4 with mass-forming pancreatitis, 1 with pancreatic metastasis, 2 with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, and 2 with intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma. The histological diagnostic accuracy of the first pass of EUS-FNB was 83.3% (50/60). The agreement between the S-MOSE and the histological diagnosis was 90% (54/60). The positive predictive value of S-MOSE for histological diagnosis was 90.7%, which can be an indicator of when to stop the EUS-FNB procedure. There were no immediate or delayed adverse events reported after the FNB based on the chart and medical visit history review. CONCLUSION: In the EUS-FNB of SPLs, S-MOSE can be an alternative to ROSE for specimen evaluation and has the potential to shorten the procedure time.

Discrepancy Between the Degree of Cognitive Impairment and Brain Imaging Abnormalities in Alzheimer's Disease Patients Is Associated with Cognitive Reserve.

BACKGROUND: In Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, the severity of cognitive impairment is thought to correlate with the degree of brain imaging abnormalities. However, some patients show only mild cognitive deficit, despite severe brain atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or marked hypoperfusion in the cerebral cortices on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). This suggests that cognitive reserve (CR) can compensate for the clinical manifestations of AD in patients with extensive brain pathology. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether this discrepancy between cognitive and imaging findings is associated with CR. METHODS: Factors associated with the discrepancy between the degree of cognitive impairment and MRI (medial temporal lobe atrophy) and SPECT (posterior cerebral hypoperfusion) findings were analyzed in 135 patients with probable AD. Factors as proxies for CR included education, occupation, leisure activity, comorbidities, frailty, and other demographics. The discrepancy index (DI) was calculated as the difference between the degree of imaging abnormalities and the degree of cognitive dysfunction. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis showed that leisure activity and education were significantly associated with the discrepancy between cognitive and imaging findings. When the level of CR was determined based on leisure activity and education, the high-CR group showed a significantly larger DI than the moderate- and low-CR groups. CONCLUSION: The discrepancy between cognitive and imaging findings in patients with AD is associated with CR, measured using a combination of two indicators, i.e., leisure activity and education. Therefore, lifestyle interventions may delay the appearance of clinical symptoms resulting from underlying AD pathology, by increasing CR.

Clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of autoimmune pancreatitis with renal lesions.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is recognized as the pancreatic manifestation of a systemic IgG4-related disease that can involve various organs, including the kidney. However, renal lesions tend to be overlooked when AIP is diagnosed, and the clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of AIP with renal lesions are unclear. We retrospectively reviewed 153 patients with AIP diagnosed at our hospital with a median follow-up period of 41 months (interquartile range, 10-86) and classified them into two groups: the KD group (n = 17), with characteristic renal imaging features, and the non-KD group (n = 136). Serum IgG4 levels were significantly higher in the KD group (663 vs. 304.5 mg/dl, P = 0.014). No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of steroid treatment [14/17 (82.4%) vs. 112/136 (82.4%), P = 1] or in the number of patients who exhibited exacerbation of renal function during treatment [1/17 (5.9%) vs. 8/136 (5.9%), P = 1]. However, the cumulative relapse rate was significantly higher in the KD group [61% vs. 21.9% (3 years), P < 0.001]. Patients in the KD group had different clinical features with high relapse rates compared with those in the non-KD group, and thus, it is important to confirm the presence of renal lesions in AIP patients.