How much progress have we made?: a 20-year experience regarding esophageal stents for the palliation of malignant dysphagia.

Esophageal stents are widely used for the palliation of malignant esophageal obstruction. Advances in technology have made esophageal stenting technically feasible and widespread for such obstruction, but complications remain frequent. We present outcomes of a large cohort undergoing esophageal stent placement for malignant esophageal obstruction at a tertiary care cancer center. Patients who underwent placement of esophageal stents for malignancy-related esophageal obstruction between 1 January 2001 and 31 July 2020 were identified. Exclusion criteria included stents placed for benign stricture, fistulae, obstruction of proximal esophagus (proximal to 24 cm from incisors), or post-surgical indications. Patient charts were reviewed for demographics, procedure and stent characteristics, complications, and follow-up. A total of 242 patients underwent stent placement (median age: 64 years, 79.8% male). The majority, 204 (84.3%), had esophageal cancer. During the last two decades, there has been an increasing trend in the number of esophageal stents placed. Though plastic stents were previously used, these are no longer utilized. Complications are frequent and include early complications of pain in 68 (28.1%) and migration in 21 (8.7%) and delayed complications of recurrent symptoms of dysphagia in 46 (19.0%) and migration in 26 (10.7%). Over the study period, there has not been a significant improvement in the rate of complications. During follow-up, 92 (38%) patients required other enteral nutrition modalities after esophageal stent placement. No patient, treatment, or stent characteristics were significantly associated with stent complication or outcome. Esophageal stent placement is an increasingly popular method for palliation of malignant dysphagia. However, complications, particularly pain, migration, and recurrent symptoms of dysphagia are common. Almost 40% of patients may also require other methods of enteral access after esophageal stent placement. Given the high complication rates and suboptimal outcomes, removable stents should be considered as first-line in the case of poor palliative response.

Gastrointestinal ischemia: endoscopic findings in the context of vascular insufficiency.

Gastrointestinal ischemia may result from different causes: hemodynamic shock, thromboembolism, endoscopic or surgical complications, among other causes. Its symptoms are pain, vomiting, bleeding and bloating. Endoscopic findings are pale or blackened mucosa, and exudative and confluent ulcerative lesions. This paper aims to report a case of gastroduodenal ischemia associated with hemodynamic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This is a case of a 56-years- old male with multiple comorbidities, presenting with refractory septic shock and DIC. He underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) for investigation of melena, which revealed an extensive deep and exudative gastric ulcer, associated with edematous purplish duodenal mucosa. Due to the severity of the underlying condition, the patient evolved to death, evidencing septic shock as cause of death. Gastroduodenal ischemia is associated with a poor prognosis, in which early diagnosis by UGE is fundamental to guide potential interventions.

Updated analysis of irritable bowel syndrome: a review of the literature.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic pathology with disorders of the bowel-brain interaction, characterized by abdominal pain localized anywhere in the abdomen as well as bowel habit alteration (constipation, diarrhea or mixed), in the absence of any disease that can cause these symptoms. With the updated concepts according to the latest meeting of experts in Rome 2016, our goal is to raise awareness about irritable bowel syndrome, by reviewing the literature regarding definition, classification, pathophysiology, clinical aspects, treatment, prognosis and the future. IBS is a chronic pathology, characterized by abdominal pain, at least 1 day per week in the last 3 months, associated with the alteration of the intestinal bowel habits. With a classification based on the alteration of intestinal bowel movements and in addition to constipation induced by opioids or narcotics, the etiology and pathophysiology are not well explained or well-known so far. The clinical aspects are based on the Rome IV criteria. A good doctor-patient relationship is key to reassuring the patient's doubts about his illness, which increases the chances of adherence to individualized treatment from patient to patient depending on the sing and symptoms that may manifest in those that include: dietary advice, psychological support, in some cases pharmacological prescription, suspension of medications or change medications, minimize the dose of drugs or suspend, according to the needs of the patient as is the case of opioids. The prognosis is still uncertain, and a promising future to illustrate new definitions, classifications, pathophysiologies, clinical aspects and treatments according to the type of clinical manifestation of each patient.

Primary adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas: the use of endoscopic ultrasound guided - fine needle aspiration to establish a definitive cytologic diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer is the second most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract in the US, and adenocarcinoma has been identified as the most common type of pancreatic cancer. Different types of pancreatic cancers have been classified: adenocarcinoma, ductal adenosquamous carcinoma, solid pseudopapillary tumors, endocrine neoplasms, acinar cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, cystic tumors, primary lymphoma of the pancreas, and metastatic lesions of the pancreas. Adenosquamous carcinoma is extremely rare, behave in a very aggressive way and is responsible for the 1 to 4% of the pancreatic exocrine neoplastic lesions. We describe the case of an 82-years-old African American female, presenting to our institution with quantifiable weight loss (12 kg in 3 months), jaundice and abdominal pain. On admission, laboratory tests were obtained: total bilirubin: 11.07 mg/dl with a direct fraction of 10.32 mg/dl. Cross-sectional abdominal CT scan with contrast, showed a lesion localized in the pancreatic head (hypodense on T1, measuring 3.5 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm), with vascular invasion of the portal vein. EUS showed a solid, hypoechoic, not well-defined lesion (measuring 3.98 x 3.80 cm), localized between the head and neck of the pancreas. EUS-FNA was performed with a 22G needle using the fanning technique. The cytological specimens demonstrated components of both squamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent ERCP procedure, and biliary drainage was performed with an entirely covered metallic stent placement. After a month from the procedures, the patient died due to the severity of the disease. Endoscopic ultrasound has proven to be the best method to diagnose solid pancreatic lesions, including rare and aggressive type of tumors like primary adenosquamous cell carcinoma that we described in this very interesting case report.

Endoscopic Ultrasound for the Diagnosis and Staging of Biliary Malignancy.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the most common neoplasm of the biliary tract. The biological behavior and prognosis of CCA vary depending on the tumor's location in the biliary tree, dictating a different diagnostic, and treatment approach. Establishing a diagnosis of CCA remains a challenge and up to 20% of biliary strictures can yield indeterminate results, despite extensive evaluation. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become an effective diagnostic tool, as it provides high-quality images of the bile duct and allows for the sampling of strictures in the same plane of view. In this chapter, we explore the utility of EUS as a diagnostic and staging tool for biliary cancers.

Full-thickness resection: troubleshooting, tips, and tricks for success in the colorectum.

Video 1Difficult scenarios encountered during colorectal full thickness resection and their management: (1) Inability to advance device to target lesion; (2) injury to extraluminal structures; (3) anal trauma; (4) anal stenosis; (5) luminal edema after resection; (6) difficulty in grasping lesion; (7) recommendation for "mini time-out"; (8) Summary.

The conundrum in endoscopic management of duodenal polyps: a tertiary cancer center experience.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic mucosal resection of duodenal polyps (EMR) is a challenging intervention. The aim of this study was to review the patient characteristics, techniques, procedure outcomes, adverse events, and recurrence of duodenal polyps. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients were included if they had pathologically confirmed non-ampullary duodenal polyps and had received EMR with at least one follow-up EGD for surveillance. Descriptive statistics were employed to report the findings. RESULTS: A total of 65 patients underwent a total of 90 EMRs for duodenal polyps. The mean age was 65.4 years, and 29 of the patients were female. Complete resection of the visible mass was achieved in 96.9% of cases. Endoscopic hemostasis was required in 18.5% of patients. Delayed bleeding occurred in 9%, and delayed perforations requiring surgical intervention occurred in 2.2% of patients with no mortality. Surgery after EMR was needed in 12.7% of cases. Eleven (16.9%) patients had recurrent duodenal adenoma on follow-up EGD. CONCLUSION: Duodenal polyps can be safely resected and have a notable recurrence rate. This is particularly true for adenomas, warranting post-resection endoscopic surveillance. The appropriate interval for post-resection surveillance of duodenal adenomas should be a focus of future study.

Combination of a dynamic rigidizing overtube and a novel injectable needle-type knife to facilitate colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Video 1Combination of a dynamic rigidizing overtube and a novel injectable needle-type knife to facilitate colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Performing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholagiopancreatpgraphy and Endoscopic Ultrasound for Management of Malignant Bile Duct Obstruction in a Patient With a Situs Inversus Totalis.

Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a rare anomaly characterized by the transposition of organs. We present a case of a 67-year-old White woman with a history of SIT, who presented with fatigue, jaundice, and abnormal liver enzymes. Endoscopic ultrasound demonstrated a solid lesion at the distal common bile duct (CBD). Subsequent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography displayed severe stenosis in the CBD. A plastic stent was placed into the CBD, resulting in successful biliary decompression. Biliary brushings and biopsy showed atypical cells, suspicious for carcinoma. Ensuing pancreaticoduodenectomy confirmed cholangiocarcinoma. Although challenging, endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in SIT can be successfully performed in preoperative evaluation for possible pancreaticobiliary cancers.

Cholangioscopy-guided lithotripsy vs. conventional therapy for complex bile duct stones: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic removal of common bile duct stones has a high success rate ranging from 85% to 95%. Bile duct stones >15 mm are difficult and frequently require lithotripsy. Peroral cholangioscopy (POC) allows lithotripsy with similar success rates. AIM: To determine the efficacy and safety of cholangioscopy-guided lithotripsy used in the treatment of difficult to remove bile duct stones vs. conventional therapy. METHODS: Search was based in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central, Lilacs/Bireme. Studies enrolling patients referred for the removal of difficult bile duct stones via POC were considered eligible. Two analyses were carried out separately, one included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and another observational studies. RESULTS: Forty-six studies were selected (3 RTC and 43 observational). In the analysis there was no statistical significant difference between successful endoscopic clearance (RD=-0.02 CI: -0.17, 0.12/I²=0%), mean fluoroscopy time (MD=-0.14 CI -1.60, 1.32/I²=21%) and adverse events rates (RD=-0.06 CI: -0.14, 0.02/I²=0%), by contrast, the mean procedure time favored conventional therapy with statistical significance (MD=27.89 CI: 16.68, 39.10/I²=0%). In observational studies, the successful endoscopic clearance rate was 88.29% (CI95: 86.9%-90.7%), the first session successful endoscopic clearance rate was 72.7 % (CI95: 69.9%-75.3%), the mean procedure time was 47.50±6 min for session and the number of sessions to clear bile duct was 1.5±0.18. The adverse event rate was 8.7% (CI95: 7%-10.9%). CONCLUSIONS: For complex common bile duct stones, cholangioscopy-guided lithotripsy has a success rate that is similar to traditional ERCP techniques in terms of therapeutic success, adverse event rate and means fluoroscopy time. Conventional ERCP methods have a shorter mean procedure time.

The First Study Evaluating Effectiveness and Safety of the Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty in HIV Patients.

The authors evaluated, retrospectively, the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty impact in seven HIV patients, regarding effectiveness and safety outcomes. The mean baseline body mass index (BMI) was 33.76 kg/m2. The mean baseline CD4+ cell count was 690.43 cells/mm3, and the baseline viral load was undetectable. After 6 months, absolute weight loss, percentage of excess weight loss, percentage total weight loss, and BMI reduction were 20.2 ± 2.6 kg, 85.5 ± 11.1%, 21.3 ± 2.4%, and 7.1 ± 0.8 kg/m2, respectively. No patients presented severe adverse events. After 6 months, the viral load remained undetectable and the mean CD4+ cell count was 710.57 cells/mm3. The endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is an effective and safe procedure to perform in obese HIV patients.

Primary adenocarcinoma arising in esophageal colon interposition for corrosive esophageal injury: a case report and review of the literature.

Background and study aims Colon interposition for benign strictures is associated with significant perioperative complications that carry high morbidity and mortality. Although rarely reported in the literature, adenocarcinoma can occur as a late complication in an interposed colonic segment. We report a case of a late-stage adenocarcinoma in a colonic interposition performed for benign esophageal stricture.

The importance of endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration in the diagnosis of solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas, otherwise known as solid and cystic tumor or Frantz tumor, is an unusual form of pancreatic carcinoma, with unknown etiopathogenesis, that accounts for 0.2 to 2.7% of all pancreatic tumors. It is defined as an exocrine pancreatic neoplasia that mainly affects women between the second and third decade of life, and its management is not well defined. Endoscopic ultrasound offers a key anatomical advantage in accessing the pancreas and endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration has become the gold standard method for the diagnosis of pancreatic lesions. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1: A 31-year-old white Hispanic woman presented with epigastric pain for 5 months. An abdominal ultrasound revealed a single 2 cm nodule in the uncinate process of her pancreas. Endoscopic ultrasound showed a regular, well-defined solid lesion with alternating cystic areas at the uncinate process of her pancreas, measuring 1.7 × 1.4 cm; endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration was then performed with cytopathological analysis compatible with solid pseudopapillary tumor. Body computed tomography confirmed the absence of metastases and she underwent conventional duodenopancreatectomy. However, she died 4 days after surgery due to postoperative surgical complications. Case 2: A 35-year-old Hispanic woman presented with left upper quadrant abdominal pain for 3 months, associated with a palpable mass at this region. A computed tomography scan showed a solitary nodule in the pancreatic body. Endoscopic ultrasound showed a regular, well-defined, homogeneous lesion with small anechoic (cystic) areas, measuring 2 × 2 cm, in between the pancreatic body and neck. Endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration was performed and cytopathological analysis was suggestive of a pseudopapillary solid tumor. She underwent a body-tail laparoscopic pancreatectomy with splenectomy. Nine months after the diagnosis, she remains asymptomatic, continuing regular follow-up in the oncology out-patient clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Solid pseudopapillary tumor is a rare pancreatic malignancy. Endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration is the gold standard method to characterize and diagnose this type of pancreatic lesion, making this an invaluable tool to help guide clinical management and improve the preoperative diagnostic yield.

THE EFFICACY OF THE DIFFERENT ENDOSCOPIC TREATMENTS VERSUS SHAM, PHARMACOLOGIC OR SURGICAL METHODS FOR CHRONIC GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic antireflux treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are still evolving, and most of the published studies address symptom relief in the short-term. Objective - We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis focused on evaluating the efficacy of the different endoscopic procedures. METHODS: Search was restricted to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on MedLine, Cochrane, SciELO, and EMBASE for patients with chronic GERD (>6 months), over 18 years old and available follow up of at least 3 months. The main outcome was to evaluate the efficacy of the different endoscopic treatments compared to sham, pharmacological or surgical treatment. Efficacy was measured by different subjective and objective outcomes. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 16 RCT, totaling 1085 patients. The efficacy of endoscopic treatments compared to sham and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) treatment showed a significant difference up to 6 months in favor of endoscopy with no heterogeneity (P<0.00001) (I2: 0%). The subgroup analysis showed a statistically significant difference up to 6 months in favor of endoscopy: endoscopy vs PPI (P<0.00001) (I2: 39%). Endoscopy vs sham (P<0.00001) (I2: 0%). Most subjective and objective outcomes were statistically significant in favor of endoscopy up to 6 and 12 months follow up. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis shows a good short-term efficacy in favor of endoscopic procedures when comparing them to a sham and pharmacological or surgical treatment. Data on long-term follow up is lacking and this should be explored in future studies.

Endoscopic polymer injection and endoluminal plication in treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: evaluation of long-term results.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Us of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has made endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) more efficient, with reduction in morbidity and complications. However, some patients persist with symptoms despite medical treatment and some are not compliant with it or cannot afford it for financial reasons, and thus they require non-pharmacological therapeutic options such as surgical fundoplication. Surgery may be effective in the short term, but there is related morbidity and concern about its long-term efficacy. The possibility of minimally invasive endoluminal surgeries has resulted in interest in and development of newly endoscopic devices. Good short-term results with surgical fundoplication lack of studies of is with long follow-up justify our interest in this study. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of endoscopic polymer injection and endoluminal full-thickness plication in the long-term control of GERD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients with GERD who underwent an endoscopic procedure were followed up for 60 months and evaluated for total response (RT), partial response (RP) and no response (SR) to endoscopic treatment with reintroduction of PPIs. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients received polymer injection (G0) and 26 endoluminal plication (G1). The number of patients with no response to endoscopic treatment with reintroduction of PPIs increased in time for both techniques (G0 P  = 0.006; G1 P  < 0.001). There was symptomatic improvement up to 12 months, with progressive loss of this trending up to 60 months in G0 and G1 ( P  < 0.001). Health-related quality of life score (GERD-HRQL) demonstrated TR in G0 and G1 at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. The 60-month analysis showed an increased number of patients with SR in both groups. The quality of life assessment (SF-36) showed benefit in G0 up to 3 months. G0 showed a higher rate of complications. There were no deaths. There was healing of esophagitis at 3 months in 45 % of patients in G0 and 40 % in G1. There was no improvement in manometric or pH findings. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic therapies were ineffective in controlling GERD in the long term.

Comparison between endoscopic sphincterotomy vs endoscopic sphincterotomy associated with balloon dilation for removal of bile duct stones: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.

AIM: To compare gallstones removal rate and incidence of bleeding, pancreatitis, use of mechanical lithotripsy, cholangitis and perforation between isolated sphincterotomy vs sphincterotomy associated with balloon dilation of papilla in choledocholithiasis through the meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. Literature search was restricted to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on MedLine, Cochrane Library, LILACS, and EMBASE database platforms in July 2017. The manual search included references of retrieved articles. We extracted data focusing on outcomes: The primary endpoint was the stones removal rate; Secondary endpoints were rates of pancreatitis, bleeding, use of mechanical lithotripsy (ML), perforation and cholangitis. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs with 1824 patients were included. EST was associated with more post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) bleeding [FE RD-0.02, CI (-0.03, -0.00), I2 = 33%, P = 0.05] and more need of mechanical lithotripsy in general [RE RD-0.16, CI (-0.25, -0.06), I2 = 90%, P = 0.002] and in subgroup analysis of stones greater than 15 mm [RE RD-0.20, CI (-0.38, -0.02), I2 = 82%, P = 0.003]. Incidence of pancreatitis [FE RD-0.01, CI (-0.03, 0.01), I2 = 0, P = 0.36], cholangitis [FE RD-0.00, CI (-0.01, 0.01), I2 =0, P = 0.97] and perforation [FE RD-0.01, CI (-0.01, 0.00), I2 = 0, P = 0.23] was similar between the groups as well as similar stone removal rates in general [FE RD-0.01, CI (-0.01, 0.04), I2 = 0, P = 0.23] and pooled analysis of stones greater than 15 mm [FE RD-0.02, CI (-0.02, 0.07), I2 = 11%, P = 0.31]. CONCLUSION: Through meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials we found that isolated sphincterotomy was associated with more post-ERCP bleeding and more need for mechanical lithotripsy. However, there was no statistical difference in the stone removal rate between isolated sphincterotomy and sphincterotomy associated with balloon dilation in the approach to remove gallstones.

Carbon dioxide versus air insufflation enteroscopy: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the insufflation of CO 2 and ambient air in enteroscopy. SEARCH SOURCES: The investigators researched the electronic databases MedLine, Cochrane Library, Central, LILACS, BVS, Scopus and Cinahl. The grey search was conducted in the base of theses of the University of São Paulo, books of digestive endoscopy and references of selected articles and in previous systematic revisions. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: The evaluation of eligibility was performed independently, in a non-blind manner, by two reviewers, firstly by title and abstract, followed by complete text. Disagreements between the reviewers were resolved by consensus. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS METHOD: Through the spreadsheet of data extraction, where one author extracted the data and a second author checked the extraction. Disagreements were resolved by debate between the two reviewers. The quality analysis of the studies was performed using the Jadad score. The software RevMan 5 version 5.3 was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Four randomized clinical trials were identified, totaling 473 patients submitted to enteroscopy and comparing insufflation of CO 2 and ambient air. There was no statistical difference in the intubation depth between the two groups. When CO 2 insufflation was reduced, there was a significant difference in pain levels 1 hour after the procedure (95 % IC, -2.49 [-4.72, -0.26], P : 0.03, I 2 : 20%) and 3 hours after the procedure (95% IC, -3.05 [-5.92, -0.18], P : 0.04, I 2 : 0 %). There was a usage of lower propofol dosage in the CO 2 insufflation group, with significant difference (95 % IC, -67.68 [-115.53, -19.84], P : 0.006, I 2 : 0 %). There was no significant difference between the groups in relation to the use of pethidine and to the oxygen saturation. LIMITATIONS: Restricted number of randomized clinical trials and nonuniformity of data were limitations to the analysis of the outcomes. CONCLUSION: The use of CO 2 as insufflation gas in enteroscopy reduces the pain levels 1 hour and 3 hours after the procedure, in addition to the reduction of the sedation (propofol) dosage used.

Subepithelial rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor - the use of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration to establish a definitive cytological diagnosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The stomach is the most common location to be affected, and the rectum one of the rarest, but the whole gastrointestinal tract remains susceptible. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors account for only 0.1% of rectal tumors. Currently, endoscopic ultrasound plays an essential role in the diagnostic process of gastrointestinal stromal tumors, especially when the affected sites have a worse outcome and higher morbidity rates. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 68-year-old white Japanese man with a history of long-term mild rectal pain and tenesmus. A digital rectal examination revealed a right palpable solid mass ranging from 3 to 7 cm from his anal verge. A colonoscopy was performed and showed a 5 cm elevated lesion covered by normal mucosa, located 4 cm above the pectineal line. Endoscopic ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis of a homogeneous hypoechoic mass with areas of necrosis as a rectal subepithelial lesion originating at the fourth layer (muscularis propria). He then underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of the lesion, followed by cytological and immunohistochemistry evaluation. The evaluation showed spindle and epithelioid cells of variable sizes, in fascicles separated by stroma, which reacted firmly and consistently to CD117/c-kit and CD34, and negative to desmin and S-100 protein. There was weak staining for nuclear Ki-67 in the tumor cells. A diagnosis of rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor was confirmed. After a multidisciplinary meeting, an abdominoperineal resection of his rectum was performed. The pathology of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor. He is now asymptomatic after 3 months' follow-up and is on adjuvant therapy with a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are rare tumors, and among the variety of primary location sites, the rectum is one of the rarest. The localization of this type of tumor has worse outcomes and higher morbidity rates. We report this rare case to emphasize the need for precise diagnosis and the important role of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in such situations.

Pancreatic metastases from ocular malignant melanoma: the use of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration to establish a definitive cytologic diagnosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: When encountering solid pancreatic lesions, nonpancreatic primary metastases are rare and differentiating a metastasis from a primary neoplastic lesion is challenging. The clinical presentation and radiologic features can be similar and the possibility of a pancreatic metastasis should be considered when the patient refers to a history of a different primary cancer. Endoscopic ultrasound offers a key anatomical advantage in accessing the pancreas and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration has become the gold standard method for diagnosing pancreatic lesions. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old white Hispanic woman with a history of uveal malignant melanoma, presented with abdominal pain and jaundice. On admission, laboratory tests were performed (her total bilirubin was 6.37 mg/dL with a direct fraction of 5.30 mg/dL). Cross-sectional, abdominal computed tomography with contrast, showed a low-attenuating lesion localized in the pancreatic head (measuring 4 × 3 cm) and a thinner section of the distal bile duct suspicious for compression. Our patient was scheduled for an endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration to establish a diagnosis. Endoscopic ultrasound showed a solid, hypoechoic, well-defined lesion with regular contours (measuring 3.17 × 2.61 cm), localized between the head and neck of the pancreas. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed with a 22G needle and cytology confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma. Our patient subsequently underwent right orbital exenteration, followed by duodenopancreatectomy without complications. At the moment our patient is receiving adjuvant chemotherapy at an outside oncology clinic. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is a very rare presentation of an ocular malignant melanoma with an isolated pancreatic metastasis causing symptomatic biliary obstruction. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration has proven to be the best method to diagnose solid pancreatic lesions. In this particular case, cytology was essential in confirming the diagnosis and guiding the most adequate therapy, which was a pancreatic resection, ocular exenteration of the melanoma, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.