Validation of Probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (pCLE) Criteria for Diagnosing Colon Polyp Histology.

BACKGROUND: Validated probe-based confocal endomicroscopy (pCLE) criteria for distinguishing hyperplastic polyps (HPs) and tubular adenomas (TA) have not yet been developed. AIM: To develop pCLE criteria for distinguishing HP from TA and evaluate its performance characteristics among experts. METHODS: pCLE criteria for colon polyp histology were developed and tested in 2 phases prospectively. Phase I: 8 preliminary criteria were developed and tested internally. Criteria achieving an accuracy of >75% (epithelial surface: regular vs. irregular; goblet cells: increased vs. decreased; gland axis: horizontal vs. vertical; gland shape: slit/stellate vs. villiform; image scale: gray vs. dark) were evaluated in Phase II of study wherein external assessors evaluated these criteria in a separate set of pCLE videos. Accuracy and interobserver agreement (95% confidence intervals) were determined for colon histology prediction. RESULTS: Phase I (criteria development/internal testing): 8 criteria were assessed by 4 pCLE experts using 28 videos (14 HP/14 TA). Five of 8 pCLE criteria met selection for phase II (accuracy >75%). Phase II (external validation): 36 pCLE colon polyp videos (HP 16/TA 20) were evaluated by 8 external assessors. Overall accuracy in diagnosis of colon polyp histology was 84.9% (95% confidence interval, 81.7-87.7). Of predictions made with high confidence (75%), histology was predicted with an accuracy of 91%, sensitivity 83%, specificity 100%, negative predictive value 87% and positive predictive value 98%. Interobserver agreement was substantial (κ=0.73). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the development and validation of pCLE criteria for prediction of colon polyp histology. Using these criteria, overall accuracy in differentiating TA from HP was high with substantial interobserver agreement.

Mirizzi-Induced Bouveret's Syndrome: Revelations of Timely Surgical Intervention.

Bouveret's syndrome is an unusual clinical presentation of gastric-outlet obstruction and is the most infrequent variant of gallstone ileus with just over 300 cases in the literature. A 73-year-old female presented with innocuous constitutional symptoms and was found to have Mirizzi type Vb, a cholecystoduodenal fistula with obstruction. Esophago-gastroduodenoscopy-attempted dislodgement was unsuccessful. A gastric-jejunal bypass was the only option due to friability of the tissue. On post-op day 5, the patient developed acute abdominal pain and was found to have gallstone ileus. This case emphasizes the importance of early surgical intervention in cases of acute on chronic cholecystitis.

The clinical presentation of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Asian Americans: a single center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The clinical course of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection varies with ethnicity. Little is known about the clinical presentation of chronic HBV infection in Asian Americans. OBJECTIVES: To define the clinical presentation of chronic HBV infection in Asian Americans. METHODS: This is a retrospective study that used systematic chart review and statistical analysis to investigate 213 Asian-American patients with chronic HBV infection who presented to a university medical center. RESULTS: This cohort included 55.8% male patients, 97.9% were born outside the US, and 52.3% reported a family history of HBV infection. Of the 56 patients with liver biopsy, 34.0% had stage 3 to 4 fibrosis. In patients with available data, 21.5% were hepatitis B e antigen positive [HBeAg (+)] and 31.1% had HBV DNA levels >1 x 10(6) copies/mL. Patients with HBeAg (+) HBV infection were diagnosed at a younger age (P=0.002) and with higher alanine aminotransferase (P=0.001) and HBV DNA (P=0.001) levels. Although only 3.3% presented with obesity (ie, body mass index >or=30 kg/m2), 43.4% had evidence of hepatic steatosis. Presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma was associated with an older age at diagnosis (P<0.001), male sex (P<0.001), tobacco use (P<0.001), a greater degree of fibrosis on liver biopsy (P=0.01), and higher alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.001), and a fetoprotein (P<0.001) levels. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic HBV infection in foreign-born Asian Americans was characterized by a low rate of HBeAg (+) and male predominance as well as high rates of family history of HBV infection, hepatic fibrosis, and hepatic steatosis.

Bile Duct Injury Repairs after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Five-Year Experience in a Highly Specialized Community Hospital.

Bile duct injury represents a complication after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, impairing quality of life and resulting in subsequent litigations. A five-year experience of bile duct injury repairs in 52 patients at a community hospital was reviewed. Twenty-nine were female, and the median age was 51 years (range, 20-83 years). Strasberg classification identified injuries as Type A (23), B (1), C (1), D (5), E1 (5), E2 (6), E3 (4), E4 (6), and E5 (1). Resolution of the bile duct injury and clinical improvement represent main postoperative outcome measures in our study. The referral time for treatment was within 4 to 14 days of the injury. Type A injury was treated with endobiliary stent placement. The remaining patients required T-tube placement (5), hepaticojejunostomy (20), and primary anastomosis (4). Two patients experienced bile leak after hepaticojejunostomy and were treated and resolved with percutaneous transhepatic drainage. At a median follow-up of 36 months, two patients (Class E4) required percutaneous balloon dilation and endobiliary stent placement for anastomotic stricture. The success of biliary reconstruction after complicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be achieved by experienced biliary surgeons with a team approach in a community hospital setting.

Increased prevalence of ventricular fibrillation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an independent risk for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, patients with DM have increased risk for ventricular arrhythmia that is thought to be secondary to coronary artery disease (CAD) or congestive heart failure (CHF). We hypothesized that DM may cause ventricular arrhythmias independent of CAD or CHF. Using a large database, we evaluated the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation in patients with DM adjusting for CAD and CHF. We used patient treatment files (PTF), documents of inpatients' admissions containing discharge diagnoses (ICD-9 codes) from all Veterans Health Administration Hospitals. The patients were stratified in two groups: ICD-9 code for DM (293 124) and a control group with ICD-code for hypertension (HTN) but no DM (552 623). ICD-9 codes for ventricular fibrillation were used for this study. We performed uni- and multivariant analysis adjusting for comorbid conditions. Ventricular fibrillation was present in 563 (0.2%) vs 781 (0.1%) in the control group. Using multivariate analysis, DM remained independently associated with ventricular fibrillation (odds ratio: 1.7; confidence interval: 1.5-1.9; P < 0.000). Patients with DM have significantly higher prevalence of ventricular fibrillation independent of CAD or CHF, which in part may explain the higher risk of sudden death in patients with DM.