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Endoscopic stenting is an area of endoscopy that has witnessed noteworthy advancements over the last decade, resulting in evolving clinical practices among gastroenterologists around the world. Indications for endoscopic stenting have progressively expanded, becoming a frequent part of the management algorithm for various benign and malignant conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, from esophagus to rectum. In addition to expanded indications, continuous technological enhancements and development of novel endoscopic stents have resulted in an increased success of these approaches and, in some cases, allowed new applications. This review aimed to summarize best practices in esophageal, gastroduodenal, and colonic stenting.

Main recommendations Malignant disease 1 ESGE recommends placement of partially or fully covered self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) for palliation of malignant dysphagia over laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, and esophageal bypass.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 2 ESGE recommends brachytherapy as a valid alternative, alone or in addition to stenting, in esophageal cancer patients with malignant dysphagia and expected longer life expectancy.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 3 ESGE recommends esophageal SEMS placement for sealing malignant tracheoesophageal or bronchoesophageal fistulas. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 4 ESGE does not recommend SEMS placement as a bridge to surgery or before preoperative chemoradiotherapy because it is associated with a high incidence of adverse events. Other options such as feeding tube placement are preferable. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. Benign disease 5 ESGE recommends against the use of SEMSs as first-line therapy for the management of benign esophageal strictures because of the potential for adverse events, the availability of alternative therapies, and their cost. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 6 ESGE suggests consideration of temporary placement of self-expandable stents for refractory benign esophageal strictures. Weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 7 ESGE suggests that fully covered SEMSs be preferred over partially covered SEMSs for the treatment of refractory benign esophageal strictures because of their very low risk of embedment and ease of removability. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 8 ESGE recommends the stent-in-stent technique to remove partially covered SEMSs that are embedded in the esophageal wall. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 9 ESGE recommends that temporary stent placement can be considered for the treatment of leaks, fistulas, and perforations. No specific type of stent can be recommended, and the duration of stenting should be individualized. Strong recommendation, low quality of evidence. 10 ESGE recommends considering placement of a fully covered large-diameter SEMS for the treatment of esophageal variceal bleeding refractory to medical, endoscopic, and/or radiological therapy, or as initial therapy for patients with massive bleeding. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.

Indications for endoscopic placement of endoluminal and transluminal stents have greatly expanded over time. Endoscopic stent placement is now a well-established approach for the treatment of benign and malignant biliary and pancreatic diseases (ie, obstructive jaundice, intra-abdominal fluid collections, chronic pancreatitis etc.). Ongoing refinement of technical approaches and development of novel stents is increasing the applicability and success of pancreatico-biliary stenting. In this review, we discuss the important developments in the field of pancreatico-biliary stenting, with a specific focus on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound-associated developments.

Background and Aims Recent data support a role for endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in unresectable cholangiocarcinoma by improving stent patency and overall survival. Methods We describe 3 patients with inoperable cholangiocarcinoma with jaundice and cholestasis who were recommended palliative chemotherapy. They underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with single-operator cholangioscope and intraductal RFA. Results The procedures were performed without adverse events in all patients, with clinical and analytical improvement 1 month later. Conclusions RFA is a promising and safe palliative treatment in patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

Colonic stents are indicated for preoperative and palliative decompression of large bowel obstruction. We aim to investigate post Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval outcomes associated with colonic stents.We analyzed postmarketing surveillance data from the FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database from January 2011 to December 2020.During the study period, 691 device issues and 742 patient complications were identified. The number of adverse events reported to the FDA mildly increased from 6.40% in 2011 to 7.4% in 2020. Most device complications were due to a positioning problem (n=201, 29%), followed by device break (n=60, 8.6%), delamination (n=41, 6.3%), and migration or expulsion device (n=38, 5.55%). A number of reports described an unclassified adverse event without specifying device or operator problem (n=141, 20.3%). The most reported patient adverse events were perforation (n=150, 20.1%), death (n=47, 6.3%), abdominal pain/discomfort (n=27, 3.6%), and peritonitis (n=24, 3.2%).Findings from the MAUDE database highlight rare but important patient and device complications which endoscopists and referring providers should be aware of before consideration for colonic stent placement.

Endoscopic stenting is a well-established option for the treatment of malignant obstruction, temporary management of benign strictures, and sealing transmural defects, as well as drainage of pancreatic fluid collections and biliary obstruction. In recent years, in addition to expansion in indications for endoscopic stenting, considerable strides have been made in stent technology, and several types of devices with advanced designs and materials are continuously being developed. In this review, we discuss the important developments in stent designs and novel indications for endoluminal and transluminal stenting. Our discussion specifically focuses on (i) biodegradable as well as (ii) irradiating and drug-eluting stents for esophageal, gastroduodenal, biliary, and colonic indications, (iii) endoscopic stenting in inflammatory bowel disease, and (iv) lumen-apposing metal stent.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infection caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) originated in China in December 2020 and declared pandemic by WHO. This coronavirus mainly spreads through the respiratory tract and enters cells through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients include fever, cough, and fatigue. Gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, anorexia, and vomiting) may be present in 50% of patients and may be associated with worst prognosis. Other risk factors are older age, male gender, and underlying chronic diseases. Mitigation measures are essential to reduce the number of people infected. Hospitals are a place of increased SARS-CoV-2 exposure. This has implications in the organization of healthcare services and specifically endoscopy departments. Patients and healthcare workers safety must be optimized in this new reality. Comprehension of COVID-19 gastrointestinal manifestations and implications of SARS-CoV-2 in the management of patients with gastrointestinal diseases, under or not immunosuppressant therapies, is essential. In this review, we summarized the latest research progress and major societies recommendations regarding the implications of COVID-19 in gastroenterology, namely the adaptations that gastroenterology/endoscopy departments and professionals must do in order to optimize the provided assistance, as well as the implications that this infection will have, in particularly vulnerable patients such as those with chronic liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease under or not immunosuppressant therapies.

Background and Aims Therapeutic endoscopy plays a major role in the management of postbariatric anastomotic leaks, offering an effective treatment alternative to repeated surgery. In recent years, management has been moving from bridging and closing the leak’s orifice toward an approach that uses vacuum therapy or internal drainage. Our aim was to demonstrate different treatment options for the management of postbariatric leaks. Methods We describe 3 different endoscopic techniques for postbariatric leaks in 2 patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and 1 patient who had undergone sleeve gastrectomy. Results The first patient had a 20-mm early post-RYGB leak with an intra-abdominal associated collection treated with 5 sessions of endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT). The second patient had a 12-mm acute postgastric sleeve leak with an associated collection, in whom therapy with EVT had failed, and who was then treated with endoscopic internal drainage (EID). The last patient had a chronic intra-abdominal collection after RYGB, despite reoperation, in whom therapy with EID and esophageal stent had failed, and who was treated with a diabolo-shaped lumen-apposing metal stent placed between the gastric pouch and the gastric remnant. Weight-loss intention was not compromised in any patient. All patients remain well. Conclusions Staple-line or anastomotic leaks are an important cause of morbidity and mortality after surgery. There are myriad endoscopic techniques, with varying reported efficacy. Often, more than one endoscopic approach can be used concomitantly, whereas in other cases, therapies are applied sequentially depending on the initial clinical response. Multiple therapeutic options should be considered before endoscopic failure.

Introduction: Brush cytology is commonly used during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for the diagnostic evaluation of biliopancreatic strictures. However, since the overall sensitivity of brush cytology is poor, the exclusion of malignancy is difficult. Recognition of factors related to the patient, technique or lesion may help improve the diagnostic yield of brush cytology. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of brush cytology in the assessment of biliopancreatic strictures and identify predictive factors associated with a positive diagnosis of malignancy. Methods: Retrospective study that evaluated all consecutive patients that underwent brush cytology for the investigation of biliopancreatic strictures in a tertiary center, between January 2012 and January 2018. Results: One hundred and sixty-five patients that underwent 182 procedures were included. A diagnosis of malignancy was confirmed in 110 patients (66.7%), of whom 62 had positive brush cytology (sensitivity 53.7%, specificity 98.5%, accuracy 69.8%). On the multivariate analysis, age ≥68 years (OR 4.83, 95% CI 1.04–22.37) and lesions suspicious of metastasis on cross-sectional imaging (OR 8.58, 95% CI 1.70–43.38) were independently associated with a positive result. Subanalysis of the patients presenting with these two factors (n = 26) revealed an increase in the diagnostic yield (sensitivity 80.8%). Conclusion: Age ≥68 years and lesions suspicious of metastasis on cross-sectional imaging are independent factors associated with a positive result. Patient selection taking these factors into account may increase the diagnostic yield of brush cytology.

Cecal intubation is a critical aspect of effective, complete colonoscopy. Difficult colonoscopy is most often considered as one in which it is challenging or impossible to reach the cecum. It may be a common occurrence due to patient and/or endoscopist factors. Incomplete colonoscopies should be avoided, since patients in this context present an important prevalence of lesions that escape examination. The approach to successful cecal intubation should depend on characterization of the problem as redundant colon or difficult sigmoid colon. Most patients with a prior incomplete colonoscopy can be colonoscoped successfully, if careful attention is paid to technique, using a variety of scopes, colonoscopy methods and additional equipment. Sufficient time should be allotted to make the attempt.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a complex disease that should be treated by experienced teams of gastroenterologists, radiologists, surgeons, and nutritionists in a multidisciplinary environment. Medical treatment includes lifestyle modification, nutrition, exocrine and endocrine pancreatic insufficiency correction, and pain management. Up to 60% of patients will ultimately require some type of endoscopic or surgical intervention for treatment. However, regardless of the modality, they are often ineffective unless smoking and alcohol cessation is achieved. Surgery retains a major role in the treatment of CP patients with intractable chronic pain or suspected pancreatic mass. For other complications like biliary or gastroduodenal obstruction, pseudocyst drainage can be performed endoscopically. The recommendations for CP were developed by Clube Português do Pâncreas (CPP), based on literature review to answer predefined topics, subsequently discussed and approved by all members of CPP. Recommendations are separated in two parts: “chronic pancreatitis etiology, natural history, and diagnosis,” and “chronic pancreatitis medical, endoscopic, and surgical treatment.” This abstract pertains to part II. A pancreatite crónica (PC) é uma doença complexa que deve ser tratada por equipas multidisciplinares experientes de gastrenterologistas, radiologistas, cirurgiões e nutricionistas. O tratamento médico inclui modificação do estilo de vida, nutrição, correção das insuficiências pancreáticas endócrina e exócrina e controle da dor. Até 60% dos doentes podem necessitar de algum tipo de terapêutica endoscópica ou cirúrgica. No entanto, independentemente da modalidade, elas serão ineficazes, se não se alcançar cessação tabágica e etílica. A cirurgia desempenha um papel importante no tratamento dos doentes com dor crónica intratável ou lesões pancreáticas suspeitas. Outras complicações como obstrução biliar, gastroduodenal, ou drenagem de pseudocistos podem ser tratadas endoscopicamente. As recomendações sobre PC foram desenvolvidas pelo Clube Português do Pâncreas (CPP), com base numa revisão da literatura para responder a questões predefinidas, posteriormente discutidos e aprovados por todos os membros do CPP. As recomendações encontram-se separadas em duas partes: “etiologia da pancreatite crónica, história natural e diagnóstico” e “tratamento médico, endoscópico e cirúrgico da pancreatite crónica.” Este resumo corresponde à parte II.

Background and study aims The impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on stent placement procedures has not yet been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on upper stenting during SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, as well as the use of personal protection equipment (PPE) and risk of contamination for patients and staff. Patients and methods This was a multicenter, retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent stent placement for upper gastrointestinal obstruction during the second half of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak period in comparison to same period one year before. Results A total of 29 stents were placed for upper gastrointestinal obstruction during the study period, corresponding to an increase of 241 % comparing to the same period in 2019 (n = 12). No significant major differences were found between the two time periods regarding patients’ baseline characteristics, post-stenting management and number of staff involved in stent placement. Fellows’ involvement was significantly lower in 2020 compared to 2019 (21 % vs 67 %; P = 0.01). The majority of procedures were performed using FFP2 /FFP3 mask (76 %), protective eyewear (86 %), two pairs of gloves (65 %), hairnet (76 %) and full disposable gowns (90 %). One patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after the procedure. None of the medical staff involved in stenting procedures developed COVID-19 14 days after procedure. Conclusion Upper gastrointestinal stenting increased during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak period, which could be related to yearly variation on the number of procedures or reflect a change of oncologic treatment practice during COVID times.

Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement for malignant dysphagia before preoperative neoadjuvant therapy (NT) is controversial. AIM: Evaluate SEMS placement impact on clinical and oncologic outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent surgery after NT. METHODS: Retrospective study of esophageal cancer patients referred for esophagectomy after NT. A propensity score was built consisting of the conditional probability of having had a SEMS given a set of baseline variables. In the SEMS group, patients underwent SEMS placement followed by NT and esophagectomy, whereas in the non-SEMS group, patients underwent only NT and esophagectomy. RESULTS: One hundred patients were included, 29 in the SEMS group and 71 in the non-SEMS group. Median follow-up was 18 months. SEMS-related adverse events occurred in 20.7% of the patients. After propensity score analysis, SEMS use decreased delta dysphagia score (regression coefficient [RC]: - 2.69, 95% CI - 3.18 to - 2.21), dysphagia grade before surgery (RC: - 0.74, 95% CI - 1.22 to - 0.27), hospital readmissions at 1 month (OR 0.18; p = 0.019), but increased overall morbidity after surgery (OR 3.02; p = 0.045). No significant differences were found regarding delta albumin levels and albumin levels before surgery, delta weight and weight before surgery, death related to surgery, number of lymph nodes harvested, R0 resection rate, tumor recurrence, recurrence-free survival, overall survival, and 30-day, 6-month, and 3-year mortality. CONCLUSION: SEMS placement improved dysphagia and allowed patients to maintain an equal nutritional status compared to patients without dysphagia during NT. Although postsurgical morbidity was higher in patients with SEMS placement, postsurgical mortality and oncological outcome were not different.

Introduction: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a technically demanding procedure with a high risk for adverse events (AEs). Aim: evaluate patient- and procedure-related risk factors for ERCP-related AEs and develop an online app to estimate risk of AEs. Methods: retrospective study of 1,491 consecutive patients who underwent 1,991 ERCPs between 2012 and 2017 was conducted. AEs definition and severity were classified according to most recent ESGE guidelines. Each variable was tested for association with occurrence of overall AEs, post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) and cholangitis. For each outcome, 2 regression models were built, from which an online Shiny-based app was created. Results: Overall AE rate was 15.3%; in 19 procedures, >1 AE occurred. Main post-ERCP AE was PEP (7.5%), followed by cholangitis (4.9%), bleeding (1.3%), perforation (1%), cardiopulmonary events (0.9%), and cholecystitis (0.3%). Seventy-eight percent of AEs were mild/moderate; of severe (n = 55) and fatal (n = 20) AEs, more than half were related to infection, cardiac/pulmonary AEs, and perforation. AE-related mortality rate was 1%. When testing precannulation, procedural covariates, and ERCP findings, AE occurrence was associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 0.991), previous PEP (OR 2.198), ERCP complexity grade III/IV (OR 1.924), standard bile duct cannulation (OR 0.501), sphincterotomy (OR 1.441), metal biliary stent placement (OR 2.014), periprocedural bleeding (OR 3.024), and biliary duct lithiasis (OR 0.673). Conclusion: Our app may allow an optimization of the patients’ care, by helping in the process of decision-making, not only regarding patient or endoscopist’s selection but also definition of an adequate and tailored surveillance plan after the procedure.

Background: videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) is currently the most sensitive diagnostic tool to detect early small bowel inflammation. A Lewis score (LS) of ≥ 135 as the cutoff value for the presence of significant inflammatory activity in patients undergoing VCE for suspected Crohn’s disease (CD) has been suggested as a useful tool for the diagnosis of CD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of the LS in patients with suspected CD undergoing VCE. Methods: a retrospective single-center study was performed that included patients who underwent VCE for suspected CD between January 2010 and December 2015. Inflammatory activity was assessed with the LS. Patients were grouped according to the criteria of the International Conference on Capsule Endoscopy (ICCE) for the definition of suspected CD; group 1: patients not fulfilling ICCE and group 2: patients with ≥ 2 ICCE criteria. Results: one hundred and ninety-one patients were included, 61% were female and the mean age was 39 ± 14 years. VCE detected significant inflammatory activity (LS ≥ 135) in 81 patients (42%); 24 patients from group 1 (32%) and 57 patients from group 2 (50%) (p = 0.014). During a mean follow-up period of 41 ± 21 months (12-79), a CD diagnosis was determined in 60 patients (31%); 55 patients with LS ≥ 135 (92%) and five patients with LS < 135 (5%) (p < 0.001). The LS showed a good diagnostic accuracy with an AUROC of 0.93 (p < 0.001). During the first year after diagnosis, there was a significant association between a higher LS and the need for immunomodulatory therapy, biological therapy, bowel resection surgery or hospital admission due to a CD flare-up. Conclusions: the LS (cutoff ≥ 135) is very useful in the diagnosis of CD in patients undergoing VCE. Moreover, higher values of this score was associated with prognostic variables.

Background and study aims Previous studies have suggested a high prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries (MI) in endoscopists. Little evidence has come from European countries. Our main aim was to evaluate the prevalence, type, and impact of MI among Portuguese endoscopists. We also sought to identify risk factors for the development, severity and number of endoscopy-related MI. Material and methods A 48-question electronic survey was developed by a multidisciplinary group. The electronic survey was sent to all members of Portuguese Society of Gastroenterology (n = 705) during May 2019. Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at SPG – CEREGA. Results The survey was completed by 171 endoscopists (response rate of 24.3 %), 55.0 % female with a median age of 36 years (range 26–78). The prevalence of at least one MI related to endoscopy was 69.6 % (n = 119), the most frequent being neck pain (30.4 %) and thumb pain (29.2 %). The median time for MI development was 6 years (range 2 months-30 years). Severe pain was reported by 19.3 %. Change in endoscopic technique was undertaken by 61.3 % and reduction in endoscopic caseload was undertaken by 22.7 %. Missing work was reported by 10.1 %, with the median time off from work being 30 days (range 1–90). Female gender and ≥ 15 years in practice were independently associated with MI and severe pain. Years in practice, weekly-time performing endoscopy, and gender were significant predictors of the number of MI. Conclusions Prevalence of MI was significant among Portuguese endoscopists and had a relevant impact on regular and professional activities.

Main RecommendationsThe following recommendations should only be applied after a thorough diagnostic evaluation including a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan. 1 ESGE recommends colonic stenting to be reserved for patients with clinical symptoms and radiological signs of malignant large-bowel obstruction, without signs of perforation. ESGE does not recommend prophylactic stent placement.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 2 ESGE recommends stenting as a bridge to surgery to be discussed, within a shared decision-making process, as a treatment option in patients with potentially curable left-sided obstructing colon cancer as an alternative to emergency resection.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 3 ESGE recommends colonic stenting as the preferred treatment for palliation of malignant colonic obstruction.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 4 ESGE suggests consideration of colonic stenting for malignant obstruction of the proximal colon either as a bridge to surgery or in a palliative setting.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 5 ESGE suggests a time interval of approximately 2 weeks until resection when colonic stenting is performed as a bridge to elective surgery in patients with curable left-sided colon cancer.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 6 ESGE recommends that colonic stenting should be performed or directly supervised by an operator who can demonstrate competence in both colonoscopy and fluoroscopic techniques and who performs colonic stenting on a regular basis.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 7 ESGE suggests that a decompressing stoma as a bridge to elective surgery is a valid option if the patient is not a candidate for colonic stenting or when stenting expertise is not available.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.

Background: Anal squamous intraepithelial lesions (ASIL) are precancerous lesions of anal squamous cell carcinoma, with a higher prevalence in immunosuppressed patients. There are some studies in kidney transplant recipients, but there is no information regarding prevalence in liver transplantation. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of ASIL in this setting. Methods: Prospective case–control study involving liver transplant recipients without any other known risk factor for ASIL (n=59), which were compared with a healthy control group (n=57). All were submitted to anal cytology and high-resolution anoscopy was performed in those with abnormal results. Results: Ten (17%) of liver transplant recipients had abnormal cytological results, seven patients had atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), one patient had atypical squamous cells that cannot exclude high-grade (ASC-H) and two patients had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). In the control group, one patient (2%) had an ASC-US result (P=0.005). Anal squamous intraepithelial lesions were confirmed in 7 out of 10 of liver transplant patients and 0 out of 1 in the controls (P=0.013) by high-resolution anoscopy with biopsies. Current smoking was the only risk factor for abnormal cytology (odds ratio=5.87, 95% confidence intervals=1.22–28.12, P=0.027). Conclusions: Liver transplant patients have a higher risk of ASIL. Screening should be considered, especially in smokers.

Background and Aims Therapeutic endoscopy plays a critical role in the management of upper GI (UGI) postsurgical leaks. Data are scarce regarding clinical success and safety. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic therapy for UGI postsurgical leaks and associated adverse events (AEs) and to identify factors associated with successful endoscopic therapy and AE occurrence. Methods This was a retrospective, multicenter, international study of all patients who underwent endoscopic therapy for UGI postsurgical leaks between 2014 and 2019. Results Two hundred six patients were included. Index surgery most often performed was sleeve gastrectomy (39.3%), followed by gastrectomy (23.8%) and esophagectomy (22.8%). The median time between index surgery and commencement of endoscopic therapy was 16 days. Endoscopic closure was achieved in 80.1% of patients after a median follow-up of 52 days (interquartile range, 33-81.3). Seven hundred seventy-five therapeutic endoscopies were performed. Multimodal therapy was needed in 40.8% of patients. The cumulative success of leak resolution reached a plateau between the third and fourth techniques (approximately 70%-80%); this was achieved after 125 days of endoscopic therapy. Smaller leak initial diameters, hospitalization in a general ward, hemodynamic stability, absence of respiratory failure, previous gastrectomy, fewer numbers of therapeutic endoscopies performed, shorter length of stay, and shorter times to leak closure were associated with better outcomes. Overall, 102 endoscopic therapy–related AEs occurred in 81 patients (39.3%), with most managed conservatively or endoscopically. Leak-related mortality rate was 12.4%. Conclusions Multimodal therapeutic endoscopy, despite being time-consuming and requiring multiple procedures, allows leak closure in a significant proportion of patients with a low rate of severe AEs.

AIM To evaluate the accuracy and best cut-off value of fecal calprotectin (FC) and fecal lactoferrin (FL) to predict disease recurrence in asymptomatic patients presenting with anastomotic strictures. METHODS This was a longitudinal single tertiary center study based on prospectively collected data (recorded in a clinical database created for this purpose) performed between March 2010 and November 2014. Crohn’s disease (CD) patients with anastomotic stricture who submitted to postoperative endoscopic evaluation were included. Stools were collected on the day before bowel cleaning for FC and FL. Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) was performed if the patient presented an anastomotic stricture not traversed by the colonoscope, regardless of patients’ symptoms. Successful dilation was defined as passage of the colonoscope through the dilated stricture into the neotermimal ileum. Postoperative recurrence was defined as a modified Rutgeerts score of ≥ i2b. RESULTS In a total of 178 patients who underwent colonoscopy, 58 presented an anastomotic stricture, 86% were asymptomatic, and 48 (54% male; median age of 46.5 years) were successfully dilated. Immediate success rate was 92% and no complications were recorded. FC and FL levels correlated significantly with endoscopic recurrence (P < 0.001) with an optimal cut-off value of 90.85 µg/g (sensitivity of 95.5%, specificity of 69.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 72.4%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 94.7% and accuracy of 81%] for FC and of 5.6 µg/g (sensitivity of 77.3%, specificity of 69.2%, PPV of 68%, NPV of 78.4% and accuracy of 72.9%) for FL. CONCLUSION Fecal markers are good predictors of CD endoscopic recurrence in patients with asymptomatic anastomotic stricture. FC and FL may guide the need for EBD in this context.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is one of the most technically demanding and high-risk procedures performed by gastrointestinal endoscopists. It requires significant focused training and experience to maximize success and to minimize poor outcomes. Ensuring competence in ERCP has recently emerged as an area of intense scrutiny as training programs and hospital credentialing committees attempt to approve, respectively, adequately trained endoscopists. Despite this, universally accepted standards for competence in ERCP have not been established. It is not a question of overall numbers, although we know that more is better. With the appreciation that different trainees develop endoscopic skills at different rates, there has been a shift toward competency-based training and certification. An assessment of individual performance is probably more robust than the use of minimum numbers for defining competence. It is still not clear what the exact measures should be and how to measure them, and no one has defined how trainee involvement in a procedure count as a “case” for the trainee. In this review, we sought to define ERCP competence, performance measures, quality indicators for training, maintenance of competency, and credentialing to help ensure that future ERCPists receive adequate quality and quantity of training to achieve procedural competency.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most frequent primitive liver malignancy and is responsible for 3% of the malignant gastrointestinal neoplasms. The aims of this study were to determine the association of serum levels of CA 19-9 at diagnosis with other clinical data and serum liver function tests and to identify possible factors that influence the survival rates during follow-up. Methods: Retrospective observational study of 89 patients with a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma followed at the Department of Gastroenterology during 5 years. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: Patients were followed up for a median time of 127 days (IQR: 48-564), and the median age at diagnosis was 71.0 years (IQR: 62.0-77.5). The median survival rate was 14.0 months (IQR: 4.3-23.7), and the mortality rate was 79%. Patients with CA 19-9 levels ≥ 103 U/L had lower albumin levels and higher levels of alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase. CA 19-9 levels ≥ 103 U/L were associated with a higher probability of metastization ( p = 0.001) and lower rates of treatment with curative intent ( p = 0.024). In a multivariate analysis, CA 19-9 levels

Background and Aims FNA is the primary method of EUS tissue acquisition. In an attempt to improve our yield of EUS-guided tissue acquisition, we compared fine-needle biopsy (FNB) sampling without rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE) with FNA with ROSE and assessed the concordance of FNA and FNB sampling. Methods This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data from consecutive patients. Patients underwent FNB sampling and FNA of the same single lesion, with the same needle gauge and number of passes. FNA with ROSE was performed with a standard FNA needle. FNB sampling was performed with a new dedicated core needle. FNA samples were assessed with ROSE, and a final interpretation was provided by cytopathology staff; FNB samples were analyzed by surgical pathologists, each not made aware of the other's opinion. Results Thirty-three patients underwent 312 passes in 42 different lesions. A diagnosis of malignancy was more likely with FNB sampling than with FNA (72.7% vs 66.7%, P = .727), although statistical significance was not reached. FNA and FNB sampling had similar sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies for cancer (81.5% vs 88.9%, 100% vs 100%, and 84.8% vs 90.9%, respectively). FNB sampling provided qualitative information not reported on FNA, such as degree of differentiation in malignancy, metastatic origin, and rate of proliferation in neuroendocrine tumors. Conclusions FNB sampling without ROSE using a dedicated core needle performed as well as FNA with ROSE in this small cohort, suggesting that FNB sampling with this new core needle may eliminate the need for an onsite cytopathologic assessment, without loss of diagnostic accuracy.

Objectives: Peroral cholangioscopy (POC) has shown to be a useful diagnostic procedure in the evaluation of biliary strictures; however, data regarding its role on preoperative staging are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate POC role in the diagnosis and preoperative intraductal staging of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Methods: Retrospective study that included all patients who underwent POC with SpyGlassTM Direct Visualization System for the diagnosis of biliary strictures or for preoperative evaluation of extrahepatic biliary tumors, between 2015 and 2019, in a single tertiary center. Results: Forty-three patients were included, 63% male with a median age of 62 years. Thirty-eight (88.3%) underwent POC due to indeterminate biliary strictures, 3 (7%) due to bile duct filling defect, and 2 (4.7%) for intraductal staging of perihilar CCA. In the follow-up, a final diagnosis of malignancy was established in 56% of the patients. Visual impression accuracy with SpyGlass was 95.1% (with 100% sensitivity and 89.5% specificity). SpyBite biopsies accuracy was 80.5% (63.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity). In the 19 patients with a final perihilar CCA diagnosis, intraductal evaluation with SpyGlass altered anatomic classification (Bismuth-Corlette) defined by previous imagiologic findings in 8 (42.1%) patients. Alteration in anatomic classification changed therapeutic approach in 4 (21%). Conclusions: POC use for evaluating intraductal spread in potentially resectable perihilar CCA can detect more extensive and change surgical management. In the future, preoperative staging of perihilar CCA with POC combined with imagiologic evaluation of vascular extension of the lesions may optimize surgical results.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a heterogeneous disease, with different causes and often a long delay between onset and full classic presentation. Clinical presentation depends on the stage of the disease. In earlier stages, recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis are the major signs dominating clinical presentation. As the inflammatory process goes on, less acute episodes occur, and pain adopts different aspects or may even disappear. After 10-15 years from onset, functional insufficiency occurs. Then, a classic presentation with pain and pancreatic exocrine and endocrine insufficiency appears. Diagnosis remains challenging in the early stages of the disease, as its initial presentation is usually ill-defined and overlaps with other digestive disorders. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography should be the first choice in patients with suspected CP. If the results are normal or equivocal but still there is a high suspicion of CP, the next option should be endoscopic ultrasound. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is mainly a therapeutic technique, and for the diagnostic purpose should only be used when all other imaging modalities and pancreatic function tests have been exhausted. Indirect tests are used to quantify the degree of insufficiency in already-established late CP. Recommendations on CP were developed by Clube Português do Pâncreas (CPP), based on literature review to answer predefined topics, subsequently discussed and approved by all members of CPP. Recommendations are separated in two parts: "chronic pancreatitis etiology, natural history, and diagnosis," and "chronic pancreatitis medical, endoscopic, and surgical treatment." This abstract pertains to part I. A pancreatite crónica (PC) é uma doença heterogénea, com diferentes etiologias,muits vezes, com um longo período entre o início de sintomatologia e a apresentação clínica clássica. A clínica depende do estadio da doença, sendo que nos estadios iniciais, predominam episódios recorrentes de pancreatite aguda; com a progressão da doença, os episódios agudos tornam-se menos frequentes, e a dor adota padrões diferentes, podendo inclusive desaparecer; a insuficiência funcional desenvolve-se 10 a 15 anos após o início, assumindo-se então, a apresentação clássica com dor, insuficiência pancreática exócrina e endócrina. O diagnóstico pode ser desafiador nos estádios iniciais da doença, já que a apresentação inicial é geralmente mal definida e se sobrepõe a outros patologias gastrointestinais. A TAC e CPRM devem ser os primeiros métodos de imagem em doentes com suspeita de PC. Se os resultados forem normais ou ambíguos, a próxima opção deve ser a ecoendoscopia. A CPRE é uma técnica principalmente terapêutica, sendo que para fins de diagnóstico, deve ser reservada para quando todas os outros exames de imagem/testes de função pancreática forem inconclusivos. Testes indiretos de função pancreática devem ser usados para quantificação do grau de insuficiência pancreática em doentes com PC já estabelecida. As recomendações sobre PC foram desenvolvidas pelo Clube Português do Pâncreas (CPP), com base numa revisão da literatura para responder a questões predefinidas, posteriormente discutidos e aprovados por todos os membros do CPP. As recomendações encontram-se separadas em duas partes: “etiologia da pancreatite crónica, história natural e diagnóstico” e “tratamento médico, endoscópico e cirúrgico da pancreatite crónica.” Este resumo corresponde à parte I. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

BACKGROUND Endoscopic recurrence after surgery for Crohn's disease (CD) is high, and it has important prognostic value. Crohn's disease will recur in the majority of patients after surgery. Fecal calprotectin (FC) and lactoferrin (FL) have attracted interest in the postoperative setting for predicting relapse. We have evaluated the accuracy of FC and FL in diagnosing endoscopic recurrence (ER) using the modified Rutgeerts score (MRS) compared with the Rutgeerts score (RS). METHODS A series of consecutive patients who underwent ileocolonic resection for Crohn's disease were evaluated. Biomarkers, clinical indexes, and fecal markers were recorded on the day of ileocolonoscopy. ER was defined as a MRS ≥ i2b or a RS ≥ i2. RESULTS Ninety-nine patients were included in this prospective cohort. The median time between surgery and colonoscopy was 87.5 months (IQR, 31-137). FC and FL levels were higher in patients with ER than in those in remission (Median FC, 196.5 μg/g [IQR, 96-634 μg/g] versus 42.1 μg/g [IQR 19-91.60 μg/g; P < 0.001]; Median FL, 23.27 μg/g [IQR 8.9-47.8 μg/g] versus 2 μg/g [IQR 0.9-7.26 μg/g; P < 0.001]). Using the MRS, 34% of patients presented with ER compared with 76% if the RS was used. The RS performed worse than the MRS with a decrease in sensitivity (74% versus 48% for FC and 85% versus 55% for FL) and in NPV (91% versus 33% for FC, and 90% versus 37% for FL). Furthermore, the accuracy of the MRS was higher than that of the RS (75% versus 55%). CONCLUSIONS Both FC and FL proved to correlate well with endoscopic findings in the evaluation of Crohn's disease after surgery. Both markers predicted recurrence with greater accuracy when the MRS was used. Fecal markers can be used to monitor disease recurrence after intestinal resection, with patients being selected to undergo further endoscopic evaluation.

Endoscopic ultrasound guided translumenal drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) has been widely practiced for over a decade, using conventional plastic and self-expandable metal stents. The use of such stents for transmural drainage is off-label and limited by the lack of lumen-to-lumen anchorage, which can lead to leakage, migration and tissue trauma.Novel stent designs dedicated to applications of translumenal drainage have recently emerged and promise to make transmural drainage quicker, safer, and more effective. Achieving faster resolution of the fluid collection, decreasing adverse events, decreasing recurrence rates, and lowering costs are critical to advancing the endoscopic management of PFCs. Expert commentary: Our paper suggests that the AXIOS stent is an innovative therapeutic approach for PFC drainage with excellent efficacy, safety, and relatively few adverse outcomes. Preliminary reports appear promising and large multicenter prospective studies are needed in the future to further determine its safety and efficacy.