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Background: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) has been proven to accurately diagnose small-bowel inflammation and predict flares among patients with quiescent Crohn's disease (CD). However, data regarding its predictive role in this population over an extended follow-up are scarce. Objectives: To predict clinical exacerbation and to assess the yield of Lewis score in identifying CD patients with future clinical exacerbation during an extended follow-up (>24 months). Design: A post hoc analysis study. Methods: Adult patients with quiescent small-bowel CD who were followed with VCE, inflammatory biomarkers and magnetic resonance enterography in a prospective study (between 2013 and 2018). We extracted extended clinical data (up to April 2022). The primary composite outcome (i.e. clinical exacerbation) was defined as intestinal surgery, endoscopic dilation, CD-related admission, corticosteroid administration, or biological/immunomodulator treatment change during follow-up. Results: Of the 61 patients in the study [median age 29 (24–37) years, male 57.4%, biologic treatment 46.7%], 18 patients met the primary outcome during an extended follow-up [median 58.0 (34.5–93.0) months]. On univariable analysis, complicated [hazard ratio (HR) 7.348, p = 0.002] and stricturing disease phenotype (HR 5.305, p = 0.001) were associated with higher risk for clinical exacerbation during follow-up. A baseline VCE middle small-bowel segment Lewis score (midLS) ⩾ 135 identified patients with future exacerbation [AUC (area under the curve) 0.767, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.633–0.902, p = 0.001, HR 6.317, 93% negative predictive value], whereas the AUC of the conventional Lewis score was 0.734 (95% CI: 0.589–0.879, p = 0.004). Sensitivity analysis restricted to patients with either complicated (n = 34) or stricturing (n = 26) disease phenotype revealed that midLS still predicted clinical exacerbation during follow-up (AUC 0.747/0.753, respectively), in these patients. Conclusion: MidLS predicts treatment failure in quiescent CD patients (median follow-up of 5 years) independently of disease phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deep learning techniques can accurately detect and grade inflammatory findings on images from capsule endoscopy (CE) in Crohn's disease (CD). However, the predictive utility of deep learning of CE in CD for disease outcomes has not been examined. Objectives: We aimed to develop a deep learning model that can predict the need for biological therapy based on complete CE videos of newly-diagnosed CD patients. Design: This was a retrospective cohort study. The study cohort included treatment-naïve CD patients that have performed CE (SB3, Medtronic) within 6 months of diagnosis. Complete small bowel videos were extracted using the RAPID Reader software. Methods: CE videos were scored using the Lewis score (LS). Clinical, endoscopic, and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records. Machine learning analysis was performed using the TimeSformer computer vision algorithm developed to capture spatiotemporal characteristics for video analysis. Results: The patient cohort included 101 patients. The median duration of follow-up was 902 (354–1626) days. Biological therapy was initiated by 37 (36.6%) out of 101 patients. TimeSformer algorithm achieved training and testing accuracy of 82% and 81%, respectively, with an Area under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 0.86 to predict the need for biological therapy. In comparison, the AUC for LS was 0.70 and for fecal calprotectin 0.74. Conclusion: Spatiotemporal analysis of complete CE videos of newly-diagnosed CD patients achieved accurate prediction of the need for biological therapy. The accuracy was superior to that of the human reader index or fecal calprotectin. Following future validation studies, this approach will allow for fast and accurate personalization of treatment decisions in CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnosis of proximal small bowel involvement in Crohn's disease (CD) can be challenging at magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). The inflammatory process in CD can be associated with peri-intestinal inflammatory reactions, including the presence of inflamed mesenteric lymph nodes. Objectives: To evaluate the significance of inflamed mesenteric lymph nodes adjacent to the jejunum at MRE in CD and the association with proximal bowel disease as detected by video capsule endoscopy (VCE). Design: This retrospective study was performed in two tertiary medical centres, and included 64 patients with CD who underwent MRE as well as VCE within 1 year. Methods: Data were collected for examinations performed between August 2013 and February 2021. MRE images were independently reviewed by radiologists who were blinded to the clinical data. Association between the presence of mesenteric lymph nodes adjacent to jejunum at MRE and disease activity according to VCE Lewis scores of proximal small bowel was examined. Results: VCE detected proximal disease in 24/64 patients (37.5%). Presence of regional lymph nodes in the jejunal mesentery was significantly associated with jejunal disease as seen on VCE (p < 0.001). Of the 20 patients who had proximal mesenteric lymph nodes at MRE, 15 (75%) had jejunal disease at VCE (sensitivity, 62.5%; specificity, 87.5%; and negative and positive predictive values, 79.5 and 75%, respectively). The number of regional lymph nodes was positively correlated with jejunal disease (mean: 2.63 ± 2.90 versus 0.78 ± 2.60, p = 0.01). Other MRE features of lymph nodes were not significantly predictive of jejunal CD. Conclusion: In patients with CD, inflamed regional lymph nodes in the jejunal mesentery at MRE can be valuable to suggest proximal small bowel disease, even when bowel wall features at imaging do not suggest disease involvement. Plain language summary: The diagnosis of proximal small bowel involvement in Crohn's disease (CD) can be challenging at magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). We analysed MRE examinations in patients with CD for the presence of lymph nodes adjacent to the proximal small bowel. We included 64 patients with CD who had MRE examinations and video capsule endoscopy (VCE) examinations within 1 year. Of 64 patients, 24 had proximal small bowel disease according to VCE. We found that of 20 patients who had regional mesenteric lymph nodes in the jejunal mesentery at MRE, 15 had proximal bowel disease involvement. We also found that patients with jejunal disease had a larger number of regional lymph nodes compared to patients without jejunal disease. All but one patient had normal appearing bowel at MRE. But, using regional mesenteric lymphadenopathy at MRE as an indicator for disease, 15/24 (62.5%) patients with proximal small bowel disease were detected. We therefore conclude that regional mesenteric lymph nodes assessment at MRE can aid diagnose proximal bowel disease, even when the proximal bowel looks normal at imaging. Presence of proximal mesenteric lymph nodes at MRE in patients with CD possibly warrant further investigation of the proximal small bowel by endoscopic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia is among the most common infections affecting ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients. Data regarding epidemiology and outcomes of pneumonia in inflammatory bowel disease patients is lacking. We aimed to identify predictors of adverse outcomes among inflammatory bowel disease patients treated for pneumonia. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that included adult patients admitted to Sheba Medical Center for pneumonia between 2012 and 2018. Data was collected from an electronic repository of all emergency department admissions and included tabular demographic and clinical variables and free-text physician records. Pneumonia cases were extracted using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) coding. Results: Of 16,732 admissions with pneumonia, 97 were inflammatory bowel disease patients (45 Crohn's disease; 52 ulcerative colitis). We found a similar rate of 30-day mortality among inflammatory bowel disease and non-inflammatory bowel disease patients (12.1% versus 11.3%, p = 0.824) and between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients (11.1% versus 11.5%, p = 0.947). There was an increased hospitalization rate among inflammatory bowel disease patients (92.8% versus 85.6%, p = 0.045), but similar hospitalization duration (4 versus 4 days, p = 0.384). Crohn's disease patients had a shorter hospitalization duration compared with ulcerative colitis patients (3 versus 5.5 days, p = 0.029). Bronchiectasis (adjusted odds ratio 60.95, 95% confidence interval 2.72–1364.39, p = 0.01) and opioids use (adjusted odds ratio 13.21, 95% confidence interval 1.29–135.18, p = 0.03) were associated with an increased 30-day mortality rate in inflammatory bowel disease patients. Conclusion: This is the first study to identify predictors of mortality in inflammatory bowel disease patients with pneumonia. The rate of mortality and hospitalization duration of stay were similar among inflammatory bowel disease and non-inflammatory bowel disease patients. Use of opioids and presence of bronchiectasis were associated with a higher risk of mortality in inflammatory bowel disease patients with pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]