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Background:  Computer-aided detection (CADe) has been developed to improve detection during colonoscopy. After initial reports of high efficacy, there has been an increasing recognition of variability in the effectiveness of CADe systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate a CADe system in a varied colonoscopy population., Methods:  A multicenter, randomized trial was conducted at seven hospitals (both university and non-university) in Europe and Canada. Participants referred for diagnostic, non-immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) screening, or surveillance colonoscopy were randomized (1:1) to undergo CADe-assisted or conventional colonoscopy by experienced endoscopists. Participants with insufficient bowel preparation were excluded from the analysis. The primary outcome was adenoma detection rate (ADR). Secondary outcomes included adenomas per colonoscopy (APC) and sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) per colonoscopy., Results:  581 participants were enrolled, of whom 497 were included in the final analysis: 250 in the CADe arm and 247 in the conventional colonoscopy arm. The indication was surveillance in 202/497 colonoscopies (40.6 %), diagnostic in 199/497 (40.0 %), and non-iFOBT screening in 96/497 (19.3 %). Overall, ADR (38.4 % vs. 37.7 %; P  = 0.43) and APC (0.66 vs. 0.66; P  = 0.97) were similar between CADe and conventional colonoscopy. SSLs per colonoscopy was increased (0.30 vs. 0.19; P  = 0.049) in the CADe arm vs. the conventional colonoscopy arm., Conclusions:  In this study conducted by experienced endoscopists, CADe did not result in a statistically significant increase in ADR. However, the ADR of our control group substantially surpassed our sample size assumptions, increasing the risk of an underpowered trial., Competing Interests: T. Rath has received speaker fees from Olympus Medical, PENTAX Medical, Mauna Kea Technologies, Medtronic, Takeda, Galapagos, Falk, Janssen, AbbVie, Repha, Medical Tribune, and Lilly. C. Spada has received consultancy fees from Medtronic and AnX Robotics, and speaker fees from Olympus, PENTAX Medical, and Norgine. N. Forbes is a consultant for Boston Scientific Corp. and PENTAX Medical, and has received speaker fees and research funding from PENTAX Medical. G. Vanbiervliet has received consultancy fees from Boston Scientific Corp. and Ambu A/S, and lecture and conference fees from Fujifilm Medical, Norgine, Tillots, and PENTAX Medical. P.J. Belletrutti has received speaker fees from Pendopharm and consultancy fees from Vantage Endoscopy. P. Siersema has received research support from The E-Nose company, Lucid Diagnostics, Micro Tech, Magentiq Eye Ltd., Norgine, and Endo Tools Therapeutics, and consultancy fees from Magentiq Eye Ltd. M. Maas, E. Soons, S. Kashin, P. Cesaro, A. Eickhoff and D. Salvi declare that they have no conflict of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Competing Interests: G. Vanbiervliet is a consultant FujiFilm and Ambu and has received lecture and training fees from Pentax Inc., FujiFilm Inc., Tillots, Norgine and Takeda.

Background: Missed lesions are common during standard colonoscopy and are correlated with post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer. Contrast-enhanced technologies have recently been developed to improve polyp detection. We aimed to evaluate the impact of linked color imaging (LCI) on the proximal adenoma miss rate in routine colonoscopy., Methods: This national, multicenter, tandem, randomized trial compared the outcomes of colonoscopy with white-light imaging (WLI) versus LCI for polyp detection in the right colon. Two consecutive examinations of the right colon (upstream of the hepatic flexure) were made with WLI and LCI by the same operator. First-pass examination by WLI or LCI was randomized 1:1 after cecal intubation. According to statistical calculations, 10 endoscopy units had to include approximately 700 patients. The primary outcome was proximal adenoma miss rate. Secondary outcomes were the proximal miss rates for sessile serrated lesions (SSL), advanced adenomas, and polyps., Results: 764 patients were included from 1 January 2020 to 22 December 2022, and 686 patients were randomized (345 WLI first vs. 341 LCI first). Both groups were comparable in terms of demographics and indications. The proximal adenoma miss rate was not significantly higher in the WLI-first group (36.7%) vs. the LCI-first group (31.8%) (estimated mean absolute difference: 4.9% [95%CI -5.2% to 15.0%], P = 0.34). There was also no significant difference in miss rates for SSLs, advanced adenomas, and polyps in the proximal colon., Conclusions: In contrast to previous data, this study does not support the benefit of LCI to the proximal adenoma miss rate in routine colonoscopy., Competing Interests: David Karsenti, MD: consultant for Olympus, Coviden, and Norgine; support for attending meetings from Alfasigma, Cook, and Fujifilm. Guillaume Perrod, MD-PhD: consultant for Fujifilm. Lucille Quénéhervé, MD, PhD: support for attending meetings from Vifor Pharma. Edouard Chabrun, MD-PhD: honoraria for lectures and presentations from Norgine. Gabriel Rahmi, MD-PhD: consultant for Fujifilm, Medtronic, and Boston Scientific; support for attending meetings from Provepharm. Geoffroy Vanbiervliet, MD-PhD: consultant for Boston Scientific and Ambu; honoraria for lectures, presentations, and speeches from Pentax, Fujifilm, Tillots, and Norgine. Maryan Cavicchi, MD-PhD: consultant for Janssen-Cilag, AbbVie, and MSD; honoraria for lectures, presentations, and speeches from MSD France, Amgen, Galapagos, Takeda, Pfizer, Mylan, and Tillots; support for attending meetings from Ferring, Takeda, and MSD; board for Janssen-Cilag, AbbVie, Lilly, and Pfizer; receipt of equipment and materials from Celtrion and Biosynex. Xavier Dray, MD-PhD: co-founder and shareholder of Augmented Endoscopy; consultant for Norgine and Provepharm; honoraria for lectures, presentations, and speeches from Alfasigma, Bouchara Recordati, Medtronic, Norgine, and Sandoz; honoraria for live endoscopy from Fujifilm. B. Perrot, S. Koch, G. Velut, and M. Moreno-Garcia declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

INTRODUCTION : Residual colorectal neoplasia (RCN) after previous endoscopic mucosal resection is a frequent challenge. Different management techniques are feasible including endoscopic full-thickness resection using the full-thickness resection device (FTRD) system and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of these two techniques for the treatment of such lesions. METHODS : All consecutive patients with RCN treated either using the FTRD or by ESD were retrospectively included in this multicenter study. The primary outcome was the R0 resection rate, defined as an en bloc resection with histologically tumor-free lateral and deep margins. RESULTS : 275 patients (median age 70 years; 160 men) who underwent 177 ESD and 98 FTRD procedures for RCN were included. R0 resection was achieved in 83.3 % and 77.6 % for ESD and FTRD, respectively ( P  = 0.25). Lesions treated by ESD were however larger than those treated by FTRD ( P  < 0.001). The R0 rates for lesions of 20-30 mm were 83.9 % and 57.1 % in the ESD and FTRD groups, respectively, and for lesions of 30-40 mm were 93.6 % and 33.3 %, respectively. On multivariable analysis, ESD procedures were associated with statistically higher en bloc and R0 resection rates after adjustment for lesion size ( P  = 0.02 and P  < 0.001, respectively). The adverse event rate was higher in the ESD group (16.3 % vs. 5.1 %), mostly owing to intraoperative perforations. CONCLUSION:  ESD is effective in achieving R0 resection for RCN whatever the size and location of the lesions. When residual lesions are smaller than 20 mm, the FTRD is an effective alternative., Competing Interests: C. Yzet has received consultancy and lecture fees from Abbvie, Takeda, Jansen, Amgen, and Galapagos. Y. Le Baleur has provided training sessions for Ovesco Endoscopy AG. J. Jacques has provided ESD training sessions for Olympus, Fuji, Erbe, Pentax, and Lumendi and has received lecture fees from Abbvie, Janssen, and Norgine. M. Barret is on the boards of Norgine and Ambu, and has received research grants from Pentax. M. Shaefer has provided training sessions for Boston Scientific, and has received congress invitations from Olympus, Cook, Cousin Medical, Boston Scientific, Pentax, Abbvie, MSD, Amgen, and Norgine. S. Leblanc has received consulting and lecture fees from Norgine, Olympus, Alfasigma, and Ovesco. J. Rivory has provided training sessions in endoscopy and endoscopic resection for Olympus, and Cook Medical.E. Coron had a speaker's and consultancy agreement with Fujifilm. G. Vanbiervliet has provided consultancy for Boston Scientific, Cook Medical, Fujifilm Inc., and Ambu, and has provided expert lectures/medical training for Boston Scientific, Cook Medical, Mayloy Spindler, Pentax Inc., Fujifilm Inc., and Tillotts. M. Pioche has provided training sessions in endoscopy and endoscopic resection for Olympus, Cook Medical, Boston Scientific, and Pentax Medical, and in endoscopic characterization with Norgine and Provepharm; he received an invitation to UEGW from AlfaSigma; he holds a patent with his institution, Hospices civils de Lyon, for the IPEFIX device.J. Albouys, P. Mandengue, E. Abou Ali, J.-B. Chevaux, V. Lepillez, J. Privat, T. Degand, T. Wallenhorst, U. Chaput, A. Berger, K. Aziz, G. Rahmi, E. Kull, L. Caillo, S. Koch, and F. Subtil declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: Liver cirrhosis and esophageal cancer share several risk factors, such as alcohol intake and excess weight. Endoscopic resection is the gold standard treatment for superficial tumors. Portal hypertension and coagulopathy may increase the bleeding risk in these patients. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of endoscopic resection for early esophageal neoplasia in patients with cirrhosis or portal hypertension., Methods: This retrospective multicenter international study included consecutive patients with cirrhosis or portal hypertension who underwent endoscopic resection in the esophagus from January 2005 to March 2021., Results: 134 lesions in 112 patients were treated, including by endoscopic submucosal dissection in 101 cases (75 %). Most lesions (128/134, 96 %) were in patients with liver cirrhosis, with esophageal varices in 71 procedures. To prevent bleeding, 7 patients received a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, 8 underwent endoscopic band ligation (EBL) before resection, 15 received vasoactive drugs, 8 received platelet transfusion, and 9 underwent EBL during the resection procedure. Rates of complete macroscopic resection, en bloc resection, and curative resection were 92 %, 86 %, and 63 %, respectively. Adverse events included 3 perforations, 8 delayed bleedings, 8 sepsis, 6 cirrhosis decompensations within 30 days, and 22 esophageal strictures; none required surgery. In univariate analysis, cap-assisted endoscopic mucosal resection was associated with delayed bleeding ( P  = 0.01)., Conclusions: In patients with liver cirrhosis or portal hypertension, endoscopic resection of early esophageal neoplasia appeared to be effective and should be considered in expert centers with choice of resection technique, following European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines to avoid undertreatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND : The diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in patients with a biliary stricture without mass syndrome can be obtained by biliary brushing with a sensitivity of ~50 %. We performed a multicenter randomized crossover trial comparing the aggressive Infinity brush with the standard RX Cytology Brush. The aims were to compare sensitivity for cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis and cellularity obtained. METHODS : Biliary brushing was performed consecutively with each brush, in a randomized order. Cytological material was studied with blinding to the brush type used and order. The primary end point was sensitivity for cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis; the secondary end point was the abundance of cellularity obtained with each brush, with cellularity quantified in order to determine if one brush strongly outperformed the other. RESULTS : 51 patients were included. Final diagnoses were cholangiocarcinoma (n = 43; 84 %), benign (n = 7; 14 %), and indeterminate (n = 1; 2 %). Sensitivity for cholangiocarcinoma was 79 % (34 /43) for the Infinity brush versus 67 % (29/43) for the RX Cytology Brush ( P  = 0.10). Cellularity was rich in 31/51 cases (61 %) with the Infinity brush and in 10/51 cases (20 %) with the RX Cytology Brush ( P  < 0.001). In terms of quantification of cellularity, the Infinity brush strongly outperformed the RX Cytology Brush in 28/51 cases (55 %), while the RX Cytology Brush strongly outperformed the Infinity brush in 4/51 cases (8 %; P  < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS : This randomized crossover trial showed that the Infinity brush is not significantly more effective than the RX Cytology Brush for biliary stenosis without mass syndrome in terms of sensitivity for cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis, but does offer a significantly higher abundance of cellularity., Competing Interests: D. Karsenti has received consulting fees from Olympus. J. Privat has received consulting fees from Boston Scientific. S. Leblanc has received consulting fees from Boston Scientific and Olympus, and is on the advisory board of Alfasigma and Norgine. J. Levy has received consulting fees from Ambu. M. Schaefer has received consulting fees from Boston Scientific, lecture fees from Ferring, Alfasigma and Duomed Endoscopy, and is on the advisory board of Abbvie. G. Vanbiervliet has received consulting fees from Ambu, Boston Scientific, Cook and Fujifilm, and lecture fees from Tillots Inc. Fujifilm, Boston Scientific and Pentax. G. Rahmi has received consulting fees from Medtronic and Fujifilm, and lecture fees from Boston Scientific and Pentax. E. Perez-Cuadrado Robles has received consulting fees from Boston Scientific. T. Wallenhorst has received consulting fees from Fujifilm and Olympus.The remaining authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

This is a collaboration between the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), and is a scheduled update of their 2016 guideline on endoscopy in patients on antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy. The guideline development committee included representatives from the British Society of Haematology, the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society, and two patient representatives from the charities Anticoagulation UK and Thrombosis UK, as well as gastroenterologists. The process conformed to AGREE II principles, and the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were derived using GRADE methodology. Prior to submission for publication, consultation was made with all member societies of ESGE, including BSG. Evidence-based revisions have been made to the risk categories for endoscopic procedures, and to the categories for risks of thrombosis. In particular a more detailed risk analysis for atrial fibrillation has been employed, and the recommendations for direct oral anticoagulants have been strengthened in light of trial data published since the previous version. A section has been added on the management of patients presenting with acute GI haemorrhage. Important patient considerations are highlighted. Recommendations are based on the risk balance between thrombosis and haemorrhage in given situations., Competing Interests: Dr Radaelli has received speaker fees from Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr Alikhan has received fees from Alexion, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Daiichi, Pfizer and Portola. Dr Lester has received speaker fees from Sanofi Aventis and Leo Pharma, speaker fees and advisory board fees from Bayer, Daichii Sankyo, Pfizer, and Boehringer Ingelheim, and support to attend a scientific meeting from Boehringer Ingelheim. Prof Van- Hooft has received departmental research grant support from Cook Medical and Abbott, lecture fees from Medtronics and Cook Medical, and consultancy fees from Boston Scientific and Olympus. None of the remaining authors have competing interests to declare., (European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, British Society of Gastroenterology, the Author(s) or their employer(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme and BMJ Publishing Group Ltd under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).)

Introduction: The aims of this retrospective multicenter study were to assess the technical success and adverse events of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures in children in French and Belgian centers., Methods: All children aged 1 day to 17 years who underwent ERCP between January 2008 and March 2019 in 15 tertiary care hospitals were retrospectively included., Results: 271 children underwent 470 ERCP procedures. Clinical long-term follow-up was available for 72 % of our patients (340/470 procedures). The median age at intervention was 10.9 years. ERCP was therapeutic in 90 % (423/470) and diagnostic in cases of neonatal cholestasis in 10 % of the patients. The most common biliary indication was choledocholithiasis; the most common pancreatic indication was chronic pancreatitis. Biliary cannulation was successful in 92 % of cases (270/294); pancreatic cannulation in 96 % of cases (169/176); and planned therapeutic procedures in 92 % of cases (388/423). The overall complication rate was 19 % (65/340). The most common complication was post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in 12 % of cases (40/340) and sepsis in 5 % (18/340). On univariate analyses, pancreatic stent removal was protective against PEP (odds ratio [OR] 0.1, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.01 - 0.75; P  = 0.03), and sepsis was associated with history of liver transplantation (OR 7.27, 95 %CI 1.7 - 31.05; P  = 0.01). Five patients had post-ERCP hemorrhage and two had intestinal perforation. All complications were managed with supportive medical care. There was no procedure-related mortality., Conclusion: Our cohort demonstrates that ERCP can be performed safely with high success rates in many pancreaticobiliary diseases of children. The rate of adverse events was similar to that in previous reports., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany.)

Background: Data on the long-term outcomes of gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) for refractory gastroparesis are lacking. We report the results of a large multicenter long-term follow-up study of G-POEM for refractory gastroparesis., Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study of all G-POEM operations performed in seven expert French centers for refractory gastroparesis with at least 1 year of follow-up. The primary endpoint was the 1-year clinical success rate, defined as at least a 1-point improvement in the Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI)., Results: 76 patients were included (60.5 % women; age 56 years). The median symptom duration was 48 months. The median gastric retention at 4 hours (H4) before G-POEM was 45 % (interquartile range [IQR] 29 % - 67 %). The median GCSI before G-POEM was 3.6 (IQR 2.8 - 4.0). Clinical success was achieved in 65.8 % of the patients at 1 year, with a median rate of reduction in the GCSI score of 41 %. In logistic regression analysis, only a high preoperative GCSI satiety subscale score was predictive of clinical success (odds ratio [OR] 3.41, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01 - 11.54; P  = 0.048), while a high rate of gastric retention at H4 was significantly associated with clinical failure (OR 0.97, 95 %CI 0.95 - 1.00; P  = 0.03)., Conclusions: The results confirm the efficacy of G-POEM for the treatment of refractory gastroparesis, as evidenced by a 65.8 % clinical success rate at 1 year. Although G-POEM is promising, prospective sham-controlled trials are urgently needed to confirm its efficacy and identify the patient populations who will benefit most from this procedure., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

1: ESGE recommends that all duodenal adenomas should be considered for endoscopic resection as progression to invasive carcinoma is highly likely.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 2: ESGE recommends performance of a colonoscopy, if that has not yet been done, in cases of duodenal adenoma.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 3: ESGE recommends the use of the cap-assisted method when the location of the minor and/or major papilla and their relationship to a duodenal adenoma is not clearly established during forward-viewing endoscopy.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 4: ESGE recommends the routine use of a side-viewing endoscope when a laterally spreading adenoma with extension to the minor and/or major papilla is suspected.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 5: ESGE suggests cold snare polypectomy for small (< 6 mm in size) nonmalignant duodenal adenomas.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 6: ESGE recommends endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) as the first-line endoscopic resection technique for nonmalignant large nonampullary duodenal adenomas.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 7: ESGE recommends that endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for duodenal adenomas is an effective resection technique only in expert hands.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 8: ESGE recommends using techniques that minimize adverse events such as immediate or delayed bleeding or perforation. These may include piecemeal resection, defect closure techniques, noncontact hemostasis, and other emerging techniques, and these should be considered on a case-by-case basis.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 9: ESGE recommends endoscopic surveillance 3 months after the index treatment. In cases of no recurrence, a further follow-up endoscopy should be done 1 year later. Thereafter, surveillance intervals should be adapted to the lesion site, en bloc resection status, and initial histological result. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence., Competing Interests: M. Arvanitakis has received lecture fees from Olympus. T. Beyna provides consultancy to and gives lectures for Boston Scientific and Cook Medical (ongoing). J.E. van Hooft’s department has received research grants from Cook Medical (from 2014 to 2019) and Abbott (from 2014 to 2017); she has received lecture fees from Medtronics (from 2014 to 2015, 2019) and Cook Medical (from 2019); and she has received consultancy fees from Boston Scientific (from 2014 to 2017). G. Vanbiervliet has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific and Cook Medical (both from 2019 to present). U. Arnelo, M. Barthet, O. Busch, P. Deprez, A. Larghi, G. Manes, A. Moss, K. Nalankilli, B. Napoleon, M. Nayar, E. Pérez-Cuadrado-Robles, L. Kunovsky, S. Seewald, and M. Strijker, declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. All rights reserved.)

1: ESGE recommends against diagnostic/therapeutic papillectomy when adenoma is not proven.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 2: ESGE recommends endoscopic ultrasound and abdominal magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for staging of ampullary tumors.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 3: ESGE recommends endoscopic papillectomy in patients with ampullary adenoma without intraductal extension, because of good results regarding outcome (technical and clinical success, morbidity, and recurrence).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 4: ESGE recommends en bloc resection of ampullary adenomas up to 20-30 mm in diameter to achieve R0 resection, for optimizing the complete resection rate, providing optimal histopathology, and reduction of the recurrence rate after endoscopic papillectomy.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 5: ESGE suggests considering surgical treatment of ampullary adenomas when endoscopic resection is not feasible for technical reasons (e. g. diverticulum, size > 4 cm), and in the case of intraductal involvement (of > 20 mm). Surveillance thereafter is still mandatory.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 6: ESGE recommends direct snare resection without submucosal injection for endoscopic papillectomy.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 7: ESGE recommends prophylactic pancreatic duct stenting to reduce the risk of pancreatitis after endoscopic papillectomy.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 8: ESGE recommends long-term monitoring of patients after endoscopic papillectomy or surgical ampullectomy, based on duodenoscopy with biopsies of the scar and of any abnormal area, within the first 3 months, at 6 and 12 months, and thereafter yearly for at least 5 years.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence., Competing Interests: M. Arvanitakis has received lecture fees from Olympus. T. Beyna provides consultancy to and gives lectures for Boston Scientific and Cook Medical (ongoing). J.E. van Hooft’s department has received research grants from Cook Medical (from 2014 to 2019) and Abbott (from 2014 to 2017); she has received lecture fees from Medtronics (from 2014 to 2015, 2019) and Cook Medical (from 2019); she has received consultancy fees from Boston Scientific (from 2014 to 2017). G. Vanbiervliet has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific and Cook Medical (both from 2019 to present). A. Aelvoet, U. Arnelo, M. Barthet, O. Busch, P. Deprez, A. Larghi, G. Manes, A. Moss, B. Napoleon, M. Nayar,E. Pérez-Cuadrado-Robles, L. Kunovsky, S. Seewald, and M. Strijker, declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. All rights reserved.)

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has majorly affected medical activity around the world. We sought to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy activity in France., Methods: We performed a web-based survey, including 35 questions on the responders and their endoscopic practice, from 23 March to 27 March 2020, sent to the 3300 French gastroenterologists practicing endoscopy., Results: 694 GI endoscopists (21 %) provided analyzable data; of these, 29.4 % (204/694) were involved in the management of COVID-19 patients outside the endoscopy department. During the study period, 98.7 % (685/694) of endoscopists had had to cancel procedures. There were 89 gastroenterologists (12.8 %) who reported symptoms compatible with COVID-19 infection, and a positive PCR test was recorded in 12/197 (6.1 %) vs. 3/497 (0.6 %) endoscopists in the high vs. low prevalence areas, respectively ( P  < 0.001)., Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a major reduction in the volume of GI endoscopies performed in France in March 2020. The prolonged limited access to GI endoscopy could lead to a delay in the management of patients with GI cancers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: Gastric hyperplastic polyps (GHPs) have a risk of neoplastic transformation reaching 5 %. Current endoscopic resection techniques appear suboptimal with a high risk of local recurrence. This study assessed the outcomes of endoscopic resection for GHPs and identified risk factors for recurrence and neoplastic transformation., Methods: This retrospective, multicenter, European study included adult patients with at least one GHP ≥ 10 mm who underwent endoscopic resection and at least one follow-up endoscopy. Patients with recurrent GHPs or hereditary gastric polyposis were excluded. All data were retrieved from the endoscopy, pathology, and hospitalization reports., Results: From June 2007 to August 2018, 145 GHPs in 108 patients were included. Recurrence after endoscopic resection was 51.0 % (74 /145) in 55 patients. R0 resection or en bloc resection did not impact the risk of polyp recurrence. In multivariate analysis, cirrhosis was the only risk factor for recurrence (odds ratio [OR] 4.82, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.33 - 17.46; P  = 0.02). Overall, 15 GHPs (10.4 %) showed neoplastic transformation, with size > 25 mm (OR 10.24, 95 %CI 2.71 - 38.69; P  < 0.001) and presence of intestinal metaplasia (OR 5.93, 95 %CI 1.56 - 22.47; P  = 0.01) being associated with an increased risk of neoplastic transformation in multivariate analysis., Conclusions: Results confirmed the risk of recurrence and neoplastic transformation of large GHPs. The risk of neoplastic change was significantly increased for lesions > 25 mm, with a risk of high grade dysplasia appearing in polyps ≥ 50 mm. The risk of recurrence was high, particularly in cirrhosis patients, and long-term follow-up is recommended in such patients., Competing Interests: Dr. Pioche has provided training funded by Olympus, Norgine, and Cook. Dr. Vanbiervliet is a consultant for Boston Scientific Corp. and Cook Medical. Dr. Albéniz has participated in practical courses or talks with Olympus, Boston, Norgine, and Casen-Recordati, and has received a grant from “La Caixa/Caja Navarra” Foundation. Dr. Marín-Gabriel has provided training funded by Olympus Iberia, SimMedica, Norgine Iberia, Casen Recordati, and Cook, and has received research funding from Cook. Dr. Giovannini is a consultant for Cook Medical and Pentax Medical. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The 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., Competing Interests: S. Meisner provides consultancy for Olympus Europa (from April 2019, ongoing). G. Vanbliervliet has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific (2016 to present) and Cook Medical (2019 to present). J.E. van Hooft has received lecture fees from Medtronics (from 2014 to 2015 and 2019) and Cook Medical (2019) and consultancy fees from Boston Scientific (2014 – 2017); her department has received research grants from Cook Medical (2014 – 2019) and Abbott (2014 – 2017). D. Arnold, A. Arezzo R. Beets-Tan, S. Everett, M. Götz, E.E. van Halsema, J. Hill, G. Manes, E. Rodrigues-Pinto, C. Sabbagh, P.J. Tanis, J. Vandervoort and J.V. Veld have no competing interests., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Prophylaxis: 1:  ESGE recommends routine rectal administration of 100 mg of diclofenac or indomethacin immediately before endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in all patients without contraindications to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 2:  ESGE recommends prophylactic pancreatic stenting in selected patients at high risk for post-ERCP pancreatitis (inadvertent guidewire insertion/opacification of the pancreatic duct, double-guidewire cannulation).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 3:  ESGE suggests against routine endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy before the insertion of a single plastic stent or an uncovered/partially covered self-expandable metal stent for relief of biliary obstruction.Weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 4:  ESGE recommends against the routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis before ERCP.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 5:  ESGE suggests antibiotic prophylaxis before ERCP in the case of anticipated incomplete biliary drainage, for severely immunocompromised patients, and when performing cholangioscopy.Weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 6:  ESGE suggests tests of coagulation are not routinely required prior to ERCP for patients who are not on anticoagulants and not jaundiced.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence., Treatment: 7:  ESGE suggests against salvage pancreatic stenting in patients with post-ERCP pancreatitis.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 8:  ESGE suggests temporary placement of a biliary fully covered self-expandable metal stent for post-sphincterotomy bleeding refractory to standard hemostatic modalities.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 9:  ESGE suggests to evaluate patients with post-ERCP cholangitis by abdominal ultrasonography or computed tomography (CT) scan and, in the absence of improvement with conservative therapy, to consider repeat ERCP. A bile sample should be collected for microbiological examination during repeat ERCP.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence., Competing Interests: T. Beyna receives consultancy fees from Olympus, Boston Scientific, and Cook (ongoing), and lecture fees from Olympus, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic (ongoing). M. Dinis-Ribeiro receives a fee as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Endoscopy journal. I. Hritz has provided consultancy and training for Olympus (2017 to present), and consultancy for Pentax Medical (2018). I. Papanikolaou has provided consultancy for Boston Scientific (25 April and 21 March, 2018). A. Tringali provided consultancy for Boston Scientific (3 April 2019); he has received publication fees from UpToDate. J.E. van Hooft has received lecture fees from Medtronics (2014 – 2015) and consultancy fees from Boston Scientific (2014 – 2017); her department has received research grants from Cook Medical (2014 – 2018) and Abbott (2014 – 2017). G. Vanbiervliet has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific (2016 to present) and Cook Medical (2019 to present). L. Aabakken, C. Kapral, J.M. Dumonceau, S. Lakhtakia, A. Mariani, G. Paspatis, F. Radaelli, and A. Veitch have no competing interests., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasia (IPMN) with worrisome features are surgically managed. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has recently been developed. The safety of EUS-RFA was the primary end point of this study, its efficacy the secondary end point., Methods: This was a prospective multicenter study that was planned to include 30 patients with a 1-year follow-up with either a NET < 2 cm or a pancreatic cystic neoplasm (PCN), either a branch duct IPMN with worrisome features or a mucinous cystadenoma (MCA). EUS-RFA was performed with an 18G RFA cooling needle., Results: 12 patients had 14 NETs (mean size 13.1 mm, range 10 - 20 mm); 17 patients had cystic tumors (16 IPMNs, 1 MCA; mean size 28 mm, range 9 - 60 mm). Overall three adverse events occurred (10 %), two of these in the first two patients (one pancreatitis, one small-bowel perforation). After these initial patients, modifications in the protocol resulted in a decrease in complications (3.5 %), with one patient having a pancreatic ductal stenosis. Among the 14 NETs, at 1-year follow-up 12 had completely disappeared (86 % tumor resolution), with three patients having a delayed response. Among the 17 PCNs, at 12 months, there were 11 complete disappearances and one diameter that decreased by > 50 % (significant response rate 71 %). All 12 mural nodules showed complete resolution., Conclusions: EUS-RFA of pancreatic NETs or PCNs is safe with a 10 % complication rate, which can be decreased by improved prophylaxis for the procedure., Competing Interests: Marc Barthet received a research grant from Boston Scientific (Endoscopic gastrojejunal anastomosis). Bertrand Napoleon is a consultant for Boston Scientific. All other authors have no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest to declare., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to compare a flexible 19 G needle with nitinol shaft (19 G Flex) with a standard 22 G needle for transduodenal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided sampling of pancreatic head tumors., Methods: Patients with pancreatic head tumors requiring tissue diagnosis were randomized into two arms: puncture with either a 19 G Flex needle or a 22 G needle. The primary end point was diagnostic accuracy for malignancy. The secondary end points were ergonomic scores, sample cytohistological quality, and complications. A 6-month follow-up was performed., Results: 125 patients were randomized and 122 were analyzed: 59 patients in the 19 G Flex arm and 63 patients in the 22 G arm. The final diagnosis was malignancy in 111 patients and benign condition in 11. In intention-to-treat analysis, the diagnostic accuracy for malignancy of the 19 G Flex and 22 G needles was 69.5 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 56.1 % - 80.8 %) vs. 87.3 % (95 %CI 76.5 % - 94.4 %), respectively ( P  = 0.02). In per-protocol analysis excluding eight technical failures in the 19 G Flex group, the diagnostic accuracy of the 19 G Flex and 22 G needles was not statistically different: 80.4 % (95 %CI 66.9 % - 90.2 %) vs. 87.3 % (95 %CI 76.5 % - 94.4 %; P  = 0.12). Technical success was higher in the 22 G arm than in the 19 G Flex arm: 100 % (95 %CI 94.3 % - 100 %) vs. 86.4 % (95 %CI 75.0 % - 94.0 %), respectively ( P  = 0.003). Transduodenal EUS-guided sampling was more difficult with the 19 G Flex (odds ratio 0.68, 95 %CI 0.47 - 0.97). CONCLUSION : The 19 G Flex needle was inferior to a standard 22 G needle in diagnosing pancreatic head cancer and more difficult to use in the transduodenal approach., Competing Interests: None, (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

ESGE recommends against routine preoperative biliary drainage in patients with malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction; preoperative biliary drainage should be reserved for patients with cholangitis, severe symptomatic jaundice (e. g., intense pruritus), or delayed surgery, or for before neoadjuvant chemotherapy in jaundiced patients. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. ESGE recommends the endoscopic placement of a 10-mm diameter self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) for preoperative biliary drainage of malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE recommends SEMS insertion for palliative drainage of of extrahepatic malignant biliary obstruction. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. ESGE recommends against the insertion of uncovered SEMS for the drainage of extrahepatic biliary obstruction of unconfirmed etiology. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. ESGE suggests against routine preoperative biliary drainage in patients with malignant hilar obstruction. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends uncovered SEMSs for palliative drainage of malignant hilar obstruction. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE recommends temporary insertion of multiple plastic stents or of a fully covered SEMS for treatment of benign biliary strictures. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE recommends endoscopic placement of plastic stent(s) to treat bile duct leaks that are not due to transection of the common bile duct or common hepatic duct. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence., Competing Interests: G. Costamagna has provided research support to Cook Medical and Taewoong; his department has received research support from Boston Scientific. J. Devière’s department has received research support for institutional review board-approved studies, from Olympus (ongoing), Boston Scientific (ongoing), and Cook Medical (from 2015 to 2016). F. Prat has provided consultancy to Olympus (2016 to 2018, continuing) and Boston Scientific (2015 to 2018, continuing). P.D. Siersema has provided research support to Ella-CS (from June 2016 to present). J. van Hooft has received lecture fees from Medtronic (from 2014 to 2015) and consultancy fees from Boston Scientific (from 2014 to 2016); her department has received research grants from Cook Medical (from 2014 to 2017) and Abbott (from 2014 to 2017). G. Vanbiervliet has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific (from 2016 to present). D. Blero, J.-M. Dumonceau, J. García-Cano, T. Gyökeres, C. Hassan, B. Mangiavillano, I.S. Papanikolaou, A. Schmidt, and A. Tringali have no competing interests., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

1:  ESGE suggests using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) as the first-line imaging modality on admission when indicated and up to the 4th week from onset in the absence of contraindications. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used instead of CT in patients with contraindications to contrast-enhanced CT, and after the 4th week from onset when invasive intervention is considered because the contents (liquid vs. solid) of pancreatic collections are better characterized by MRI and evaluation of pancreatic duct integrity is possible. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 2:  ESGE recommends against routine percutaneous fine needle aspiration (FNA) of (peri)pancreatic collections. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. FNA should be performed only if there is suspicion of infection and clinical/imaging signs are unclear. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 3:  ESGE recommends initial goal-directed intravenous fluid therapy with Ringer's lactate (e. g. 5 - 10 mL/kg/h) at onset. Fluid requirements should be patient-tailored and reassessed at frequent intervals. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 4:  ESGE recommends against antibiotic or probiotic prophylaxis of infectious complications in acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 5:  ESGE recommends invasive intervention for patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis and clinically suspected or proven infected necrosis. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE suggests that the first intervention for infected necrosis should be delayed for 4 weeks if tolerated by the patient. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 6:  ESGE recommends performing endoscopic or percutaneous drainage of (suspected) infected walled-off necrosis as the first interventional method, taking into account the location of the walled-off necrosis and local expertise. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 7:  ESGE suggests that, in the absence of improvement following endoscopic transmural drainage of walled-off necrosis, endoscopic necrosectomy or minimally invasive surgery (if percutaneous drainage has already been performed) is to be preferred over open surgery as the next therapeutic step, taking into account the location of the walled-off necrosis and local expertise. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 8:  ESGE recommends long-term indwelling of transluminal plastic stents in patients with disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome. Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. Lumen-apposing metal stents should be retrieved within 4 weeks to avoid stent-related adverse effects.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence., Competing Interests: J. Albert has received speaker’s honoraria from Fujifilm (2015 – 2016), Falk foundation, and Covidien/Medtronic (2015 – 2017), and both research and speaker’s honoraria from Olympus Europe (2015 – 2017). A. Badaoui received a travel grant from Boston Scientific (2016). M. Barthet is a consultant for and receives research support from Boston Scientific (2016 to present). J. Devière has received research support from Cook Medical (until 2016) and from Boston Scientific (ongoing); his department is receiving research support from Olympus (ongoing). I. Hritz is a consultant (speaker/tutor) for Olympus Europe (ongoing). I. Papanikolaou is co-editor for social media with the Endoscopy journal. J.-W. Poley has received consultancy, travel, and speaker’s fees from Cook Endoscopy and Boston Scientific (ongoing). S. Seewald has received consultancy fees from Boston Scientific (until 2016), and from Olympus and Cook Medical (ongoing). J. van Hooft received lecture fees from Medtronics (2014 – 2015) and a consultancy fee from Boston Scientific (2014 – 2016); her department received research grants from Cook Medical and Abbott (2014 – 2017). K. van Lienden is receiving consultancy and speaker’s fees from Cook Medical (ongoing). M. Arvanitakis, M. A. Bali, M. Besselink, M. Delhaye, J.-M. Dumonceau, A. Ferreira, T. Gyökeres, T. Hucl, M. Milashka, H. van Santvoort, G. Vanbiervliet, and R. Voermans have no competing interests., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS : Endoscopic techniques have demonstrated their effectiveness in metabolic surgery, notably through a gastrointestinal (GI) liner, with a less invasive approach than conventional surgery. Our study evaluates the safety and efficacy of endoscopic GI anastomosis (EGIA) using a lumen-apposing stent to secure the anastomosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS : EGIA was performed using the transgastric approach with a two-channel endoscope with a novel stent (Cousin Biotech). First, a safety study with a follow-up of 12 months was performed on five piglets. Then, metabolic changes were investigated in a minipig model (n = 10) before and after EGIA or open GIA (OGIA)., Results: EGIA was technically successful with no complications observed during clinical monitoring. Endoscopic and postmortem examinations during the second part of study showed a secure anastomosis between the stomach and the intestinal limb in all except one minipig. Both minipigs subjected to EGIA and those in the control group (OGIA) exhibited increased postprandial glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) production (incretin secretion) and impaired D-xylose absorption (malabsorption effect). CONCLUSION : Performing EGIA with this dedicated stent appears safe, technically feasible, durable, and reproducible in providing a simple and effective endoscopic GI bypass capable of ensuring metabolic effect., Competing Interests: Competing interests: M Daoudi, G Solecki, F Cousin, F Henon, V Dalle, S Noel are employed by Cousin Biotech in the R and D department. R Caiazzo, J Branche, T Hubert, A Quenon, V Raverdy, G Vanbiervliet, M Barthet and F Pattou contributed to the design of the experiments, the assessment of the efficiency of the device and the procedure (in Lille university and in Marseille University). They have no conflict of interest with Cousin Biotech., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and study aims  Endoscopic sphincterotomy plus large-balloon dilation (ES-LBD) has been reported as an alternative to endoscopic sphincterotomy for the removal of bile duct stones. This multicenter study compared complete endoscopic sphincterotomy with vs. without large-balloon dilation for the removal of large bile duct stones. This is the first randomized multicenter study to evaluate these procedures in patients with exclusively large common bile duct (CBD) stones. Methods  Between 2010 and 2015, 150 patients with one or more common bile duct stones ≥ 13 mm were randomized to two groups: 73 without balloon dilation (conventional group), 77 with balloon dilation (ES-LBD group). Mechanical lithotripsy was subsequently performed only if the stones were too large for removal through the papilla. Endoscopic sphincterotomy was complete in both groups. Patients could switch to ES-LBD if the conventional procedure failed. Results  There was no between-group difference in number and size of stones. CBD stone clearance was achieved in 74.0 % of patients in the conventional group and 96.1 % of patients in the ES-LBD group ( P  < 0.001). Mechanical lithotripsy was needed significantly more often in the conventional group (35.6 % vs. 3.9 %; P  < 0.001). There was no difference in terms of morbidity (9.3 % in the conventional group vs. 8.1 % in the ES-LBD group; P  = 0.82). The cost and procedure time were not significantly different between the groups overall, but became significantly higher for patients in the conventional group who underwent mechanical lithotripsy. The conventional procedure failed in 19 patients, 15 of whom underwent a rescue ES-LBD procedure that successfully cleared all stones. Conclusions Complete endoscopic sphincterotomy with large-balloon dilation for the removal of large CBD stones has similar safety but superior efficiency to conventional treatment, and should be considered as the first-line step in the treatment of large bile duct stones and in rescue treatment.Trial registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02592811)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None, (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

For pancreatic solid lesions, ESGE recommends performing endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided sampling as first-line procedure when a pathological diagnosis is required. Alternatively, percutaneous sampling may be considered in metastatic disease.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.In the case of negative or inconclusive results and a high degree of suspicion of malignant disease, ESGE suggests re-evaluating the pathology slides, repeating EUS-guided sampling, or surgery.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.In patients with chronic pancreatitis associated with a pancreatic mass, EUS-guided sampling results that do not confirm cancer should be interpreted with caution.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.For pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs), ESGE recommends EUS-guided sampling for biochemical analyses plus cytopathological examination if a precise diagnosis may change patient management, except for lesions ≤ 10 mm in diameter with no high risk stigmata. If the volume of PCL aspirate is small, it is recommended that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level determination be done as the first analysis.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.For esophageal cancer, ESGE suggests performing EUS-guided sampling for the assessment of regional lymph nodes (LNs) in T1 (and, depending on local treatment policy, T2) adenocarcinoma and of lesions suspicious for metastasis such as distant LNs, left liver lobe lesions, and suspected peritoneal carcinomatosis.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.For lymphadenopathy of unknown origin, ESGE recommends performing EUS-guided (or alternatively endobronchial ultrasound [EBUS]-guided) sampling if the pathological result is likely to affect patient management and no superficial lymphadenopathy is easily accessible.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.In the case of solid liver masses suspicious for metastasis, ESGE suggests performing EUS-guided sampling if the pathological result is likely to affect patient management, and (i) the lesion is poorly accessible/not detected at percutaneous imaging, or (ii) a sample obtained via the percutaneous route repeatedly yielded an inconclusive result.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence., Competing Interests: Competing interests: S. Carrara has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific (since 2016) and to Olympus (since 2015). L. Czakó has received honoraria from Olympus (2014 to 2016). P. H. Deprez has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific and Olympus (both 2015 to 2017). P. Fockens has provided consultancy to Fujifilm, Olympus, Medtronic, Cook, and Boston Scientific (from 2016/2017). R. F. Havre has been provided by Samsung Medison with the use of an ultrasound scanner for research, from March to December 2017; he is a member of the Norwegian Society of Gastroenterology (since 2006). C. Jenssen’s department received a research grant of 4000 € from Novartis (2012 to 2015). A. Larghi has provided consultancy to Boston Scientific (2016 to 2017). J. E. van Hooft has received lecture fees from Medtronic (2014 to 2015) and consultancy fees from Boston Scientific (2014 to 2016); her department has received research grants from Cook Medical and Abbott (both 2014 to 2017). P. Vilmann provides consultancy to MediGlobe (from 1991 to 2019). G. P. Aithal, P. G. Arcidiacono, P. Bastos, J.-M. Dumonceau, G. Fernández-Esparrach, A. Ginès, C. Hassan, J. Iglesias-Garcia, M. Polkowski, and G. Vanbiervliet have no competing interests., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and study aims: The hemostatic powder TC-325 (Hemospray; Cook Medical, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA) has shown promising results in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in expert centers in pilot studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of TC-325 in a large prospective registry of use in routine practice. Patients and methods: The data of all patients treated with TC-325 were prospectively collected through a national registry. Outcomes were the immediate feasibility and efficacy of TC-325 application, as well as the rates of rebleeding at Day 8 and Day 30. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine predictive factors of rebleeding. Results: A total of 202 patients were enrolled and 64 endoscopists participated from 20 centers. TC-325 was used as salvage therapy in 108 patients (53.5 %). The etiology of bleeding was an ulcer in 75 patients (37.1 %), tumor in 61 (30.2 %), postendoscopic therapy in 35 (17.3 %), or other in 31 (15.3 %). Application of the hemostatic powder was found to be very easy or easy in 31.7 % and 55.4 %, respectively. The immediate efficacy rate was 96.5 %. Recurrence of UGIB was noted at Day 8 and Day 30 in 26.7 % and 33.5 %, respectively. Predictive factors of recurrence at Day 8 were melena at initial presentation and use of TC-325 as salvage therapy. Conclusion: These multicenter data confirmed the high rate of immediate hemostasis, excellent feasibility, and good safety profile of TC-325, which could become the treatment of choice in bleeding tumors or postendoscopic bleeding but not in bleeding ulcers where randomized studies are needed., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02595853)., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The risk of endoscopy in patients on antithrombotics depends on the risks of procedural haemorrhage vs. thrombosis due to discontinuation of therapy. P2Y12 receptor antagonists (clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor): For low-risk endoscopic procedures we recommend continuing P2Y12 receptor antagonists as single or dual antiplatelet therapy (low quality evidence, strong recommendation);For high-risk endoscopic procedures in patients at low thrombotic risk, we recommend discontinuing P2Y12 receptor antagonists five days before the procedure (moderate quality evidence, strong recommendation). In patients on dual antiplatelet therapy, we suggest continuing aspirin (low quality evidence, weak recommendation).For high-risk endoscopic procedures in patients at high thrombotic risk, we recommend continuing aspirin and liaising with a cardiologist about the risk/benefit of discontinuation of P2Y12 receptor antagonists (high quality evidence, strong recommendation). Warfarin: The advice for warfarin is fundamentally unchanged from BSG 2008 guidance. Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOAC): For low-risk endoscopic procedures we suggest omitting the morning dose of DOAC on the day of the procedure (very low quality evidence, weak recommendation). For high-risk endoscopic procedures, we recommend that the last dose of DOAC be taken ≥ 48 hours before the procedure (very low quality evidence, strong recommendation). For patients on dabigatran with CrCl (or estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR) of 30 - 50 mL/min we recommend that the last dose of DOAC be taken 72 hours before the procedure (very low quality evidence, strong recommendation). In any patient with rapidly deteriorating renal function a haematologist should be consulted (low quality evidence, strong recommendation)., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aims: The rendezvous endoscopic approach, already described, might be an interesting technique in complete esophageal obstructions (CEO)., Patients and Methods: This retrospective report on nine patients referred because of CEO classified patients into two groups based on length of their esophageal disruption: the long (> 5 cm) group were three patients (esophageal stripping at stent removal [n = 2] and caustic ingestion [n = 1]; two patients having superior esophageal sphincter [SES] destruction); the short (< 5 cm) group were six patients (anastomotic or post-radiotherapy). The procedures were performed under radiographic guidance., Results: All the reconstructions were successful. In four patients, a neo-SES was created, by transillumination (n = 2) or surgery (n = 2). The first dilation was performed by hydrostatic balloon, with additional metal stents (n = 4) and nasogastric tubes (n = 2) used. All the patients were able to eat after the procedure. Two delayed bleeds occurred, which were managed endoscopically. The patients underwent a median of seven dilations (range 3 - 55) over 8 months (2 - 32 months), with dilations ongoing in five patients, but all able to eat normally., Conclusion: Endoscopic rendezvous for CEO is safe and effective, even in patients with long disruptions and complete loss of SES., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aims: A new core biopsy needle for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided sampling has recently been developed. The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to compare this needle with a standard needle in patients with solid pancreatic masses., Patients and Methods: Consecutive patients with solid pancreatic masses referred to 17 centers for EUS-guided sampling were included. Each patient had two passes with a standard 22G needle and a single pass with a 22G core needle performed in a randomized order. Samples from both needles were separately processed for liquid-based cytology and cell-block preparation and were assessed independently by two blinded expert pathologists. The primary endpoint was the accuracy of the detection of malignancy. The reference standard was based on further cytohistological analysis obtained under ultrasound or computed tomography scanning, endoscopic or surgical guidance, and/or by clinical follow-up with repeated imaging examinations for at least 12 months. The secondary endpoints were the rate of technical failure and the quality of the cytohistological samples obtained., Results: Of the 80 patients included (49 men; mean age 67.1 ± 11.1), 87.5 % had final malignant diagnoses (adenocarcinoma n = 62, 77.5 %). There was no difference between the needles in diagnostic accuracy (standard needle 92.5 % vs. core needle 90 %; P = 0.68) or technical failure. Both pathologists found the overall sample quality significantly better for the standard needle (expert 1, P = 0.009; expert 2, P = 0.002)., Conclusions: The diagnostic accuracy of EUS sampling for solid pancreatic masses using standard and core needles seems comparable but with a better overall histological sample quality for the former. ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT01479803., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

This Guideline is an official statement of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE). This Guideline was also reviewed and endorsed by the Governing Board of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was adopted to define the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. Main recommendations The following recommendations should only be applied after a thorough diagnostic evaluation including a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan. 1 Prophylactic colonic stent placement is not recommended. Colonic stenting should be reserved for patients with clinical symptoms and imaging evidence of malignant large-bowel obstruction, without signs of perforation (strong recommendation, low quality evidence). 2 Colonic self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement as a bridge to elective surgery is not recommended as a standard treatment of symptomatic left-sided malignant colonic obstruction (strong recommendation, high quality evidence). 3 For patients with potentially curable but obstructing left-sided colonic cancer, stent placement may be considered as an alternative to emergency surgery in those who have an increased risk of postoperative mortality, I. e. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status ≥ III and/or age > 70 years (weak recommendation, low quality evidence). 4 SEMS placement is recommended as the preferred treatment for palliation of malignant colonic obstruction (strong recommendation, high quality evidence), except in patients treated or considered for treatment with antiangiogenic drugs (e. g. bevacizumab) (strong recommendation, low quality evidence)., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aims: Various techniques using surgical and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) have been evaluated to create a gastrojejunal bypass. The aim of the current study was to determine the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of a new technique using a pure endoscopic approach and tissue-apposing stent placement for gastrojejunal anastomosis (GJA)., Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, experimental study on six live pigs weighing 20 - 45  kg. Endoscopies were performed using a double-channel gastroscope, and included the creation of a GJA using a tissue-apposing, fully covered, self-expanding metallic stent. Antibiotic therapy was continued for 7 days after the procedure, and food was gradually reintroduced from Day 3. Changes in weight following the procedure were compared with a control group of age-matched animals. Anastomosis functionality was confirmed by endoscopy at 3 weeks (before the animals were euthanized), and during histopathological analysis. The primary outcomes were morbidity and mortality at 3 weeks. Secondary outcomes were technical feasibility, procedure time, and patency of the GJA., Results: The procedures were performed successfully in all animals. The mean procedure time was 26  ±  6.7 minutes (range 15 - 32 minutes). One case of stent migration occurred during the procedure; the stent was successfully replaced using the same procedure. All animals were alive after 3 weeks. The mean weight gain during follow-up was 0.85  ±  2.56  kg (range - 2 to + 2  kg) compared with 5.2  ±  1.6  kg (range 3 - 7  kg) in control animals (P = 0.007). At necropsy, the stents were still in place in all animals, without evidence of peritonitis. Histopathology confirmed permeable anastomoses with continuity of the mucosa and mucosa muscle layers., Conclusions: GJA with a tissue-apposing stent is safe, feasible, and reproducible without anastomotic leakage in a porcine model using a pure endoscopic approach and standard endoscopic equipment., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Innovation everywhere for everybody - this is the way we can summarize the 2014 Digestive Disease Week, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, last May. Many sessions introduced new innovative materials and concepts. From the robot of the future to the simplest ideas, the congress was fertile and sometimes full of surprises. Abstracts representing significant progress and innovations in the field of digestive endoscopy are reviewed here., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aim: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is recommended as the first exploration in obscure digestive bleeding. The efficiency of the PillCam SB2 (Given Imaging) has been widely reported. The CapsoCam capsule (Capsovision) has four cameras allowing the exploration of the small bowel through 360° lateral viewing. This system does not include a recording system so the capsule has to be retrieved by the patient after expulsion in order for the film to be downloaded. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic concordance (kappa value) of the PillCam SB2 and CapsoCam capsules in the same patients., Methods: This was a prospective comparative study in four French referral endoscopy units. Consecutive patients ingested the two capsules 1 hour apart and in a randomized order., Results: In the 73 included patients there were 13 technical issues (11 CapsoCam, 2 PillCam SB2). Of the 60 patients with analyzable data, and following expert review of all discordant cases, a concordant positive diagnosis was obtained in 23 (38.3 %) and a negative diagnosis was obtained and 26 patients (43.3 %). Concordance was good, with a kappa value of 0.63 in analyzable patients, and 46.7 % diagnosis with CapsoCam vs. 48.3 % with PillCam SB2. CapsoCam and PillCam SB2 procedures identified 81.8 % (27 /33) and 84.8 % (28 /33) of positive patients, respectively (P = 0.791). In a per lesion analysis, the CapsoCam capsule detected significantly more lesions (108 vs. 85 lesions; P = 0.001). Reading time was longer for CapsoCam procedures (32.0 vs. 26.2 minutes; P = 0.002)., Conclusion: This study shows comparable efficiency of the CapsoCam and PillCam SB2 capsule systems in terms of diagnostic yield and image quality., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aims: Uncovered self-expanding metal stents offer effective relief for colonic obstruction. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of fully covered self-expanding metal stents (FCSEMSs) in the treatment of benign colonic strictures., Patients and Methods: All patients presenting with a symptomatic benign colonic stricture (occlusion or subocclusion) during a 6-year study period were treated with FCSEMSs. The stents were placed and removed 4 - 6 weeks later at one of 10 endoscopy centers. The efficacy of the stent (clinical and radiological signs of colonic decompression within 48 hours), technical success, stent retrieval, safety, and recurrence of symptoms were evaluated during follow-up. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with clinical success, stent migration, and symptom recurrence., Results: The study included 43 patients (24 men, 19 women; mean age 67.6 ± 10.4) with occlusive (n = 18) or subocclusive symptoms (n = 25) due to anastomotic (n = 40), post-ischemic (n = 2), or post-radiation (n = 1) strictures. Insertion was successful in all patients. Clinical success was obtained in 35 patients (81 %). Migration was observed in 27 patients (63 %). The median duration of stenting was 21 days (95 %CI 17.8 - 35.4 days). Multivariate analysis showed that stents more than 20 mm wide migrated significantly less often. Recurrence of obstructive symptoms was observed in 23 patients (53 %), irrespective of migration. No predictive factors for recurrence or clinical efficacy were found., Conclusions: FCSEMSs for treatment of symptomatic benign colonic strictures are safe and effective, despite a high rate of spontaneous migration., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Recent developments in therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) have enabled new approaches to the management of refractory gastrointestinal bleeding, including EUS-guided sclerotherapy and vessel embolization. Few cases have been reported in the literature. Eight patients were admitted for severe, refractory gastrointestinal bleeding, seven of whom were actively bleeding. Causes of bleeding were gastric varices secondary to portal hypertension (n = 3); gastroduodenal artery aneurysm or fundal aneurysmal arterial malformation (n = 3); and Dieulafoy's ulcer (n = 2); the latter five patients having arterial bleeding. During the procedures, the bleeding vessel was punctured with a 19-gauge needle then injected with a sclerosing agent (cyanoacrylate glue [n = 6] or polidocanol 2 % [n = 2]) under Doppler control. The median follow-up time was 9 months (3 - 18 months). In all 10 endoscopic procedures were performed. The procedure was successful at the first attempt in seven out of eight patients (87.5 %). No clinical complications were observed, although in one case there was diffusion of cyanoacrylate in the hepatic artery. The seven successful cases all showed immediate and complete disappearance of the Doppler flow signal at the end of the procedure. This retrospective study highlights the utility of EUS-guided vascular therapy. However, more large randomized studies should be conducted to confirm these results., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

With the increasing use of antiplatelet agents (APA), their management during the periendoscopic period has become a more common and more difficult problem. The increase in use is due to the availability of new drugs and the widespread use of drug-eluting coronary stents. Acute coronary syndromes can occur when APA therapy is withheld for noncardiovascular interventions. Guidelines about APA management during the periendoscopic period are traditionally based on assessments of the procedure-related risk of bleeding and the risk of thrombosis if APA are stopped. New data allow better assessment of these risks, of the necessary duration of APA discontinuation before endoscopy, of the use of alternative procedures (mostly for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography [ERCP]), and of endoscopic methods that can be used to prevent bleeding (following colonic polypectomy). This guideline makes graded, evidence-based, recommendations for the management of APA for all currently performed endoscopic procedures. A short summary and two tables are included for quick reference., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and efficiency of plasma argon trimming of gastrointestinal and biliary metallic stents., Patients and Methods: A total of 31 patients underwent plasma argon trimming of their metallic stents (14 women, 17 men; mean +/- SD age 73 +/- 12.2 years, range 46 - 96 years). Of these 31 patients, 24 had had covered or noncovered Unistep Wallstents placed in the biliary tract (13 patients with pancreatic neoplasms, five patients with Vater ampulloma, five patients with biliary tract carcinoma and one patient with chronic calcifiying pancreatitis); three patients had noncovered Enteral Unistep Wallstents (pyloroduodenal); two patients with obstructive colorectal carcinoma had a noncovered Bard Memotherm stent inserted; and two patients had noncovered Ultraflex stents placed for esophageal carcinoma. Endoscopic trimming of the stents was performed under propofol-induced general anesthesia, with the power set at 70 - 80 watts and an argon flow of 0.8 liters/minute., Results: Complete and satisfactory trimming of the stents was possible, without complications (mean follow-up 15.8 months), in all patients except one, a patient with a covered biliary Wallstent. In 13 patients with biliary or Enteral Wallstents the trimming procedure was preventive. In eight patients with ulceration and/or hemorrhage (duodenal or rectal), healing was achieved after stent trimming and epinephrine (adrenaline) injection followed by electrocoagulation. Stent trimming restored patency of the duodenal lumen in six patients and of the esophageal lumen in two patients, and was done to allow insertion of a biliary stent in one patient whose duodenal stent was covering the papilla. In one patient with rectal tenesmus, stent shortening resulted in complete resolution of symptoms., Conclusions: Endsocopic plasma argon trimming of metallic stents is an efficient procedure which allows easy, reproducible and well-tolerated correction of complications that arise due to these prostheses.