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Intrathoracic esophageal perforation is a devastating event bearing high mortality rates. Prompt recognition and aggressive treatment are key. Traditionally, most patients required surgical treatment, but recently, endoscopic techniques, mainly endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure (EVAC), have been recognized as a valuable alternative in selected patients. Herein, we describe a novel technique in which a nasogastric tube (NGT) was placed endoscopically into a mediastinal abscess and covered with a self-expanding metal stent to treat esophageal defects in three patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Capsule endoscopy is a relatively new imaging tool for the detection of small bowel pathology. The assessment of the severity of Crohn's disease by capsule endoscopy is not standardized and is limited by interobserver variations in interpreting the findings.Aim: To develop, assess and validate a new, simple capsule endoscopy Crohn's disease activity index (CECDAI) in order to grade the severity of small bowel capsule endoscopy findings.Methods: The system involves dividing the small bowel into proximal and distal segments according to transit time and then rating each segment on the basis of three parameters: inflammation (A), extent of disease (B) and presence of strictures (C). The segmental score is calculated by multiplying the inflammation subscore by the disease-subextent score and adding the stricture subscore (A x B + C); the final score is calculated by adding the two segmental scores: CECDAI = (A1 x B1 + C1) + (A2 x B2 + C2). In the present study, four senior endoscopists (two with experience in capsule endoscopy interpretation) independently reviewed coded capsule endoscopy videos of 20 patients with Crohn's disease and rated them according to the CECDAI. Interobserver variability was analyzed by Spearman's correlation test.Results: The CECDAI total scores for the 20 patients ranged from 0 to 26. The correlation for the total score assigned between every two observers was 0.867 (0.700-1.000 = strong degree association; WHO classification; P < 0.0001). The Kappa statistics for agreement among all observers for the subscores and total scores were as follows: A1, 0.31 +/- 0.05; B1, 0.25 +/- 0.05; C1 (no cases); A2, 0.51 +/- 0.05; B2, 0.57 +/- 0.05; C2, 0.27 +/- 0.07. All examiners reported that the system was simple to learn and apply.Conclusions: The CECDAI score may serve as a convenient, reliable and reproducible diagnostic and follow-up tool for use by experienced endoscopists in the evaluation of patients with Crohn's disease of the small bowel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspirin is widely used for its antiplatelet activity, but it harbors a risk of severe adverse gastrointestinal effects, such as bleeding and perforation, especially in elderly people. Our aim to assess the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal lesions and the effect of aspirin on the gastrointestinal mucosa in asymptomatic subjects taking minidose aspirin (100 to 325 mg per day) for more than 3 months. A prospective, open design was used. Patients attending the ophthalmology and cardiology outpatient clinics who had a medical history of more than 3 months of regular aspirin consumption were referred for esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Of the 90 patients referred for EGD, 44 were symptomatic (epigastric pain or dyspepsia) and were excluded from the study. The 46 asymptomatic patients included 22 men and 24 women of mean age 70 +/- 10 years (range, 36 to 87 years); 32% were current or former smokers. Mean daily aspirin dose was 129.34 +/- 76.61 mg. Only 24% were taking a gastroprotective agent. EGD revealed ulcer or erosions in 47.83% of the patients: erosive gastroduodenitis in 13 patients, gastric ulcer in 14, duodenal ulcer in 2, and gastric and duodenal ulcers in 2. Urease test for Helicobacter pylori infection was positive in 26%. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed no factor other than aspirin predictive of a positive endoscopy. Minidose aspirin treatment is associated with a high prevalence of ulcerations of the stomach and duodenum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]