Search

Summary Pouchitis, Crohn's disease of the pouch, cuffitis, polyps, and extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease are common inflammatory disorders of the ileal pouch. Acute pouchitis is treated with oral antibiotics and chronic pouchitis often requires anti-inflammatory therapy, including the use of biologics. Aetiological factors for secondary pouchitis should be evaluated and managed accordingly. Crohn's disease of the pouch is usually treated with biologics and its stricturing and fistulising complications can be treated with endoscopy or surgery. The underlying cause of cuffitis determines treatment strategies. Endoscopic polypectomy is recommended for large, symptomatic inflammatory polyps and polyps in the cuff. The management principles of extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease in patients with pouches are similar to those in patients without pouches.

Background Clinical and molecular subcategories of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are needed to discover mechanisms of disease and predictors of response and disease relapse. We aimed to develop a study of a prospective adult research cohort with IBD (SPARC IBD) including longitudinal clinical and patient-reported data and biosamples. Methods We established a cohort of adults with IBD from a geographically diverse sample of patients across the United States with standardized data and biosample collection methods and sample processing techniques. At enrollment and at time of lower endoscopy, patient-reported outcomes (PRO), clinical data, and endoscopy scoring indices are captured. Patient-reported outcomes are collected quarterly. The quality of clinical data entry after the first year of the study was assessed. Results Through January 2020, 3029 patients were enrolled in SPARC, of whom 66.1% have Crohn’s disease (CD), 32.2% have ulcerative colitis (UC), and 1.7% have IBD-unclassified. Among patients enrolled, 990 underwent colonoscopy. Remission rates were 63.9% in the CD group and 80.6% in the UC group. In the quality study of the cohort, there was 96% agreement on year of diagnosis and 97% agreement on IBD subtype. There was 91% overall agreement describing UC extent as left-sided vs extensive or pancolitis. The overall agreement for CD behavior was 83%. Conclusion The SPARC IBD is an ongoing large prospective cohort with longitudinal standardized collection of clinical data, biosamples, and PROs representing a unique resource aimed to drive discovery of clinical and molecular markers that will meet the needs of precision medicine in IBD.

The introduction of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies directed against tumor necrosis factor-α has revolutionized the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by improving quality of life, decreasing the frequency and length of hospital admissions, and reducing corticosteroid use. Nevertheless, biologics are very expensive, substantially contributing to the cost of care for patients with IBD. To reduce this cost and improve treatment access, biosimilars, which are therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (biologicals) similar to but not identical to the reference biologic, were introduced. Despite their potential benefits, the adoption and uptake of biosimilars have varied considerably across the USA and Europe. Here, we highlight the current biosimilar therapeutic landscape, discuss barriers to their use, and provide an overview of published studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of biosimilars in IBD.

The majority of patients with Crohn's disease and a proportion of patients with ulcerative colitis will ultimately require surgical treatment despite advances in diagnosis, therapy, and endoscopic interventions. The surgical procedures that are most commonly done include bowel resection with anastomosis, strictureplasty, faecal diversion, and ileal pouch. These surgical treatment modalities result in substantial alterations in bowel anatomy. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease, endoscopy plays a key role in the assessment of disease activity, disease recurrence, treatment response, dysplasia surveillance, and delivery of endoscopic therapy. Endoscopic evaluation and management of surgically altered bowel can be challenging. This consensus guideline delineates anatomical landmarks and endoscopic assessment of these landmarks in diseased and surgically altered bowel.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dosimetry and swallowing kinematic and timing measures. Thirteen kinematic and timing measures of swallowing from videofluoroscopic analysis were used as outcome measures to reflect swallowing function. IMRT dosimetry was accessed for thirteen swallowing-related structures. A cohort of 44 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) survivors at least 3 years post-IMRT were recruited. The cohort had a mean age of 53.2 ± 11.9 years, 77.3% of whom were male. There was an average of 68.24 ± 14.15 months since end of IMRT; 41 (93.2%) had undergone concurrent chemotherapy. For displacement measures, female sex and higher doses to the cricopharyngeus, glottic larynx, and base of tongue were associated with reduced hyolaryngeal excursion and pharyngeal constriction, and more residue. For timing measures, higher dose to the genioglossus was associated with reduced processing time at all stages of the swallow. The inferior pharyngeal constrictor emerged with a distinctly different pattern of association with mean radiation dosage compared to other structures. Greater changes to swallowing kinematics and timing were observed for pudding thick consistency than thin liquid. Increasing radiation dosage to swallowing-related structures is associated with reduced swallowing kinematics. However, not all structures are affected the same way, therefore organ sparing during treatment planning for IMRT needs to consider function rather than focusing on select muscles. Dose-response relationships should be investigated with a comprehensive set of swallowing structures to capture the holistic process of swallowing.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS To investigate the endovascular intervention or extracranial/intracranial (EC/IC) vascular bypass in the management of patients with head and neck cancer-related carotid blowout syndrome (CBS). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case series. METHODS Retrospective analysis of clinical data of patients with head and neck cancer-related CBS treated by endovascular intervention and/or EC/IC vascular bypass, analysis of its bleeding control, neurological complications, and survival results. RESULTS Thrity-seven patients were included. Twenty-five were associated with external carotid artery (ECA); twelve were associated with internal or common carotid artery (ICA/CCA). All patients with ECA hemorrhage were treated with endovascular embolization. Of the 12 patients with ICA/CCA hemorrhage, 9 underwent EC/IC bypass, 1 underwent endovascular embolization, and 3 underwent endovascular stenting. For patients with ECA-related CBS, the median survival was 6 months, and the 90-day, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates were 67.1%, 44.7%, and 33.6%, respectively; the estimated rebleeding risk at 1-month, 6-month, and 2-year was 7.1%, 20.0%, and 31.6%, respectively. For patients with ICA/CCA-related CBS, the median survival was 22.5 months, and the 90-day, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates were 92.3%, 71.8%, and 41.0%, respectively; the estimated rebleeding risk at 1 month, 6 months, and 2 years is 7.7%,15.4%, and 15.4%, respectively. ICA/CCA-related CBS patients have significantly longer survival time and lower risk of rebleeding, which may be related to the more use of EC/IC vascular bypass as a definite treatment. CONCLUSIONS For patients with ICA/CCA-related CBS, if there is more stable hemodynamics, longer expected survival, EC/IC vascular bypass is preferred. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 131:1548-1556, 2021.

This study describes a novel approach in the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS). Eight patients underwent TORS between 01 February 2020 and 07 September 2020. A sterile plastic sheet draped over sterile supports with water-tight seal around each cannula was used to create a sterile working space within which the robotic arms could freely move during operation. This set-up acts as an additional physical barrier against droplet and aerosol transmission. Operative diagnosis; droplet count and distribution on plastic sheet and face shields of console and assistant surgeons, and scrub nurse were documented. TORS tumour excision was performed for patients with suspected tonsillar tumour (n = 3) and tongue base tumour (n = 2). TORS tonsillectomy and tongue base mucosectomy was performed for cervical nodal metastatic carcinoma of unknown origin (n = 3). Droplet contamination was noted on all plastic drapes (n = 8). Droplet contamination was most severe over the central surface at 97.2% (91.7–100.0%), with the highest droplet count along the centre-most column where it overlies the site of operation in the oral cavity 33.3% (n = 31). Droplet count decreased towards the periphery. Contamination rate was 2.8% (0.0–8.3%) over the right lateral surface. There was no droplet contamination over the vertex and left lateral surface of plastic drapes. No droplet contamination was noted on face shields of all parties. The use of sterile plastic drapes with water-tight seal around each robotic cannula can help reduce viral transmission to healthcare providers during TORS.

Purpose of review Persistent or recurrent disease in the neck lymphatics is an unusual pattern of failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The purpose of this review is to critically synthesize the current knowledge regarding salvage treatment of this unique form of failure in NPC. Recent findings Surgery in the form of radical neck dissection has been established as the standard salvage treatment with 5-year regional control of 60--86%. Recent shift in paradigm has resulted in the use of modified or selective neck dissection as salvage surgery in some centers. Risk factors for poor survival outcome include recurrent nodal disease, number of involved lymph nodes, extracapsular extension, high lymph node ratio, and positive resection margin. There are no well controlled studies on the role of additional radiotherapy or chemotherapy to improve local control or survival after salvage neck dissection in this group of patients with regional failure. Summary There is limited literature regarding the extent of surgical dissection in treating nodal persistent or recurrent disease. Prospective studies are also needed to determine whether adjuvant therapy improves treatment outcomes.

Background: Variation in liability to cannabis use disorder has a strong genetic component (estimated twin and family heritability about 50–70%) and is associated with negative outcomes, including increased risk of psychopathology. The aim of the study was to conduct a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify novel genetic variants associated with cannabis use disorder. Methods: To conduct this GWAS meta-analysis of cannabis use disorder and identify associations with genetic loci, we used samples from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Substance Use Disorders working group, iPSYCH, and deCODE (20 916 case samples, 363 116 control samples in total), contrasting cannabis use disorder cases with controls. To examine the genetic overlap between cannabis use disorder and 22 traits of interest (chosen because of previously published phenotypic correlations [eg, psychiatric disorders] or hypothesised associations [eg, chronotype] with cannabis use disorder), we used linkage disequilibrium score regression to calculate genetic correlations. Findings: We identified two genome-wide significant loci: a novel chromosome 7 locus (FOXP2, lead single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] rs7783012; odds ratio [OR] 1·11, 95% CI 1·07–1·15, p=1·84 × 10 −9) and the previously identified chromosome 8 locus (near CHRNA2 and EPHX2, lead SNP rs4732724; OR 0·89, 95% CI 0·86–0·93, p=6·46 × 10 −9). Cannabis use disorder and cannabis use were genetically correlated (r g 0·50, p=1·50 × 10 −21), but they showed significantly different genetic correlations with 12 of the 22 traits we tested, suggesting at least partially different genetic underpinnings of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder. Cannabis use disorder was positively genetically correlated with other psychopathology, including ADHD, major depression, and schizophrenia. Interpretation: These findings support the theory that cannabis use disorder has shared genetic liability with other psychopathology, and there is a distinction between genetic liability to cannabis use and cannabis use disorder. Funding: National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; National Institute on Drug Abuse; Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine and the Centre for Integrative Sequencing; The European Commission, Horizon 2020; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Health Research Council of New Zealand; National Institute on Aging; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium; UK Research and Innovation Medical Research Council (UKRI MRC); The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation; National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australia; Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program of the University of California; Families for Borderline Personality Disorder Research (Beth and Rob Elliott) 2018 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant; The National Child Health Research Foundation (Cure Kids); The Canterbury Medical Research Foundation; The New Zealand Lottery Grants Board; The University of Otago; The Carney Centre for Pharmacogenomics; The James Hume Bequest Fund; National Institutes of Health: Genes, Environment and Health Initiative; National Institutes of Health; National Cancer Institute; The William T Grant Foundation; Australian Research Council; The Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation; The VISN 1 and VISN 4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Centers of the US Department of Veterans Affairs; The 5th Framework Programme (FP-5) GenomEUtwin Project; The Lundbeck Foundation; NIH-funded Shared Instrumentation Grant S10RR025141; Clinical Translational Sciences Award grants; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

Background Patients with Crohn disease (CD) often develop strictures that require surgery. Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) is an alternative treatment that can be safe and effective. The objective of this study was to assess factors associated with the need for repeat EBD and surgery after initial EBD for stricturing CD. Methods Patients with stricturing CD who underwent EBD from 2007 to 2017 were identified. Demographic and clinical information was obtained from the electronic medical record. A Cox proportional hazards regression model and Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for variables associated with repeat EBD and surgical resection. Results Ninety-nine patients underwent a total of 240 EBD proedures; 35% had a history of perianal disease, and 63% were on a biologic at the time of initial EBD. Fifty-one percent of patients had obstructive symptoms at the time of initial EBD, and 75% of the EBDs were successful. Complications occurred in 8 EBDs (3.3%). Repeat intervention after EBD was more likely in patients on biologics at baseline EBD (76% vs 54%; P = 0.029). Thirty-three percent of patients had surgical resection at a median of 5 months (interquartile ratio = 2.0-13.0 months) after initial EBD. The presence of obstructive symptoms at the time of EBD was associated with surgical resection (hazard ratio = 3.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-7.86). Conversely, a history of perianal disease was negatively associated with surgical resection (hazard ratio = 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.68). Conclusions Patients on biologic treatment at the time of EBD are more likely to need an intervention in the future. Patients with obstructive symptoms at the time of initial EBD and those without a history of perianal involvement are more likely to undergo surgical intervention.

There is increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Studies have shown association between cardiovascular disease (eg, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke) and inflammatory bowel disease. Medications such as infliximab and adalimumab (monoclonal antibodies to tumor necrosis factor α) may help decrease the inflammatory burden and cardiovascular risk; however, there have been reports of hypertriglyceridemia and worsening of moderate to severe heart failure with these medications. Janus kinase inhibitors, such as tofacitinib, have been associated with hyperlipidemia and thromboembolism. We aim to discuss clinical and imaging modalities to assess cardiovascular risk in inflammatory bowel disease patients and review the role of various medications with respect to cardiovascular disease in this population.

Protection against increased vascular stiffness in young women is lost after menopause. However, little is known about vascular stiffness in older, premenopausal females, because most of the prior work has been conducted in rodents, which live for only 1–3 yr and do not go through menopause. The goal of the current investigation was to quantitate differences in stiffness down the aortic tree and the mechanisms mediating those differences in older, premenopausal (24 ± 0.7 yr) versus young adult (7 ± 0.7 yr) female nonhuman primates. Aortic stiffness (β), calculated from direct and continuous measurements of aortic diameter and pressure in chronically instrumented, conscious macaque monkeys, increased 2.5-fold in the thoracic aorta and fivefold in the abdominal aorta in old premenopausal monkeys. The aortic histological mechanisms mediating increased vascular stiffness, i.e., collagen/elastin ratio, elastin, and collagen disarray, and the number of breaks in elastin and collagen fibers were greater in the old premenopausal versus young monkeys and greater in the abdominal versus the thoracic aorta and greatest in the iliac artery. In addition, more immature and less cross-linked fibers of collagen were found in the aortas of young females. Aortic stiffness increased in old premenopausal female monkeys, more so in the abdominal aorta than in the thoracic aorta. Histological mechanisms mediating the increased aortic stiffness were augmented in the old premenopausal females, greater in the abdominal versus the thoracic aorta, and greatest in the iliac artery. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to examine vascular stiffness down the aortic tree in aging premenopausal females (24 ± 0.7 yr old), whereas prior work studied mainly rodents, which are short-lived and do not undergo menopause. Histological mechanisms mediating vascular stiffness in older premenopausal females increased progressively down the aortic tree, with greater increases in the abdominal aorta compared with the thoracic aorta and with the greatest increases and differences observed in the iliac artery.

Background A small proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consume a disproportionate amount of health care resources, with most of these spent on unplanned care in emergency room (ER) and hospital visits. Interventions in those at high risk in the outpatient setting could reduce the need for future inpatient care. We sought to describe the characteristics predictive of high health care utilization within 1 year after an initial IBD clinic encounter. Methods This was a retrospective study of new IBD patients seen at the outpatient clinics of 2 tertiary IBD centers in the United States. Baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected, and the number of IBD-related ER and hospital visits were recorded over the 1-year period after the initial clinic encounter. Patients with ≥2 visits (high utilizers) were compared with those with no visits. Results Of the 735 patients included in the final analysis, 106 (14.4%) were high utilizers, and they had a mean of 2.9 visits (maximum = 10) in the 1 year after their initial encounter. In multivariate analysis, insurance coverage through medical assistance (odds ratio [OR] 3.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38–9.20), steroid use (OR 1.83; 95% CI, 1.11–3.04), short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire score Conclusions Multidisciplinary care and resources should be preferentially channeled towards new clinic patients with severe disease and on medical assistance, as this could reduce future inpatient visits and result in cost savings.

Head and neck examinations are commonly performed by all physicians. In the era of the COVID‐19 pandemic caused by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus, which has a high viral load in the upper airways, these examinations and procedures of the upper aerodigestive tract must be approached with caution. Based on experience and evidence from SARS‐CoV‐1 and early experience with SARS‐CoV‐2, we provide our perspective and guidance on mitigating transmission risk during head and neck examination, upper airway endoscopy, and head and neck mucosal surgery including tracheostomy.

Stricture formation is a common complication of Crohn's disease, resulting from the disease process, surgery, or drugs. Endoscopic balloon dilation has an important role in the management of strictures, with emerging techniques, such as endoscopic electroincision and stenting, showing promising results. The underlying disease process, altered bowel anatomy from disease or surgery, and concurrent use of immunosuppressive drugs can make endoscopic procedures more challenging. There is an urgent need for the standardisation of endoscopic procedures and peri-procedural management strategies. On the basis of an extensive literature review and the clinical experience of the consensus group, which consisted of representatives from the Interventional Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group, we propose detailed guidance on all aspects of the principles and techniques for endoscopic procedures in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease-associated strictures.

In China, the correlation between environmental space and drug use by gay male sex workers remains an under-researched public health concern. Drugs are commonly used to enhance sexual performance a...

The recent emergency use authorization of a third COVID-19 vaccine means that most patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will soon be eligible to be vaccinated. Gastroenterology clinicians should be prepared to address patients’ concerns regarding safety and efficacy of vaccines. They should also strongly recommend that all their patients be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, they should be prepared to educate patients about logistics that will result in successful vaccination completion. All these measures will be crucial to ensure high uptake among their patients with IBD.

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitor-associated acute kidney injury (ICPi-AKI) has emerged as an important toxicity among patients with cancer.MethodsWe collected data on 429 patients with ICPi-AKI and 429 control patients who received ICPis contemporaneously but who did not develop ICPi-AKI from 30 sites in 10 countries. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of ICPi-AKI and its recovery. A multivariable Cox model was used to estimate the effect of ICPi rechallenge versus no rechallenge on survival following ICPi-AKI.ResultsICPi-AKI occurred at a median of 16 weeks (IQR 8–32) following ICPi initiation. Lower baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use, and extrarenal immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were each associated with a higher risk of ICPi-AKI. Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis was the most common lesion on kidney biopsy (125/151 biopsied patients [82.7%]). Renal recovery occurred in 276 patients (64.3%) at a median of 7 weeks (IQR 3–10) following ICPi-AKI. Treatment with corticosteroids within 14 days following ICPi-AKI diagnosis was associated with higher odds of renal recovery (adjusted OR 2.64; 95% CI 1.58 to 4.41). Among patients treated with corticosteroids, early initiation of corticosteroids (within 3 days of ICPi-AKI) was associated with a higher odds of renal recovery compared with later initiation (more than 3 days following ICPi-AKI) (adjusted OR 2.09; 95% CI 1.16 to 3.79). Of 121 patients rechallenged, 20 (16.5%) developed recurrent ICPi-AKI. There was no difference in survival among patients rechallenged versus those not rechallenged following ICPi-AKI.ConclusionsPatients who developed ICPi-AKI were more likely to have impaired renal function at baseline, use a PPI, and have extrarenal irAEs. Two-thirds of patients had renal recovery following ICPi-AKI. Treatment with corticosteroids was associated with improved renal recovery.

Background There has recently been considerable interest in better understanding how blood pressure should be managed after an episode of hospitalized AKI, but there are scant data regarding the associations between blood pressure measured after AKI and subsequent adverse outcomes. We hypothesized that among AKI survivors, higher blood pressure measured three months after hospital discharge would be associated with worse outcomes. We also hypothesized these associations between blood pressure and outcomes would be similar among those who survived non-AKI hospitalizations. Methods We quantified how systolic blood pressure (SBP) observed three months after hospital discharge was associated with risks of subsequent hospitalized AKI, loss of kidney function, mortality, and heart failure events among 769 patients in the prospective ASSESS-AKI cohort study who had hospitalized AKI. We repeated this analysis among the 769 matched non-AKI ASSESS-AKI enrollees. We then formally tested for AKI interaction in the full cohort of 1538 patients to determine if these associations differed among those who did and did not experience AKI during the index hospitalization. Results Among 769 patients with AKI, 42 % had subsequent AKI, 13 % had loss of kidney function, 27 % died, and 18 % had heart failure events. SBP 3 months post-hospitalization did not have a stepwise association with the risk of subsequent AKI, loss of kidney function, mortality, or heart failure events. Among the 769 without AKI, there was also no stepwise association with these risks. In formal interaction testing using the full cohort of 1538 patients, hospitalized AKI did not modify the association between post-discharge SBP and subsequent risks of adverse clinical outcomes. Conclusions Contrary to our first hypothesis, we did not observe that higher stepwise blood pressure measured three months after hospital discharge with AKI was associated with worse outcomes. Our data were consistent with our second hypothesis that the association between blood pressure measured three months after hospital discharge and outcomes among AKI survivors is similar to that observed among those who survived non-AKI hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed at demonstrating the effects and learning curve of utilizing combined intermittent and continuous recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) monitoring for lymphadenectomy during esophagectomy. BACKGROUND RLN lymphadenectomy is oncologically important but is technically demanding. Vocal cord (VC) palsy as a result from RLN injury, carries significant morbidities. METHODS This is a retrospective study of consecutive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy from 2010 to 2020. Combined nerve monitoring (CNM) included: CNM which involved a periodic stimulating left vagal electrode and intermittent nerve monitoring which utilized a stimulating probe to identify the RLNs. The integrity of the RLNs was assessed both intermittently and continuously. This technique was introduced in 2014. Patients were divided into "before CNM" and "CNM" groups. The primary outcome was the difference in number of RLN lymph nodes harvested and VC palsy rate. Learning curves were demonstrated by cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. RESULTS Two hundred and fifty-five patients were included with 157 patients in "CNM" group. The mean number of RLN lymph nodes harvested was significantly higher (4.31 vs 0.45, P < 0.0001) for the "CNM" group. VC palsy rates were significantly lower (17.8% vs 32.7%, P = 0.007). There was an initial increase in VC palsy rate, peaked at around 46 cases. The increase in lymph nodes harvested above the mean plateaued at around 96 cases. CONCLUSIONS CNM helped improve bilateral RLN lymphadenectomy. Lymph node harvesting was increased with reduction of VC palsy after a learning curve.

Lay Summary Authors performed a chart review to identify cases of mycophenolate mofetil gastrointestinal toxicity at our institution. In this cohort, friability was associated with severe disease; and nausea and erythema were associated with poor prognosis.

When evaluating a patient with acute onset unilateral leg pain and concurrent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), keeping a broad differential diagnosis will allow for prompt diagnosis and management. The patient described in this case report is a 32-year-old male with inflammatory ileocolonic Crohn’s disease (CD) status after ileocecectomy with perianal involvement and known Type 1 arthropathy. He presented with a three-day history of unilateral leg swelling and tenderness. Initial evaluation focused on possible thrombosis given the development of erythema and systemic symptoms. Final diagnosis was ruptured Baker’s (popliteal) cyst. This pathology is not well described in existing literature, but should be considered in IBD patients given their chronic inflammatory state and common associated intra-articular pathology.

Background: A female patient with a history of stage IIB invasive lobular breast cancer presented with symptoms of partial small bowel obstruction and workup led to a presumptive diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. However, at the time of surgical intervention, she was found to have metastatic lobular breast cancer with carcinomatosis and metastases to the small and large intestines. Summary: Our patient presented at age 55 with intermittent nausea and vomiting, dyspepsia, altered bowel habits, and weight loss. She had a history of invasive lobular carcinoma of the right breast treated with right modified radical mastectomy followed by adjuvant chemoradiation and hormonal therapy 5 years earlier. She was thought to be in remission. Initial workup of her GI complaints was notable for thickening of the sigmoid colon and hepatic flexure on CT scan and stricturing and colitis in these areas on colonoscopy. Mucosal biopsies showed nonspecific active colitis. The patient was treated for a presumptive diagnosis of Crohn’s disease without significant improvement. She was eventually taken for surgery after presenting with a high-grade small bowel obstruction. On exploration, numerous additional small and large bowel strictures, some associated with intraluminal masses, were found and a small bowel resection and ileostomy performed. Pathology revealed metastatic invasive lobular breast carcinoma. Although isolated metastases to the bowel wall are rare, they have been reported secondary to a wide range of malignancies. Breast cancer, especially lobular carcinoma, is one of the most common tumors to metastasize to the GI tract and can present years after the primary cancer diagnosis. Therefore, the differential diagnosis for a patient with signs and symptoms of bowel obstruction and a history of lobular breast cancer should include metastatic disease. Conclusion: Metastatic cancer to the GI tract can mimic Crohn’s disease and should be on the differential in older patients with abdominal complaints, particularly those with a history of breast cancer.

The exome sequences of approximately 8,000 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 5,000 controls were analyzed, finding that individuals with ASD and individuals with ADHD had a similar burden of rare protein-truncating variants in evolutionarily constrained genes, both significantly higher than controls. This motivated a combined analysis across ASD and ADHD, identifying microtubule-associated protein 1A (MAP1A) as a new exome-wide significant gene conferring risk for childhood psychiatric disorders. Using samples from the Danish Neonatal Screening Biobank, children with ASD and children with ADHD were found to have similar, significantly increased rates of rare protein-truncating variants in evolutionarily constrained genes.

The aim of this study was to determine the clinical safety and feasibility of a novel single-port flexible robot for Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS).This was a prospective phase II / IDEAL stage 2 clinical trial of both benign and malignant lesions of the head and neck. The primary endpoint included conversion rates and perioperative complications within 30 days following surgery. The study was registered on www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03010813). The Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare categorical, and non-parametric data for the trial. A p value0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, New York) RESULTS: Twenty-one patients safely underwent TORS with the da Vinci SP (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) demonstrating the feasibility of access to the nasopharynx, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx. There were no conversions of the robotic surgical system. There were no serious adverse events or adverse events related to the use of the robot at 30-day follow-up for all patients.In a prospective Phase II clinical trial, a novel single-port flexible robotic system appears safe and feasible to use for transoral endoscopic head and neck surgery to access the nasopharynx, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx.

Author(s): Hsu, Raymond K; Hsu, Chi-Yuan; McCulloch, Charles E; Yang, Jingrong; Anderson, Amanda H; Chen, Jing; Feldman, Harold I; He, Jiang; Liu, Kathleen D; Navaneethan, Sankar D; Porter, Anna C; Rahman, Mahboob; Tan, Thida C; Wilson, F Perry; Xie, Dawei; Zhang, Xiaoming; Go, Alan S; Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study Investigators | Abstract: Background:Observational studies relying on clinically obtained data have shown that acute kidney injury (AKI) is linked to accelerated chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. However, prior reports lacked uniform collection of important confounders such as proteinuria and pre-AKI kidney function trajectory, and may be susceptible to ascertainment bias, as patients may be more likely to undergo kidney function testing after AKI. Methods:We studied 444 adults with CKD who participated in the prospective Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study and were concurrent members of a large integrated healthcare delivery system. We estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) trajectories using serum creatinine measurements from (i) the CRIC research protocol (yearly) and (ii) routine clinical care. We used linear mixed effects models to evaluate the associations of AKI with acute absolute change in eGFR and post-AKI eGFR slope, and explored whether these varied by source of creatinine results. Models were adjusted for demographic characteristics, diabetes status and albuminuria. Results:During median follow-up of 8.5 years, mean rate of eGFR loss was -0.31 mL/min/1.73nm2/year overall, and 73 individuals experienced AKI (55% Stage 1). A significant interaction existed between AKI and source of serum creatinine for acute absolute change in eGFR level after discharge; in contrast, AKI was independently associated with a faster rate of eGFR decline (mean additional loss of -0.67 mL/min/1.73nm2/year), which was not impacted by source of serum creatinine. Conclusions:AKI is independently associated with subsequent steeper eGFR decline regardless of the serum creatinine source used, but the strength of association is smaller than observed in prior studies after taking into account key confounders such as pre-AKI eGFR slope and albuminuria.

In this article, the authors review the evolving state of diversity in the field of radiology. The authors discuss several early and recent historical legislative milestones that increased the equitable delivery of health care in the United States, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ensured that funds for Medicare reimbursement would be available only to desegregated hospitals. Furthermore, the authors examine the current state of diversity and representation in radiology, in which underrepresented minorities represent 8.3% of training and practicing radiologists, and women represent 27.8% of radiologists. Finally, the authors present arguments for diversity in the current medical education system, analyze hurdles to increasing representation in radiology, and consider the future of diversity and inclusiveness in the field.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in approximately 20% of hospitalized patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The care of hospitalized patients with AKI has been shown to be variable in clinical practices. Systematic tools including checklists, care bundles and medical algorithms have been developed and implemented to improve the care and outcomes of AKI patients. However, whether these systematic tools can improve the quality of care and outcomes of AKI patients is still unknown. The committee of the 19th Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) conference dedicated a workgroup with the task of developing a study protocol to investigate this question. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase. Key questions and feasibility of potential study proposals were discussed during the conference. Then a two-step Delphi process was used to reach consensus regarding several aspects of the study protocol. The group suggested that patient risk assessment be included in the study protocol and the choice of systematic tool be depending on different clinical contexts. The group also proposed a two-phase study with the use of oliguria and systematic tool to investigate the quality of care and outcomes of AKI patients. Consensus was reached on a study protocol regarding the efficacy of using systematic tools to improve clinical management and outcomes of AKI patients.

The impact of postoperative anti-TNF therapy on infectious complications following Crohn’s disease surgery remains controversial. Use of anti-TNF therapy 2–4 weeks postoperatively appears safe, but safety of use within 2 weeks is unknown. We sought to evaluate the effect of anti-TNF therapy initiated within 2 weeks of abdominal surgery in patients with Crohn’s disease. We conducted a retrospective review of adult Crohn’s disease patients undergoing abdominal surgery between 2004 and 2011. Infectious and non-infectious complications were compared between patients exposed to anti-TNF therapy within 2 weeks or between 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively and to those without exposure using chi-squared and regression analysis. Three hundred thirty-one abdominal surgeries were included; 241 were without anti-TNF exposure, 46 received postoperative anti-TNF within 2 weeks of surgery, and 44 received anti-TNF therapy 2–4 weeks after surgery. Patients who received anti-TNF therapy within 2 weeks of surgery, those initiated between 2 and 4 weeks of surgery, and those who did not receive anti-TNF therapy within 4 weeks of surgery had no significant difference in rates of infectious complications (22%, 32%, 33%, p = 0.332). Rates of non-infectious complications (4%, 9%, 14%, p = 0.143), mortality (0%, 0%, 3%, p = 0.105), hospital readmission (17%, 16%, 15%, p = 0.940), and reoperation (11%, 11%, 16%, p = 0.563) were also similar between groups. Use of early anti-TNF therapy within 2 weeks or between 2 and 4 weeks following abdominal surgery did not increase risk of postoperative surgical infections in Crohn’s patients.

Introduction: Many reports have described a decrease in the numbers of patients seeking medical attention for typical emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. These reports primarily relate to urban areas with widespread community transmission. The impact of COVID-19 on non-urban areas with minimal community transmission is less well understood. Methods: Using a prospectively maintained pre-hospital quality improvement database, we reviewed our hospital EMS transports with a diagnosis of stroke from January to April 2019 (baseline) and January to April 2020 (pandemic). We compared the volume of patients, transport/presentation times, severity of presenting symptoms, and final diagnosis. Results: In January, February, March, and April 2019 10, 11, 17 and 19 patients, respectively were transported in comparison to 19, 14, 10 and 8 during the same months in 2020. From January through April 2019 there was a 53% increase in transports, compared to a 42% decrease during the same months in 2020. The slopes of these trend lines are significantly different (3.30; 95%CI 0.48 - 6.12 versus -3.70; 95%CI -5.76 - -1.64, P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in demographics, comorbidities, symptom severity, or stroke discharge diagnoses between the two time periods. However, the median interval from LKW to time of EMS dispatch was significantly longer in January to April 2020 (12 + 273 min) compared to the same time period of January through April in 2019 (7 + 115 min). Conclusion: Our data indicate not only a decrease in patient transport volumes but more alarmingly, significantly longer intervals to EMS activation for suspected stroke care. These results suggest that even in a non-urban location without widespread community transmission patients were delaying or avoiding care for severe illness such as stroke.

Introduction: According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) readmission is a key indicator of hospital quality. Readmitted stroke patients experience greater mortality, longer lengths of stay, and higher costs. Lessening these occurrences have been challenging; but a growing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) concept- Community Paramedicine (CP) - provides a solution. The CP program is designed to provide follow-up home visits to patients after discharge. This program does not bill for services; its executive approval and subsequent expansion was instead predicated on cost avoidance. Methods: In 2018, following success in reducing readmissions in the heart failure population (which resulted in $1.38 saved over 2 years), CP was implemented in the stroke population. The intervention was modified to meet the needs of stroke patients and address key factors in stroke readmissions. The financial impact model consists of comparing readmission rates in the same primary disease category. A projection of readmissions that would have occurred for patients without the intervention is made using the rates observed in patients not seen by CP, allowing for projection of readmissions prevented through this intervention. The number of saved bed days is calculated using average length-of-stay and cost avoidance is calculated by multiplying the saved days with the average cost/day. Results: From July 2018-December 2019, CP visited 164 stroke patients, of which only 2 became a 30 day readmission (1.22%). Of the 658 stroke patients that did not receive a visit, 67 were readmitted (10.18%) in the same time period. Applying the same financial impact model, it is estimated that 9 readmissions were prevented, resulting in a cost avoidance of more than $191,029. Conclusion: Community Paramedicine is a versatile tool that decreases readmissions. During the visits, key barriers were addressed, such as medication discrepancies, absence of help in the home, lack of transportation, progressing symptoms, and overwhelmed caregivers. This successful model is replicable and well-supported by hospital leadership due to demonstrable cost avoidance. It’s a “win” for all; patients avoid readmission; the organization saves money; and patients receive optimal care.

Introduction: The majority of patients who present with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) have known stroke risk factors which are not optimally managed. It has been suggested that a CHADS-VASC score can assist with primary prevention by calculating future stroke risk. This however, has not been widely adapted in the primary care setting. Methods: From 2018-2019, 686 AIS patients were included in retrospective analysis. Data elements included: historical stroke risk factors, historical CHADS-VASC score, antiplatelet/anticoagulant use at time of presentation, discharge location, and mRS. Results: Of the 686 AIS patients, 77% were age > 60, and 52% were male. Etiology subtypes were small vessel/lacunar 20%, large vessel 22%, cardioembolic 20%, undetermined 31% (cryptogenic 15%), and other determined 5%. On presentation, the majority of patients had 2 or more stroke risk factors and a calculated historical CHADS-VASC score > 2 (Table 1). Over half of the patients with large vessel or small vessel/lacunar etiology were not on any antiplatelets and 53% of patients with known history of atrial fibrillation weren’t on anticoagulants. Forty-nine percent of patients had a mRS > 3 at discharge. Conclusion: Patients with several stroke risk factors are sub optimally managed by primary care providers. Primary prevention education for PCPs in management of higher stroke risk individuals and additional analysis of the CHADS-VASC tool for this setting is needed. If widely adapted, this tool may prevent strokes by providing adequate risk reduction in the primary care setting.

Lay Summary It is recommended that all patients with IBD undergo vaccination against COVID-19. In this commentary, we encourage IBD providers to serve as vaccine advocates and suggest implementing different methods for battling misinformation, paying careful attention to minority population.

Background Little is known about factors associated with recovery of kidney function—and return to dialysis independence—or temporal trends in recovery after starting outpatient dialysis in the United States. Understanding the characteristics of individuals who may have the potential to recover kidney function may promote better recognition of such events. The goal of this study was to determine factors associated with recovery of kidney function in children compared with adults starting dialysis in the US. Methods and findings We determined factors associated with recovery of kidney function—defined as survival and discontinuation of dialysis for ≥90-day period—in children versus adults who started maintenance dialysis between 1996 and 2015 according to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) followed through 2016 in a retrospective cohort study. We also examined temporal trends in recovery rates over the last 2 decades in this cohort. Among 1,968,253 individuals included for study, the mean age was 62.6 ± 15.8 years, and 44% were female. Overall, 4% of adults (83,302/1,953,881) and 4% of children (547/14,372) starting dialysis in the outpatient setting recovered kidney function within 1 year. Among those who recovered, the median time to recovery was 73 days (interquartile range [IQR] 43–131) in adults and 100 days (IQR 56–189) in children. Accounting for the competing risk of death, children were less likely to recover kidney function compared with adults (sub-hazard ratio [sub-HR] 0.81; 95% CI 0.74–0.89, p-value, In a retrospective study, Elaine Ku and colleagues investigate factors associated with recovery of kidney function among adults and children receiving dialysis reported in the United States Renal Data System., Author summary Why was this study done? Factors that predict a high potential for recovery of kidney function in dialysis patients are important to identify so that individuals who have the potential for recovery can be closely followed and their recovery recognized. The aim of this study was to determine the likelihood of recovery of kidney function following the start of maintenance dialysis in children and adults. What did the researchers do and find? We found that 4% of children and adults recovered kidney function after starting dialysis, but children were not more likely to recover kidney function compared with adults. Recovery rates improved initially over time in both children and adults but began to decline around 2010 and varied depending on age, race, and cause of kidney disease. What do these findings mean? Discontinuation of outpatient dialysis due to recovery of kidney function was observed in approximately 4% patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) but was especially common among those with acute tubular necrosis (ATN) or acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) as the cause of their kidney disease. Additional studies are needed to understand how to best recognize and promote recovery in patients whose potential to discontinue dialysis is high in the outpatient setting.

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is an option for most patients with ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis who require colectomy. Although the construction of an ileal pouch substantially improves patients' health-related quality of life, the surgery is, directly or indirectly, associated with various structural, inflammatory, and functional adverse sequelae. Furthermore, the surgical procedure does not completely abolish the risk for neoplasia. Patients with ileal pouches often present with extraintestinal, systemic inflammatory conditions. The International Ileal Pouch Consortium was established to create this consensus document on the diagnosis and classification of ileal pouch disorders using available evidence and the panellists' expertise. In a given individual, the condition of the pouch can change over time. Therefore, close monitoring of the activity and progression of the disease is essential to make accurate modifications in the diagnosis and classification in a timely manner.

Item does not contain fulltext Up to 85% of the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma present with regional nodal metastasis. Although excellent nodal control is achieved with radiotherapy, a thorough understanding of the current TNM staging criteria and pattern of nodal spread is essential to optimize target delineation and minimize unnecessary irradiation to adjacent normal tissue. Selective nodal irradiation with sparing of the lower neck and submandibular region according to individual nodal risk is now emerging as the preferred treatment option. There has also been continual refinement in staging classification by incorporating relevant adverse nodal features. As for the uncommon occurrence of recurrent nodal metastasis after radiotherapy, surgery remains the standard of care.

Introduction. Many reports have described a decrease in the numbers of patients seeking medical attention for typical emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. These reports primarily relate to urban areas with widespread community transmission. The impact of COVID-19 on nonurban areas with minimal community transmission is less well understood. Methods. Using a prospectively maintained prehospital quality improvement database, we reviewed our hospital EMS transports with a diagnosis of stroke from January to April 2019 (baseline) and January to April 2020 (pandemic). We compared the volume of patients, transport/presentation times, severity of presenting symptoms, and final diagnosis. Results. In January, February, March, and April 2019, 10, 11, 17, and 19 patients, respectively, were transported in comparison to 19, 14, 10, and 8 during the same months in 2020. From January through April 2019, there was a 53% increase in transports, compared to a 42% decrease during the same months in 2020, constituting significantly different trend-line slopes (3.30; 95% CI 0.48–6.12 versus -3.70; 95% CI -5.76–-1.64, p = 0.001 ). Patient demographics, comorbidities, and symptom severity were mostly similar over the two time periods, and the number of patients with a final diagnosis of stroke was also similar. However, the median interval from EMS dispatch to ED arrival for patients with a final diagnosis of stroke was significantly longer in January to April 2020 ( 50 ± 11.7 min ) compared to the same time period in 2019 ( 42 ± 8.2 min , p = 0.01 ). Discussion/Conclusion. Our data indicate a decrease in patient transport volumes and longer intervals to EMS activation for suspected stroke care. These results suggest that even in a nonurban location without widespread community transmission, patients may be delaying or avoiding care for severe illnesses such as stroke. Clinicians and public health officials should not ignore the potential impact of pandemic-like illnesses even in areas of relatively low disease prevalence.

Background Routine screening of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) for synchronous malignancies using oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy had been controversial. The aim of this study is therefore to find out the rate of synchronous malignancies in patients with primary HNSCCs, the risk factors for its occurrence and the effectiveness of oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy from a 10-year experience in a single centre. Methods A retrospective review of medical records was conducted from July 2008 to June 2018 in a tertiary referral centre in Hong Kong. All patients with newly diagnosed HNSCCs were screened with oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy at the time of diagnosis and therefore all patients were included in the study. The incidence of synchronous malignancies along the aerodigestive tract and the yield of oesophagoscopy and bronchoscopy were studied. Results Of the 702 patients included in the study, the overall rate of synchronous malignancies was 8.3% (58/702), with the rate of synchronous oesophageal and lung malignancies being 5.8% (41/702) and 0.85% (6/702) respectively. Fourteen out of the 41 oesophageal malignancies were only detectable with oesophagoscopy. Only one of the synchronous lung malignancies was detectable by bronchoscopy. Risk factors for synchronous malignancies include male gender, smokers, drinkers and primary hypopharyngeal cancer. Conclusions Oesophagoscopy is essential for detecting synchronous oesophageal malignancies in patients with HNSCCs especially in male patients, smokers and drinkers, and it is most valuable in primary hypopharyngeal cancer patients among all primary subsites. Bronchoscopy had a low yield for synchronous lung malignancies and can be potentially replaced by imaging techniques.

Corticosteroids are a nonspecific immune modulator used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Topical and systemic forms of corticosteroids have been shown to be effective in induction of clinical remission and remain first-line therapy for acute severe ulcerative colitis. A large proportion of patients experience adverse effects, however, including some serious adverse effects, including infection and increased mortality. Newer formulations of gut selective corticosteroids have reduced adverse effects associated with steroids.

Background Fecal incontinence (FI) is frequently reported in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods We retrospectively reviewed data from the Study of a Prospective Adult Research Cohort with IBD registry. Results Three hundred forty-seven patients had Crohn disease and 145 had ulcerative colitis. 14.2% of patients reported FI. FI was associated with active disease. FI was not associated with disease location, phenotype, or perianal involvement. Greater than 50 years of age or 15 years of disease increased the odds of FI and remission decreased the odds of FI. Conclusions Further research into the mechanism of FI in IBD is needed., Lay Summary Patients with Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis are equally affected by fecal incontinence. The factors that increase a patient’s risk include symptomatic disease, increased disease duration, and age >50 years-old. Gender, disease location, and medications did not increase the risk.