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Purpose: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) may be related to surgical technique. The fact that there is a lack of technical standardization may explain large differences in GERD incidence. The aim of this study is to evaluate auto- and hetero-agreement for SG technical key points based on recorded videos., Methods: Ten experienced (minimum of 5 years performing bariatric surgery, minimum of 30 SG per year) bariatric surgeons (9 (90%) males) were selected. Participants were invited to send an unedited video with a typical laparoscopic SG (first round of the Delphi process). Videos were cropped into small clips comprising 11 key points of the technique. All anonymized clips (including their own) were returned to all surgeons. Individuals were asked to agree or not with the technique demonstrated (second round). The percentage of agreement was presented to the entire group that was asked for a second vote (third round)., Results: Agreement was poor/fair for all points except hiatal repair that had a very good agreement in the second round. For the third round, there was a slight increase in agreement for distance esophagogastric junction/proximal stapling and gastric mobilization for stapling and a slight decrease in agreement for gastric tube final shape. Only 1 (10%) surgeon recognized that he evaluated his own video. Five (50%) surgeons disagreed with themselves on 1 or more points., Conclusion: SG lacks intrasurgeon and intersurgeon agreement in technical key points that may justify significant differences in GERD incidence after the procedure., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background/aim: Previous studies from our research group have shown that trisomy 8 and the amplification of the 8q24.21 region is very frequent in gastric cancer (GC). Little is known about the role of most genes located in this region. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the possible impact of transcriptional alterations and copy number variation (CNV) of four genes located in the 8q24.21 region - FAM49B, FAM84B, GSDMC and miR-5194 - in GC., Materials and Methods: Fifty-one to 85 matched pairs of tumoral and adjacent non-tumoral gastric tissues, from patients with primary GC, were used to analyze gene expression and CNV of the selected genes. We also included 29 H. pylori negative and gastritis negative gastric mucosa tissues from individuals without cancer obtained by endoscopy, as control samples., Results: The expression of FAM49B, GSDMC and miR-5194 was higher in both tumoral and adjacent non-tumoral samples compared to the negative control. The expression of FAM84B showed no significant difference between tumoral samples and negative controls. However, the expression of FAM84B in the adjacent non-tumoral samples was higher compared to negative control and tumoral samples. Moreover, the higher expression of GSDMC was associated with T3 and T4 tumors, with tumors on stage III and IV and with advanced tumors. Higher copy numbers of FAM49B and GSDMC were associated with intestinal tumor type and with moderately or well-differentiated tumors. Higher copy number of FAM84B was associated with moderately or well-differentiated tumors. Furthermore, the expression of all four genes was positively correlated., Conclusion: All four genes are upregulated in GC and may play an important role in these neoplasms. GSDMC expression was associated with more aggressive tumors., (Copyright © 2022 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading types of fatal cancer worldwide. Epigenetic manipulation of cancer cells is a useful tool to better understand gene expression regulatory mechanisms and contributes to the discovery of novel biomarkers. Our research group recently reported a list of 83 genes that are potentially modulated by DNA methylation in GC cell lines. Herein, we further explored the regulation of one of these genes, LRRC37A2 , in clinical samples. LRRC37A2 expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR, and DNA methylation was studied using next-generation bisulphite sequencing in 36 GC and paired adjacent nonneoplastic tissue samples. We showed that both reduced LRRC37A2 mRNA levels and increased LRRC37A2 exon methylation were associated with undifferentiated and poorly differentiated tumours. Moreover, LRRC37A2 gene expression and methylation levels were inversely correlated at the +45 exon CpG site. We suggest that DNA hypermethylation may contribute to reducing LRRC37A2 expression in undifferentiated and poorly differentiated GC. Therefore, our results show how some genes may be useful to stratify patients who are more likely to benefit from epigenetic therapy. Abbreviations: AR: androgen receptor; 5-AZAdC: 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine; B2M : beta-2-microglobulin; GAPDH : glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GC: gastric cancer; GLM: general linear model; LRRC37A2 : leucine-rich repeat containing 37 member A2; SD: standard deviation; TFII-I: general transcription factor II-I; TSS: transcription start site; XBP1: X-box binding protein 1.

Background: One-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is a simpler procedure than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB); however, biliary reflux can occur and impair outcomes. This study aimed to compare outcomes of OAGB and RYGB., Methods: Twenty patients with morbid obesity were randomized prospectively into two groups: OAGB (n=10) or RYGB (n=10). Quality of life (36-item short-form health survey [SF-36]), satisfaction (Visick scale), and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated before and 6 months after the operation. All patients underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with gastric and esophageal mucosal biopsies at 3 and 6 months after their operation., Results: The study found no significant difference in BMI before surgery (OAGB, 43.2 kg/m 2 ; RYGB, 43.1 kg/m 2 ; P =0.90) or at 6 months postoperative (OAGB, 32.1 kg/m 2 ; RYGB, 31.8 kg/m 2 ; P =0.91). There was no significant difference in improvement of quality of life (four SF-36 domains) or satisfaction ( P =0.08) between groups at 6 months. There was no statistical difference between gastric ( P =0.10) and esophageal ( P =0.76) inflammation grade at three or 6 months between the two groups., Conclusion: OAGB and RYGB are equally effective in terms of weight loss, patient satisfaction, and quality of life improvement at 6 months after the procedures. Inflammation grade and cellular damage in the gastric pouch and in the esophagus were similar.

Background: Weight regain (WR) after bariatric surgery (BS) is frequent., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the occurrence of psychiatric disorders would be associated with short- and long-term WR after BS., Methods: Ninety-six patients (77.6% female, age 40.2 ± 10.1 years, BMI of 50 ± 8.2 kg/m 2 ) from the Obesity and Bariatric Surgery Outpatient Clinic of the Universidade Federal São Paulo completed the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised, the Beck Depression Inventory and an anxiety inventory to assess the occurrence of binge eating, depressive symptoms (DS) and anxious symptoms (AS) before and after short-term and long-term BS., Results: Twenty-four months after BS, the prevalence of binge eating, depression and anxiety decreased from 100 to 13%, 100 to 15% and 43 to 4%, respectively. The mean WR of 35.2 ± 17.3% of weight loss occurred in nine patients after 24 months and was associated with binge eating (p = 0.002) but not with DS or AS. At long-term follow-up (12 ± 1.5 years), 67% had a mean WR of 50.3 ± 24.9%. The prevalence of binge eating, DS and AS were 48%, 46% and 63%, respectively, in this group, and significant associations were observed between WR and binge eating (p = 0.001), DS (p = 0.029) and AS (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the number of psychiatric disorders was inversely associated with the percentage of weight loss (p < 0.05) and positively associated with WR (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Weight regain was associated with the occurrence of binge eating in the short and long term after BS, whereas the occurrence of depressive and anxious symptoms was associated with WR only in the long term., Level Iii: Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Introduction: Some studies have shown an increase in alcohol use disorders (AUD) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB), but its relationship with binge eating disorder (BED) has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of AUD and BED after RYGB and also to evaluate if BED is predictive of late postoperative occurrence of AUD or BED., Methods: Patients (n = 46) submitted to RYGB, in a tertiary outpatient weight management service at a Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, were tested for BED and AUD using the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised (QEWP-R) and AUDIT, respectively. BED was tested before surgery, while both disorders were evaluated with a follow-up period of 12 ± 1.6 years after RYGB., Results: No patients reported AUD before RYBP. After a mean period of 12 years from surgery, ten patients (21.7%) were diagnosed with AUD. Before surgery, BED was present in 24 patients (52.2%) and it was detected in seven out of these 24 patients (29.2%) after RYGB. Thirteen new cases of BED (28.2%) were detected after surgery; total of 20 patients (43.5%) with BED. No association was found between pre- and postsurgery BED (p = 0.148). After RYGB, four out of 24 patients (16.6%) with presurgery BED developed AUD, and no association was found between presurgery BED and postsurgery AUD (p = 0.384). Seven out of ten patients (70%) with AUD after RYGB also developed BED, but no statistical significance was found between these two disorders (p = 0.061)., Conclusion: The presence of BED before RYGB did not predict AUD and BED after RYGB. Nevertheless, factors involved in a possible association between BED and AUD after surgery remain to be determined., Level of Evidence: Level III, cohort study.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Very few therapeutic options are currently available in this neoplasia. The use of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZAdC) was approved for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes, and this drug can treat solid tumours at low doses. Epigenetic manipulation of GC cell lines is a useful tool to better understand gene expression regulatory mechanisms for clinical applications. Therefore, we compared the gene expression profile of 5-AZAdC-treated and untreated GC cell lines by a microarray assay. Among the genes identified in this analysis, we selected NRN1 and TNFAIP3 to be evaluated for gene expression by RT-qPCR and DNA methylation by bisulfite DNA next-generation sequencing in 43 and 52 pairs of GC and adjacent non-neoplastic tissue samples, respectively. We identified 83 candidate genes modulated by DNA methylation in GC cell lines. Increased expression of NRN1 and TNFAIP3 was associated with advanced tumours (P < 0.05). We showed that increased NRN1 and TNFAIP3 expression seems to be regulated by DNA demethylation in GC samples: inverse correlations between the mRNA and DNA methylation levels in the promoter of NRN1 (P < 0.05) and the intron of TNFAIP3 (P < 0.05) were detected. Reduced NRN1 promoter methylation was associated with III/IV TNM stage tumours (P = 0.03) and the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection (P = 0.02). The identification of demethylated activated genes in GC may be useful in clinical practice, stratifying patients who are less likely to benefit from 5-AZAdC-based therapies. KEY MESSAGES: Higher expression of NRN1 and TNFAIP3 is associated with advanced gastric cancer (GC). NRN1 promoter hypomethylation contributes to gene upregulation in advanced GC. TNFAIP3 intronic-specific CpG site demethylation contributes to gene upregulation in GC. These findings may be useful to stratify GC patients who are less likely to benefit from DNA demethylating-based therapies.

Aim:  To analyze gene expression and copy number of five miRNAs ( miR-1204 , miR-1205 , miR-1206 , miR-1207 and miR-1208 ) localized in this chromosome region in gastric cancer (GC). Materials & methods:  65 paired neoplastic and non-neoplastic specimens collected from GC patients and 20 non-neoplastic gastric tissues from cancer-free individuals were included in this study. The expression levels of the five miRNAs were accessed by real time qPCR and were correlated. Results:   MiR-1207-3p , miR-1205 , miR-1207-5p and miR-1208 were upregulated in approximately 50% of GC tumors in relation to those of adjacent non-neoplastic tissues. MiR-1205 expression was associated with gain of gene copies and was upregulated in adjacent non-neoplastic samples relative to external controls. Conclusion: The coexpression of the 8q24 miRNAs indicated the role of miR-1205 in the initiation of gastric cancer development.

Background: Postprandial hypertrygliceridemia is a known factor for cardiovascular disease and is often observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and visceral adiposity. Adiponectin is a hormone with antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, which decreases in obesity and T2DM subjects. The weight loss induced by diet or bariatric surgery could be restoring adiponectin levels., Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of weight loss induced by bariatric surgery, which could restore adiponectin and triglycerides (TG) levels in obese and diabetic patients., Methods: Ten patients with T2DM (BMI 39.3+2.44) were evaluated before and at 7 and 90 days after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). A meal test was performed and plasma insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose, TG, and adiponectin levels were measured at fasting and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min postprandial., Results: Seven days after surgery, significant reductions in the insulin resistance were observed, while TG and adiponectin levels remained unchanged during the meal test. Ninety days after surgery, TG and glucose levels decreased significantly at fasting, and postprandial, adiponectin, GLP-1, and insulin curves increased significantly after meal ingestion. Both changes in the area under the curve (AUC) of adiponectin correlated with changes in the AUC of TG (R=-0.64, P=0.003) and changes in AUC of adiponectin correlated with changes in total fat mass. No correlation was found between changes in insulin, GLP-1, and TG levels., Conclusions: The adiponectin levels may be involved in the mechanism responsible for high TG levels in obese and diabetic patients. These abnormalities can be reversed by RYGB.

Background and Objectives: Bariatric surgery (BS) may be associated with increased oxalate excretion and a higher risk of nephrolithiasis. This study aimed to investigate urinary abnormalities and responses to an acute oxalate load as an indirect assessment of the intestinal absorption of oxalate in this population., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Twenty-four-hour urine specimens were collected from 61 patients a median of 48 months after BS (post-BS) as well as from 30 morbidly obese (MO) participants; dietary information was obtained through 24-hour food recalls. An oral oxalate load test (OLT), consisting of 2-hour urine samples after overnight fasting and 2, 4, and 6 hours after consuming 375 mg of oxalate (spinach juice), was performed on 21 MO and 22 post-BS patients 12 months after BS. Ten post-BS patients also underwent OLT before surgery (pre-BS)., Results: There was a higher percentage of low urinary volume (<1.5 L/d) in post-BS versus MO (P<0.001). Hypocitraturia and hyperoxaluria (P=0.13 and P=0.36, respectively) were more frequent in BS versus MO patients. The OLT showed intragroup (P<0.001 for all periods versus baseline) and intergroup differences (P<0.001 for post-BS versus MO; P=0.03 for post-BS versus pre-BS). The total mean increment in oxaluria after 6 hours of load, expressed as area under the curve, was higher in both post-BS versus MO and in post-BS versus pre-BS participants (P<0.001 for both)., Conclusions: The mean oxaluric response to an oxalate load is markedly elevated in post-bariatric surgery patients, suggesting that increased intestinal absorption of dietary oxalate is a predisposing mechanism for enteric hyperoxaluria.

Background: The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached alarming proportions worldwide and has serious health implications, including an association with an increase in metabolic syndrome. Among the methods to control metabolic syndrome, bariatric surgery plays an important role and can provide a significant improvement in the components of metabolic syndrome., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the preoperative body mass index (BMI) and the postoperative resolution of metabolic syndrome [using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP ATP III criteria)] in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB)., Methods: Retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of cases, stratified by BMI into three groups (group 1, BMI <40 kg/m(2), group 2, BMI 40-49.9 kg/m(2), and group 3, BMI 50 ≥ kg/m(2)) consisting of both sexes between 20 and 60 years of age. The cohort consisted of 149 patients undergoing RYGB. Anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical evaluations were performed preoperatively and then at 30 and 180 days postoperatively., Results: The average age was 40 years, and the patients were predominately female (72%). At the end of the study period, all groups showed a significant reduction in metabolic syndrome compared with preoperative levels. Logistic regression showed a higher percentage of metabolic syndrome in patients in group 3 after 180 days., Conclusion: There was significant resolution of metabolic syndrome in all groups, independently of the preoperative BMI. However, in group 3 (BMI ≥ 50 kg/m(2)), 22% of individuals still presented with metabolic syndrome at 180 days postoperatively (P=0.03).

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the thickness of the femoral quadriceps and biceps brachii and brachialis muscles bilaterally and the adjacent subcutaneous fat in patients undergoing gastric bypass Roux-en-Y before and after surgery, using ultrasound as the diagnostic method of choice., Methods: We studied 12 patients undergoing this surgical method preoperatively and during the first, third, and sixth postoperative months. During these periods, patients were evaluated by ultrasound to determine the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue and muscle of the upper and lower limbs., Results: Postoperatively, these patients showed a reduction in the thickness of the upper and lower extremities muscle and adipose tissue as compared to their preoperative values. There was a significant difference in the loss of muscle thickness in all postoperative months and in the thickness of fatty tissue in the sixth month after surgery, compared to the preoperative muscle and fatty tissue thickness., Conclusions: Ultrasound can be considered as the diagnostic method of choice when assessment of the fat and lean body mass is required in morbidly obese patients before and after bariatric surgery.

Background: The surgical treatment of obesity ameliorates metabolic abnormalities in patients with type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the early effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on metabolic and hormonal parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM)., Methods: Ten patients with T2DM (BMI, 39.7 ± 1.9) were evaluated before and 7, 30, and 90 days after RYGB. A meal test was performed, and plasma insulin, glucose, glucagon, and glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) levels were measured at fasting and postprandially., Results: Seven days after RYGB, a significant reduction was observed in HOMA-IR index from 7.8 ± 5.5 to 2.6 ± 1.7; p < 0.05 was associated with a nonsignificant reduction in body weight. The insulin and GLP-1 curves began to show a peak at 30 min after food ingestion, while there was a progressive decrease in glucagon and blood glucose levels throughout the meal test. Thirty and 90 days after RYGB, along with progressive weight loss, blood glucose and hormonal changes remained in the same direction and became more expressive with the post-meal insulin curve suggesting recovery of the first phase of insulin secretion and with the increase in insulinogenic index, denoting improvement in β-cell function. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between changes in GLP-1 and insulin levels measured at 30 min after meal (r = 0.6; p = 0.000)., Conclusion: Our data suggest that the RYGB surgery, beyond weight loss, induces early beneficial hormonal changes which favor glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: An unbuffered postprandial proximal gastric acid pocket (PPGAP) has been noticed in normal individuals and patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The role of gastric anatomy in the physiology of the PPGAP remains unclear. It is also unclear whether operations that control GERD, such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and Nissen fundoplication, change the PPGAP., Aims: This study aims to analyze the presence of PPGAP in patients submitted to RYGB., Methods: Fifteen patients who had a RYGB for morbid obesity (mean age 53 years, 14 females, mean time from operation 3 years) were studied. All patients were free of foregut symptoms. Patients underwent a high-resolution manometry to identify the location of the lower border of the lower esophageal sphincter (LBLES). A station pull-through pH monitoring was performed from 5 cm below the LBLES to the LBLES in increments of 1 cm in a fasting state and 10 min after a standardized fatty meal (40 g of chocolate, 50% fat)., Results: Acidity was not detected in the stomach of four patients before meal. After meal, PPGAP was not found in eight patients. In three patients, a PPGAP was noted with an extension of 1 to 3 cm., Conclusion: PPGAP is present in a minority of patients after RYGB; this finding may explain part of the GERD control after RYGB and that the gastric fundus may play a role in the genesis of the PPGAP.

Background: Gallstones have been frequently diagnosed after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP). Gallbladder stasis associated with duodenal exclusion may play a role in their pathogenesis., Methods: Gallbladder emptying was studied before and on the 30th and 31st postoperative days (POD) after RYGBP in 20 morbidly obese patients. Gallbladder volume after fasting and every 15 min during a 2-h period following administration of a standard liquid meal was determined by sonography. On the 31st POD, the meal was administered through the gastrostomy in order to promote its transit through the duodenum. Fasting volume (FV), maximum ejection fraction (Max EF), and residual volume (RV) were determined. Biliary sludge and calculi were investigated after 1 and 6 months, respectively., Results: FV was 39.4 +/- 20.2 ml, 50.1 +/- 22.7 ml, and 47.9 +/- 23.4 ml, respectively, for the preoperative and two postoperative assessments (P = 0.09). RV was 7.6 +/- 8.7 ml, 25.1 +/- 20.0 ml, and 24.6 +/- 20.9 ml; and Max EF was 80.5 +/- 20.9%, 54.3 +/- 21.4%, and 50.5 +/- 29.0%, respectively, for the pre-, postoral, and postgastrostomy infusion measurements. There was only a significant difference between the preoperative value and the two postoperative values (P < 0.001). Biliary sludge was detected in 65% of the patients and 46% of them subsequently developed gallstones., Conclusions: Gallbladder emptying became significantly compromised after RYGBP. This impairment was unrelated to duodenal exclusion but it was associated with biliary sludge and stone formation.

Background: Frequent regurgitation is a common complication following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP). This study investigated the risk of becoming a chronic regurgitator, by considering silicone ring size and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) function, and their relationship with weight loss., Methods: 80 morbidly obese patients were randomly selected to undergo surgery using ring length of 62 mm (40 patients, group A) or 77 mm (40 patients, group B), with 6 months' postoperative follow-up. Preoperative esophageal manometry parameters were correlated with occurrence of chronic postoperative regurgitation. Patients were considered to present chronic regurgitation when this occurred on >10 days/month., Results: The groups were homogeneous regarding age, gender, race, weight, BMI (47.8+/-6.1 vs 50.2+/-6.4 kg/m2) and obesity-related diseases. There were 15% more chronic regurgitators in group A than in group B. Chronic regurgitators in group A lost more weight than chronic regurgitators in group B (P=0.026) or non-chronic regurgitators in group A (P=0.016). A greater proportion of chronic regurgitators had LES hypotonia (mean respiratory pressure <14 mmHg) than did non-chronic regurgitators (P=0.008). Logistic regression demonstrated that the chance of being a chronic regurgitator in group A was 4.5 times greater than in group B (P=0.046), and that the chance of a chronic regurgitator having LES hypotonia was seven times greater than of having normal LES pressure (P=0.006)., Conclusion: Silicone ring size and LES hypotonia are independent prognostic factors for chronic regurgitation following RYGBP. Ring size and chronic regurgitation contribute significantly towards weight loss during the first 6 postoperative months.

Unlabelled: Delayed gastric emptying of solid food is greater after proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) than after anterior lesser curve seromyotomy with posterior truncal vagotomy (ASPTV) and may be due to the hypoxia in the gastric wall and mainly in the gastric pacemaker., Purpose: To verify if operative devascularization of the lesser curve and the gastric fundus could affect the entire stomach and particularly the pacemaker area., Methods: Measures of intraoperative oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2) were taken by pulse oximetry on the anterior gastric wall in 20 patients with chronic duodenal ulcer, randomly allocated in two groups of 10 individuals for surgical treatment, by PGV or ASPTV., Results: Measurements, before partial fundoplication, showed that the area of the proximal lesser curve and the gastric fundus had a significant decrease in the SpO2 when compared to the gastric corpus (p < 0,05); the SpO2 was not reduced significantly by the procedures on the pacemaker area; the ligature of short gastric vessels, in association with PGV or ASPTV, reduced significantly the SpO2 (p < 0,05); and, PGV resulted in a SpO2 significantly lower than in ASPTV (p < 0,05)., Conclusion: When PGV is associated with the ligature of the short gastric vessels, it causes acute ischemic changes in the proximal lesser gastric curve and in the fundus more intensively than ASPTV. The gastric pacemaker area does not present hypoxia immediately after operative procedures.

Psoas abscess (PA) is an infrequent clinical entity and presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Six cases are reported concerning diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. Clinical diagnosis is difficult because of non-specific symptoms. The primary psoas abscess has no definite etiology and is spread by hematogeneous route from a distant occult site. The PA can also be secondary to gastrointestinal pathology through direct infection of adjacent structures. The most common causes are Crohn's disease, appendicitis, diverticulitis and carcinoma. Routine laboratory evaluation is seldom useful for localizing the disease process. Conventional radiological techniques are often unhelpful. Modern imaging diagnosis techniques such as ultrasound and computerized tomography have allowed for a refinement in both the etiologic diagnosis and the treatment by means of CT-guided or ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage of the abscess, thus avoiding surgical drainage in many cases. Immediately on diagnosis of PA prompt treatment is necessary. Percutaneous drainage should be performed whenever possible and in case of failure, surgical drainage should be practiced as well as intestinal resection, whenever indicated.