Search

Enteral feed bezoars are difficult to treat and can lead to serious adverse events. There is no standardized treatment approach and various strategies have been suggested. We herein describe three cases of successful dissolutions of feed bezoars consisting of Promote® Fibre Plus with sodium bicarbonate 8.4% in critically ill patients. To provide the rationale for this approach, the effect of sodium bicarbonate 8.4% on enteral feed concretions was studied in vitro. First, Promote® Fibres Plus was incubated with hydrochloric acid with gradually decreasing pH values to establish a pH at which the solution solidifies. The resulting enteral feed concretion was exposed to sodium bicarbonate 8.4% and Coca Cola®. All patients were successfully treated with sodium bicarbonate 8.4% without the need of lengthy or repeat endoscopies. In vitro, Promote® Fibres Plus solidifies when acidified below a pH of 4.6. The resulting enteral feed concretions dissolved when exposed to sodium bicarbonate 8.4%. Incubation with Coca Cola® had no effect. We provide evidence that enteral feed bezoars consisting of Promote® Fibres Plus can be efficiently and safely treated with sodium bicarbonate 8.4% offering a new approach for daily patient care.

Previous data from short term studies have shown an efficacy of the duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL) for weight loss. However, less data is available regarding weight change after device removal and possible predictors for weight loss. This is a retrospective chart review of all patients who had DJBL inserted at the University Hospital Zurich between December 2012 and June 2015. A total of 27 patients had DJBL insertion. The median BMI at baseline was 38.5 (34.0-42.2) kg/m

OBJECTIVE Preemptive endoluminal vacuum therapy (pEVT) is a novel concept to reduce postoperative morbidity and has the potential to disrupt current treatment paradigms for patients undergoing esophagectomy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Endoluminal vacuum therapy is an accepted treatment for AL after esophagectomy. METHODS Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy with pEVT between 11/2017 and 10/2020. The sponge was removed endoscopically after 4-6 days, and anastomosis and gastric conduit were assessed according to a novel endoscopic grading system. Further management was customized according to endoscopic appearance and clinical course. Endpoints were postoperative morbidity and AL rate, defined according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) and International Esodata Study Group classifications. RESULTS PEVT was performed in 67 consecutive patients, 57 (85%) were high-risk patients with an ASA score >2, WHO/ECOG score >1, age >65 years, or BMI >29 kg/m2. Thirty patients experienced textbook outcome, and overall minor (≤CD IIIa) and major (≥CD IIIb) morbidity was 40.3% and 14.9% respectively. 30-day-mortality was 0%. Forty-nine patients (73%) had uneventful anastomotic healing after pEVT without further endoscopic treatment. The remaining 18 patients (27%) underwent prolonged EVT with uneventful anastomotic healing in 13 patients (19%), contained AL in 4 patients (6%), and 1 uncontained leakage (1.5%) in a case with proximal gastric conduit necrosis, resulting in an overall AL rate of 7.5%. CONCLUSIONS PEVT is an innovative and safe procedure with a promising potential to reduce postoperative morbidity after minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy and may be particularly valuable in highly comorbid cases.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Little is known about cholestasis, including its most severe variant secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC), in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). In this study, we analysed the occurrence of cholestatic liver injury and SSC, including clinical, serological, radiological and histopathological findings. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective single-centre analysis of all consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) as a result of severe COVID-19 at the University Hospital Zurich to describe cholestatic injury in these patients. The findings were compared to a retrospective cohort of patients with severe influenza A. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to the ICU were included. Of these, 14 patients (41%) had no cholestasis (group 0), 11 patients (32%, group 1) developed mild and 9 patients (27%, group 2) severe cholestasis. Patients in group 2 had a more complicated disease course indicated by significantly longer ICU stay (median 51 days, IQR 25-86.5) than the other groups (group 0: median 9.5 days, IQR 3.8-18.3, P = .001; and group 1: median 16 days, IQR 8-30, P

Introduction: Anastomotic leakage (AL) accounts for a significant proportion of morbidity following oesophagectomy. Endoluminal negative pressure (ENP) therapy via a specifically designed polyurethane foam (EsoSponge®, B.Braun Medical, Melsungen, Germany) has become the standard of care for AL in many specialized centres. The prophylactic (pENP) application of this technique aims to reduce postoperative morbidity and is a novel approach which has not yet been investigated in a prospective study. The aim of this study is therefore to assess the effect of pENP at the anastomotic site in high-risk patients undergoing minimally invasive transthoracic Ivor Lewis oesophagectomy. Methods and analysis: The study design is a prospective, multi-centre, two-arm, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial and will be conducted in two phases. Phase one is a randomised feasibility and safety pilot trial involving 40 consecutive patients. After definitive sample size calculation, additional patients will be included accordingly during phase two. The primary outcome of the study will be the postoperative length of hospitalization until reaching previously defined “fit for discharge criteria”. Secondary outcomes will include postoperative morbidity, mortality and postoperative AL-rates based on 90-day follow-up. A confirmatory analysis based on intention-to-treat will be performed. Ethics and dissemination: The ethics committee of the University of Zurich approved this study (2019-00562), which has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 14.11.2019 (NCT04162860) and the Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal (SNCTP000003524). The results of the study will be published and presented at appropriate conferences.

To compare the diagnostic accuracy of texture analysis (TA)–derived parameters combined with machine learning (ML) of non-contrast-enhanced T1w and T2w fat-saturated (fs) images with MR elastography (MRE) for liver fibrosis quantification. In this IRB-approved prospective study, liver MRIs of participants with suspected chronic liver disease who underwent liver biopsy between August 2015 and May 2018 were analyzed. Two readers blinded to clinical and histopathological findings performed TA. The participants were categorized into no or low-stage (0–2) and high-stage (3–4) fibrosis groups. Confusion matrices were calculated using a support vector machine combined with principal component analysis. The diagnostic accuracy of ML-based TA of liver fibrosis and MRE was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). Histopathology served as reference standard. A total of 62 consecutive participants (40 men; mean age ± standard deviation, 48 ± 13 years) were included. The accuracy of TA and ML on T1w was 85.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 63.7–97.0) and 61.9% (95% CI 38.4–81.9) on T2w fs for classification of liver fibrosis into low-stage and high-stage fibrosis. The AUC for TA on T1w was similar to MRE (0.82 [95% CI 0.59–0.95] vs. 0.92 [95% CI 0.71–0.99], p = 0.41), while the AUC for T2w fs was significantly lower compared to MRE (0.57 [95% CI 0.34–0.78] vs. 0.92 [95% CI 0.71–0.99], p = 0.008). Our results suggest that liver fibrosis can be quantified with TA-derived parameters of T1w when combined with a ML algorithm with similar accuracy compared to MRE. • Liver fibrosis can be categorized into low-stage fibrosis (0–2) and high-stage fibrosis (3–4) using texture analysis–derived parameters of T1-weighted images with a machine learning approach. • For the differentiation of low-stage fibrosis and high-stage fibrosis, the diagnostic accuracy of texture analysis on T1-weighted images combined with a machine learning algorithm is similar compared to MR elastography.

Bouveret's syndrome is a rare complication resulting from gallstone disease. Both surgical and endoscopical procedures are performed, with the disease to be seen as strictly interdisciplinary. There are no well-established recommendations for this condition. In this paper, we want to describe our experience from 6 cases in 3 Swiss hospitals from 2015 to 2017 with emphasis on the endoscopic technique of electrohydraulic lithotripsy followed by balloon dilatation and propose a treatment algorithm.Das Bouveret-Syndrom ist eine seltene Komplikation des Gallensteinleidens. Es werden sowohl chirurgische als auch endoskopische Interventionen durchgeführt, wobei die Krankheit streng interdisziplinär zu sehen ist. Etablierte Empfehlungen zum Vorgehen existieren nicht. In diesem Beitrag wollen wir über unsere Erfahrungen aus 6 Fällen in 3 Schweizer Spitälern von 2015 bis 2017 berichten. Wir beschreiben ein endoskopisches Vorgehen, das die elektrohydraulische Lithotripsie mit einer anschliessenden Ballondilatation kombiniert, und schlagen einen Behandlungsalgorithmus vor.

Portal hypertensive polyps (PHPs) are incompletely characterized lesions that can be found in the distal stomach of patients with portal hypertension. We aimed to delineate clinical factors associated with the appearance of these rare polyps. We conducted a cross-sectional study of a cohort with 513 cirrhotic patients comparing patients with and without PHP using descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression. To address the problem of missing values, in particular for HVPG and liver stiffness, we used multiple imputation of missing values. The prevalence of macroscopically diagnosed PHP was 3.3% (95% confidence interval 2.0 − 5.4%). In 53% of cases, the correct classification was missed on index gastroscopy. Patients with PHP were older at gastroscopy (65 years vs. 59), had higher hepatic venous pressure gradients (HVPG, 28 mmHg vs. 19 mmHg), higher transient elastography (TE) measurements (50.7 kPa vs. 21.8 kPa) and more often had previous rubber band ligations (RBL, 64.7% vs. 25.8%). The multivariable logistic regression on the outcome macroscopically diagnosed PHP estimated an odds ratio (OR) for HPVG of 1.13 (CI 0.95–1.34), increased liver stiffness of 1.03 (1.00 − 1.07) and previous RBL of 3.84 (1.24 − 11.88), respectively. The prevalence of PHPs in the stomach was higher than assumed in previous studies and misclassification was commonly observed. The appearance of these rare polyps is associated with previous RBL and may correlate with severity of PH. Thus, PHPs may be regarded as marker for relevant PH, but clinical significance of these polyps is still uncertain.

Preemptive endoluminal vacuum therapy (pEVT) is a novel concept to reduce postoperative morbidity and has the potential to disrupt current treatment paradigms for patients undergoing esophagectomy.Endoluminal vacuum therapy is an accepted treatment for AL after esophagectomy.Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy with pEVT between 11/2017 and 10/2020. The sponge was removed endoscopically after 4-6 days, and anastomosis and gastric conduit were assessed according to a novel endoscopic grading system. Further management was customized according to endoscopic appearance and clinical course. Endpoints were postoperative morbidity and AL rate, defined according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) and International Esodata Study Group classifications.PEVT was performed in 67 consecutive patients, 57 (85%) were high-risk patients with an ASA score2, WHO/ECOG score1, age65 years, or BMI29 kg/m2. Thirty patients experienced textbook outcome, and overall minor (≤CD IIIa) and major (≥CD IIIb) morbidity was 40.3% and 14.9% respectively. 30-day-mortality was 0%. Forty-nine patients (73%) had uneventful anastomotic healing after pEVT without further endoscopic treatment. The remaining 18 patients (27%) underwent prolonged EVT with uneventful anastomotic healing in 13 patients (19%), contained AL in 4 patients (6%), and 1 uncontained leakage (1.5%) in a case with proximal gastric conduit necrosis, resulting in an overall AL rate of 7.5%.PEVT is an innovative and safe procedure with a promising potential to reduce postoperative morbidity after minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy and may be particularly valuable in highly comorbid cases.

Background The perforated duodenal diverticulum remains a rare clinical entity, the optimal management of which has not been well established. Historically, primary surgery has been the preferred treatment modality. This was called into question during the last decade, with the successful application of non-operative therapy in selected patients. The aim of this systematic review is to identify cases of perforated duodenal diverticula published over the past decade and to assess any subsequent evolution in treatment. Methods A systematic review of English and non-English articles reporting on perforated duodenal diverticula using MEDLINE (2008–2020) was performed. Only cases of perforated duodenal diverticula in adults (> 18 years) that reported on diagnosis and treatment were included. Results Some 328 studies were identified, of which 31 articles met the inclusion criteria. These studies included a total of 47 patients with perforated duodenal diverticula. This series suggests a trend towards conservative management with 34% (16/47) of patients managed non-operatively. In 31% (5/16) patients initially managed conservatively, a step-up approach to surgical intervention was required. Conclusion Conservative treatment of perforated duodenal diverticula appears to be an acceptable and safe treatment strategy in stable patients without signs of peritonitis under careful observation. For patients who fail to respond to conservative treatment, a step-up approach to percutaneous drainage or surgery can be applied. If surgery is required, competence in techniques ranging from simple diverticulectomy to Roux-en-Y gastric diversion or even Whipple’s procedure may be required depending on tissue friability and diverticular collar size.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of various cancers but are notorious for their potential to cause severe side effects. While most side effects occur during ongoing therapy, an increasing number of reports of late onset have emerged. It is also not yet clear how long side effects can last. Resolution is achieved under symptomatic therapy, but the side effects may persist latently. We present a patient case with recurrence of colitis after closure of an ileostomy over 1 year after discontinuation of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab. To the best of our knowledge, no other case with severe colitis still lasting after more than a year of suspension of therapy has yet been reported.Lay abstract Checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized therapy for suitable cancers. However, they can cause side effects that are reminiscent of autoimmune diseases. While most adverse effects occur during ongoing therapy, there are increasing reports of late-onset adverse effects after discontinuation of therapy and of long-lasting adverse effects after discontinuation of treatment, which may remain latent even if symptom relief could be achieved by immunosuppression. We present a patient case with reappearance of a severe inflammation of the large bowel (colitis) after closure of an ostomy over 1 year after withdrawal of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. To the best of our knowledge, no other case with severe colitis still lasting after more than a year of suspension of therapy has yet been reported.

INTRODUCTION Despite enormous efforts during the past decades, pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) remains one of the most deleterious cancer entities. A useful biomarker for early detection or prognosis of PAC does not yet exist. The goal of our study was the characterization of β6-integrin (ITGB6) as a novel serum tumor marker for refined diagnosis and prognosis of PAC. Serum ITGB6 levels were analyzed in 3 independent PAC cohorts consisting of retrospectively and prospectively collected serum and/or (metastatic) PAC tissue specimens. METHODS Using 2 independent cohorts, we measured serum ITGB6 concentrations in 10 chronic pancreatitis patients, 10 controls, as well as in 27 (cohort 1) and 24 (cohort 2) patients with PAC, respectively. In these patients, we investigated whether ITGB6 serum levels correlate with known clinical and prognostic markers for PAC and whether they might differ between patients with PAC or benign inflammatory diseases of the pancreas. RESULTS We found that elevated serum ITGB6 levels (≥0.100 ng/mL) in patients suffering from metastasizing PAC presented an unfavorable prognostic outcome. By correlating the ITGB6 tissue expression in primary and metastatic PAC with clinical parameters, we found that positive ITGB6 expression in the tumor tissue is linked to increased serum ITGB6 levels in nonmetastatic PAC and correlates with carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and clinical outcome. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that ITGB6 might serve as a novel serum biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of PAC. Given the limited specificity and sensitivity of currently used carbohydrate antigen 19-9-based assays, ITGB6 may have the potential to improve the diagnostic accuracy for PAC.

To compare the diagnostic accuracy of texture analysis (TA)-derived parameters combined with machine learning (ML) of non-contrast-enhanced T1w and T2w fat-saturated (fs) images with MR elastography (MRE) for liver fibrosis quantification.In this IRB-approved prospective study, liver MRIs of participants with suspected chronic liver disease who underwent liver biopsy between August 2015 and May 2018 were analyzed. Two readers blinded to clinical and histopathological findings performed TA. The participants were categorized into no or low-stage (0-2) and high-stage (3-4) fibrosis groups. Confusion matrices were calculated using a support vector machine combined with principal component analysis. The diagnostic accuracy of ML-based TA of liver fibrosis and MRE was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). Histopathology served as reference standard.A total of 62 consecutive participants (40 men; mean age ± standard deviation, 48 ± 13 years) were included. The accuracy of TA and ML on T1w was 85.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 63.7-97.0) and 61.9% (95% CI 38.4-81.9) on T2w fs for classification of liver fibrosis into low-stage and high-stage fibrosis. The AUC for TA on T1w was similar to MRE (0.82 [95% CI 0.59-0.95] vs. 0.92 [95% CI 0.71-0.99], p = 0.41), while the AUC for T2w fs was significantly lower compared to MRE (0.57 [95% CI 0.34-0.78] vs. 0.92 [95% CI 0.71-0.99], p = 0.008).Our results suggest that liver fibrosis can be quantified with TA-derived parameters of T1w when combined with a ML algorithm with similar accuracy compared to MRE.• Liver fibrosis can be categorized into low-stage fibrosis (0-2) and high-stage fibrosis (3-4) using texture analysis-derived parameters of T1-weighted images with a machine learning approach. • For the differentiation of low-stage fibrosis and high-stage fibrosis, the diagnostic accuracy of texture analysis on T1-weighted images combined with a machine learning algorithm is similar compared to MR elastography.

Checkpoint inhibitor-induced side effects such as diarrhea and colitis occur in up to 30% of patients. We present a case of recurrent episodes of checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis and subsequent Fournier gangrene that resolved after ileostomy formation. Once the Fournier gangrene and colitis had resolved, the ileostomy was reversed. However, within only 4 days, another serious flare-up of colitis occurred, necessitating emergent re-formation of the ileostomy. Expertise in the management of side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is currently limited. Although most side effects are mild to moderate and transient, a minority of patients suffer from life-threatening complications, such as colitis. The creation of an ileostomy might be a valid treatment option in severe or recurrent colitis due to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Intestinal diversion surgery may be useful if conservative treatment has failed, similar to other forms of immune-mediated intestinal inflammation.

Background/Aims: Among the severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that occur with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, colitis is the most frequent one. This study aimed at describing the experience from the largest gastroenterology unit in Switzerland with immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated colitis (ICIAC), its clinical presentation, management, and outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who were referred for the evaluation of ICIAC between January 2011 and October 2018 to the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich. Results: Thirty-three patients with immune-related colitis grade 3 or 4 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in detail: All patients had diarrhea, 64% had abdominal pain, 42% had bloody stool, 27% had emesis, and 18% developed fever. In total, 33% were successfully treated with corticosteroids alone; 66% were steroid-refractory and treated with infliximab or vedolizumab. Two of these patients developed severe complications requiring surgery. All patients reached complete remission of ICIAC and its symptoms. At colonoscopy, ulcerations were seen in 37% of steroid-refractory versus 63% of steroid-responsive cases. Deep histological ulcerations invading the submucosa were only present in steroid-refractory cases. Conclusion: ICIAC is a severe irAE which frequently requires high-dose steroids and a close follow-up due to deleterious complications. The detection of histologically diagnosed deep ulcerations may predict a steroid-refractory course and may warrant early application of infliximab. However, larger studies are required to confirm our findings.

With the advent of endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR), small subepithelial tumors (SETs) became easily resectable both in upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Several studies have suggested that complete resection of SETs is achievable in the vast majority of cases and severe complications occur only rarely [1]. Whereas technical success in the case of mucosal or submucosal lesions is easy to accomplish, for tumors arising from the muscularis propria, an R0 resection is more difficult to achieve by EFTR [1]. Grasping these lesions with the Twin Grasper may lead to tenting of the mucosa and submucosa, which in turn leads to incomplete removal of the SET. To overcome this technical problem, we herein present the feasibility of EFTR using a tissue-retracting helix device that was originally designed as part of the OverStitch endoscopic suturing system (Apollo Endosurgery Inc., Austin, Texas, USA). We describe the case of a 75-year-old patient who was referred for removal of an incidental SET in the proximal gastric corpus. Endosonography suggested a small gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) ([Fig. 1]). After the lesion had been marked ([Fig. 2 a]), the gastroduodenal EFTR device (Ovesco, Tubingen, Germany) was mounted onto the endoscope and the helix device was advanced through the working channel. Once the endoscope was centered over the lesion, it was gradually punctured with the helix; the device was then manually rotated (like a corkscrew), resulting in tissue approximation. After this “fixation” procedure, it was easy to retract the lesion into the cap using gentle suction. The SET was then resected in the usual fashion, with adequate closure of the resection site ([Fig. 2 b]; [Video 1]). The resected specimen ([Fig. 3]) was shown histologically to be a completely resected leiomyoma.

Alongside the evolution of interventional endoscopy, the need for a more sophisticated closure tool tailored to the treatment of new challenging indications has been increasing rapidly.We here present our collected data on 262 Over-The-Scope-Clip (OTSC®) placements in a total of 233 interventions at our institution. Follow-up was focused on clinically lasting success with regards to different indications.Immediate success of OTSC® treatment was observed in 87.1% of all sessions (203/233). The success ratesOur cohort confirms previous data on the clinical usefulness of the OTSC® in daily routine practice.

The worldwide number of performed bariatric surgeries is increasing continuously, whereas laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy are conducted most frequently. Alongside with the usual post-operative and metabolic complications, luminal complications such as anastomotic bleeding, ulceration, leakage, fistula formation, enlargement and stenosis of the anastomosis may occur. Evolution of interventional endoscopy frequently allows endoscopic management of complications, avoiding surgical interventions in most cases. Here, we review the various luminal complications after bariatric surgery with a focus on their endoscopic management.

INTRODUCTION The accuracy of preoperative lymph-node staging in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) or gastric cancer (GC) is low. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) for lymph-node staging in patients with AEG or GC, with or without neoadjuvant treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS 221 consecutive patients with GC (n = 88) or AEG (n = 133) were evaluated. Initial staging included endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), multidetector spiral CT (MDCT) and PET-CT. PET-CT was performed for restaging in patients after neoadjuvant treatment (n = 94). Systematic lymphadenectomy was routinely performed with histopathological assessment of individual mediastinal and abdominal lymph-node stations. Preoperative staging from EUS, MDCT, and PET-CT was correlated with histopathological results. RESULTS PET-CT showed a high specificity (91%) and positive predictive value (89%) for the preoperative detection of lymph-node metastases. In comparison, EUS was more sensitive (73% versus 50%, P

Summary Endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT) is an accepted treatment for anastomotic leakage (AL) after esophagectomy. A novel concept is to use this technology in a preemptive setting, with the aim to reduce the AL rate and postoperative morbidity. Preemptive EVT (pEVT) was performed intraoperatively in 19 consecutive patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy, immediately after completion of esophagogastrostomy. Twelve patients (63%) were high-risk cases with severe comorbidity. The EVT device was removed routinely three to six (median 5) days after esophagectomy. The endpoints of this study were AL rate and postoperative morbidity. There were 20 anastomoses at risk in 19 patients. One patient (5.3%) experienced major morbidity (Clavien–Dindo grade IIIb) unrelated to anastomotic healing. He underwent open reanastomosis at postoperative day 12 with pEVT for redundancy of the gastric tube and failure of transition to oral diet. Mortality after 30 days was 0% and anastomotic healing was uneventful in 19/20 anastomoses (95%). One minor contained AL healed after a second course of EVT. Except early proximal dislodgement in one patient, there were no adverse events attributable to pEVT. The median comprehensive complication index 30 days after surgery was 20.9 (IQR 0–26.2). PEVT appears to be a safe procedure that may have the potential to improve surgical outcome in patients undergoing esophagectomy.

Purpose In Caco-2 cells, folate uptake via the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) increases significantly by a 3-day treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3). Additionally, mRNA content and protein expression of the transporter OATP1A2 were increased up to ninefold with 1,25(OH)2D3. We investigated whether these in vitro findings can be confirmed in humans in vivo. Methods Ten healthy volunteers (six women) received 5 mg folic acid orally once before and once together with the last intake of a 10-day course of 0.5 μg 1,25(OH)2D3 orally. One hundred twenty milligrams fexofenadine, an OATP1A2 substrate, was taken in 1 day before the first folic acid intake, and again on the ninth day of 1,25(OH)2D3 intake. Duodenal biopsies were taken for transporter mRNA assessments once before and once on the ninth or tenth day of the vitamin D3 course. Serum folic acid and fexofenadine concentrations were quantified with a chemiluminescence immunoassay and LC-MS/MS, respectively. Pharmacokinetics were compared between periods with standard bioequivalence approaches. Results While geometric mean folic acid AUC0-2h, which mainly reflects absorption, was 0.403 and 0.414 mg/L·h before and after the vitamin D3 course (geometric mean ratio (GMR), 1.027; 90 % confidence interval (90 % CI), 0.788–1.340), the geometric mean fexofenadine AUC0-2h was 1.932 and 2.761 mg/L·h, respectively (GMR, 1.429; 90 % CI, 0.890–2.294). PCFT- and OATP1A2-mRNA expressions in duodenal biopsies were essentially unchanged. Conclusions No significant changes in folic acid and fexofenadine absorption were observed after a 10-day course of 1,25(OH)2D3 in humans in vivo. This study underlines the importance of confirming in vitro findings in vivo in humans.

Zusammenfassung. Die Ultraschall-Elastografie visualisiert und misst die Elastizität von Gewebe. Abhängig von der jeweilig verwendeten Methode gibt es im Wesentlichen vier Typen der Elastografie: Strain-Elastografie (SE), Transiente Elastografie (TE), Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI) und Shear-Wave-Elastografie (SWE). Da pathologisch verändertes Gewebe meistens eine niedrigere Elastizität aufweist als gesundes, kann die Ultraschall-Elastografie zur initalen Diagnostik und zur Verlaufskontrolle von Erkrankungen wie Leberfibrose und -zirrhose, zur ergänzenden Diagnostik bei suspekten Brustbefunden, Schilddrüsenknoten, Prostatakarzinom und vielen weiteren Organerkrankungen verwendet werden. Zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt kann die Ultraschall-Elastografie noch keine standardisierten Diagnostik-Verfahren ersetzen, diese aber sinnvoll ergänzen.

Infectious complications are common adverse events of solid organ transplantation and immunosuppressive therapy. In the perioperative setting, most infections are of bacterial or viral origin. Risk assessment of donor and recipient focuses mostly on blood-borne pathogens. Occasionally, parasitic infections are reported after transplantation. In regard to the latter, we report the case of a 57-year-old patient who underwent simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation and shortly thereafter developed diarrhea, abdominal bloating and weight loss due to Giardia duodenalis.

Anastomotic leakages or staple line defects after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and primary laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), respectively, with consecutive bariatric revisional surgery are associated with relevant morbidity and mortality rates. Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) with or without stent-over-sponge (SOS) has been shown to be a promising therapy in foregut wall defects of various etiologies and may therefore be applied in the treatment of postbariatric leaks. We report the results of six consecutive patients treated with EVT (83% in combination with SOS) for early postoperative leakages in close proximity to the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) after LSG (n = 2) and RYGB (n = 4) from May 2016 to May2018. All patients (2/6 male, median age 51 years, median BMI 44.2 kg/m2) were treated successfully without further signs of persisting leakage at the last gastroscopy. The lesions’ size ranged from 0.5 cm2 to 9 cm2, and the leaks were connected to large (max. 225 cm2) abscess cavities in 80% of the cases. Median duration of treatment (= EVT in situ) was 23.5 days (range, 7–89). The number of endoscopic interventions ranged from 1 to 24 (median, n = 7), with a median duration between vacuum sponge replacements of 4 days. EVT is an effective and safe treatment for staple line defects or anastomotic leakage after bariatric surgeries and can therefore be adopted for the treatment of midgut wall defects. Further studies with a greater number of patients comparing surgical drainage alone or in combination with EVT versus EVT alone are needed.

A 34-year-old man presented to our GI clinic with chronic cough. Coughing episodes exacerbated on days of bagpipe playing and the morning after. Methacholine testing revealed airway hyperreactivity. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis could be excluded; CT scan of the chest was without pathological findings. Also bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and mucosal biopsy failed to reveal a pulmonary aetiology of the cough. Minor findings in BAL were an elevated number of macrophages and bacteria representative of the oral flora. A trial with inhalative budesonide and formoterol and consecutively 8 weeks of proton pump inhibitor …

Background and study aims Endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT) has evolved as a promising option for endoscopic treatment of foregut wall injuries in addition to the classic closure techniques using clips or stents. To improve vacuum force and maintain esophageal passage, we combined endosponge treatment with a partially covered self-expandable metal stent (stent-over-sponge; SOS). Patients and methods Twelve patients with infected upper gastrointestinal wall defects were treated with the SOS technique. Results Indications for SOS were anastomotic leakage after surgery (n = 11) and chronic foregut fistula (n = 1). SOS treatment was used as a first-line treatment in seven patients with a success rate of 71.4 % (5/7) and as a second-line treatment after failed previous EVT treatment in five patients (success rate 80 %; 4/5). Overall, SOS treatment was successful in 75 % of patients (9/12). No severe adverse events occurred. Conclusion SOS is an effective method to treat severely infected foregut wall defects in patients where EVT has failed, and also as a first-line treatment. Comparative prospective studies are needed to confirm our preliminary results.

A 57-year old woman underwent lung transplantation for non-specific interstitial pneumonia. Primary graft dysfunction was diagnosed requiring continued use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Within three days she developed recurring hemothoraces requiring two surgical evacuations. After ECMO removal a series of complications occurred within four months: femoral thrombosis, persisting tachycardic atrial fibrillation, pneumopericardium with an esophagopericardial fistula and purulent pericarditis, septic shock, multiorgan failure and intracerebral hemorrhage with ventricular involvement requiring external ventricular drainage. Interdisciplinary management coordinated by the intensive care specialist, transplant surgeon and pulmonologist with various interventions by the respective specialists followed by intensive physical rehabilitation allowed for discharge home on day 235 post transplant. Subsequently quality of life was considered good by the patient and family. Keywords: Lung transplantation, Esophagopericardial fistula, Intracranial hemorrhage, Complications, Treatment

Over-the-scope-clips (OTSC®) have been shown to be an effective and safe endoscopic treatment option for the closure of gastrointestinal perforations, leakages and fistulae. Indications for endoscopic OTSC® treatment have grown in number and also include gastro cutaneous fistula (GCF) after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube removal. Non-healing GCF is a rare complication after removal of PEG tubes and may especially develop in immunosuppressed patients with multiple comorbidities. There is growing evidence in the literature that OTSC® closure of GCF after PEG tube removal is emerging as an effective, simple and safe endoscopic treatment option. However current evidence is limited to the geriatric population and short standing GCF, while information on closure of long standing GCF after PEG tube removal in a younger population with significant comorbidities is lacking. In this retrospective single-center case-series we report on five patients undergoing OTSC® closure of chronic GCF after PEG tube removal. Four out of five patients were afflicted with long lasting, symptomatic fistulae. All five patients suffered from chronic disease associated with a catabolic metabolism (cystic fibrosis, chemotherapy for neoplasia, liver cirrhosis). The mean patient age was 43 years. The mean dwell time of PEG tubes in all five patients was 808 d. PEG tube dwell time was shortest in patient 5 (21 d). The mean duration from PEG tube removal to fistula closure in patients 1-4 was 360 d (range 144-850 d). The intervention was well tolerated by all patients and no adverse events occured. Successful immediate and long-term fistula closure was accomplished in all five patients. This single center case series is the first to show successful endoscopic OTSC® closure of long lasting GCF in five consecutive middle-aged patients with significant comorbidities. Endoscopic closure of chronic persistent GCF after PEG tube removal using an OTSC® was achieved in all patients with no immediate or long-term complications. OTSC® is a promising endoscopic treatment option for this condition with a potentially high immediate and long term success rate in patients with multiple comorbidities.