Search

Background and study aims The endoscopic pressure study integrated system (EPSIS), a novel diagnostic tool for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), allows evaluation of the anti-reflux barrier using endoscopy by monitoring the intragastric pressure (IGP) during insufflation. In this study, we evaluated the association between EPSIS results and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) function measured by high-resolution manometry (HRM) to elucidate whether EPSIS can evaluate the LES function. Patients and methods A retrospective, single-center study of patients with GERD symptoms who underwent endoscopy, pH-impedance monitoring, EPSIS, and HRM was conducted. The primary outcome was basal LES pressure and the secondary outcomes were end-respiratory LES pressure and integrated relaxation pressure (IRP). As EPSIS parameters, the following were measured: 1) pressure difference (mmHg), the difference between maximum and basal IGP; and 2) pressure gradient (mmHg/s), calculated by dividing pressure difference by the insufflating time. Pressure difference

Abstract Objectives Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) plays a key role in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) pathogenesis. In retroflexion and under sufficient insufflation, it can be seen how the lower esophagus grasps the endoscope, which we named scope holding sign (SHS). This study aimed to compare the SHS and LES pressure on high‐resolution manometry (HRM), to elucidate whether the sphincter can be visualized endoscopically. Methods This was a single‐center, prospective pilot study. Patients with symptoms of GERD, who underwent endoscopy and HRM between February 2021 and April 2021, were included. A manometry catheter and an ultra‐slim endoscope were inserted, and the resting LES pressure was measured. The lower esophagus holding (SHS‐positive) and releasing (SHS‐negative) the endoscope and catheter were observed. The LES pressures during SHS‐positive and SHS‐negative were compared. Results Eleven patients (median age: 57 years; eight men) with normal esophageal motility were analyzed. The median LES pressure in SHS‐positive was significantly higher than the resting LES pressure (40.4 [22.9–74.0] vs. 25.9 [2.0–66.7] mm Hg; p = 0.001) and the LES pressure in SHS‐negative (4.6 [1.5–9.3]; p = 0.001). Furthermore, the LES pressure in SHS‐negative was significantly lower than the resting LES pressure (4.6 [1.5–9.3] vs. 25.9 [2.0–66.7] mm Hg; p = 0.005). Conclusions This study demonstrated that the SHS parallels LES pressure, indicating that the sphincter can be observed endoscopically. This may enable us to evaluate LES function during endoscopy in patients with GERD, thus, deserving further evaluation in future studies.

Background and aim Hiatal hernia and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction play major roles in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) pathogenesis. We developed a novel endoscopic assessment to evaluate the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of this method for the diagnostic prediction of GERD. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients with GERD symptoms who underwent gastroscopy and esophageal pH-impedance monitoring was conducted. The novel assessment evaluated the following in retroflex view: 1) Cardiac Opening (CO): diameter of the opening of the cardia, 2) Sliding Hernia (SH): length from the diaphragmatic crus to the squamocolumnar junction, 3) Scope Holding Time% (SHT%): the percentage of time that the Scope Holding Sign (SHS) was observed out of 30 seconds. The SHS is defined as the lower esophagus holding the endoscope under excessive insufflation. The results of this assessment and that of pH-impedance monitoring were compared. Results In total, 61 patients (mean age ± SD, 54.1 ± 16.4 years, 32 males) were enrolled. CO and SH were significantly correlated with acid exposure time (AET) (ρ = 0.36, P = 0.005, and ρ = 0.36, P = 0.004). The optimal cutoff of CO for AET > 6 % was 3 cm (Sensitivity = 72.4 %, Specificity = 46.9 %, AUC = 0.64) and that of SH was 2 cm (Sensitivity = 55.2 %, Specificity = 75.0 %, AUC = 0.70). When the population was stratified according to this cutoff, patients with CO > 3 cm and those with SH > 2 cm presented higher AET (15.1 vs 4.1 %, P = 0.037, and 23.0 vs 3.6 %, P = 0.026). Optimal cutoff of SHT% for the number of all reflux episodes > 80 was 75 % (Sensitivity = 81.8 %, Specificity = 54.6%, AUC = 0.67). Patients with SHT% 80 were 81.8 % (95 %CI: 67.7 – 91.8), 54.5% (95 %CI: 40.4 – 64.5), and 68.2 % (95 %CI: 54.0 – 78.1). Conclusion This novel endoscopic assessment of GEJ significantly predicted the presence of GERD and merits further testing in future studies.

Background and study aims Fourth-generation endocytoscopy is an ultra-high magnification endoscopic technique designed to provide excellent quality in vivo histologic assessment of gastrointestinal lesions. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of endocytoscopy in early gastric cancer diagnosis. Patients and methods A single-center, retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from all gastric endocytoscopic examinations was conducted. Two expert endoscopists, blinded to white-light and narrow-band imaging findings as well as histopathologic diagnosis, independently reviewed and diagnosed all endocytoscopic images. A newly recognized “enlarged nuclear sign” was detected, and its implication in early gastric cancer diagnosis was evaluated. The diagnostic performance of fourth-generation endocytoscopy was assessed while using the gold standard histopathology as a reference. Results Forty-three patients (mean age±SD, 72.6 ± 12.1 years; 31 males) were enrolled. Based on histopathology, 23 had well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, four adenomas, and 16 non-neoplastic lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of fourth-generation endocytoscopy for gastric cancer diagnosis were 87.0 % (95 % CI: 67.9 – 95.5), 80.0 % (95 % CI: 58.4 – 91.9), and 83.7 % (95 % CI: 70.0 – 91.9) by endoscopist A; and 91.3 % (95 % CI: 73.2 – 97.6), 75.0 % (95 % CI: 53.1 – 88.8), and 83.7 % (95 % CI: 70.0 – 91.9) by endoscopist B. The inter-observer agreement, Kappa statistic = 0.71 (95 % CI: 0.50 – 0.93), was good. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the enlarged nuclear sign for early gastric cancer diagnosis were 87.0 % (95 % CI: 67.9 – 95.5), 95.0 % (95 % CI: 76.4 – 99.1), and 90.7 % (95 % CI: 78.4 – 96.3) by endoscopist A; and 82.6 % (95 % CI: 62.9 – 93.0), 85.0 % (95 % CI: 64.0 – 94.8), and 83.7 % (95 % CI: 70.0 – 91.9) by endoscopist B. The inter-observer agreement, Kappa statistic = 0.68 (95 % CI: 0.51 – 0.89) was good. Conclusion: Fourth-generation endocytoscopy appears to aid in the diagnosis of early gastric cancer, particularly well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, due to its good diagnostic accuracy and identification of the “enlarged nuclear sign,” and deserves further evaluation in future studies.

Background and study aims Antireflux mucosectomy (ARMS) and antireflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) are new endoscopic procedures for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We conducted a meta-analysis to systematically assess the feasibility, clinical success, and safety of these procedures. Patients and methods We searched Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Central from inception to October 2020. Overlapping reports, animal studies, and case reports were excluded. Our primary outcomes were clinical success and adverse events (AEs). Secondary outcomes included technical success, endoscopic esophagitis, 24-hour pH monitoring, and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use. A random effects model was used to pool data. Results In total, 15 nonrandomized studies (12 ARMS, n = 331; 3 ARMA, n = 130) were included; 10 were conducted in patients with refractory GERD. The technical success rate was 100 %. The pooled short-term (first assessment within the first 6 months), 1-year, and 3-year clinical success rates were 78 % (95 % confidence interval [95 %CI] 70 %–85 %), 72% (95 %CI 47 %–92 %), and 73 % (95 %CI 65 %–81 %), respectively. ARMS and ARMA yielded similar clinical success. The proportion of patients off PPIs at 1 year was 64 % (95 %CI 52 %–75 %). There were significant drops (P

Background The incidence of proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been increasing. While surgical intervention with Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication remains the gold standard, less invasive anti-reflux interventions are desired. We have developed a minimally invasive anti-reflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) treatment. Herein, we report its technical details and describe its feasibility, safety, and efficacy in PPI-refractory GERD. Methods We conducted a prospective single-center single-arm interventional trial evaluating the outcome of ARMA in 12 patients with PPI-refractory GERD. GERD-Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (GERD-HRQL) evaluation, Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of GERD (FSSG) assessment, and impedance-pH monitoring were performed at baseline and at 2 months post-ARMA. Results A total of 12 patients underwent ARMA with a median follow-up duration of 9 months (range: 6 – 14 months). Median GERD-HRQL score significantly improved from 30.5 to 12 (P = 0.002); median FSSG score significantly improved from 25 to 10.5 (P = 0.002), and median DeMeester score decreased from 33.5 to 2.8 (P = 0.049) at 2 months follow-up. No immediate complications were observed. Conclusion Our pilot study has shown that ARMA, a new endoscopic treatment for PPI-refractory GERD, is simple, safe, and improves GERD-related symptoms and objective acid reflux parameters.

Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is a challenging clinical entity. It is defined as the presence of viral DNA in the liver or serum of subjects who test negative for the hepatitis B surface antigen. Molecular evidence of OBI consists of covalently closed circular DNA persisting in the nuclei of hepatocytes after infection. Immunocompetent individuals have a lower risk of complications than immunosuppressed subjects. However, under certain scenarios, OBI acquires clinical manifestations that include transmission of the infection via blood or organ transplantation, chronic liver disease progression, hepatocellular carcinoma, and virus reactivation when a state of immunosuppression develops. This review updates the clinical aspects of the diagnosis and management of OBI.

La sífilis es una infección crónica transmitida fundamentalmente por vía sexual que se caracteriza por presentar gran variedad de manifestaciones clínicas. La afectación hepática es poco habitual y suele acontecer en pacientes infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana. Presentamos el caso de un varón de 42 años inmunocompetente con un cuadro clínico de hepatitis aguda colestásica por sífilis. La hepatitis aguda fue la única manifestación que presentó el paciente de secundarismo luético dificultando el diagnóstico. Consideramos importante incluir a la sífilis en el diagnóstico diferencial de la alteración del perfil hepático especialmente en pacientes con factores de riesgo dada su reversibilidad con tratamiento antibiótico adecuado.