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Competing Interests: None

Background: Tissue sampling using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration is the gold standard for diagnosing malignant pancreatic tumors; however, its sensitivity and specificity are highly variable. Thus, fine-needle biopsy using cutting needles has been developed to overcome current limitations and improve diagnostic yield. Our study compared two fine-needle biopsy needles for tissue sampling for pancreatic solid lesions., Materials and Methods: Samples obtained from patients with pancreatic solid lesions using the 22-gauge fine-needle biopsy needles (Franseen needle or reverse bevel needle) were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcomes were diagnostic yield and sample adequacy. The secondary outcome was diagnostic performance. The analysis was performed using 2 × 2 tables to calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy for each needle type. Proportions were compared using the Z test. For quantitative variables, a comparative analysis was performed using Student's t test. Qualitative and unpaired outcome variables were described using Fisher's exact test., Results: Sixty-three patients with pancreatic lesions were included in the analysis. The fine-needle biopsy Franseen and reverse bevel groups included 33 and 30 patients, respectively. An adequate sample was obtained in 97% of patients in the Franseen needle group versus 80% in the reverse bevel needle group; the diagnostic yields in these groups were 93.9 and 66.7%, respectively. Neither differences between needle passes nor complications were noted. The sensitivity and specificity were 93.5 and 100%, respectively, in the fine-needle biopsy Franseen group, versus 71 and 100%, respectively, in the reverse bevel needle group., Conclusions: The Franseen needle was more effective for sampling pancreatic tumors than the reverse bevel needle., Competing Interests: None of the authors declares conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by Sociedade Portuguesa de Gastrenterologia. Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: endoscopic evaluation of the ampulla of Vater (AV), although routinely recommended, is not always possible due to its anatomic configuration, which can hide it from the visual field of the forward-viewing endoscope. Cap-assisted forward-viewing endoscopy has been proposed as a useful alternative to facilitate the examination of this structure., Objectives: to assess the efficacy of cap-assisted forward-viewing endoscopy for the complete evaluation of the AV. Secondary outcomes were to assess AV morphology, search and total procedure times and technique safety., Methods: a prospective, single-arm study. Patients who were selected for elective upper endoscopy were included. Patients with advanced neoplasia, modified anatomy, upper gastrointestinal stenosis or obstructions were excluded., Outcomes: ninety patients were included, 36 males (40 %) and 54 females (60 %). Fifteen percent had a history of hereditary colon cancer syndrome. Technical success of cap-assisted, forward-viewing endoscopy was 98.8 %. AV was classified as type 1 (classic) in 49.4 %, type 2 (small) in 16.8 %, type 3 (protruding) in 11.2 % and type 4 (ridged) in 22.4 %. The mean search time was 37.7 seconds (s) (SD ± 31.6) and the total procedure time was 487.4 s (SD ± 206.2). No adverse events were reported., Conclusions: cap-assisted forward-viewing endoscopy is an effective and safe technique for the complete visualization and morphologic characterization of the ampulla of Vater.

Choriocarcinomas are epitelial tumors with a rapidly growing rate and widely metastatic tumor of trophoblastic cells. Incidence have been reported 1 in 24,096 pregnant patients. Most cases arise in the uterus following gestational events. It can also be gonadal or extragonadal. primary gastric choriocarcinoma is rare, represents 0.08% of all gastric cancers. Clinical presentation is very similar to adenocarcinomas but they can present seric β-GCH elevation. The main objective is present three cases of primary gastric choriocarcinoma with an initial miss diagnosis of adenocarcimoa.

Introduction: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease with an unknown etiology. There have been negative suggestions relating appendectomy and UC, although there are no studies that correlate the time where the appendectomy was performed with the clinical course of the disease., Objective: To analyze the relationship between appendectomy and the clinical behavior in Mexican patients with ulcerative colitis., Methods: From January 2007 to June 2010, 114 patients with UC were analyzed. Clinical and demographic data were collected from medical records. The patients were classified in two groups: cases (UC patients with appendectomy) and controls (UC patients without appendectomy)., Results: Among cases 42.1% needed colectomy vs. 15.7% in the control group (p = 0.003, OR = 3.59, CI = 1.36 - 9.63). Eighteen patients (47.3%) with appendectomy presented extraintestinal manifestations including arthropathy (36.8%) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (10.5%). Extraintestinal manifestations were more frequent in patients with appendectomy prior to the diagnosis of UC (41.6%), compared to 5.5% of the patients with appendectomy after the UC diagnosis (p = 0.02, OR = 6.75, CI = 1.2 - 57.7)., Conclusion: Appendectomy in Mexican patients with UC is associated with more aggressive course of the disease and this translated in a higher risk for colectomy. An additional finding was that appendectomy prior to the diagnosis of UC is related with the development of extraintestinal manifestations.