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Background Red dichromatic imaging (RDI) is a novel image-enhanced endoscopy expected to improve the visibility of the bleeding point. However, it has not been thoroughly investigated. Case summary A 91-year-old man developed a sudden massive hematochezia and underwent emergent colonoscopy. An ulcer with pulsatile bleeding was found on the lower rectum. Due to massive bleeding, the exact location of the bleeding point was not easy to detect with white light imaging (WLI). Upon switching to RDI, the bleeding point appeared in deeper yellow compared to the surrounding blood. Thus, RDI enabled us for easier recognition of the bleeding point, and hemostasis was achieved successfully. Furthermore, we reviewed endoscopic images and evaluated the color difference between the bleeding point and surrounding blood for WLI and RDI. In our case, the color difference of RDI was greater than that of WLI (9. 75 vs 6. 61), and RDI showed a better distinguished bleeding point from the surrounding blood. Conclusion RDI may improve visualization of the bleeding point by providing better contrast in color difference relative to surrounding blood.

Pseudomelanosis duodeni is a rare condition characterized by the endoscopic appearance of diffuse dark pigmentation of the duodenal mucosa. It is typically seen in older women and has been reported to be associated with hypertension, chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and the use of medications such as oral iron, furosemide, thiazide, hydralazine, and propranolol. We present a case of pseudomelanosis duodeni appearing after 2 years of oral iron therapy in an 85-year-old woman. Although oral iron supplementation seemed the strongest possible etiology, our patient had multiple comorbidities and was on other medications that have been described as associations. The majority of individuals taking oral iron or under these clinical conditions do not develop this entity; some other factors in patients may be responsible for its occurrence.

Objective A prior study using porcine colon demonstrated the feasibility of a novel injectable, temperature-responsive, and biodegradable collagen sol (ICS) that transforms from a liquid to a gel state in response to body temperature for endoscopic closure of perforation during endoscopic resection (ER). This study aims to report the acute and survival outcomes of ICS for gastric perforations during ER. Methods In two experiments using nine live pigs under general anesthesia, four and six perforations (3-5 mm) were created using an electrosurgical knife in acute and survival experiments, respectively. ICS was delivered to the perforations using an endoscopic catheter. In Experiment 1, a leak test and histopathology were performed on all explanted stomachs after euthanization. In Experiment 2, perforation sites were assessed by gastroscopy and histopathology 7, 14 and 28 days post-procedure. Results In Experiment 1, gastroscopy confirmed complete closure of the perforations with ICS and no evidence of leak. Subsequent histopathology revealed a fixation of collagen gel (CG) as a sealant agent at the perforation sites. There were no adverse effects related with ESD or the use of ICS. In Experiment 2, histopathology revealed a fixation of CG as a sealant agent, replacement with granulation tissue and no CG; and fibrotic tissue at 7, 14 and 28 days, respectively. Conclusions This study presents a novel method using ICS, demonstrating promising efficacy and safety profile for endoscopic closure of perforations during ER. Further studies are necessary before translating to clinical use.

Although magnesium oxide is widely used as a laxative, alterations in serum magnesium concentrations among patients taking daily magnesium oxide have not been clarified. The present retrospective, cross-sectional study investigated the risk factors for hypermagnesemia in patients taking daily oral magnesium oxide. Of 2,176 patients administered daily magnesium oxide, 193 (8.9%) underwent assays of serum magnesium concentrations and were evaluated. High serum magnesium concentration and hypermagnesemia were defined as serum magnesium concentrations ≥2.5 mg/dl and ≥3.0 mg/dl, respectively. Of the 193 patients taking daily magnesium oxide, 32 (16.6%) had high serum magnesium concentration and 10 (5.2%) had hypermagnesemia. Factors associated with hypermagnesemia included chronic kidney disease (CKD) grade 4 (p = 0.014) and magnesium oxide dosage (p = 0.009). Factors associated with high serum magnesium concentration included magnesium oxide dosage >1,000 mg/day (p = 0.004), CKD grades 4 (p = 0.000) and concomitant use of stimulant laxatives (p = 0.035). Age, however, was not associated with hypermagnesemia or high serum magnesium concentration. In conclusion, renal function and magnesium oxide dosage, but not age, were associated with hypermagnesemia and high serum magnesium concentration in patients with functional constipation taking daily magnesium oxide.

An aortoesophageal fistula, an abnormal anatomical communication between the aorta and the esophagus, is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The mortality rate of patients with this condition is very high. A 77-year-old man, who had undergone endovascular aortic repair for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, developed melena. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed. This detected an esophageal ulcer, which had the potential to develop into an aortoesophageal fistula. Therefore, thoracic endovascular aortic repair was performed on the following day. Thereafter, the course was uneventful. We encountered a rare case of an esophageal ulcer associated with a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm before it developed into an aortoesophageal fistula.

We aimed to clarify whether red dichromatic imaging (RDI), a new type of image-enhanced endoscopy, improves the visibility of bleeding points in acute GI bleeding (AGIB) compared with white-light imaging (WLI).Images and videos of bleeding points acquired with WLI and RDI during endoscopic hemostasis for AGIB were retrospectively compared. In images, the color difference between bleeding points and surrounding blood was analyzed. In videos, 4 expert and 4 trainee endoscopists evaluated the visibility on a scale of 1 (undetectable) to 4 (easily detectable). Furthermore, the correlation between the color difference and visibility score was evaluated.We analyzed 64 lesions. The color difference was significantly higher in RDI (13.11 ± 4.02) than in WLI (7.38 ± 3.68, P .001). The mean visibility score for all endoscopists was significantly higher in RDI (3.12 ± .51) compared with WLI (2.72 ± .50, P .001); this was also observed in experts (3.18 ± .51 vs 2.79 ± .54, P .001) and trainees (3.05 ± .54 vs 2.64 ± .47, P .001). The color difference and visibility score were moderately correlated for all endoscopists (γ = .56, P .001) and for experts (γ = .53, P .001) and trainees (γ = .57, P .001).RDI improves the visibility of bleeding points in AGIB compared with WLI. RDI can help endoscopists at all levels of experience to recognize bleeding points by enhancing the color contrast relative to surrounding blood.

Endoscopic resection (ER) is an alternate minimally invasive treatment for superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC). We aimed to review the clinical indications and treatment outcomes of ER for SESCC. Endoscopic mucosal resection is relatively easy and efficient for SESCC ≤ 15 mm. In contrast, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is recommended to achieve en bloc resection for lesions15 mm, in view of the accurate pathological evaluation. The Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society guidelines recommend ER for non-circumferential cT1a-EP/LPM (epithelium/lamina propria mucosae), cT1a-MM/T1b-SM1 (muscularis mucosa/superficial submucosa ≤ 200μm) SESCC, and whole-circumferential T1a-EP/LPM SESCC ≤ 50 mm (upon implementing preventive measures for stenosis), considering the risk-benefit balance of ER. It defines pT1a-EP/LPM without lymphovascular invasion as a curative endoscopic resection. The guidelines recommend additional esophagectomy or chemoradiotherapy for pT1b SESCC or any SESCC, with lymphovascular invasion. However, there is no recommendation for or against the administration of additional treatments for pT1a-MM without lymphovascular invasion, owing to limited evidence. Researchers have reported on high en bloc and R0 resection rates of ESD, and a randomized controlled trial demonstrated that clip-line traction-assisted ESD could significantly reduce the ESD procedural time. Moreover, steroid treatment has been developed to prevent post-ESD esophageal strictures. There have been reports on favorable long-term outcomes of ESD. However, most of them are retrospective studies. Further robust data in prospective trials are warranted to achieve a definitive evidence of ESD, which will be beneficial to patients with SESCC.

Vonoprazan is a potassium competitive acid blocker used to treat erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with stronger, more stable acid-suppressing effects than proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). This study clarified the usefulness and superiority of vonoprazan administered every second day over PPIs in the maintenance therapy of erosive GERD.This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, two-period randomized cross-over study. Patients were randomized to either the vonoprazan-lansoprazole (VP-LZ) group, who were given vonoprazan 10 mg for the first 4 weeks and then lansoprazole 15 mg for the next 4 weeks both administered once every second day, or the lansoprazole-vonoprazan (LZ-VP) group, who were treated in reverse. GERD symptoms were compared using symptom diaries, the frequency scale for symptoms of GERD (FSSG), and the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS).We enrolled 122 patients between December 2017 and May 2019. Symptoms were well controlled in vonoprazan administration and lansoprazole administration were 93.6% and 82.1%, respectively, with a significant difference on McNemar's test (P = 0.003). During the second 4 weeks, 94.4% and 76.7% of patients in the VP-LZ and LZ-VP groups, respectively, were well controlled following for ≥ 6 consecutive days a week (P = 0.009). During the first 4 weeks, 96.7% and 80.0% of patients were well controlled with 1 weekly in the VP-LZ and LZ-VP groups, respectively, during the first 4 weeks (P = 0.007). GERD symptoms, assessed via FSSG and GSRS, significantly decreased with vonoprazan administration once every second day.Vonoprazan administered once every second day could be an effective alternative to PPIs in the maintenance treatment of erosive GERD (UMIN000030393).

Objectives Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) poses a risk of intraprocedural perforation. We have developed a biodegradable injectable collagen sol that undergoes a liquid-to-gel formation in response to body temperature. Here, we investigated the feasibility of this novel collagen sol for the endoscopic closure of iatrogenic perforation holes. Methods In two experiments, 12 and 5 colonic perforation holes (3-5 mm) were made using an ESD knife in four and three live pigs under general anesthesia, respectively. In Experiment 1, collagen sol was delivered to the perforation holes using an endoscopic catheter. When the colon was expanded by CO2 insufflation, endo-clips were applied to the perforation holes. For Experiment 2, Collagen sol adjusted based on the Experiment 1 results was delivered to the perforation holes in the same manner. A leak test was performed for every colon after the pigs were killed, and the histology of the perforation sites was evaluated. Results In both experiments, collagen sol was smoothly delivered to the target area and fixed as a gel on the perforation holes. Experiment 1, 83% (10/12) of the perforation holes were completely closed, and all endo-clips were placed with composure. Experiment 2, all perforation holes were completely closed with collagen gel. There was no leak from the perforation holes. Histology revealed a fixation of the collagen gel as an embolus agent in the perforation holes. Conclusions This novel collagen sol may be used for the endoscopic closure of intraprocedural perforation. Further studies will determine this collagen sol's clinical feasibility and safety.

BACKGROUND AND AIM A significant percentage of patients with colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB) experience bleeding that is severe enough to necessitate prolonged hospitalization. Prolonged hospitalization causes deterioration in patients' quality of life, as well as difficulties with cost-effective utilization of medical resources, and is a financial burden to the society. Therefore, we investigated the factors associated with the length of hospitalization for the optimal management of patients hospitalized with CDB. METHODS This study included patients who were hospitalized for the treatment of CDB and underwent colonoscopy between July 2008 and February 2016. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between the length of hospitalization and the patients' baseline characteristics, in-hospital procedures performed, and the clinical outcomes. RESULTS The study included 223 patients. Diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 3.4, P = 0.014) and blood transfusion (OR 3.1, P = 0.0006) were identified as risk factors for prolonged hospitalization (≥ 8 days). Urgent colonoscopy (OR 0.41, P = 0.0072) predicted a shorter length of hospitalization (≤ 7 days). The study also indicated that endoscopic treatment showed a stronger association with urgent colonoscopy (OR 7.8, P

Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is still a common and life-threatening disease, thus it would have a big impact on medical care cost. However, little is known about risk factors for increased medical care cost in NVUGIB patients. The purpose of the study was to clarify predictor of requiring high medical care cost in NVUGIB patients. Patients who underwent endoscopic hemostasis due to NVUGIB between April 2012 and March 2015 were included in this retrospective study. We analyzed the association between patients’ background including activity of daily livings (ADL) and high medical care cost using logistic regression model. Medical care cost was calculated in reference to the “Diagnosis Procedure Combination” which is diagnosis-dominant case-mix system in Japan. The cutoff value of high medical care cost was defined as its first quartile. ADL was assessed according to Katz-6 score. We defined impaired ADL patient who revealed Katz-6 score more than 1. A total of 128 consecutive patients were included in this study. Median medical care cost was 5323 USD (IQR 3661–8172 USD). There were 13 patients (10%) in impaired ADL group. In univariate analysis, age and impaired ADL before admission revealed significant association with high cost. Of these, impaired ADL was an only independent risk factor [odds ratio 15.3 (95% CI 2.49–183)] in multivariate analysis. Impairment in ADL before admission was an independent predictor for high medical care cost with NVUGIB patients.

Background/Aims: Although colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB) often ceases spontaneously, re-bleeding occurs in about 30%. Bleeding diverticulum can be treated directly by endoscopic hemostasis; however, it is difficult to perform colonoscopy in all cases with limited medical resource and certain risks. The aim of this study was to clarify who should undergo colonoscopy as well as appropriate methods of initial management in CDB patients. Methods: A total of 285 patients who were diagnosed as CDB and underwent colonoscopy from March 2004 to October 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. First, the association between re-bleeding and various factors including patients’ background and initial management were analyzed. Second, the examination conditions that influenced bleeding point identification were analyzed. Results: Of 285 patients, 187 were men and 98 were women. Median age was 75 years, and the median observation period was 17.5 months. Re-bleeding was observed in 79 patients (28%). A history of CDB (OR 2.1, p = 0.0090) and chronic kidney disease (CKD; OR 2.3, p = 0.035) were risk factors, and bleeding point identification (OR 0.20, p = 0.0037) was a preventive factor for re-bleeding. Bleeding point identification significantly reduced approximately 80% of re-bleeding. Furthermore, extravasation on CT (OR 3.7, p = 0.031) and urgent colonoscopy (OR 5.3, p < 0.001) were predictors for identification of bleeding point. Compared to bleeding point identification of 11% in all patients who underwent colonoscopy, identification rate in those who had extravasation on CT and underwent urgent colonoscopy was as high as 70%. Conclusions: Contrast-enhanced CT upon arrival is suggested, and patients with extravasation on CT would be good candidates for urgent colonoscopy, as well as patients who have a history of CDB and CKD.

A significant percentage of patients with colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB) experience bleeding that is severe enough to necessitate prolonged hospitalization. Prolonged hospitalization causes deterioration in patients' quality of life, as well as difficulties with cost-effective utilization of medical resources, and is a financial burden to the society. Therefore, we investigated the factors associated with the length of hospitalization for the optimal management of patients hospitalized with CDB.This study included patients who were hospitalized for the treatment of CDB and underwent colonoscopy between July 2008 and February 2016. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between the length of hospitalization and the patients' baseline characteristics, in-hospital procedures performed, and the clinical outcomes.The study included 223 patients. Diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 3.4, P = 0.014) and blood transfusion (OR 3.1, P = 0.0006) were identified as risk factors for prolonged hospitalization (≥ 8 days). Urgent colonoscopy (OR 0.41, P = 0.0072) predicted a shorter length of hospitalization (≤ 7 days). The study also indicated that endoscopic treatment showed a stronger association with urgent colonoscopy (OR 7.8, P 0.0001) than with elective colonoscopy and that urgent colonoscopy was not associated with an increased rate of adverse events or re-bleeding.Compared with elective colonoscopy, urgent colonoscopy shortens the length of hospitalization in patients with CDB. Moreover, it is not associated with an increased rate of adverse events. Urgent colonoscopy may be impracticable in a few cases; however, if possible, aggressive urgent colonoscopy should be considered for the efficient management of the patient's hospital stay.

Background and study aims Although cold polypectomy (CP) is widely used for colorectal polyps Patients and methods Consecutive patients with at least one colorectal non-pedunculated polyp 2B lesions were removed by EMR in compliance with the algorithm. Polypectomy outcomes were compared between the compliant and non-compliant groups. Histological outcomes were analyzed in accordance with JNET classification. Results Post-polypectomy bleeding rate in the compliant group (0 %) was lower than that in the non-compliant group (0.53 %, P Conclusion This study indicated our algorithm would be valid: CP is suitable for most polyps

Background: Some scoring systems have been introduced to predict the need for performing urgent endoscopy in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). However, in an emergency situation, this intervention is insufficient and cannot easily provide the required treatment. Aim: To identify new risk factors that can predict the need for endoscopic intervention (EI) in UGIB patients. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Patients with UGIB admitted from April 2011 to August 2014 were included. The proportion of cases requiring EI and clinical factors (age, gender, antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy, history of gastro-duodenal ulcer (GDU), systolic blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, blood urea nitrogen-creatinine ratio (BUN/Cr ratio), prothrombin time-international normalized ratio, and Glasgow-Blatchford Score (GBS) were analyzed using logistic regression models. Result: Of 378 patients who were included in this study, 180 were found to be with GDU. The proportion of cases requiring EI was significantly higher in those with GDU than in other causes except variceal bleeding (53.5 vs. 37.0%, p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that a history of GDU was an independent risk factor (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.06–3.00) in addition to BUN/Cr ratio (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.03) and GBS (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.08–1.33). Conclusion: A history of GDU was an independent risk factor for predicting the need for EI in UGIB in addition to BUN/Cr ratio and GBS.

Background: Sedatives or analgesics are widely used to relieve a patient’s discomfort during colonoscopy (CS). Although cardiopulmonary adverse events are sometimes experienced during the examination, the risk factors for vital signs fluctuation (VSF) have not been fully elucidated. This study thus aimed to identify the risk factors for VSF during the examination, as well as to evaluate the frequency and the degree of VSF. Summary: A total of 755 consecutive subjects who received CS under endoscopist-administrated sedation using midazolam, meperidine, or combination of both were retrospectively analyzed. We assessed the distribution of vital signs during the procedure and frequency of VSF. To identify independent risk factors, we analyzed the association between VSF and subjects’ characteristics and procedure information using the multivariate logistic regression model. Consequently, VSF was observed in 17% of all; hypotension and oxygen desaturation was observed in 13 and 5%, respectively. However, we could achieve the purpose of all procedure and, no one required hospitalization or extension of hospital stay. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (OR 1.05 [95% CI 1.04–1.07]), being female (OR 1.78 [95% CI 1.19–2.70]), and use of midazolam (OR 5.06 [95% CI 3.18–8.08]) were independent risk factors for VSF.

It has been an accepted story until today that in 1899 Kensuke Mitsuda's efforts led to the founding of "Kaishun Byoshitsu", an isolation ward for leprosy patients in Japanese modern times first located in the Tokyo City Yoikuin (poorhouse). But, in this paper, the author has collected as many documents that describe the details of the foundation of "Kaishun Byoshitsu" as possible, and thoroughly further reexamined definite sources regarding the time when it was founded. The documents are classified into the following four by the author, [A]: Kensuke Mitsuda himself, [B]: the persons concerned with Mitsuda, [C]: the persons involved in Yoikuin, and [D]: general researchers. These classifications [A] to [D], are further divided into two insistences, according to whether the founding date was claimed to be in 1899 or in 1901 in [D]. Insistences are exhibited in [B] for "in 1899" and in [C] for "in 1901", respectively. However, there was no conclusive "definite source" clearly specified in the above-mentioned classifications [A] to [D]. Additionally, in the most reliable classification [A], there is no actual reference to the founding date. Therefore, the author has reached the conclusion that at least the claim that the founding date was 1899, though it has become an accepted story, is not based on any solid evidence.

We investigate the characteristics of oxide film obtained by wet oxidation of Al x Ga1-x As with its Al concentration x between 0.55 and 0.99. 300-nm-thick Al x Ga1-x As grown on GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy is wet-oxidized in a furnace at 410 °C for 120 min. Samples having x greater than 0.8 are confirmed to be oxidized from their observation, examined by X-ray diffraction showing the vanished crystallographic diffraction peaks. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray reflectivity, and spectroscopic ellipsometry study determines the thickness, density and refractive index of the oxide films.

Sodium cinchophen was administered intraperitoneally in doses ranging from 20 to 50mg/ 100g body weight to adult male Holtmman rats. There occurred motor ataxia, somnolence, irritability, spasm, hyperglycemia, eosinopenia, hypothermia and acute hemorrhagic erosions in the glandular stomach. The dose of 40mg/100g body weight was found to be most useful for experimental study of gastric lesions.Luminal, Dazepam, Chlordiazepoxide, Morphine, Hydroxyzine and Cyiproheptadine proved effective preventing the production of gastric lesions. Therefore, it is suggested that the middle typothalamic area plays a vital role in producing the cinchophen gastric lesions in the rat. The effects of these cetral neurotropic drugs on the gastric lesions did not necessarily correlated with those of the symptoms following cinchophen admiuistraton.