Annals of Gastroenterology最新文献

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is associated with various gastrointestinal diseases and may lead to gastric cancer. Currently, endoscopy is the gold standard modality used for diagnosing H. pylori infection, but it lacks objective indicators and requires expert interpretation. In the past few years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for diagnosing gastrointestinal pathologies has increased tremendously and may improve the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopy for H. pylori infection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of AI algorithms for detecting H. pylori infection using endoscopic images.

Methods: Three investigators searched the PubMed, CINHAL and Cochrane databases for studies that compared AI algorithms with endoscopic histopathology for diagnosing H. pylori infection using endoscopic images. We assessed the methodological quality of studies using the QUADAS-2 tool and performed a meta-analysis to estimate the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of AI for detecting H. pylori infection.

Results: A total of 11 studies were identified that met our inclusion criteria. All were conducted in different countries based in Asia. Our meta-analysis showed that AI had high sensitivity (0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90-0.95), specificity (0.92, 95%CI 0.89-0.94), and accuracy (0.92, 95%CI 0.90-0.94) for detecting H. pylori infection using endoscopic images. However, there was also high heterogeneity among the studies (Tau²=0.87, I ²=76.10% for generalized effect size; Tau²=1.53, I ²=80.72% for sensitivity; Tau²=0.57, I ²=70.86% for specificity).

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that AI had high diagnostic accuracy for detecting H. pylori infection using endoscopic images.

Background: The pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after resection/ablation is intrahepatic and/or systemic. The efficacy of atezolizumab-bevacizumab treatment as early therapy after recurrence has not been extensively evaluated.

Methods: We evaluated 32 patients (group A) with early HCC recurrence after resection/ablation and 24 patients (group B) initially diagnosed as Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC)-C, all treated with atezolizumab-bevacizumab. Group A was subdivided in group A1 (progression to BCLC-C, n=14) and group A2 (progression to BCLC-B, n=18).

Results: Groups A1/A2 were comparable for all baseline parameters. Objective response was observed in 14.3% and 33.3% of patients in groups A1 and A2, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was impressive and comparable between the 2 groups (22 and 26 months, respectively, P=0.71), as was median progression-free survival (PFS) (15 and 6 months, respectively, P=0.126). Patients categorized in the advanced stage (groups A1/B) were comparable for all baseline characteristics. Median OS was significantly higher in group A1 compared to B (26 vs. 6 months, P<0.001), as was median PFS (6 vs. 3 months, P=0.086).

Conclusions: Early initiation of atezolizumab-bevacizumab after recurrence following curative therapy results in impressive survival rates, irrespective of recurrence pattern. Survival of atezolizumab-bevacizumab treated patients who were initially diagnosed in the BCLC-C stage is significantly different from those who recurred to BCLC-C following potentially curative therapies.

Background: With the increasing complexity and prolonged duration of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures, sedation shifted from conscious sedation with benzodiazepines to deep sedation with propofol. We assessed the technical success and adverse event rates of ERCP with deep versus conscious sedation.

Methods: Consecutive patients treated with ERCP in the University Medical Center Utrecht over a 7-year period (2010-2016) were screened for eligibility. Gastroenterologist-administered conscious sedation with midazolam was used from 2010-2013, whilst anesthesiology-administered deep sedation with propofol was used from 2013-2016. Data were retrospectively collected from electronic medical records. Outcomes were technical success and procedure-related adverse events within 30 days after ERCP. Associations of sedation type with outcomes were analyzed in univariable and multivariable analyses.

Results: A total of 725 patients were included: 336 (46%) with conscious sedation and 389 (54%) with deep sedation. Technical success was significantly higher when propofol-based sedation was used (317 [82%] vs. 252 [75%], P=0.034). Adverse events also occurred significantly more often in the propofol group (77 [20%] vs. 38 [11%], P=0.002), due to higher rates of post-ERCP cholangitis (21 [5%] vs. 8 [2%], P=0.039), and post-ERCP pancreatitis (29 [7%] vs. 11 [3%], P=0.014). After adjustment, propofol-based sedation remained significantly associated with technical success and adverse events, with odds ratios of 1.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-2.21) and 1.95 (95% CI 1.25-3.04), respectively.

Conclusion: Propofol-based sedation resulted significantly more often in technical success of ERCP compared with midazolam-based sedation, but adverse events were almost twice as common, with higher rates of post-ERCP pancreatitis and cholangitis.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a neoplastic condition with a high disease burden. It is projected to be the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030. However, evidence supporting the long-term use of aspirin in cancer prevention and treatment remains insufficient. We aimed to investigate the association between aspirin use and pancreatic cancer outcomes in the elderly population group.

Methods: The 2020 National Inpatient Sample was used to investigate records of elderly patients admitted with pancreatic cancer, identified by ICD-10 CM codes. The data were categorized based on long-term aspirin use. We assessed inpatient mortality as the primary outcome, while secondary outcomes included costs and length of stay, as well as other inpatient complications.

Results: We identified 19,249 hospitalizations of patients aged over 60 years. The mean age was 73.8 years, and 49.3% were male. In a survey multivariate logistic and linear regression model, adjusting for patient characteristics and hospital factors, long-term aspirin use was associated with lower inpatient mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.92; P=0.023), a shorter hospital stay (beta coefficient -0.52, 95%CI -0.93 to -0.11; P=0.012), lower odds of acute kidney injury (aOR 0.76, 95%CI 0.59-0.98; P=0.039), and lower odds of shock (aOR 0.23, 95%CI 0.06-0.78; P=0.019]. Post-propensity matching revealed similar patterns.

Conclusions: Long-term aspirin use is associated with a lower rate of inpatient mortality and other clinical outcomes in hospitalized elderly patients with pancreatic cancer. The etiologies behind this relationship should be explored with a view to better understanding.

Background: Currently, laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) are the best treatment modalities for esophageal achalasia in children. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the efficacy of LHM and POEM.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar and Web of Science for original articles comparing LHM and POEM. All articles were analyzed with respect to operation duration, length of hospital stay, pre- and postoperative Eckardt score (ES), and pre- and postoperative lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure.

Results: A total of 32 articles, reporting on 800 children, were selected and reviewed. Because of missing diagnostic values of ES and LES in the LHM group, the meta-analysis was limited to the POEM results. According to the random-effects model, the mean ES difference between pre- and post-operation was 4.387 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.799-4.974), significantly different to zero (z=14.64, P<0.001), while the mean LES pressure difference was 3.63 mmHg mmHg (95%CI 2247-3.879), significantly different to zero (z=7.36, P<0.001). Operation duration was 130.15 min (95%CI 62.59-197.71) for the LHM method and 83.64 min (95%CI 55.14-112.14) for POEM. The pooled estimate of length of hospital stay was 3.4 days (95%CI 2.6-4.44) and it was comparable between the 2 methods.

Conclusions: POEM has positive outcomes regarding ES and LES pressure pre- and postoperatively, as well as operation duration, while the length of hospitalization was comparable between POEM and LHM. Well-designed studies are warranted to further clarify differences between the 2 methods.

Background: Paraduodenal pancreatitis (PP) is an inflammation involving the groove zone, delimited by the duodenum lumen, bile duct, and the head of the pancreas. This area may also be involved during acute pancreatitis (AP). The differential diagnosis is clinically relevant, since PP generally persists, whereas AP resolves. Hence, we compared a cohort of patients with PP and AP involving the groove area.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with pathology involving the groove area. The primary aim was to define the diagnostic features of PP compared to non-PP pancreatitis involving the groove area. PP was diagnosed by imaging, while AP was diagnosed according to the revised Atlanta classification and the clinical course, to exclude chronic pancreatitis.

Results: The study population consisted of 37 patients (32 men, age 56.9±9.1 years), 25 with a diagnosis of PP (23 men, mean age 54.9±8.5 years), and 12 (9 men, mean age 61.2±9.2 years) with AP involving the groove. All 25 patients with PP and 4 (33.3%) with AP reported a history of alcohol abuse, 23 patients (92%) with PP, and 3 (25%) with AP had a history of smoking. On imaging, PP patients presented a significantly thicker duodenal wall compared to the AP group (P=0.010). Chronic pancreatitis in the body/tail and exocrine insufficiency was prevalent in PP (P<0.001 and P=0.02). The medial displacement of the gastroduodenal artery was more frequent in the PP group (P=0.011).

Conclusion: PP has a different clinical and imaging profile compared to AP involving the groove area.

Background: The terminal ileum is typically examined during colonoscopies, especially in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and diarrhea. The yield from performing biopsies of endoscopically normal appearing terminal ileum is less clear, and may be associated with greater costs, healthcare utilization and risk. We aimed to determine whether the biopsy results from endoscopically normal terminal ileum affect clinical management.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent an ileocolonoscopy with terminal ileum biopsy at a multisite tertiary healthcare system. Patients with a diagnosis of IBD, prior ileocecal resection, or endoscopically abnormal appearing terminal ileum were excluded. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from the electronic medical record. Comparison between patients was performed using Pearson's chi-square test.

Results: A total of 1018 consecutive patients were identified. Of the 299 who met the inclusion criteria, the majority were female (62.0%) and white (94.7%). Nearly 40% of the patients had a body mass index of 30 kg/m² or above (38.1%). Terminal ileum biopsies were abnormal in 13 patients (4.3%): 5 patients had chronic ileitis, 6 had acute ileitis, 1 had acute and chronic ileitis, and 1 had amyloid deposition. All patients with either chronic or acute ileitis had chronic diarrhea listed as an indication for their colonoscopy.

Conclusions: In patients with a normal appearing terminal ileum, clinically significant histologic abnormalities on biopsies were found in a very small percentage. Based on our findings, the routine biopsy of endoscopically normal appearing terminal ileum has limited diagnostic and therapeutic utility.

Background: Infliximab monitoring correlates with improved outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to evaluate the association between serum infliximab trough levels (TLs) and therapeutic outcomes in Greek patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included consecutive adult patients with IBD receiving intravenous infliximab maintenance therapy at a Greek tertiary center. Therapeutic outcomes assessed were clinical remission (CR), steroid-free clinical remission (SFCR), biochemical remission (BR: C-reactive protein <5 mg/L), and combined (steroid-free and biochemical) remission (SFCBR).

Results: Seventy-seven patients participated (62.3% with CD, 16.8% on concomitant immunomodulators), with a mean infliximab infusion duration of 5.1±4.6 years. Forty-seven (61%) patients underwent treatment escalation. Infliximab mean TLs were 7.2±4.9 μg/mL, correlating only with treatment escalation (9.7 vs. 3.6 μg/mL, P<0.001). CR was achieved in 88.3% of patients, SFCR in 80.5%, BR in 62.3%, and SFCBR in 55.8%. In a subgroup analysis, for patients without treatment escalation, higher mean TLs were significantly associated with BR (4.2 vs. 0.8 μg/mL, P=0.020) and SFCBR (4.3 vs. 1.5 μg/mL, P=0.035). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, TLs predicted SFCBR (P=0.016) with good accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] 0.768, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.584-0.952), with an optimal TL cutoff at 3.4 μg/mL. For patients with treatment escalation, TLs predicted SFCBR (P=0.018) with fair accuracy (AUC 0.653, 95%CI 0.527-0.755), with an optimal TL cutoff at 11 μg/mL.

Conclusions: Infliximab TLs correlate with treatment escalation. Higher infliximab TLs may predict combined remission among patients with treatment escalation.

Background: Collaborative surgery by both endoscopists and surgeons is considered effective for providing less invasive local resection of gastrointestinal tumors, to offset the limitations of either pure endoscopic treatments or surgical intervention. The clinical outcomes of collaborative surgery were evaluated to investigate the feasibility and safety of this approach.

Methods: In this single-center retrospective observational study, we collected data from consecutive patients who underwent collaborative surgery for lesions located from the laryngopharynx to the anus. The completeness of collaboration, technical success, procedure time, postoperative hospitalization period, and occurrence of adverse events were analyzed.

Results: Collaboration surgery was performed for 134 lesions (33 laryngopharyngeal, 2 esophageal, 89 gastric, 8 duodenal and 2 recto-anal) in 131 patients. Collaboration completeness was achieved in 129 lesions (96%). En bloc resection and pathological R0 resection of lesions were achieved in 127 (95%) and 124 (93%) lesions, respectively. The mean procedure time was 188 min. The mean time of discharge was the 11^th postoperative day. Five patients (4%) developed relevant postoperative adverse events.

Conclusions: These results indicate that collaborative surgery by endoscopists and surgeons was feasible and safe, and may contribute to providing less invasive treatment than conventional surgery. Collaborative surgery is worth considering as a flexible and reliable surgical option, when cooperation may outperform either treatment alone.

Background: Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is effective in controlling sepsis in patients with severe acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC). The long-term treatment of this group is still debated. We aimed to assess the clinical evolution of gallstones after severe ACC and the outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and conservative management, following PC.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the rate of readmissions due to recurrent biliary disease and all-cause mortality in subjects who underwent a PC for severe ACC. We compared results between patients who underwent interval LC and those who received conservative management. Readmissions and late mortality were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate regression analysis.

Results: A total of 102 patients were included, of whom 30 underwent interval LC and 72 PC only. Overall, 51.6% were readmitted with recurrent biliary events and the rate did not differ between groups (P=0.583). The probability of recurrent gallstone events was higher in the first 30 weeks after PC; in the surgical cohort, 77.8% of them developed before LC. Late deaths occurred in 46.2% of patients: 13.3% LC vs. 61.9% conservative (P<0.001). Three years after PC, the estimated survival was 75% LC vs. 38% conservative (P=0.014). High-grade comorbidities and severity of ACC were positive predictors of all-cause mortality (P=0.004 and P=0.027), whereas LC was a negative predictor (P=0.003).

Conclusions: Recurrent biliary events were common following PC for ACC. Interval LC was associated with lower rates of readmissions and all-cause late mortality.