Search Results (18)

Background/Objectives: The various head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) subtypes are among the most common cancers globally, with significant recurrence rates within the first two years post-treatment. Despite advancements in treatment, structured early follow-up remains crucial for timely diagnosis and effective salvage treatment. Methods: This retrospective study examines the impact of implementing a structured initial restaging between three and six months after the conclusion of initial treatment. The study population included 532 patients treated with curative intent at the University Medicine of Greifswald, Germany, between 2010 and 2019. Patients were divided into two groups: standard follow-up (SF) and adapted follow-up (AF). The AF group received standardized post-treatment restaging, including imaging and panendoscopy or PET-CT exams. Results: We found a trend towards earlier diagnosis and a reduction in recurrences, although these differences were not statistically significant. Secondary cancers were observed more frequently in the AF group, significantly affecting overall survival. Conclusions: Our cohort supports structured initial cancer follow-up in HNSCC. Although not significant, an initial multimodal exam after treatment was well tolerated and showed a trend toward earlier diagnosis. Full article

Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) improved the digestive tract assessment; yet, its reading burden is substantial. Deep-learning (DL) algorithms were developed for the detection of enteric and gastric lesions. Nonetheless, their application in the esophagus lacks evidence. The study aim was to develop a DL model for esophageal pleomorphic lesion (PL) detection. Methods: A bicentric retrospective study was conducted using 598 CE exams. Three different CE devices provided 7982 esophageal frames, including 2942 PL lesions. The data were divided into the training/validation and test groups, in a patient-split design. Three runs were conducted, each with unique patient sets. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV), area under the conventional receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), and precision–recall curve (AUC-PR) were calculated per run. The model’s diagnostic performance was assessed using the median and range values. Results: The median sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 75.8% (63.6–82.1%), 95.8% (93.7–97.9%), 71.9% (50.0–90.1%), and 96.4% (94.2–97.6%), respectively. The median accuracy was 93.5% (91.8–93.8%). The median AUC-ROC and AUC-PR were 0.82 and 0.93. Conclusions: This study focused on the automatic detection of pleomorphic esophageal lesions, potentially enhancing the diagnostic yield of this type of lesion, compared to conventional methods. Specific esophageal DL algorithms may provide a significant contribution and bridge the gap for the implementation of minimally invasive CE-enhanced panendoscopy. Full article

Device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) is capable of evaluating the entire gastrointestinal tract, identifying multiple lesions. Nevertheless, DAE’s diagnostic yield is suboptimal. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) are multi-layer architecture artificial intelligence models suitable for image analysis, but there is a lack of studies about their application in DAE. Our group aimed to develop a multidevice CNN for panendoscopic detection of clinically relevant lesions during DAE. In total, 338 exams performed in two specialized centers were retrospectively evaluated, with 152 single-balloon enteroscopies (Fujifilm®, Porto, Portugal), 172 double-balloon enteroscopies (Olympus^®, Porto, Portugal) and 14 motorized spiral enteroscopies (Olympus^®, Porto, Portugal); then, 40,655 images were divided in a training dataset (90% of the images, n = 36,599) and testing dataset (10% of the images, n = 4066) used to evaluate the model. The CNN’s output was compared to an expert consensus classification. The model was evaluated by its sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), accuracy and area under the precision recall curve (AUC-PR). The CNN had an 88.9% sensitivity, 98.9% specificity, 95.8% PPV, 97.1% NPV, 96.8% accuracy and an AUC-PR of 0.97. Our group developed the first multidevice CNN for panendoscopic detection of clinically relevant lesions during DAE. The development of accurate deep learning models is of utmost importance for increasing the diagnostic yield of DAE-based panendoscopy. Full article

In the early 2000s, the introduction of single-camera wireless capsule endoscopy (CE) redefined small bowel study. Progress continued with the development of double-camera devices, first for the colon and rectum, and then, for panenteric assessment. Advancements continued with magnetic capsule endoscopy (MCE), particularly when assisted by a robotic arm, designed to enhance gastric evaluation. Indeed, as CE provides full visualization of the entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract, a minimally invasive capsule panendoscopy (CPE) could be a feasible alternative, despite its time-consuming nature and learning curve, assuming appropriate bowel cleansing has been carried out. Recent progress in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the development of convolutional neural networks (CNN) for CE auxiliary reading (detecting and diagnosing), may provide the missing link in fulfilling the goal of establishing the use of panendoscopy, although prospective studies are still needed to validate these models in actual clinical scenarios. Recent CE advancements will be discussed, focusing on the current evidence on CNN developments, and their real-life implementation potential and associated ethical challenges. Full article

Gastroenterology is increasingly moving towards minimally invasive diagnostic modalities. The diagnostic exploration of the colon via capsule endoscopy, both in specific protocols for colon capsule endoscopy and during panendoscopic evaluations, is increasingly regarded as an appropriate first-line diagnostic approach. Adequate colonic preparation is essential for conclusive examinations as, contrary to a conventional colonoscopy, the capsule moves passively in the colon and does not have the capacity to clean debris. Several scales have been developed for the classification of bowel preparation for colon capsule endoscopy. Nevertheless, their applications are limited by suboptimal interobserver agreement. Our group developed a deep learning algorithm for the automatic classification of colonic bowel preparation, according to an easily applicable classification. Our neural network achieved high performance levels, with a sensitivity of 91%, a specificity of 97% and an overall accuracy of 95%. The algorithm achieved a good discriminating capacity, with areas under the curve ranging between 0.92 and 0.97. The development of these algorithms is essential for the widespread adoption of capsule endoscopy for the exploration of the colon, as well as for the adoption of minimally invasive panendoscopy. Full article

(1) Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), a major postoperative complication after surgical fixation of major limb fractures, can be fatal but is often neglected. This study determined the incidence rates of and related risk factors for perioperative UGIB among older patients with major upper limb fractures but without a history of peptic ulcer disease (PUD). (2) Methods: We collected the data of patients aged more than 65 years who underwent surgery for major limb fracture between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2017, from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database and excluded those with a history of UGIB and PUD before the date of surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of UGIB requiring panendoscopy during hospitalization. A multiple logistic regression model was used to identify the independent predictors of UGIB, with adjustment for confounding factors. The final model included variables that were either statistically significant in univariate analyses or deemed clinically important. (3) Results: The incidence of UGIB was 2.8% among patients with major limb fractures. Male sex, older age, major lower limb fracture, and a history of chronic renal disease were significant risk factors for the increased incidence of perioperative UGIB. (4) Conclusions: Patients with major limb fractures who underwent surgery exhibited a higher rate of stress ulceration with UGIB, even when they had no history of PUD. Perioperative preventive protocols (e.g., protocols for the administration of proton-pump inhibitors) may be necessary for patients with these major risk factors. Full article

The growing importance of advanced endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNETs) necessitates a comprehensive understanding of various biochemical markers, genetic testing methods, radiological techniques, and treatment approaches that encompass multiple disciplines within and beyond gastrointestinal oncology. This review aims to highlight key aspects of these topics, with a specific focus on emerging EUS-guided procedures for the management of PanNETs. Full article

Introduction—the upper airway panendoscopy, performed under general anesthesia, is mandatory for the diagnosis of cervicofacial cancer. It is a challenging procedure because the anesthesiologist and the surgeon have to share the airway space together. There is no consensus about the ventilation strategy to adopt. Transtracheal high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) is the traditional method in our institution. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change our practices because HFJV is a high risk for viral dissemination. Tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation were recommended for all patients. Our retrospective study compares the two ventilation strategies for panendoscopy: high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) and mechanical ventilation with orotracheal intubation (MVOI). Methods—we reviewed all panendoscopies performed before the pandemic in January and February 2020 (HFJV) and during the pandemic in April and May 2020 (MVOI). Minor patients, patients with a tracheotomy before or after, were excluded. We performed a multivariate analysis adjusted on unbalanced parameters between the two groups to compare the risk of desaturation. Results—we included 182 patients: 81 patients in the HFJV group and 80 in the MVOI group. After adjustments based on BMI, tumor localization, history of cervicofacial cancer surgery, and use of muscle relaxants, the patients from the HFJV group showed significantly less desaturation than the intubation group (9.9% vs. 17.5%, OR_a = 0.18, p = 0.047). Conclusion—HFJV limited the incidence of desaturation during upper airway panendoscopies in comparison to oral intubation. Full article

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by a transmural inflammation that may involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. An evaluation of small bowel involvement, allowing recognition of disease extent and severity, is important for disease management. Current guidelines recommend the use of capsule endoscopy (CE) as a first-line diagnosis method for suspected small bowel CD. CE has an essential role in monitoring disease activity in established CD patients, as it can assess response to treatment and identify high-risk patients for disease exacerbation and post-operative relapse. Moreover, several studies have shown that CE is the best tool to assess mucosal healing as part of the treat-to-target strategy in CD patients. The PillCam Crohn’s capsule is a novel pan-enteric capsule which enables visualization of the whole gastrointestinal tract. It is useful to monitor pan-enteric disease activity, mucosal healing and accordingly allows for the prediction of relapse and response using a single procedure. In addition, the integration of artificial intelligence algorithms has showed improved accuracy rates for automatic ulcer detection and the ability to shorten reading times. In this review, we summarize the main indications and virtue for using CE for the evaluation of CD, as well as its implementation in clinical practice. Full article

Background. The purpose of this study was to analyze the value of different diagnostic methods in detecting the primary site and the impact of primary tumors on the clinical outcome of carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP). Methods. In this multicenter, retrospective study, 124 patients with true CUP (n = 94) and CUP turned to primary carcinoma (n = 30) were included. Patients with evidence of primary site during the clinical examination were excluded a priori. The diagnostic procedure was comprised of imaging and invasive methods (fine-needle-aspiration, tonsillectomy and panendoscopy). All patients were treated with curative intent. Results. Despite extensive diagnostic workup, the primary site remained unknown in 75.8%. Invasive diagnostic methods showed higher primary detection rates than imaging modalities (15.1% vs. 7.8%). Tonsillectomy and panendoscopy revealed the primary tumor in 14.9% and 15.2% of patients, whereas the detection rates of CT, MRI and FDG-PET-CT were 10.1%, 4.8% and 6.5%, respectively. The occurrence of primary tumors led to a significantly deteriorating 5-year overall survival (p = 0.002) and emerged as survival prognosticator (HR = 2.764, p = 0.003). Conclusion. Clinical examination in combination with tonsillectomy and panendoscopy was superior to imaging alone in detecting the primary tumor. When the CUP of patients turned to a primary tumor, clinical outcome was significantly worse than in CUP patients. Full article

Background: Disaccharidase (DS) deficiencies have been reported in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the relationship between duodenal inflammation and DS deficiency has not been evaluated outside of lactase deficiency. Methods: This study assessed DS levels and DS deficiencies in pediatric IBD patients who underwent endoscopy with assessment of DS activity. Records were reviewed for IBD subtype, pathology findings, and the results of DS analysis. Results: A total of 136 patients were identified. Overall, 89 (65.4%) patients had a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD), 31 (22.8%) patients had a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC), and 16 (11.8%) patients had a diagnosis of indeterminant colitis. Lactase deficiency was identified in 55.9% of patients, followed by maltase deficiency (19.9%), sucrase and palatinase deficiency (14%), and pan-deficiency (12.5%). When analyzing only patients with CD, patients with duodenitis were more likely to exhibit sucrase deficiency, palatinase deficiency, and pan-deficiency with a trend towards maltase deficiency. Conclusions: The most common DS deficiency was lactase deficiency; however, this was not related to duodenal inflammation. Pediatric patients with CD and duodenal inflammation exhibit DS deficiencies, namely, sucrase, palatinase, and pan-deficiency. Dietary adjustments may be warranted temporarily until duodenal inflammation is healed in patients with CD and duodenitis. Full article

Capsule endoscopy (CE) has proven to be a valuable diagnostic modality for small bowel diseases over the past 20 years, particularly Crohn’s disease (CD), which can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. CE is not only used for the diagnosis of patients with suspected small bowel CD, but can also be used to assess disease activity, treat-to-target, and postoperative recurrence in patients with established small bowel CD. As CE can detect even mildly non-specific small bowel lesions, a high diagnostic yield is not necessarily indicative of high diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, the cost effectiveness of CE as a third diagnostic test employed usually after ileocolonoscopy and MR or CT enterography is an important consideration. Recently, new developments in colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) have increased the utility of CE in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and pan-enteric CD. Although deflation of the colon during the examination and the inability to evaluate dysplasia-associated lesion or mass results in an inherent risk of overestimation or underestimation, the convenience of CCE examination and the risk of flare-up after colonoscopy suggest that CCE could be used more actively in patients with UC. Full article

Coronary artery diseases are major problems of the world. Coronary artery disease patients frequently suffer from peptic ulcers when they receive aspirin treatment. For diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, the implementation of panendoscopy (PES) with biopsy is necessary. Some biopsy samples are wasted after the assay is completed. In the present study, we established a protocol for human gastric fibroblast isolation and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation from gastric fibroblasts via PES with biopsy. We showed that these iPSCs can be differentiated into functional cardiomyocytes in vitro. To our knowledge, this is the first study to generate iPSCs from gastric fibroblasts in vitro. Full article

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that may involve the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Habitual disease monitoring is highly important during disease management, aiming to identify and treat disease exacerbations, in order to avoid immediate and future complications. Currently, ilio-clonoscopy is the gold standard for mucosal assessment. However, the procedure is invasive, involves sedation and allows for visualization of the colon and only a small part of the terminal ileum, while most of the small bowel is not visualized. Since CD may involve the whole length of the small bowel, the disease extent might be underestimated. Capsule endoscopy (CE) provides a technology that can screen the entire bowel in a non-invasive procedure, with minimal side effects. In recent years, this technique has gained in popularity for CD evaluation and monitoring. When CE was first introduced, two decades ago, the fear of possible capsule retention in the narrowed inflamed bowel lumen limited its use in CD patients, and a known CD located at the small bowel was even regarded as a relative contraindication for capsule examination. However, at present, as experience using CE in CD patients has accumulated, this procedure has become one of the accepted tools for disease diagnosis and monitoring. In our current review, we summarize the historic change in the indications and contraindications for the usage of capsule endoscopy for the evaluation of CD, and discuss international recommendations regarding CE’s role in CD diagnosis and monitoring. Full article

The development of new capsules now allows endoscopic diagnosis in all segments of the gastrointestinal tract and comes with new needs for differentiated preparation regimens. Although the literature is steadily increasing, the results of the conducted trials on preparation are sometimes conflicting. The ingestion of simethicone before gastric and small bowel capsule endoscopy for prevention of air bubbles is established. The value of a lavage before small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is recommended, although not supported by all studies. Ingestion in the morning before the procedure seems useful for the improvement of mucosa visualization. Lavage after swallowing of the capsule seems to improve image quality, and in some studies also diagnostic yield. Prokinetics has been used with first generation capsules to shorten gastric transit time and increase the rate of complete small bowel visualization. With the massively prolonged battery capacity of the new generation small bowel capsules, prokinetics are only necessary in significantly delayed gastric emptying as documented by a real-time viewer. Lavage is crucial for an effective colon capsule or pan-intestinal capsule endoscopy. Mainly high or low volume polyethylene glycol (PEG) is used. Apart from achieving optimal cleanliness, propulsion of the capsule by ingested boosts is required to obtain a complete passage through the colon within the battery lifetime. Boosts with low volume sodium picosulfate (NaP) or diatrizoate (gastrografin) seem most effective, but potentially have more side effects than PEG. Future research is needed for more patient friendly but effective preparations, especially for colon capsule and pan-intestinal capsule endoscopy. Full article