Esophagogastroduodenoscopy Examination Research Articles

Reducing blind spots in esophagogastroduodenoscopy examinations using a novel deep learning model

Reducing blind spots in esophagogastroduodenoscopy examinations using a novel deep learning model

Relationship between observation time and detection rate of focal lesions in Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: a single-center, retrospective study

BackgroundCurrent studies have shown that longer observation time can improve neoplastic detection rate. This study aimed to clarify whether endoscopists with longer observation times can detect more focal lesions.MethodsBased on the mean examination time for Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) without biopsy, endoscopists were divided into fast and slow groups, and the detection rate of focal lesions was compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis and restricted cubic spline were used to explore the factors of focal lesion detection rate.ResultsMean examination time of EGD without biopsy was 4.5 min. The cut-off times used were 5 min. 17 endoscopists were classified into the fast (4.7 ± 3.6 min), and 16 into the slow (7.11 ± 4.6 min) groups. Compared with fast endoscopists, slow endoscopists had a higher detection rate of focal lesions (47.2% vs. 51.4%, P < 0.001), especially in the detection of gastric lesions (29.7% vs. 35.9%, P < 0.001). In univariate and multivariate analyses, observation time, patient age and gender, expert, biopsy rate, and number of images were factors in FDR. There is a nonlinear relationship between observation time and FDR.ConclusionLonger examination time improves the detection rate of focal lesions. Observation time is an important quality indicator of the EGD examination.

Combining Spleen Diameter and the Baveno VI Criteria Assessed by 2-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography to Rule Out High-Risk Varices.

Patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) can safely spared screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) when they meet the Baveno VI criteria as assessed by transient elastography. Recently, the cutoff values of the Baveno VI criteria assessed by 2-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) were proposed. We aimed to validate it to rule out high-risk varices (HRVs) in cACLD patients; combine spleen diameter (SPD) with the Baveno VI criteria and assess whether it can spare more screening EGD. A total of 173 cACLD patients with successful liver stiffness (LS) measurements and EGD examinations were included. We analyzed the risk factors that predicted HRVs and compared the performances of different models for ruling out HRVs. The platelet count, LS, and SPD were independent predictors of HRVs. The AUCs of platelet count, LS, spleen stiffness and SPD for diagnosing HRVs were 0.797, 0.757, 0.834, and 0.804, respectively. The Baveno VI criteria assessed by 2D-SWE spared 25.4% of EGD screenings and missed 2.4% of the HRV patients. Combining SPD ≤11.1 cm with the Baveno VI criteria could spare more EGD screenings than just applying the Baveno VI criteria (45.1% vs 25.4%, P < 0.001), and missed 4.9% of the HRV patients. The Baveno VI criteria assessed by 2D-SWE could be safely applied in cACLD patients to rule out HRV patients. The combined model Baveno VI/SPD could safely and significantly increase the rate of spared EGD.

Prevalence of Gastric Epithelial Tumors in Helicobacter pylori-uninfected Individuals Undergoing a Medical Checkup.

Objective This study investigated the prevalence of gastric epithelial tumor in Helicobacter pylori-uninfected subjects who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) as part of an annual checkup. Methods A total of 20,540 EGD examinations of H. pylori-uninfected individuals (12,917 men, 7,623 women; mean age 51.5±9.2 years old) were performed between April 2016 and March 2023. The prevalence of gastric epithelial tumor discovery and the size and location of each lesion type were analyzed. Results According to 20,540 examinations, 61 gastric epithelial tumors were endoscopically and histologically diagnosed in 58 of the subjects, with a prevalence rate of 0.28%. These tumors included signet-ring carcinoma (n=10, 0.05%), gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic-gland type (n=10, 0.05%), intestinal-type well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (n=2, 0.01%), and raspberry-type gastric foveolar tumors (n=36, 0.18%). One subject had two intestinal-type well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, and two each had two raspberry-type gastric foveolar tumors. The mean sizes of the signet-ring carcinomas, gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic-gland type, intestinal-type well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, and raspberry-type gastric foveolar tumors were 6.4, 4.7, 5.0, and 3.4 mm, respectively. Each lesion was located at a specific site in the stomach characteristic of its type. Conclusion In the present H. pylori-uninfected subjects, the prevalence of gastric epithelial tumors found on an EGD examination was 0.28%. Endoscopic examination should be performed in H. pylori-uninfected individuals to detect such tumors in characteristic locations.

Study of the possibility of using osteopathic correction for the treatment of patients with non-erosive gastroesophageal refl ux disease

Introduction. Gastroesophageal refl ux disease (GERD) is a chronic relapsing disease characterized by regularly repeated refl ux of gastric and, in some cases, duodenal contents into the esophagus. The urgency of the GERD problem is due to the widespread prevalence of this disease, a signifi cant decrease in the life quality and working capacity of patients, and it leads to signifi cant material losses and increases the risk of complications with long-term use of proton pump inhibitors. There is evidence of the effectiveness of osteopathic correction as a non-drug method as part of the complex treatment of non-erosive GERD. However, taking into considertion the potential risk of complications (osteoporosis and fractures, vitamin B12 and iron defi ciency, dementia, hypomagnesemia, impaired renal function, infectious complications, neoplasms, cardiovascular complications) caused by the use of the drugs′ treatment of GERD, it is in demand to search for evidence of the effectiveness of osteopathic correction as monotherapy for non-erosive GERD. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of using osteopathic correction as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with non-erosive GERD. Materials and methods. The study involved 26 patients with non-erosive form of GERD. The age of patients was from 22 to 50 years old. Using the method of randomization envelopes, the two groups were formed (control and main). There were 13 patients (4 females and 9 males) in each group. All the study participants were prescribed a correction of the diet and regime of work and rest. Participants in the control group received basic drug therapy according to the Guidelines of the Russian Gastroenterological Association for the diagnosis and treatment of GERD. The dosage and duration were selected individually depending on the clinical manifestations and their duration. Participants of the main group received a course of osteopathic correction (2 sessions with an interval of 12–14 days). All participants underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) examination at the start of the study. Before and after the treatment in both groups, the severity of GERD symptoms was assessed using the GerdQ questionnaire, as well as osteopathic status was estimated. In addition, we studied the relationship between the structure of dominant somatic dysfunctions (SD) and some indicators of the state of the esophagus and stomach, measured as part of an EGD examination: the cardia of the esophagus and stomach (closes, closes incompletely), transcardial migration of the stomach folds during calm breathing (yes, no), Hiss angle (acute, smoothed), the arch of the stomach during calm breathing (shifts, shifts to a limited extent), the shape of the arch of the stomach (normal, fl attened), the contents of the stomach (usual, with an admixture of bile). Results. The use of an osteopathic correction course for patients with a non-erosive form of GERD is accompanied by a statistically signifi cant (p&lt;0,05) decrease in the severity of symptoms of the disease, assessed by the GerdQ questionnaire. The achieved indicators (the severity of symptoms of the disease, assessed using the GerdQ questionnaire) do not statistically signifi cantly differ from those achieved using standard drug therapy. The course of osteopathic correction is accompanied by a statistically signifi cant (p&lt;0,05) decrease in the severity of biomechanical disorders of the thoracic region. A signifi cant correlation was established between the presence of dominant SD in the thoracic region and the presence of some features of the esophagus and stomach state (incomplete closure of the cardia of the esophagus and stomach, transcardial migration of the stomach folds during quiet breathing, a fl attened Hiss angle, a limited displacement of the gastric fornix during quiet breathing, a fl attened shape of the gastric fornix). Conclusion. The obtained results allow to consider the possibility of using osteopathic correction as a monotherapy for patients with non-erosive GERD. However, it is recommended to continue research in this direction on a larger sample size and using instrumental methods of examination in dynamics.

Endoscopic Ruler for varix size measurement: A multicenter pilot study.

We invented Endoscopic Ruler, a new endoscopic device to measure the size of varices in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. To assess the feasibility and safety of Endoscopic Ruler, and evaluate the agreement on identifying large oesophageal varices (OV) between Endoscopic Ruler and the endoscopists, as well as the interobserver agreement on diagnosing large OV using Endoscopic Ruler. We prospectively and consecutively enrolled patients with cirrhosis from 11 hospitals, all of whom got esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with Endoscopic Ruler. The primary study outcome was a successful measurement of the size of varices using Endoscopic Ruler. The secondary outcomes included adverse events, operation time, the agreement of identifying large OV between the objective measurement of Endoscopic Ruler and the empirical reading of endoscopists, together with the interobserver agreement on diagnosing large OV by Endoscopic Ruler. From November 2020 to April 2022, a total of 120 eligible patients with cirrhosis were recruited and all of them underwent EGD examinations with Endoscopic Ruler successfully without any adverse event. The median operation time of Endoscopic Ruler was 3.00 min [interquartile range (IQR): 3.00 min]. The kappa value between Endoscopic Ruler and the endoscopists while detecting large OV was 0.52, demonstrating a moderate agreement. The kappa value for diagnosing large OV using Endoscopic Ruler among the six independent observers was 0.77, demonstrating a substantial agreement. The data demonstrates that Endoscopic Ruler is feasible and safe for measuring the size of varices in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Endoscopic Ruler is potential to promote the clinical practice of the two-grade classification system of OV.

Current status of quality control in screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy and the emerging role of artificial intelligence.

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening is being implemented in countries with a high incidence of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer. High-quality EGD screening ensures the yield of early diagnosis and prevents suffering from advanced UGI cancer and minimal operational-related discomfort. However, performance varied dramatically among endoscopists, and quality control for EGD screening remains suboptimal. Guidelines have recommended potential measures for endoscopy quality improvement and research has been conducted for evidence. Moreover, artificial intelligence offers a promising solution for computer-aided diagnosis and quality control during EGD examinations. In this review, we summarized the key points for quality assurance in EGD screening based on current guidelines and evidence. We also outline the latest evidence, limitations, and future prospects of the emerging role of artificial intelligence in EGD quality control, aiming to provide a foundation for improving the quality of EGD screening.

Does an Extraoral Suction Device Reduce Aerosol Generation and Prevent Droplet Exposure to the Examiner during Esophagogastroduodenoscopy?

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an aerosol-generating procedure. A major challenge in the COVID-19 era is how to prevent the spread of aerosols and droplets in endoscopic units. We evaluated the effectiveness of an extraoral suction device in preventing indoor aerosol diffusion and droplet exposure for examiners. The study involved 61 patients who underwent EGD at our institution from 1 February to 31 March 2022. To determine whether aerosol spread increases before or after EGD examination with an extraoral suction device located in front of the patient's mouth, aerosols of 0.3, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, and 10 μm were measured with a handheld particle counter. The degree of contamination of the plastic gowns on the examiners was assessed using the rapid adenosine triphosphate test. The extraoral suction device significantly reduced the diffusion of large particles (3, 5, and 10 μm) after finishing the EGD examination. However, the diffusion of small particles (0.3 and 0.5 μm) was significantly increased. This extraoral suction device was effective in reducing large particle diffusion during EGD examination but was limited for minimizing small particle diffusion or droplet exposure to the examiner.

The sun beside the pancreatic neck: The lymph node gastrinoma (with video).

The sun beside the pancreatic neck: The lymph node gastrinoma (with video).

Risk of Variceal Bleeding in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab

Risk of Variceal Bleeding in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab

Efficacy and Safety of Exploring Deeper Sections of the Infrapapillary Area of the Duodenum by Using Sedative Esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Background Using conventional esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) to evaluate the infrapapillary area is not feasible. The use of sedative EGD may enable endoscopists to investigate the infrapapillary condition of the duodenum. In this study, we aimed to evaluate lesions in the infrapapillary regions by using sedative EGD. Methods In this retrospective observational study, we used the data of patients who underwent sedative EGD examinations at a tertiary hospital in southern Taiwan. The endoscopists evaluated the esophagus, stomach, and proximal duodenum and then attempted to explore the infrapapillary portion of the duodenum as deeply as possible. We assessed the success rate for the exploration of infrapapillary areas. Furthermore, we analyzed specific clinical findings of sedative EGD examination. Results In total, 2973 patients underwent sedative EGD between November 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011. For 2632 of these patients, it was their first sedative EGD examination. In 2511 patients (95.4%), the exploration of the infrapapillary areas was successful. In approximately 10% of the patients, specific findings were detected over the infrapapillary region, and 7 of these patients exhibited clinically significant findings (i.e., gallbladder cancer with metastasis, periampullary Vater adenoma, natural killer cell enteropathy, villous adenoma with moderate dysplasia, infrapapillary duodenal adenoma with dysplasia, duodenal perforation with tumor-like formation, and follicular lymphoma). No patient experienced minor or major adverse reactions during the sedative EGD procedure. Conclusions The current study provided evidence that sedative EGD examination enables a safe, comfortable, and effective endoscopic examination of deeper sections of the duodenum to evaluate the papillary and infrapapillary regions.

Assessment of Cimetropium Bromide Use for the Detection of Gastric Neoplasms During Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a common procedure used to examine upper gastrointestinal diseases. Although cimetropium bromide and other antispasmodic agents are commonly administered as premedication to inhibit peristalsis during EGD examination, there are few data regarding the benefits of cimetropium bromide for the detection of gastric neoplasms. To investigate the association between the use of cimetropium bromide as premedication and gastric neoplasm detection rates during EGD examination. This propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study included 67 683 participants who received EGD screening at the Health Promotion Center of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, from January 2, 2010, to June 30, 2017. Data were analyzed from April 1 to December 30, 2021. Participants were divided into 2 groups: those who received cimetropium bromide before EGD examination (intervention group) and those who did not (control group). Gastric neoplasm detection rates. Among 67 683 participants, the mean (SD) age was 48.6 (10.8) years, and 36 517 participants (54.0%) were male; all participants were Asian (a racially homogenous population). Of those, 28 280 participants (41.8%; mean [SD] age, 50.3 [10.6] years; 57.8% male) received cimetropium bromide, and 39 403 participants (58.2%; mean [SD] age, 47.4 [10.8] years; 51.2% male) did not. Propensity score matching based on confounding variables yielded 41 670 matched participants (20 835 pairs). Detected lesions included 52 dysplasias (0.12%), 40 early cancers (0.10%), 7 advanced cancers (0.02%), and 3 lymphomas (0.01%). Gastric neoplasm detection rates were significantly higher in the intervention group (63 participants [0.30%]) vs the control group (39 participants [0.19%]; P = .02). A significant difference in the combined detection rate of dysplasia and early gastric cancer was found between those in the intervention group (57 participants [0.27%]) vs the control group (35 participants [0.17%]; P = .02). For small gastric lesions (<1 cm), those who received cimetropium bromide had higher detection rates (24 participants [0.12%]) than those who did not (11 participants [0.05%]; P = .03). Lesions in the gastric body were detected significantly more often in the intervention group (34 participants [0.16%]) vs the control group (15 participants [0.07%]; P = .007). In multivariate analyses involving all 67 683 participants, the use of cimetropium bromide was more likely to detect gastric neoplasms compared with nonuse (odds ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.04-1.95; P = .03). In this study, the use of cimetropium bromide as premedication was significantly associated with increased gastric neoplasm detection rates during EGD screening, and lesions in the gastric body were detected more frequently among those who received cimetropium bromide compared with those who did not. These findings suggest that cimetropium bromide may be considered as premedication before EGD examination among individuals with no contraindications.

Atrophic gastritis in Helicobacter pylori-infected children.

Helicobacter pylori infection is the leading cause of peptic ulcer and chronic gastritis and may initiate gastric carcinogenesis following the Correa cascade. Another lineage of metaplasia, spasmolytic peptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) has recently been found to be an alternative precursor to gastric cancer. To date, few reports have investigated gastric precancerous lesions among children with H.pylori infection. This study aimed to evaluate the histopathological pattern of H.pylori atrophic gastritis in children and the extent of precancerous lesions. This study enrolled pediatric patients with H.pylori infection from 1998 to 2019. During esophagogastroduodenoscopy examinations, biopsy fragments were collected from the gastric antrum and corpus for rapid urease test, culture, and histology evaluation. The presence and degree of chronic inflammation, activity of gastritis, H.pylori density, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia (IM) were assessed according to the modified Updated Sydney System. Trefoil factor 2 (TFF2) immunohistochemistry was also performed to assess SPEM in the gastric tissues collected from each case using rabbit anti-human TFF2 antibodies. A total of 92 children with H.pylori infection and adequate gastric mucosa biopsies were enrolled. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed that 39 (42.4%) had duodenal ulcers, 11 (12.0%) had gastric ulcers, 41 (44.6%) had gastritis, and 1 (1.1%) had negative findings. Mild-to-moderate IM was identified in 4 patients (4.3%). SPEM was found in 8 patients (8.7%) with a significantly higher incidence among female patients (15.8% vs. 8.7%, p=.031). Gastric glandular atrophy presented in 28 patients (30.4%), and high-grade atrophy was more common in female patients (3.2% vs. 1.9%, p=.031). The prevalence rates of atrophic gastritis in the children with H.pylori infection were 30.4% for gastric glandular atrophy, 4.3% for IM and 8.7% for SPEM. SPEM and high-grade atrophy were more common in female patients.

Impact of Computer-Assisted System on the Learning Curve and Quality in Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background and Aims: To investigate the impact of the computer-assisted system on esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) training for novice trainees in a prospective randomized controlled trial.Methods: We have constructed a computer-aided system (CAD) using retrospective images based on deep learning which could automatically monitor the 26 anatomical landmarks of the upper digestive tract and document standard photos. Six novice trainees were allocated and grouped into the CAD group and control group. Each of them took the training course, pre and post-test, and EGD examination scored by two experts. The CAD group was trained with the assistance of the CAD system and the control group without.Results: Both groups achieved great improvements in EGD skills. The CAD group received a higher examination grading score in the EGD examination (72.83 ± 16.12 vs. 67.26 ± 15.64, p = 0.039), especially in the mucosa observation (26.40 ± 6.13 vs. 24.11 ± 6.21, p = 0.020) and quality of collected images (7.29 ± 1.09 vs. 6.70 ± 1.05). The CAD showed a lower blind spot rate (2.19 ± 2.28 vs. 3.92 ± 3.30, p = 0.008) compared with the control group.Conclusion: The artificial intelligence assistant system displayed assistant capacity on standard EGD training, and assisted trainees in achieving a learning curve with high operation quality, which has great potential for application.Clinical Trial Registration: This trial is registered at https:/clinicaltrials.gov/, number NCT04682821.

Characteristics of gastric precancerous conditions and Helicobacter pylori infection among dyspeptic patients in north-eastern Iran: is endoscopic biopsy and histopathological assessment necessary?

BackgroundEarly detection and appropriate treatment of precancerous, mucosal changes could significantly decrease the prevalence of life-threatening gastric cancer. Biopsy of the normal-appearing mucosa to detect Helicobacter pylori and these conditions is not routinely obtained. This study assesses the prevalence and characteristics of H. pylori infection and precancerous conditions in a group of patients suffering from chronic dyspepsia who were subjected to gastric endoscopy and biopsy mapping.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included dyspeptic patients, not previously treated for H. pylori, undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with their gastric endoscopic biopsies obtained for examination for evidence of H. pylori infection and precancerous conditions. Demographic and clinical data on the gender, smoking, opium addiction, alcohol consumption, medication with aspirin, corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and family history of cancer were collected by interviewing the patients and evaluating their health records. The cohort examined consisted of 585 patients with a mean (SD) age of 48.0 (14.46) years, 397 (67.9%) of whom were women.ResultsH. pylori infection was identified in 469 patients (80.2%) with the highest prevalence (84.2%) in those aged 40–60 years. Opium addiction correlated with a higher a H. pylori infection rate, while alcohol consumption was associated with a lower rate by Odds Ratio 1.98 (95% CI 1.11–3.52) and 0.49 (95% CI 0.26–0.92), respectively. The prevalence of intestinal metaplasia, gastric atrophy and gastric dysplasia was 15.2, 12.6 and 7.9%, respectively. Increased age, positive H. pylori infection, endoscopic abnormal findings and opium addiction showed a statistically significant association with all precancerous conditions, while NSAID consumption was negatively associated with precancerous conditions. For 121 patients (20.7% of all), the EGD examination revealed normal gastric mucosa, however, for more than half (68/121, 56.2%) of these patients, the histological evaluation showed H. pylori infection, and also signs of atrophic mucosa, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia in 1.7, 4.1 and 1.7%, respectively.ConclusionEGD with gastric biopsy mapping should be performed even in the presence of normal-appearing mucosa, especially in dyspeptic patients older than 40 years with opium addiction in north-eastern Iran. Owing to the high prevalence of precancerous conditions and H. pylori infection among patients with dyspepsia in parts of Iran, large-scale national screening in this country should be beneficial.

Impact of Subjective and Objective Sleep Quality on Peptic Ulcer Rebleeding in Older Adults.

This study aimed to examine the association of subjective and objective sleep quality with subsequent peptic ulcer rebleeding among older patients. Of 1196 older patients with peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) recruited from 12 grade A hospitals in the People's Republic of China, 1106 achieved full recovery from PUB, and they were followed up for up to 30 days. Using multiple measures at 1-week intervals, patients who presented PUB symptoms were invited to have an esophagogastroduodenoscopy examination. Subjective sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Objective sleep quality domains were measured using an accelerometer, including sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and the number of awakenings. This study documented a 30-day cumulative ulcer rebleeding rate of 15.3%. Multivariate analyses showed that longer sleep onset latency (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.136 [1.336-2.558]) and more nighttime awakenings (HR = 1.698 [1.169-2.666]) increased the risk of ulcer rebleeding. However, a longer total sleep time (HR = 0.768 [0.698-0.887]) and better sleep efficiency (HR = 0.795 [0.682-0.975]) protected against ulcer rebleeding. Older patients who perceived poorer sleep quality were also more likely to experience ulcer rebleeding (HR = 2.295 [1.352-3.925]). The present results highlight the importance of proper treatment and prevention of sleep problems in older adults after successful PUB treatment. Our results, if replicable in future studies with more rigorous design and representative samples, might shed light on the etiology of ulcer rebleeding and suggest new pathways for preventing this disease.

Epidemiology changes in peptic ulcer diseases 18 years apart explored from the genetic aspects of Helicobacter pylori

The prevalence of peptic ulcer diseases has decreased over the past decades. The contribution of Helicobacter pylori to these changes has not been clearly delineated. Two cohorts of patients receiving esophagogastroduodenoscopy examination together with urease test were enrolled, 1 from year 2001 (n = 1030), the other from year 2019 (n = 600). The prevalence changes of peptic ulcer diseases as well as the associated clinical factors were analyzed. An independent cohort of gastric biopsy samples (n = 151) positive for H. pylori were retrieved for ureC gene genotype analysis. Comparison between the patients recruited from 2001 and 2019 revealed significant decrease in H. pylori infection (P < 0.001), duodenal ulcer prevalence (P < 0.001) and gastric ulcer prevalence (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the decreases of these factors were independent (adjusted P < 0.001 for all). Intriguingly, in H. pylori positive patients, the prevalence of duodenal ulcer still decreased with year (P < 0.001), which was not found in gastric ulcer (P = 0.345). Genetic analysis of H. pylori urease gene showed that MboI-restriction fragment length polymorphism-defined genotype 3 UreC was significantly more prevalent in gastric ulcer patients than in others (P = 0.022). Independent decreases of H. pylori infection, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer over decades were found. In H. pylori positive patients, duodenal ulcer prevalence decreased overtime while gastric ulcer prevalence remained unchanged. Gastric ulcer/cancer had a higher prevalence of MboI-defined genotype 3 UreC gene.

Use of vonoprazan for management of systemic sclerosis-related gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) can significantly reduce a patient's quality of life. GERD in SSc is occasionally resistant to conventional anti-acid treatment. Vonoprazan is an H+/K+-ATPase blocker that is approved in Japan for treatment of GERD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of vonoprazan in SSc-related GERD. The frequency scale for symptoms of GERD (FSSG) scores were collected before and after vonoprazan treatment in 15 SSc patients with GERD. Additionally, endoscopic esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed in select patients. Conventional proton pump inhibitors or histamine-2 receptor antagonists had been previously administered in 93% (14/15) of the patients. Although the baseline esophagogastroduodenoscopy examination did not show severe erosion in the majority of patients, the mean total FSSG score before vonoprazan treatment was notably high (25.2±10.7) compared to a normal score of <8. After vonoprazan treatment, the FSSG score decreased to 9.6±7.0. The mean improvement rate of the total FSSG, acid reflux and dysmotility scores were 60.8±21.2% (P=0.0004), 67.3±24.8% (P<0.0001) and 55.4±26.0% (P=0.0022), respectively. These results suggest that vonoprazan may be a potentially effective treatment for GERD in patients with SSc.

Development and validation of a radiomics signature as a non-invasive complementary predictor of gastroesophageal varices and high-risk varices in compensated advanced chronic liver disease: A multicenter study.

Gastroesophageal varices (GEV) present in compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) and can develop into high-risk varices (HRV). The gold standard for diagnosing GEV is esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). However, EGD is invasive and less tolerant. This study aimed to develop and validate radiomics signatures based on noncontrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images for non-invasive diagnosis of GEV and HRV in patients with cACLD. The multicenter trial enrolled 161 patients with cACLD from six university hospitals in China between January 2015 and September 2019, who underwent both EGD and noncontrast-enhanced CT examination within 14days prior to the endoscopy. Two radiomics signatures, termed rGEV and rHRV, respectively, were built based on CT images in a training cohort of 129 patients and validated in a prospective validation cohort of 32 patients (ClinicalTrials. gov identifier: NCT03749954). In the training cohort, both rGEV and rHRV exhibited high discriminative abilities on determining the existence of GEV and HRV with the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.941 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.904-0.978) and 0.836 (95% CI 0.766-0.905), respectively. In validation cohort, rGEV and rHRV showed high discriminative abilities with AUCs of 0.871 (95% CI 0.739-1.000) and 0.831 (95% CI 0.685-0.978), respectively. This study demonstrated that rGEV and rHRV could serve as the satisfying auxiliary parameters for detection of GEV and HRV with good diagnostic performance.

Tapering body stiffness shortens upper gastrointestinal examination via transoral insertion with ultrathin endoscope.

Background and study aims Ultrathin endoscopes are commonly used for surveillance esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) to reduce discomfort associated with scope insertion. However, the flexibility of an ultrathin endoscope is a trade-off between reducing discomfort and lengthening examination time. Patients and methods The EG17-J10 (EG17) is a novel ultrathin endoscope characterized by its tapering body stiffness; however, the flexibility of its tip is comparable to that of the traditional ultrathin endoscope EG16-K10 (EG16). We compared EGD examination time between EG17 and EG16. A total of 319 examinees who underwent EGD from November 2019 to January 2020 at the Chiba-Nishi General Hospital were enrolled. Six examinees were excluded due to past history of surgical resection of the upper gastrointestinal tract or too much food residues; 313 examinees (EG17, 209; EG16,104) were retrospectively analyzed. The examination time was divided into three periods: esophageal insertion time (ET), gastroduodenal insertion time (GDT), and surveillance time of the stomach (ST). The total amount of ET, GDT, and ST was defined as total examination time (TT). Results TT of EGD using EG17 was significantly shorter compared to EGD using EG16 (222.7 ± 68.9 vs. 245.7 ± 78.5 seconds) ( P = 0.004). Among the three periods of examination time, ET (66.7 ± 24.1 vs. 76.0 ± 24.1 seconds) ( P = 0.001) and GDT (47.9 ± 17.4 vs. 55.2 ± 35.2 seconds) ( P = 0.007) of EGD using EG17 were significantly shorter compared to EGD using EG16, except for ST (108.1 ± 51.5.1 vs. 114.5 ± 50.1 seconds) ( P = 0.148). Conclusion An ultrathin endoscope with tapering body stiffness can shorten EGD examination time, mainly due to the shortening of insertion time.