Predictive factors of clinical response to treatment with anti-TNF agents in ulcerative colitis: what have we learned from our patients?

Introduction: inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFs) are effective drugs for the treatment of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). However, many patients do not respond or lose therapeutic response during follow-up.

Objectives: to analyze the determining factors of clinical response to anti-TNFs in UC.

Long-standing indeterminate biliary stricture with iterative negative tissue sampling revealed as cholangiocarcinoma under SpyGlassTM cholangiocoscopy.

Bile duct brush cytology, intraductal biopsy and EUS-FNA are all used to characterize biliary strictures, with suboptimal sensitivity. Surgical resection without confirmed malignancy is undesirable. Cholangioscopy with targeted biopsies appears to increase the diagnostic yield in indeterminate biliary strictures, but it is still considered optional.