Safety and efficacy of lumen-apposing metal stents for endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) has variable outcomes according to the type of lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) used. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data.

Methods: Online databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, and SCOPUS, were searched from inception to 30 January 2024.

Indirect comparison of various lumen-apposing metal stents for EUS-guided biliary and gallbladder drainage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Studies assessing EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) or gallbladder drainage (EUS-GB) using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMSs) have shown variable results based on the type of LAMS. We performed a meta-analysis of the available data.

Methods: Multiple online databases were searched for studies using LAMSs (Axios [Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Mass, USA] or Spaxus [Taewoong Medical Co, Gimpo, Korea]) for EUS-BD and EUS-GB.

Sex differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes associated with alcoholic hepatitis.

Background: Alcohol-associated liver disease is increasing among females with an earlier onset and more severe disease at lower levels of exposure. However, there is paucity of literature regarding sex differences related to alcoholic hepatitis.

Methods: Hospitalized patients with alcoholic hepatitis were selected from the US Nationwide readmissions database 2019.

A Review of Hepatorenal Syndrome.

The development of acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most frequent complications in patients with cirrhosis. AKI due to volume depletion is the most common etiology and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is the second most common cause of AKI in these patients. HRS is the extreme form of kidney injury in patients with cirrhosis, which is caused due to a reduction in renal blood flow unresponsive to volume expansion.

Impact of early cholecystectomy on the readmission rate in patients with acute gallstone cholangitis: a retrospective single-centre study.

Background And Aims: The pathogenesis of acute cholangitis (AC) occurs with biliary obstruction followed by bacterial growth in the bile duct. The leading cause of AC is obstructing gallstones. There have been conflicting theories about the optimal timing for cholecystectomy following AC.

Retrospective analysis of complications related to endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography in patients with cirrhosis patients without cirrhosis.

Background: There is minimal objective data regarding adverse events related to endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) in patients with cirrhosis compared to those without cirrhosis and even fewer data comparing complications among cirrhosis patients based on severity of cirrhosis.

Aim: To determine if patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk of adverse events related to ERCP: mainly pancreatitis, bleeding, perforation, cholangitis, and mortality; And to see if higher Child-Pugh (CP) score and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score are associated with higher post-ERCP complications.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 692 patients who underwent ERCP and analyzed the impact of cirrhosis etiology, gender, type of sedation used during procedure, interventions performed, and co-morbidities on the rate of complications in cirrhosis patients as compared to non-cirrhosis patients.

Double pylorus in cirrhosis.

Double pylorus is an uncommon clinical condition that can be acquired or congenital. Most acquired cases arise as a complication of peptic ulcer disease and less commonly from other conditions such as gastric malignancy. We present a case of double pylorus in a cirrhotic patient diagnosed during surveillance endoscopy for esophageal varices.

Transaminitis is an indicator of mortality in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Since its discovery in Wuhan, China in December of 2019, the novel coronavirus has progressed to become one of the worst pandemics seen in the last 100 years. Recently, there has been an increased interest in the hepatic manifestations of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19).

Aim: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 positive patients and study the association between transaminitis and all-cause mortality.

Rare Case of Leukemoid Reaction in a Patient With Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Alcoholic hepatitis results from excessive alcohol consumption in patients with or without underlying chronic liver disease. Leukemoid reactions have been associated with poor outcomes in severe alcoholic hepatitis. There are only a handful of reported cases describing this relationship, and the striking similarity in these cases was a high short-term mortality rate.

Wide-area transepithelial sampling in adjunct to forceps biopsy increases the absolute detection rates of Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal dysplasia: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background: Wide-area transepithelial sampling (WATS) is a new technique that uses an abrasive brush to obtain samples from a larger surface area of the oesophagus. Studies have shown promising results that WATS in adjunct to forceps biopsy (FB) increases the detection rate of Barrett's oesophagus (BE) as well as oesophageal dysplasia (ED). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the detection rates of BE and ED between FB and WATS in adjunct to FB.

Novelty in the gut: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19.

Background: The COVID-19 epidemic has affected over 2.6 million people across 210 countries. Recent studies have shown that patients with COVID-19 experience relevant gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

Emphysematous Gastritis: A Real Indication for Emergent Surgical Intervention?

Emphysematous gastritis is a rare disease with gastric inflammation and intramural gas formation due to gas-forming microorganisms. It is diagnosed based on clinical presentation and imaging findings of gas in the gastric wall. Computed tomography is the preferred imaging modality.

Multiple myeloma presenting as plasmacytoma causing obstructive jaundice.

Jaundice, weight loss, and anorexia are common symptoms that raise concern for pancreatic malignancy. Although the most common form of pancreatic malignancy is pancreatic adenocarcinoma, not all pancreatic malignancies are exocrine in origin. Pancreatic plasmacytomas are plasma cell tumors that can lead to similar presentations.

Smaller and deeper lesions increase the number of acquired scan series in computed tomography-guided lung biopsy.

Purpose: To determine factors influencing the number of acquired scan series and subsequently the radiation dose and time during computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsies.

Materials And Methods: This Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant, institutional review board-approved, retrospective study reviewed 50 consecutive procedures. Each procedure was separated into the following steps: trajectory planning, needle placement, needle insertion (extrapulmonary and intrapulmonary), and sampling and follow-up.

Treatment of metastatic carcinoma to the hip with CT-guided percutaneous acetabuloplasty: report of four cases.

Percutaneous acetabuloplasty (PA) is a promising treatment for painful metastatic lesions of the acetabulum. Four patients were treated with injection of the bone cement polymethylmethacrylate directly into the lesion. After the procedure, all four patients had improvement or relief of their pain and were able to resume weight-bearing activities.