[Pneumatic dilation in the treatment of achalasia].

Introduction: Pneumatic dilation and surgical myotomy are currently the procedures of choice to treat achalasia. The selection of one or other treatment depends on the experience of each center and patient preferences.

Background And Aims: To review the experience of pneumatic dilation in patients with achalasia in our center.

[Early evaluation of anaemia in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding: venous blood gas analysis compared to conventional laboratory].

Background And Objective: Evaluation of patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding (AGB) requires early clinical evaluation and analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate early concordance of hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HTC) levels determined by conventional venous blood gas analysis (VBG) and by conventional Laboratory in Emergencies (LAB).

Patients And Methods: Observational and prospective study of patients admitted in the Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage Unit with both high and low AGB.

Can systemic cytokines predict relapse of inflammatory bowel disease?

Background/aims: To determine the value of systemic cytokines as predictors of relapse in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methodology: A prospective study with 135 patients in clinical remission for at least 3 months. At enrollment, a venous blood was drawn in order to measure, by an ELISA test, the following cytokines: TNFalpha, TNFalpha-R1 and R2, IL-16, IL-1beta, IL 2, IL-R2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFNgamma.

[Usefulness of ultrathin transnasal endoscopy for the placement of nasoenteric feeding tubes].

Background: Placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes can require endoscopic support.

Aim: To analyze the usefulness of transnasal ultrathin endoscopy in the placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes.

Patients And Methods: We performed an ambispective study of all patients who underwent nasoenteral feeding (4.

Isolated oesophageal involvement of Crohn's disease.

A 31-year-old male was admitted with complaints of dysphagia and odynophagia. An upper gastrointestinal tract series revealed inflammatory changes in the mid and distal oesophagus with intramural extravasation of the barium. An upper endoscopy showed multiple ulcerations and inflammation.