Evolution of COVID-19 Pulmonary Fibrosis-Like Residual Changes Over Time - Longitudinal Chest CT up to 9 Months After Disease Onset: a Single-Center Case Series.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the temporal evolution of fibrotic-like pulmonary interstitial abnormalities secondary to Sars-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) pneumonia detected on chest-CTs of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection. We retrospectively reviewed chest-CTs obtained up to 9 months after disease onset in a group of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and CT features suggestive of lung fibrosis at the first follow-up after hospital discharge. We observed a complete and unexpected resolution of all interstitial abnormalities, including reticulations and bronchial dilatation, in a period of about 6-9 months after discharge.

Lung Ultrasound in Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia in the Sub-Intensive Care Unit: Beyond the Diagnostic Purpose.

Lung Ultra-Sound (LUS) can be very helpful at the diagnostic stage of COVID-19 pneumonia. We describe four clinical cases that summarize other helpful employment of LUS during the management of severe COVID-19 pneumonia with lung failure. LUS, together with clinical signs and arterial blood gases values, assists in guiding prompt clinical management of potential worsening of conditions.

Real-time elastography for the detection of fibrotic and inflammatory tissue in patients with stricturing Crohn's disease.

Purpose: The distinction between active inflammation and fibrosis of the bowel wall is essential for therapeutic decisions in stricturing Crohn's disease. We aimed to assess whether real-time elastography (RTE) with strain ratio measurement could be useful in differentiating fibrotic from inflamed bowel strictures and to evaluate the possible relationship between US techniques and the histology of the stenotic bowel wall.

Materials And Methods: Bowel ultrasonography (including RTE, color-Doppler and CEUS examination) was prospectively evaluated in 26 patients with symptomatic stricturing Crohn's disease, before surgery.

Longitudinal analysis of inflammation and microbiota dynamics in a model of mild chronic dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Aim: To characterize longitudinally the inflammation and the gut microbiota dynamics in a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis.

Methods: In animal models, the most common method used to trigger colitis is based on the oral administration of the sulfated polysaccharides DSS. The murine DSS colitis model has been widely adopted to induce severe acute, chronic or semi-chronic colitis, and has been validated as an important model for the translation of mice data to human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The role of Budesonide-MMX in active ulcerative colitis.

Traditional corticosteroids represent a well-established and effective treatment for active ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the severity of their systemic side effects, led in recent years to look for new steroid molecules that could reduce them, maximizing the anti-inflammatory activity. Budesonide has been one of the most studied steroid compounds and it has been approved for the treatment of mild to moderate active Crohn's disease (CD).

Oral beclomethasone dipropionate in chronic refractory pouchitis.

Background: Pouchitis is the major long-term complication after ileal-pouch anal-anastomosis for ulcerative colitis. Ten to 15% of patients develop chronic pouchitis, either treatment responsive or treatment refractory.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of oral beclomethasone dipropionate in inducing remission and improving quality of life in patients with chronic refractory pouchitis.

Eviendep® reduces number and size of duodenal polyps in familial adenomatous polyposis patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

Aim: To evaluate if 3 mo oral supplementation with Eviendep® was able to reduce the number of duodenal polyps in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA).

Methods: Eleven FAP patients with IPAA and duodenal polyps were enrolled. They underwent upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy at the baseline and after 3 mo of treatment.

Rescue therapy: ciclosporin or infliximab?

Severe active refractory ulcerative colitis is a potentially life-threatening disease. The introduction of intensive steroid treatment and early surgery has reduced mortality in recent years. Ciclosporin and infliximab are effective rescue therapies in steroid refractory colitis.