Crohn's pericarditis identified with point-of-care ultrasonography: A case report.

We report the case of a 71-year-old male with Crohn's disease, shortness of breath, and chest pain that highlights cardiac involvement in inflammatory bowel disease and the role of point-of-care ultrasonography using an alternate cardiac ultrasound window in making the diagnosis of Crohn's pericarditis. The role of ultrasonography in diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease focuses primarily on intestinal pathology. Cardiac involvement is a rare but clinically impactful extraintestinal manifestation, the diagnosis of which benefits from ultrasonography if the clinician performing and interpreting the exam is aware of the possibility and understands the potential value of whole-body ultrasonography as part of a physical exam.

The digital rectal examination: a multicenter survey of physicians' and students' perceptions and practice patterns.

Objectives: The digital rectal examination (DRE) may be underutilized. We assessed the frequency of DREs among a variety of providers and explored factors affecting its performance and utilization.

Methods: A total of 652 faculty, fellows, medical residents, and final-year medical students completed a questionnaire about their use of DREs.

Efficacy and safety of EMR to completely remove Barrett's esophagus: experience in 41 patients.

Background: EMR is typically used to remove focal abnormalities of the esophageal mucosa. However, larger areas of Barrett's esophagus (BE) can be resected through side-by-side resections.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of EMR to completely remove BE.

Sleep deprivation is hyperalgesic in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background & Aims: Studies have demonstrated that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause sleep deprivation because of nighttime heartburn or short, amnestic arousals during sleep. Sleep deprivation has been associated with reports of increased GERD severity. Our aim was to determine whether sleep deprivation enhances perception of intraesophageal acid in patients with GERD vs healthy controls.

The pathophysiology of non-cardiac chest pain.

Various underlying mechanisms have been described in patients with non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP). By far, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common cause and thus requires initial attention when patients with NCCP are managed. Esophageal dysmotility can be demonstrated in 30% of the NCCP patients, but appears to play a very limited role in symptom generation.