Endoscopic procedure as a diagnostic tool for intestinal parasitic pathological changes.

Parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) may cause severe morbidity and even death in untreated patients. In certain cases, endoscopy may be the only possible option for diagnosis and management of GIT parasitic diseases. This study aimed to elucidate the role of endoscopy in the identification of GIT pathological changes during parasitic infections.

Linaclotide for the treatment of refractory lower bowel manifestations of systemic sclerosis.

Background: Lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract involvement can affect up to 50% of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, and may result in malabsorption, pseudo-obstruction, hospitalization, and death. We report our experience with linaclotide, a selective agonist of guanylate cyclase C (GC-C), for SSc patients with refractory lower GI disease.

Methods: We performed an analysis of patients seen at the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center and identified patients prescribed linaclotide for refractory lower GI manifestations.

Sonographic Findings in Inflammatory Arthritis Secondary to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition: A Case Series.

Objective: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are transforming the field of oncology, leading to tumor regression in multiple advanced cancers. With this case series, we review the ultrasound imaging findings in a series of patients with ICI-induced inflammatory arthritis (IA), a novel rheumatic disease that is caused by cancer immunotherapy.

Methods: We identified patients with rheumatologist-diagnosed, ICI-induced IA who had musculoskeletal ultrasound performed for clinical care.