Impact of improved upper endoscopy quality on detection of gastric precancerous lesions.

Objective: Intestinal metaplasia (IM) is the point of no return in gastric carcinogenesis, and patients with extensive (antrum plus corpus) IM are at high risk of developing gastric cancer. We evaluated the impact of improved gastroscopy quality on the detection of gastric IM in an Italian area at high risk for gastric cancer.

Methods: Data of consecutive patients with gastric biopsies according to the updated Sydney System observed in 2013, 2016 and 2019 resulting in IM diagnosis were retrieved.

Premedication with simethicone and N-acetylcysteine for improving mucosal visibility during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a Western population.

 Pre-endoscopic use of a preparation with tensioactive and mucolytic agents improved gastric mucosa visualization in Eastern studies. Data on Western population are scanty.  This prospective, endoscopist-blinded, randomized study enrolled patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy in a single center.

Endoscopic Findings in Patients Infected With 2019 Novel Coronavirus in Lombardy, Italy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major worldwide threat caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), rapidly spreading to a global pandemic. As of May 11, 2020, 4,176,346 cases have been reported worldwide, 219,814 in Italy, and of them, 81,871 occurred in the Lombardy region. Although the respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 have been widely described, the impact on the gastrointestinal (GI) system remains less clear.

Prospective evaluation of ERCP performance in an Italian regional database study.

Background: Prospective studies about endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) in a community setting are rare.

Aim: To assess success and complication rates of routinely-performed ERCP in a regional setting, and the priority quality indicators for ERCP practice.

Methods: Prospective region wide observational study on consecutive patients undergoing ERCP during a 6-month period.

Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Rescue treatment with a modified cyanoacrylate.

Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a modified cyanoacrylate [N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate associated with methacryloxysulfolane (NBCA + MS)] to treat non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NV-UGIB).

Methods: In our retrospective study we took into account 579 out of 1177 patients receiving endoscopic treatment for NV-UGIB admitted to our institution from 2008 to 2015; the remaining 598 patients were treated with other treatments. Initial hemostasis was not achieved in 45 of 579 patients; early rebleeding occurred in 12 of 579 patients.

Early precut sphincterotomy for difficult biliary access to reduce post-ERCP pancreatitis: a randomized trial.

Background And Study Aim: Precut sphincterotomy is a technique usually employed for difficult biliary cannulation during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for the treatment of bile duct disease. It is a validated risk factor for post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), but it is not clear whether the risk is related to the technique itself or to the repeated biliary cannulation attempts preceding it. The primary aim of the study was to assess the incidence of PEP in early precut compared with the standard technique in patients with difficult biliary cannulation.

Neuroendocrine carcinomas arising in ulcerative colitis: coincidences or possible correlations?

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of colorectal malignancies. Adenocarcinoma is the commonest type of colorectal neoplasm associated with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease, but other types of epithelial and non-epithelial tumors have also been described in inflamed bowel. With regards to non-epithelial malignancies, lymphomas and sarcomas represent the largest group of tumors reported in association with IBD, especially in immunosuppressed patients.

A comparison between sodium alginate and magaldrate anhydrous in the treatment of patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms.

The aims of the present study were to compare effects of sodium alginate and the antacid magaldrate anhydrous in adults with gastroesophageal reflux (GOR) symptoms. Patients with heartburn and/or acid regurgitation for at least 3 days in the week before the study started (n=203) were randomized to receive a single dose of sodium alginate or magaldrate anhydrous at the onset of symptoms during a 3-day run-in period. Patients with symptoms during the run-in (n=191) were rerandomized to receive a 14-day treatment with either drug given as four daily doses.

A 10-day levofloxacin-based therapy in patients with resistant Helicobacter pylori infection: a controlled trial.

Background & Aims: Antibiotic resistance is a major issue in anti- Helicobacter pylori treatment. This study was aimed at assessing the efficacy of 2 therapies in patients with resistant H pylori infection.

Methods: Patients who had failed 1 or more eradication regimens underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and 2 antral and 2 corpus biopsy specimens were taken for histology and culture.

Impact of long-term ranitidine and pantoprazole on accuracy of [13C]urea breath test.

No previous study has analyzed the impact of long-term antisecretory drugs on the precision of [13C]urea breath test (UBT). We assessed the rate of UBT conversion from positive to negative results during 60-day therapy with standard doses of ranitidine and pantoprazole. For this purpose, we recruited 60 dyspeptic patients with H.