Dysmenorrhea in women with Crohn's disease: a case-control study.

Background: Dysmenorrhea and Crohn's disease (CD) have overlapping symptoms; however, their relationship is poorly understood. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the impact of dysmenorrhea on pain severity and pain medication use in CD and (2) the relationships between dysmenorrhea, CD activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods: This was a case-control study of menstruating women with and without CD.

Evaluation of possible inflammatory bowel disease: a survey of Rhode Island physicians.

Background: Patients with undiagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are often evaluated initially by primary care physicians (PCPs). Despite the frequency with which PCPs evaluate chronic abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea, little is known about how they approach these symptoms.

Objectives: To determine the diagnostic practices and referral patterns of PCPs when confronting a patient with potential IBD.

Women's health training in gastroenterology fellowship: a national survey of fellows and program directors.

Background And Aims: The Gastroenterology Core Curriculum requires training in women's digestive disorders; however, requirements do not necessarily produce knowledge and competence. Our study goals were: (1) to compare perceptions of education, fellow-reported levels of competence, and attitudes towards training in women's gastrointestinal (GI) health issues during fellowship between gastroenterology fellows and program directors, and (2) to determine the barriers for meeting training requirements.

Methods: A national survey assessing four domains of training was conducted.

Urinary and fecal incontinence after bariatric surgery.

Background: Morbidly obese women have markedly high rates of urinary and fecal incontinence. Weight loss reduces prevalence and severity of urinary incontinence; however, the effect of weight loss on fecal incontinence is unknown.

Aims: The aim of this study was to document the prevalence of urinary and fecal incontinence in subjects who underwent bariatric surgery and associated weight loss.

Pilot study using PET/CT as a novel, noninvasive assessment of disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: A pilot study was performed investigating the possibility that positron emission tomography (PET) activity using 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) with nearly simultaneous computerized tomography (CT) for anatomic accuracy would identify regions of active inflammation in both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: Prospective clinical data was collected in 12 patients experiencing an exacerbation of their inflammatory bowel disease; 7 with CD and 5 with UC. A PET/CT scan (GE Discovery LS PET/CT scanner) was performed in all patients.

Rat sodium iodide symporter for radioiodide therapy of cancer.

Design and development of new approaches for targeted radiotherapy of cancer and improvement of therapeutic index by more local radiation therapy are very important issues. Adenovirus-mediated delivery of the sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene to cancer cells is a powerful technique to concentrate lethal radiation in tumor cells and eradicate tumors with increased therapeutic index. A replication-defective adenoviral vector expressing the rat NIS gene (Ad-rNIS) was used for in vitro gene delivery and into human prostate cancer xenografts to study antitumor effect.