Pancreatic cancer--EUS and early diagnosis.

Background: Over the last decades, the incidence of pancreatic cancer has increased. Prognosis remains poor despite rapid improvements in imaging technologies and therapeutic modalities. Curative treatment is dependant on early diagnosis.

Endoscopic laser lithotripsy for complicated bile duct stones: is cholangioscopic guidance necessary?

Background: Endoscopic papillotomy is successful in more than 95% of the cases of choledocholithiasis. For patients with difficult bile duct stones not responding to mechanical lithotripsy, different methods for stone fragmentation have been developed.

Aim: To compare the results of laser lithotripsy with a stone-tissue recognizing system, when guided by fluoroscopy only or by cholangioscopy.

Follow-up of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding after capsule endoscopy and intraoperative enteroscopy.

Background/aims: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is highly sensitive to detect the bleeding source in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding compared with intraoperative enteroscopy (IOE). Long-term follow-up information of patients undergoing CE and IOE for investigation and treatment of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding is lacking.

Methodology: 50 patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding underwent CE and IOE.

Effect of intravenous application of esomeprazole 40 mg versus pantoprazole 40 mg on 24-hour intragastric pH in healthy adults.

Background: It has been demonstrated that therapy with proton pump inhibitors reduces recurrence of bleeding following initial endoscopic treatment of bleeding peptic ulcers.

Aim: This study compared the effects of esomeprazole 40 mg and pantoprazole 40 mg on intragastric acid control. Both substances were administered intravenously as 15-min infusion and as bolus injection.

Risk factors for symptomatic stone recurrence after transpapillary laser lithotripsy for difficult bile duct stones using a laser with a stone recognition system.

Background: Laser-induced shock-wave lithotripsy (LISL) is successfully used for the treatment of difficult bile duct stones. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term risk for a symptomatic bile duct stone recurrence after LISL and to detect risk factors predicting recurrence.

Methods: Between 1993 and 2001, 80 patients with difficult bile duct stones were successfully treated by intracorporeal LISL through the papilla of Vater.

Diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding by intra-operative enteroscopy in 81 consecutive patients.

Aim: To analyze the results and complications of intra-operative enteroscopy (IOE) by investigating a series of selected patients with bleeding suspected to originate from the small intestine.

Methods: Eighty-one patients (mean age: 65 years) including 40 males (49.4%) and 41 females (50.

Improved preoperative tumor staging by 5-aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence laparoscopy.

Background: We report our data in 35 patients who underwent preoperative conventional and fluorescence-based staging laparoscopy. We use the data to address the questions of whether fluorescence examination increases the yield of metastatic lesions and alters treatment intervention.

Methods: Fluorescence laparoscopy was successfully performed in 30 patients with GI malignancies.

A prospective two-center study comparing wireless capsule endoscopy with intraoperative enteroscopy in patients with obscure GI bleeding.

Background: Capsule endoscopy enables noninvasive diagnostic examination of the entire small intestine. However, sensitivity and specificity of capsule endoscopy have not been adequately defined. We, therefore, compared capsule endoscopy by using intraoperative enteroscopy as a criterion standard in patients with obscure GI bleeding.

Endoscopic Doppler ultrasound after injection therapy for peptic ulcer hemorrhage.

Background/aims: A positive Doppler signal in endoscopic Doppler ultrasound at index endoscopy predicts a high risk for rebleeding from peptic ulcer. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a negative Doppler status immediately after injection therapy may exclude a rebleeding from peptic ulcer in a high-risk cohort.

Methodology: Twenty consecutive patients (pts) (age: 68 (33-91) yrs; 11 female) with peptic ulcer bleeding were enrolled.

Ceftriaxone is twice as cost-effective as standard therapy in biliary tract infection.

Background/aims: Various antibiotics, mainly cephalosporins and broad-spectrum penicillins, are indicated in biliary tract infection. The primary endpoint was to compare the cost-effectiveness of ceftriaxone (Rocephin) 1 g once daily vs. standard therapy two or three times daily.