: Emerging evidence is placing the Mediterranean diet (MD) in the spotlight as a potential dietary model that could benefit inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in terms of prevention and progress of the disease. The main aim of the present study is to shed some light on the relationship between the adherence to the MD and the degree of disease activity, as well as the quality of life in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). : An administered questionnaire was used to assess and record a number of parameters, including recent medical and weight history, anthropometric characteristics, disease activity (in remission or active disease), and quality of life of both male and female CD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndoscopic resection (ER) of colorectal polyps has become a daily practice in most endoscopic units providing a colorectal cancer screening program and requires the availability of local experts and high-end endoscopic devices. ER procedures have evolved over the past few years from endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) to more advanced techniques, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection and endo-scopic full-thickness resection. Complete resection and disease eradication are the ultimate goals of ER-based techniques, and novel devices have been developed to achieve these goals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The surgeon performing a distal gastrectomy, has an arsenal of reconstruction techniques at his disposal, Billroth II among them. Braun anastomosis performed during a Billroth II procedure has shown evidence of superiority over typical Billroth II, in terms of survival, with no impact on postoperative morbidity and mortality.
Aim: To compare Billroth II Billroth II and Braun following distal gastrectomy, regarding their postoperative course.
Background: The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) is a self-administered questionnaire that categorizes patients according to symptom severity. We aimed to translate and adapt the English IBS-SSS, validate the Greek version, and detect factors predictive of IBS severity.
Methods: The original English version was obtained from the Rome Foundation, and the final Greek version arose through a process of translation, comprehensibility evaluation and back-translation.
Introduction: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving immunosuppressive drugs are at substantial risk of colectomy. We aimed to assess the risk of postoperative complications of tofacitinib exposure before colectomy in comparison with biologics.
Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted in patients with UC who underwent total colectomy for medically refractory disease, exposed to tofacitinib or a biologic before surgery.
World J Gastrointest Endosc
April 2023
Endoscopic luminal stenting (ELS) represents a minimally invasive option for the management of malignant obstruction along the gastrointestinal tract. Previous studies have shown that ELS can provide rapid relief of symptoms related to esophageal, gastric, small intestinal, colorectal, biliary, and pancreatic neoplastic strictures without compromising cancer patients' overall safety. As a result, in both palliative and neoadjuvant settings, ELS has largely surpassed radiotherapy and surgery as a first-line treatment modality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe recently read with interest the original research article entitled "Disease exacerbation is common in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for malignancy". The abovementioned article is an observational retrospective cohort study, which could be of particular value for clinicians to understand how immunotherapy affects pre-existing enteral disease in inflammatory bowel disease patients. Although we appreciate the endeavor of Samuel Rubin , based on our in-depth analysis, we detected a potential shortcoming in this article; thus, we present our comments in this letter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Gastroenterol
August 2022
We recently read with interest the article, "Novel frontiers of agents for bowel cleansing for colonoscopy". This is a practical narrative review, which could be of particular importance to clinicians in order to improve their current practice. Although we appreciate the venture of our colleagues, based on our in-depth analysis, we came across several minor issues in the article; hence, we present our comments in this letter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe have recently read with interest the mini-review article "Therapeutic endoscopy for the treatment of post-bariatric surgery complications". The abovementioned article is a brief overview of the different endoscopic modalities employed in the management of bariatric surgery complications and represents an important decision support tool for clinicians to improve their current practice. Although we appreciate the endeavor of Larsen and Kozarek, based on our in-depth analysis, we came across several minor issues in this article; thus, we present our comments in this letter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To establish whether the addition of probiotics to a globally accepted Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-eradication scheme may reduce the rates of side effects and increase the eradication rates. Methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging sequences have been investigated as objective imaging biomarkers of fibrosis and inflammation in Crohn's disease.
Aim: To determine the repeatability and inter- and intra-observer agreement of these measures in the prepared small bowel wall.
Methods: Ten healthy participants were scanned at 3 T on 2 separate occasions using T1 and T2 relaxometry, IVIM-DWI and MT sequences.
Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) have led to the expansion of our therapeutic arsenal. Conventional treatment options, including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, thiopurines, and calcineurin inhibitors, fail to control the disease in a significant proportion of patients. Approximately 25-50% of the patients treated with tumor necrosis factor antibodies (anti-TNFα) are primary and secondary non-responders to therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Accelerated induction regimens of infliximab have been proposed to improve response rates in patients with steroid-refractory acute severe colitis.
Aim: To determine the differences in outcome for acute severe ulcerative colitis between accelerated and standard-dose infliximab METHODS: We collected data on hospitalised patients receiving differing regimens of rescue therapy for steroid-refractory acute severe ulcerative colitis. Our primary outcome was 30-day colectomy rate.
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol
February 2019
Background: Mesalazine-refractory ulcerative proctitis is common, with a significant proportion of the patients requiring escalation to immunomodulators or biological therapy. Three small preliminary cohort studies suggested good clinical efficacy for the organic arsenic derivative acetarsol in the management of proctitis. Our aim was to describe our experience on the use of acetarsol in proctitis and to review all existing evidence on its safety and efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Respir J
October 2018
Introduction: Critically ill intubated patients are at risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, intubation may not occur in intensive care unit (ICU) and subsequent ICU admission may be delayed.
Objectives: To evaluate whether intubation >24 h prior ICU admission and delay in ICU admission is associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in non-trauma critically ill patients.
Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases may cause significant disability. However, little is known regarding the life domains where patients encounter most limitations.
Objectives: To assess patients' overall disability and determine the life domains where most restrictions were applied.
. The rating form of IBD patients' concerns (RFIPC) provides a unique assessment of the worries and concerns of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Our aims were primarily to validate the Greek version of RFIPC and secondarily to describe the pattern of Greek patients'concerns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Compliance rates for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening are much lower than those desired. Appropriate information on CRC risks and screening methods is supposed to stimulate motivation for screening. We aimed to identify parameters associated with the decision for CRC screening and colonoscopy in a population expected to have high awareness of disease prevention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParaneoplastic syndromes are rare initial manifestations of a neoplastic disorder that may precede the actual detection of an overt cancer. These syndromes can generally involve any organic system of the human body with gastroparesis being the commonest manifestation of the paraneoplastic involvement of the neuronal bodies of the gastrointestinal tract in cancer patients. Gastroparesis is the result of an autoimmune destruction of the nerve plexus of the stomach that causes nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms such as intractable vomiting and abdominal discomfort that interfere with patients' quality of life and are often ascribed to psychological factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To record the impact of epilepsy on the psychological health and HRQOL of patients suffering from mild epilepsy in a rural area of southeastern Greece.
Patients And Methods: We studied fifty outpatients suffering from well-controlled uncomplicated epilepsy who experienced from none up to four seizures per year and had the ability to sustain a regular job. We tried to record the psychosocial effects resulting from epilepsy and to evaluate their HRQOL, comparing them to 50 healthy controls with similar demographic characteristics.