Therapeutic impact of colon capsule endoscopy with PillCam™ COLON 2 after incomplete standard colonoscopy: a Spanish multicenter study.

Introduction: Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) is an alternative approach for the examination of the colon in patients who refuse colonoscopy or after incomplete colonoscopy (IC). We conducted a study to determine the frequency of complete colonoscopy after IC, the diagnostic yield of CCE, the therapeutic impact of lesions found in CCE, the level of colon cleanliness and the safety of the procedure.

Methods: We performed a prospective, multicenter study involving ten Spanish hospitals.

Experimental study of hybrid-knife endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) versus standard ESD in a Western country.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an effective but time-consuming treatment for early neoplasia that requires a high level of expertise.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and learning curve of gastric ESD with a hybrid knife with high pressure water jet and to compare with standard ESD.

Material And Methods: We performed a prospective non survival animal study comparing hybrid-knife and standard gastric ESD.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection in Spain: outcomes and development possibilities.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) allows endoscopic, curative, en-bloc resection of superficial malignant or premalignant lesions. This procedure was conceived over 10 years ago in Japan, but has not experienced great expansion in Western countries for different reasons. This article reviews ESD indications and outcomes, and reflects on the reasons that prevent ESD from becoming common clinical practice in Western hospitals.

Partially covered self-expanding metal stent for unresectable malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction: results of a large prospective series.

Background: Endoscopic biliary stenting is a well-established palliative treatment in patients with unresectable malignant biliary strictures. Obstruction of uncovered self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) due to tumor ingrowth is the most frequent complication. Partially covered SEMS might increase stent patency but could favor complications related to stent covering, such as pancreatitis, cholecystitis, and migration.

Chronic hepatitis C and autoimmune cholangitis: a case study and literature review.

We present a case of a chronic hepatitis C with damage of bile ducts resembling primary biliary cirrhosis. The immunological profile (negative antimitochondrial antibodies and positive anti-nuclear antibody) was characteristic of the autoimmune cholangitis. One year of treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid returned the liver tests to the normal range but the liver lesions remained unchanged.