Changing epidemiology of esophageal stent placement for dysphagia: a decade of trends and the impact of benign indications.

Background And Aims: In addition to managing malignant obstruction, esophageal stents (ESs) have evolved to address various benign etiologies of dysphagia. We sought to evaluate national trends and changes in practice of ES placement for both benign and malignant etiologies in hospitalized patients with dysphagia.

Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (2003-2013) was used to include all adult inpatients (≥18 years of age) with endoscopy-guided ES placement for a symptom of dysphagia.

EUS-guided confocal laser endomicroscopy: prediction of dysplasia in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (with video).

Background And Aims: Previous studies have validated EUS-guided needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) diagnosis of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). We sought to derive EUS-guided nCLE criteria for differentiating IPMNs with high-grade dysplasia/adenocarcinoma (HGD-Ca) from those with low/intermediate-grade dysplasia (LGD).

Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of consecutive IPMNs with a definitive diagnosis from a prospective study evaluating EUS-guided nCLE in the diagnosis of pancreatic cysts.

Predictors of aggressive inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease comprises a group of conditions characterized by idiopathic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The natural course of disease can range from an indolent course with prolonged periods of remission to aggressive, incapacitating disease. Predicting which patients are more susceptible to developing severe disease is important, especially when choosing therapeutic agents and treatment strategies.