Appropriateness of fecal immunochemical testing utilization for colorectal cancer screening at an academic center.

Fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) has become the most utilized test for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. This retrospective quality assurance report analyzed data for 411 patients from one academic center in Central New York who underwent FIT between September 2015 and September 2016. All 67 positive tests and 344 of 952 negative tests were analyzed.

Idiopathic Esophageal Lipomatosis: An Incidental Benign Discovery.

Gastrointestinal (GI) lipomatosis has been reported in the GI medicine literature, but esophageal lipomatosis has never been reported at all. We report the case of an 86-year-old man with multiple medical comorbidities who was admitted to our hospital for community-acquired pneumonia. Computed tomography angiography of his pulmonary arteries ruled out the possibility of pulmonary embolism but showed a 9-mm circumferential wall thickening in the proximal esophagus measuring -172 HU, which is similar in opacity to the adipose tissue.

Hunt for the Shunt: An Unusual Case of Late-onset Hydrothorax in a Patient on Peritoneal Dialysis.

Hydrothorax is a rare complication of peritoneal dialysis occurring in about 2% of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. These effusions occur soon after the onset of dialysis and are usually right-sided. We describe an unusual case of late-onset, left-sided, and recurrent effusions in the setting of CAPD.

Unexplained iron deficiency anemia: does have a role to play?

Background And Aim: Testing for (Hp) infection is recommended for work-up of unexplained iron deficiency anemia (IDA), although the evidence supporting this recommendation is scant. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Hp infection and unexplained iron deficiency (ID) or IDA in the older adult population without significant upper gastrointestinal source of blood loss.

Methods: Retrospective single-center cohort study; 523 out of 1253 consecutive patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with no significant upper and/or lower gastrointestinal source for blood loss or risk factors for IDA.

Once-daily mesalamine granules for maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis: pooled analysis of efficacy, safety, and prognostic factors.

Objectives: A capsule formulation of mesalamine granules (MG) was developed for once-daily dosing and better compliance. The study aim was to evaluate MG efficacy and tolerability in maintaining ulcerative colitis (UC) remission.

Methods: Pooled analysis of 2 identical phase 3, randomized, double-blind trials of once-daily MG 1.

Long-Term Benefit of Mesalamine Granules for Patients Who Achieved Corticosteroid-Induced Ulcerative Colitis Remission.

Background: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who achieve remission with corticosteroids often relapse after tapering or discontinuation; alternative treatments limiting steroid exposure and UC relapse would be beneficial. It remains uncertain whether patients with corticosteroid-induced remission experience benefit with mesalamine granules (MG), a locally acting aminosalicylate extended-release capsule formulation for maintenance of UC remission in adults.

Aims: Efficacy and safety of MG 1.

Once-daily Mesalamine Formulation for Maintenance of Remission in Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial.

Goals: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mesalamine granules 1.5 g once daily for maintenance of ulcerative colitis (UC) remission.

Background: Mesalamine is a first-line treatment for induction and maintenance of UC remission.

Administration of spores of nontoxigenic Clostridium difficile strain M3 for prevention of recurrent C. difficile infection: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance: Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of health care-associated infection in US hospitals. Recurrence occurs in 25% to 30% of patients.

Objective: To determine the safety, fecal colonization, recurrence rate, and optimal dosing schedule of nontoxigenic C.

Bleeding risk after invasive procedures in aspirin/NSAID users: polypectomy study in veterans.

Background: Aspirin, by virtue of inhibition of platelet hemostatic function, is withheld before many invasive procedures because of the bleeding risk. American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines acknowledge the paucity of "high quality data" to make recommendations regarding the use of aspirin (ASA) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before endoscopic procedures. Yet the majority of endoscopists hold ASA/NSAIDs before polypectomy.

Successful medical management of emphysematous gastritis with concomitant portal venous air: a case report.

Introduction: The causes of diffuse abdominal pain following pelvic surgery are numerous. We present a rare case of acute abdominal pain in a woman in the post-partum period.

Case Presentation: A 25-year-old Caucasian woman with neurofibromatosis type 1 presented to our hospital with diffuse abdominal pain immediately after a cesarean section.

Postpolypectomy bleeding in patients undergoing colonoscopy on uninterrupted clopidogrel therapy.

Background: The risk of postpolypectomy bleeding (PPB) in patients undergoing colonoscopy on uninterrupted clopidogrel therapy has not been established.

Objective: To assess the PPB rate and outcome and identify risk factors associated with PPB in patients taking clopidogrel.

Design: Single-center, retrospective study.

An unusual presentation of cirrhotic pleural effusion in a patient with no ascites: a case report.

Pleural effusion that develops in a patient with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, in the absence of cardiopulmonary disease, is termed hepatic hydrothorax. Hepatic hydrothorax very rarely presents in the absence of ascites. Although the exact mechanism is somewhat controversial, pleural effusion occurs when ascitic fluid moves through diaphragmatic defects which are opened up by increased intra-abdominal pressure.

Coffee grounds emesis: not just an upper GI bleed.

Background: Acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding manifests as hematemesis, melena, or hematochezia. Initial management is identical, irrespective of nasogastric (NG) aspirate results. Current practice includes early upper endoscopy.

Outcome of retinopathy in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon and ribavirin.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence and outcome of retinopathy in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon and ribavirin. A total of 74 hepatitis C patients with baseline eye exams and eye exams during therapy were included. Retinopathy was defined as development of cotton wool spots and/or intra-retinal hemorrhage.

Study on wound healing activity of Punica granatum peel.

The methanolic extract of dried pomegranate (Punica granatum) peels showed the presence of a high content of phenolic compounds (44.0%) along with other constituents. This extract was formulated as a 10% (wt/wt) water-soluble gel and was studied for its wound healing property against an excision wound on the skin of Wistar rats.