The natural history of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide study by the Hellenic Society for the study of IBD.

Objectives: COVID-19 has evolved into a global health crisis, variably affecting the management of patients with chronic illnesses. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may represent a vulnerable population due to frequent administration of immune-modifying treatments. We aimed to depict the natural history of COVID-19 infection in Greek patients with IBD at a nationwide level via unbiased reporting of all cases that were registered during the sequential waves of the pandemic.

Endoscopic ultrasound staging and guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in patients with resectable pancreatic malignancies: a single-center prospective experience.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound staging and guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA) is a highly accurate diagnostic method, useful in characterizing pancreatic lesions, obtaining definitive tissue diagnosis in patients with suspected pancreatic lesions, and providing accurate locoregional staging that enhances diagnostic certainty and evaluation of appropriateness of surgical intervention. The aims of this study were to evaluate the preoperative contribution of EUS staging and EUS-FNA in patients with suspected resectable pancreatic malignancies.

Patients And Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a tertiary referral center.

Pegylated interferon alfa-2b pen device and ribavirin treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C: an evaluation of patient satisfaction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction of patients with chronic hepatitis C who used the pegylated interferon α-2b pen device.

Methods: Patients from multiple centers in Greece were recruited to participate in this noninterventional, observational study. Patients received pen device training for at least 6 weeks before treatment and used questionnaires to provide feedback (rating scale: 1-4, negative; 5-7, positive) on training, medication preparation and injection, and appreciation of the device.

Intestinal schistosomiasis caused by both Schistosoma intercalatum and Schistosoma mansoni.

A case is presented of intestinal schistosomiasis due to both Schistosoma intercalatum and Schistosoma mansoni in a 30-year-old man from Senegal with discussion of diagnostic approach, species identification and determination of the effect of treatment. The patient was admitted to hospital for investigation of renal failure, arterial hypertension and hypereosinophilia. Repeated stool examinations for ova and parasites were negative.

Coinfection of Schistosoma mansoni and Strongyloides stercoralis in a patient with variceal bleeding.

We report a case of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis with portal hypertension and variceal bleeding in an immigrant patient from Egypt, coinfected with Strongyloides stercoralis. The diagnosis was based on the following: (a) identification of Schistosoma mansoni ova in the stools and colonic biopsy specimens, (b) portal hypertension and esophageal varices with normal liver function and the absence of hepatic cirrhosis stigmata, (c) history of migration from an endemic area and (d) ultrasonographic findings of spleen and liver enlargement, fibrosed portal tracts, and normal lobular architecture of liver parenchyma. Hepatosplenic schistosomiasis should be suspected in any patient from an endemic area who has splenomegaly, portal hypertension, and esophageal varices bleeding in the absence of stigmata of liver cirrhosis and hepatic insufficiency.