Short chain fatty acid rectal irrigation for left-sided ulcerative colitis: a randomised, placebo controlled trial.

Background: Short chain fatty acid (SCFA) deficiency is associated with colitis in animals and humans, and the mucosal metabolism of these compounds is decreased in ulcerative colitis.

Aims: To assess the efficacy of topical SCFA treatment in ulcerative colitis.

Patients And Methods: 103 patients with distal ulcerative colitis were entered into a six week, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of rectal SCFA twice daily; patients who were unchanged on placebo were offered SCFA in an open-label extension trial.

Ileal duplication cyst causing massive bleeding in a child.

Intestinal duplication is a rare congenital anomaly; nonetheless, it comprises more than half of all alimentary duplication disorders. Our case report describes the hemorrhagic sequelae of this entity with surgical and pathologic findings. A review of anatomical classification, embryology, and natural history of duplication cyst follows; differentiating characteristics of duplication cyst versus Meckel's diverticulum are outlined.

A supervised training program in flexible sigmoidoscopy: evaluating skills from residency training to clinical practice.

To assess the effectiveness of a training program in flexible sigmoidoscopy for family practice residents, we prospectively studied the performance of four residents during their training and after graduation. One hundred and four training exams performed with the assistance of an experienced gastroenterologist were compared with 118 unassisted post-training, post-residency exams. The mean depth of insertion for the post-training period was 51.