Malignant gastric outlet obstruction:Which is the best therapeutic option?

Malignant gastric outlet obstruction(MGOO)is a clinical condition characterized by the mechanical obstruction of the pylorus or the duodenum due to tumor compression/infiltration,with consequent reduction or impossibility of an adequate oral intake.MGOO is mainly secondary to advanced pancreatic or gastric cancers,and significantly impacts on patients’survival and quality of life.Patients suffering from this condition often present with intractable vomiting and severe malnutrition,which further compromise therapeutic chances.Currently,palliative strategies are based primarily on surgical gastrojejunostomy and endoscopic enteral stenting with self-expanding metal stents.Several studies have shown that surgical approach has the advantage of a more durable relief of symptoms and the need of fewer re-interventions,at the cost of higher procedure-related risks and longer hospital stay.On the other hand,enteral stenting provides rapid clinical improvement,but have the limit of higher stent dysfunction rate due to tumor ingrowth and a subsequent need of frequent reinterventions.Recently,a third way has come from interventional endoscopic ultrasound,through the development of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy technique with lumen-apposing metal stent.This new technique may ideally encompass the minimal invasiveness of an endoscopic procedure and the long-lasting effect of the surgical gastrojejunostomy,and brought encouraging results so far,even if prospective comparative trial are still lacking.In this Review,we described technical aspects and clinical outcomes of the above-cited therapeutic approaches,and discussed the open questions about the current management of MGOO.

Lumen-apposing metal stents for malignant biliary obstruction: Is this the ultimate horizon of our experience?

In the last years, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has evolved from a purely diagnostic technique to a more and more complex interventional procedure, with the possibility to perform several type of therapeutic interventions. Among these, EUS-guided biliary drainage (BD) is gaining popularity as a therapeutic approach after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in distal malignant biliary obstruction (MBO), due to the avoidance of external drainage, a lower rate of adverse events and re-interventions, and lower costs compared to percutaneous trans-hepatic BD. Initially, devices created for luminal procedures (e.g., luminal biliary stents) have been adapted to the new trans-luminal EUSguided interventions, with predictable shortcomings in technical success, outcome and adverse events. More recently, new metal stents specifically designed for transluminal drainage, namely lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), have been made available for EUS-guided procedures. An electrocautery enhanced delivery system (EC-LAMS), which allows direct access of the delivery system to the target lumen, has subsequently simplified the classic multi-step procedure of EUS-guided drainages. EUS-BD using LAMS and ECLAMS has been demonstrated effective and safe, and currently seems one of the most performing techniques for EUS-BD. In this Review, we summarize the evolution of the EUS-BD in distal MBO, focusing on the novelty of LAMS and analyzing the unresolved questions about the possible role of EUS as the first therapeutic option to achieve BD in this setting of patients.

Human leukocyte antigen DQ2/8 prevalence in non-celiac patients with gastrointestinal diseases

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/8 alleles in Southern Italians with liver and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases outside of celiac disease. METHODS: HLA DQ2/8 status was assessed in 443 patients from three ambulatory gastroenterology clinics in Southern Italy (University of Federico Ⅱ, Naples, Loreto Crispi Hospital, Ruggi D'Aragona Hospital, Salerno). Patients were grouped based on disease status [pre-post transplant liver disease, esophageal/gastric organic and functional diseases, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)] and DQ2/8 alleles, which correspond to a celiac disease genetic risk gradient. Subject allele frequencies were compared to healthy Italian controls. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-six out of four hundred and forty-three (44.2%) subjects, median age 56 years and 42.6% female, were DQ2/8 positive. When stratifying by disease we found that 86/188 (45.7%) patients with liver disease were HLA DQ2/8 positive, 39/73 (53.4%) with functional upper GI diseases and 19/41 (46.3%) with organic upper GI diseases were positive. Furthermore, 38/105 (36.2%) patients with IBS and 14/36 (38.9%) with IBD were HLA DQ2/8 positive (P = 0.21). Compared to healthy controls those with functional upper GI diseases disorders had a 1.8 times higher odds of DQ2/8 positivity. Those with liver disease had 1.3 times the odds, albeit not statistically significant, ofDQ2/8 positivity. Both those with IBS and IBD had a lower odds of DQ2/8 positivity compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The proportion of individuals HLA DQ2/8 positive is higher in those with liver/upper functional GI disease and lower in IBS/IBD as compared to general population estimates.

Tips and tricks for the diagnosis and management of biliary stenosis-state of the art review

Biliary stenosis may represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge resulting in a delay in diagnosis and initiation of therapy due to the frequent difficulty in distinguishing a benign from a malignant stricture.In such cases,the diagnostic flowchart includes the sequential execution of imaging techniques,such as magnetic resonance,magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography,and endoscopic ultrasound,while endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is performed to collect tissue for histopathological/cytological diagnosis or to treat the stenosis by insertion of stent.The execution of percutaneous transhepatic drainage with subsequent biopsy has been shown to increase the possibility of tissue diagnosis after failure of the above techniques.Although the diagnostic yield of histopathology and imaging has increased with improvements in endoscopic ultrasound and peroral cholangioscopy,differential diagnosis between malignant and benign stenosis may not be easy in some patients,and strictures are classified as indeterminate.In these cases,a multidisciplinary workup including biochemical marker assays and advanced technologies available may speed up a diagnosis of malignancy or avoid unnecessary surgery in the event of a benign stricture.Here,we review recent advancements in the diagnosis and management of biliary strictures and describe tips and tricks to increase diagnostic yields in clinical routine.

Role of endoscopic ultrasound in vascular interventions:Where are we now?

From a mere diagnostic tool to an imperative treatment modality,endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)has evolved and revolutionized safer efficient options for vascular interventions.Currently it is an alternative treatment option in the management of gastrointestinal bleeding,primarily variceal type bleeding.Conventional treatment option prior to EUS incorporation had limited efficiency and high adverse events.The characterization and detail provided by EUS gives a cutting edge towards a holistically successful management choice.Data indicates that EUS-guided combination therapy of coil embolization and glue injection has the higher efficacy for the treatment of varices.Conversely,similar treatment options that exist for esophageal and other ectopic variceal bleeding was also outlined.In conclusion,many studies refer that a combination therapy of coil and glue injection under EUS guidance provides higher technical success with fewer recurrence and adverse events,making its adaptation in the guideline extremely favorable.Endo-hepatology is a novel disciple with a promising future outlook,we reviewed topics regarding portal vein access,pressure gradient measurement,and thrombus biopsy that are crucial interventions as alternative of radiological procedures.The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the latest available evidence in the literature regarding the role of EUS in vascular interventions.We reviewed the role of EUS in variceal bleeding in recent studies,especially gastric varices and novel approaches aimed at the portal vein.