Effectiveness of very low-volume preparation for colonoscopy:A prospective, multicenter observational study

BACKGROUND The effectiveness of colonoscopy strictly depends on adequate bowel cleansing.Recently,a 1 L polyethylene glycol plus ascorbate(PEG-ASC)solution(Plenvu;Norgine,Harefield,United Kingdom)has been introduced on the evidence of three phase-3 randomized controlled trials,but it had never been tested in the real-life.AIM To assess the effectiveness and tolerability of the 1 L preparation compared to 4 L and 2 L-PEG solutions in a real-life setting.METHODS All patients undergoing a screening or diagnostic colonoscopy after a 4,2 or 1 L PEG preparation,were consecutively enrolled in 5 Italian centers from September 2018 to February 2019.The primary endpoints of the study were the assessment of bowel cleansing success and high-quality cleansing of the right colon.The secondary endpoints were the evaluation of tolerability,adherence and safety of the different bowel preparations.Bowel cleansing was assessed through the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale.Adherence was defined as consumption of at least 75%of each dose,while tolerability was evaluated through a semiquantitative scale.Safety was systematically monitored through adverse events reporting.RESULTS Overall,1289 met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study.Of these,490 patients performed a 4 L-PEG preparation(Selgesse^■),566 a 2 L-PEG cleansing(Moviprep^■or Clensia^■)and 233 a 1 L-PEG preparation(Plenvu^■).Bowel cleansing by Boston Bowel Preparation Scale was 6.5±1.5 overall and 6.3±1.5,6.2±1.5,7.3±1.5(P<0.001)in the subgroups of 4 L,2 L and 1 L-PEG preparation,respectively.Cleansing success was achieved in 72.4%,74.1%and 90.1%(P<0.001),while a high-quality cleansing of the right colon in 15.9%,12.0%and 41.4%(P<0.001)for 4 L,2 L and 1 L-PEG preparation groups,respectively.The 1 L preparation was the most tolerated compared to the 2 and 4 L-PEG solutions in the absence of serious adverse events within any of the three groups.Multiple regression models confirmed 1 L PEG-ASC preparation as an independent predictor of overall cleansing success,high-quality cleansing of the right colon and of tolerability.CONCLUSION This study supports the effectiveness and tolerability of 1 L PEG-ASC,also showing it is an independent predictor of overall cleansing success,high-quality cleansing of the right colon and of tolerability.

Gastrointestinal tract injuries after thermal ablative therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma:A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)and microwave ablation(MWA)represent the standard of care for patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)who are unfit for surgery.The incidence of reported adverse events is low,ranging from 2.4%to 13.1%for RFA and from 2.6%to 7.5%for MWA.Gastrointestinal tract(GIT)injury is even more infrequent(0.11%),but usually requires surgery with an unfavourable prognosis.Due to its low incidence and the retrospective nature of the studies,the literature reporting this feared complication is heterogeneous and in many cases lacks information on tumour characteristics,comorbidities and treatment approaches.CASE SUMMARY A 77-year-old man who had undergone extended right hepatectomy for HCC was diagnosed with early disease recurrence with a small nodule compatible with HCC in the Sg4b segment of the liver with a subcapsular location.He was treated with percutaneous RFA and a few week later he was urgently admitted to the Surgery ward for abdominal pain and fever.A subcutaneous abscess was diagnosed and treated by percutaneous drainage.A fistulous tract was then documented by the passage of contrast material from the gastric antrum to the abdominal wall.The oesophagogastroduodenoscopy confirmed a circular wall defect at the lesser curvature of gastric antrum, leading directly to the purulentabdominal collection. An over-the-scope clip (OTSC) was used to successfullyclose the defectCONCLUSIONThis is the first reported case of RFA-related GIT injury to have been successfullytreated with an OTSC, which highlights the role of this endoscopic treatment forthe management of this complication.

Therapeutic strategies for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: State-of-the-art and future perspectives

Although gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms(GEP-NENs)have always been considered rare tumors,their incidence has risen over the past few decades.They represent a highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms with several prognostic factors,including disease stage,proliferative index(Ki67),and tumor differentiation.Most of these neoplasms express somatostatin receptors on the cell surface,a feature that has important implications in terms of prognosis,diagnosis,and therapy.Although International Guidelines propose algorithms aimed at guiding therapeutic strategies,GEP-NEN patients are still very different from one another,and the need for personalized treatment continues to increase.Radical surgery is always the best option when feasible;however,up to 80%of cases are metastatic upon diagnosis.Regarding medical treatments,as GEP-NENs are characterized by relatively long overall survival,multiple therapy lines are adopted during the lifetime of these patients,but the optimum sequence to be followed has never been clearly defined.Furthermore,although new molecular markers aimed at predicting the response to therapy,as well as prognostic scores,are currently being studied,their application is still far from being part of daily clinical practice.As they represent a complex disease,with therapeutic protocols that are not completely standardized,GEP-NENs require a multidisciplinary approach.This review will provide an overview of the available therapeutic options for GEP-NENs and attempts to clarify the possible approaches for the management of these patients and to discuss future perspectives in this field.

Management of antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy in endoscopy: A review of literature

Endoscopic procedures hold a basal risk of bleeding that depends on the type of procedure and patients’comorbidities.Moreover,they are often performed in patients taking antiplatelet and anticoagulants agents,increasing the potential risk of intraprocedural and delayed bleeding.Even if the interruption of antithrombotic therapies is undoubtful effective in reducing the risk of bleeding,the thromboembolic risk that follows their suspension should not be underestimated.Therefore,it is fundamental for each endoscopist to be aware of the bleeding risk for every procedure,in order to measure the risk-benefit ratio for each patient.Moreover,knowledge of the proper management of antithrombotic agents before endoscopy,as well as the adequate timing for their resumption is essential.This review aims to analyze current evidence from literature assessing,for each procedure,the basal risk of bleeding and the risk of bleeding in patients taking antithrombotic therapy,as well as to review the recommendation of American society for gastrointestinal endoscopy,European society of gastrointestinal endoscopy,British society of gastroenterology,Asian pacific association of gastroenterology and Asian pacific society for digestive endoscopy guidelines for the management of antithrombotic agents in urgent and elective endoscopic procedures.

From advanced diagnosis to advanced resection in early neoplastic colorectal lesions:Never-ending and trending topics in the 2020s

Colonoscopy represents the most widespread and effective tool for the prevention and treatment of early stage preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions in the panorama of cancer screening.In the world there are different approaches to the topic of colorectal cancer prevention and screening:different starting ages(45-50 years);different initial screening tools such as fecal occult blood with immunohistochemical or immune-enzymatic tests;recto-sigmoidoscopy;and colonoscopy.The key aspects of this scenario are composed of a proper bowel preparation that ensures a valid diagnostic examination,experienced endoscopist in detection of preneoplastic and early neoplastic lesions and open-minded to upcoming artificial intelligence-aided examination,knowledge in the field of resection of these lesions(from cold-snaring,through endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection,up to advanced tools),and management of complications.