Navigating reflux disease after achalasia treatments:Balancing risks and benefits

The peroral endoscopic myotomy(POEM)procedure has revolutionized the management of achalasia in many centres around the world as it offers patients a minimally invasive endoscopic solution to their dysphagia caused by achalasia.Alongside its success in alleviating dysphagia,concerns regarding postoperative gastroesophageal reflux disease have emerged as a pertinent issue which are not fully resolved.In this study,Nabi et al have comprehensively reviewed the topic of the prediction,prevention and management of gastroesophageal reflux after POEM.POEM is a purely endoscopic procedure which is usually performed without any anti-reflux procedure.Certain patients may be better served by a laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy and fundoplication and it is important that gastroenterologists and surgeons provide comprehensive risks and benefits of each achalasia treatment option so that patients can decide what treatment is best for them.This article by Nabi et al provides a comprehensive review of the current status of this issue to allow these discussions to occur.

Gastroesophageal reflux following per-oral endoscopic myotomy:Can we improve outcomes?

This editorial is an analysis the review article by Nabi et al recently published in this journal.Achalasia Cardia is a disease whose pathophysiology is still unclear.It is known that there is inflammation of unknown aetiology leading to loss of ganglion cells in the muscularis propria.The end result is lower oesophageal sphincter spasm,loss of receptive relaxation,decreased oesophageal peristalsis,all leading on to varying degrees of dysphagia.The treatment of this condition is palliative in nature,performed by myotomy of the lower oesophagus either surgically or endoscopically.Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)has been associated with the myotomy performed,particularly with the Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy(POEM)procedure.Nabi et al have provided an excellent overview of the latest developments in predicting,preventing,evaluating,and managing GERD subsequent to POEM.Based on this theme,this review article explores the concept of using histology of the oesophageal muscle layer,to grade the disease and thereby help tailoring the length/type of myotomy performed during the POEM procedure.In the future,will a histology based algorithm available preoperatively,help modify the POEM procedure,thereby decreasing the incidence of GERD associated with POEM?

Management of early oesophageal cancer:An overview

The incidence of esophageal cancer,namely the adenocarcinoma subtype,continues to increase exponentially on an annual basis.The indolent nature of the disease renders a significant proportion inoperable at first presentation,however,with the increased utilisation of endoscopy,many early lesions are now being identified which are suitable for endotherapeutic approaches.This article details the options available for dealing with early esophageal cancer by endoscopic mean obviating the need for surgery thereby avoiding the potential morbidity and mortality of such intervention.

Surgical management of high-grade pancreatic injuries: Insights from a high-volume pancreaticobiliary specialty unit

BACKGROUND The management of high-grade pancreatic trauma is controversial.AIM To review our single-institution experience on the surgical management of blunt and penetrating pancreatic injuries.METHODS A retrospective review of records was performed on all patients undergoing surgical intervention for high-grade pancreatic injuries [American Association for the Surgery of Trauma(AAST) Grade Ⅲor greater] at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney between January 2001 and December 2022. Morbidity and mortality outcomes were reviewed, and major diagnostic and operative challenges were identified.RESULTS Over a twenty-year period, 14 patients underwent pancreatic resection for highgrade injuries. Seven patients sustained AAST Grade Ⅲinjuries and 7 were classified as Grades Ⅳ or Ⅴ. Nine underwent distal pancreatectomy and 5 underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD). Overall, there was a predominance of blunt aetiologies(11/14). Concomitant intra-abdominal injuries were observed in 11 patients and traumatic haemorrhage in 6 patients. Three patients developed clinically relevant pancreatic fistulas and there was one in-hospital mortality secondary to multi-organ failure. Among stable presentations, pancreatic ductal injuries were missed in two-thirds of cases(7/12) on initial computed tomography imaging and subsequently diagnosed on repeat imaging or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. All patients who sustained complex pancreaticoduodenal trauma underwent PD without mortality. The management of pancreatic trauma is evolving. Our experience provides valuable and locally relevant insights into future management strategies.CONCLUSION We advocate that high-grade pancreatic trauma should be managed in high-volume hepatopancreato-biliary specialty surgical units. Pancreatic resections including PD may be indicated and safely performed with appropriate specialist surgical, gastroenterology, and interventional radiology support in tertiary centres.

Incidental non-benign gallbladder histopathology after cholecystectomy in an United Kingdom population: Need for routine histological analysis?

AIM To analyse the range of histopathology detected in the largest published United Kingdom series of cholecystectomy specimens and to evaluate the rational for selective histopathological analysis.METHODS Incidental gallbladder malignancy is rare in the United Kingdom with recent literature supporting selective histological assessment of gallbladders after routine cholecystectomy.All cholecystectomy gallbladder specimens examined by the histopathology department at our hospital during a five year period between March 2008 and March 2013 were retrospectively analysed.Further data was collected on all specimens demonstrating carcinoma,dysplasia and polypoid growths.RESULTS The study included 4027 patients.The majority(97%) of specimens exhibited gallstone or cholecystitis related disease.Polyps were demonstrated in 44(1.09%),the majority of which were cholesterol based(41/44).Dysplasia,ranging from low to multifocal high-grade was demonstrated in 55(1.37%).Incidental primary gallbladder adenocarcinoma was detected in 6 specimens(0.15%,5 female and 1 male),and a single gallbladder revealed carcinoma in situ(0.02%).This large single centre study demonstrated a full range of gallbladder disease from cholecystectomy specimens,including more than 1% neoplastic histology and two cases of macroscopically occult gallbladder malignancies.CONCLUSION Routine histological evaluation of all elective and emergency cholecystectomies is justified in a United Kingdom population as selective analysis has potential to miss potentially curable life threatening pathology.

Multimodality treatment of potentially curative gastric cancer: Geographical variations and future prospects

After much controversy, multimodality therapy is now accepted worldwide as the gold standard for treatment of resectable bulky localized gastric cancer. There is significant regional variation in the style of multimodality treatment with adjuvant chemoradiation the North American standard, neoadjuvant chemotherapy preferred in Europe and Australasia, whilst adjuvant chemotherapy is preferred in Asia. With further standardization of surgery and D1+/D2 resections increasingly accepted world wide, and in particular in the West, as the surgical standard of care for potentially curable disease, it is timely to reassess the multimodality regimes being used. The challenge in the use of multimodality therapy is how current outcomes can be standardized and improved further. Recent studies indicate that mere intensification of the regime in time, dosage or addition of further agents does not improve localized gastric cancer outcomes. More novel strategies including early commencement of adjuvant therapies, intra-peritoneal chemotherapy or assessing neoadjuvant response with positron emission tomography scanning may give improvements in outcomes. The introduction of targeted therapies means that the adjuvant use of biological agents needs to be explored. By proper assessment of the patient's co-morbidities, full tumour staging, and a better understanding of the tumour's molecular pathology, multimodality therapy for gastric adenocarcinoma may be individualized to optimize the likelihood of cure.

Gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection as a treatment for early neoplasia and for accurate staging of early cancers in a United Kingdom Caucasian population

AIM To investigate the efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD) at diagnosing and treating superficial neoplastic lesions of the stomach in a United Kingdom Caucasian population.METHODS Data of patients treated with or considered for ESD at a tertiary referral center in the United Kingdom were retrieved for a period of 2 years(May 2015 to June 2017) from the electronic patient records of the hospital. Only Caucasian patients were included. Primary outcomes were curative resection(CR) and were defined as ESD resections with clear horizontal and vertical margin and an absence of lympho-vascular invasion, poor differentiation and submucosal involvement on histological evaluation of the resected specimen. Secondary end-points were reversal of dysplasia at 12 mo endoscopic follow-up and/or at the latest follow up. Change in histological diagnosis pre and post ESD was also analysed.RESULTS Twenty-four patients were initially identified with intention to treat. 19 patients were eligible after mapping gastroscopy and ESD was attempted on a total of 25 ESD lesions, 4 of which failed and had to be aborted mid-procedure. Out of 21 ESD performed, en-bloc resection was achieved in 71.4% of cases. Resection was considered complete on endoscopy in 90.5% of cases compared to only 38.1% on histology. A total of 6 resections were considered curative(28%), 5 noncurative(24%) and 10 indefinite for CR or non-CR(24%). ESD changed the histological diagnosis in 66.6% of cases post ESD. Endoscopic follow-up in the "indefinite" group and CR group showed that 50% and 80% of patients were clear of dysplasia at the latest follow-up respectively; 2 cases of recurrence were observed in the "indefinite"group. Survival rate for the entire cohort was 91.7%.CONCLUSION This study provides early evidence for the efficacy of ESD as a therapeutic and diagnostic intervention in Caucasian populations and supports its application in the United Kingdom.

Effects of terlipressin versus splenectomy on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats: What we know so far?

To the editor:We read with great interest the article entitled "Comparative study of the effects of terlipressin versus splenectomy on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats" by Ulmer et al.[1].The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of terlipressin ver-

Conduit necrosis following esophagectomy: An up-to-date literature review

Esophageal conduit ischaemia and necrosis is an uncommon but devastating complication of esophagectomy and remains one of the most challenging issues in surgical practice. The incidence, time interval to develop symptoms, and clinical presentation are highly variable with no predictable pattern. Evidence comes from case reports and case series rather than randomized controlled trials.We describe the issues surrounding conduit necrosis affecting the stomach,jejunum and colon as an esophageal replacement and the advantages,disadvantages and challenges of each type of reconstruction. Diagnosis is challenging for the most experienced surgeon. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and computed tomography thorax with both oral and intravenous contrast is the gold standard. Management, either conservative or interventional is also a difficult decision. Management options include conservative treatment and more aggressive treatments such as stent insertion, surgical debridement and repair of the esophagus using jejunum, colon or a musculocutaneous flap. In spite of recent advances in surgical techniques, there is no reliable strategy to manage esophageal conduit necrosis. Our review covers the pathophysiology and clinical significance of esophageal necrosis while highlighting current techniques of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening condition.

Low grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus:Should we worry?

The optimal management for low-grade dysplasia(LGD)in Barrett’s esophagus is unclear.In this article the importance of LGD is discussed,including the significant risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma.Endoscopic surveillance is a management option but is plagued by sampling error and issues of suboptimal endoscopy.Furthermore endoscopic surveillance has not been demonstrated to be cost-effective or to reduce cancer mortality.The emergence of endoluminal therapy over the past decade has resulted in a paradigm shift in the management of LGD.Ablative therapy,including radiofrequency ablation,has demonstrated promising results in the management of LGD with regards to safety,cost-effectiveness,durability and reduction in cancer risk.It is,however,vital that a shareddecision making process occurs between the physician and the patient as to the preferred management of LGD.As such the management of LGD should be"individualised."

Vascular calcification does not predict anastomotic leak or conduit necrosis following oesophagectomy

BACKGROUND Anastomotic leaks(AL)and gastric conduit necrosis(CN)are serious complications following oesophagectomy.Some studies have suggested that vascular calcification may be associated with an increased AL rate,but this has not been validated in a United Kingdom population.AIM To investigate whether vascular calcification identified on the pre-operative computed tomography(CT)scan is predictive of AL or CN.METHODS Routine pre-operative CT scans of 414 patients who underwent oesophagectomy for malignancy with oesophagogastric anastomosis at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham between 2006 and 2018 were retrospectively analysed.Calcification of the proximal aorta,distal aorta,coeliac trunk and branches of the coeliac trunk was scored by two reviewers.The relationship between these calcification scores and occurrence of AL and CN was then analysed.The Esophagectomy Complications Consensus Group definition of AL and CN was used.RESULTS Complication data were available in n=411 patients,of whom 16.7%developed either AL(15.8%)or CN(3.4%).Rates of AL were significantly higher in female patients,at 23.0%,compared to 13.9%in males(P=0.047).CN was significantly more common in females,(8.0%vs 2.2%,P=0.014),patients with diabetes(10.6%vs 2.5%,P=0.014),a history of smoking(10.3%vs 2.3%,P=0.008),and a higher American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade(P=0.024).Out of the 14 conduit necroses,only 4 occurred without a concomitant AL.No statistically significant association was found between calcification of any of the vessels studied and either of these outcomes.Multivariable analyses were then performed to identify whether a combination of the calcification scores could be identified that would be significantly predictive of any of the outcomes.However,the stepwise approach did not select any factors for inclusion in the final models.The analysis was repeated for composite outcomes of those patients with either AL or CN(n=69,16.7%)and for those with both AL and CN(n=10,2.4%)and again,no significant associations were detected.In the subset of patients that developed these outcomes,no significant associations were detected between calcification and the severity of the complication.CONCLUSION Calcification scoring was not significantly associated with Anastomotic Leak or CN in our study,therefore should not be used to identify patients who are high risk for these complications.

Operative Benefits of Artificial Pneumothorax in Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy in the Left Lateral Decubitus Position for Esophageal Cancer

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate operative benefits of artificial pnuemothorax in thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed short-term surgical outcomes including learning curve of 60 consecutive patients who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy with artificial pnuemothorax in the left lateral decubitus position between April 2010 and November 2012 in our department. Results: The median operation time and intraoperative blood loss were 443 min and 220 ml, respectively, and these values were 174 min and 95 ml, respectively, in the thoracic phase of surgery. The median number of harvested lymph node was 37. Only 1 patient required conversion to open esophagectomy. The postoperative 30-day mortality rate was 1.7%. The thoracic operation time significantly decreased after an experience of 10 cases and intraoperative blood loss during thoracic phasesignificantly decreased after an experience of 20 cases (p < 0.05), and operation time remained constant for the following cases. The number of harvested lymph nodes did not exhibit significant changes with an increase in the number of case experienced. Conclusions: Artificial pneumothorax provided the shorting of learning curve at the thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position.

Comparison of effects of six main gastrectomy procedures on patients’ quality of life assessed by Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale-45

BACKGROUND The effects of various gastrectomy procedures on the patient’s quality of life(QOL)are not well understood.Thus,this nationwide multi-institutional crosssectional study using the Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale-45(PGSAS-45),a well-established questionnaire designed to clarify the severity and characteristics of the postgastrectomy syndrome,was conducted.AIM To compare the effects of six main gastrectomy procedures on the postoperative QOL.METHODS Eligible questionnaires retrieved from 2368 patients who underwent either of six gastrectomy procedures[total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction(TGRY;n=393),proximal gastrectomy(PG;n=193),distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction(DGRY;n=475),distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction(DGBI;n=909),pylorus-preserving gastrectomy(PPG;n=313),and local resection of the stomach(LR;n=85)]were analyzed.Among the 19 main outcome measures of PGSAS-45,the severity and characteristics of postgastrectomy syndrome were compared for the aforementioned six gastrectomy procedures using analysis of means.RESULTS TGRY and PG significantly impaired the QOL of postoperative patients.Postoperative QOL was excellent in LR(cardia and pylorus were preserved with minimal resection).In procedures removing the distal stomach,diarrhea subscale(SS)and dumping SS were less frequent in PPG than in DGBI and DGRY.However,there was no difference in the postoperative QOL between DGBI and DGRY.The most noticeable adverse effects caused by gastrectomy were mealrelated distress SS,dissatisfaction at the meal,and weight loss,with significant differences among the surgical procedures.CONCLUSION Postoperative QOL greatly differed among six gastrectomy procedures.The severity and characteristics of postgastrectomy syndrome should be considered to select gastrectomy procedures,overcome surgical shortcomings,and enhance postoperative care.

Impact of regular enteral feeding via jejunostomy during neo-adjuvant chemotherapy on body composition in patients with oesophageal cancer

BACKGROUND Malnourishment and sarcopenia are well documented phenomena in oesophageal cancer.Patients undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy prior to oesophagectomy have complex nutritional needs.AIM To examine the effect of regular nutritional support via feeding jejunostomy on overall body composition in patients undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy prior to oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer.METHODS Retrospective data were collected for 15 patients before and after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.All patients had feeding jejunostomies inserted at staging laparoscopy prior to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and underwent regular jejunostomy feeding.Changes in body composition were determined by analysis of computed tomography imaging.RESULTS Patient age was 61.3±12.8 years,and 73%of patients were male.The time between start of chemotherapy and surgery was 107±21.6 d.There was no change in weight(74.5±14.1 kg to 74.8±13.1 kg)and body mass index(26.0±3.8 kg/m^2 to 26.1±3.4 kg/m^2).Body composition analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease in lumbar skeletal muscle index despite regular feeding(45.8±8.0 cm^2/m^2 to 43.5±7.3 cm^2/m^2;P=0.045).The proportion of sarcopenic patients increased(33.3% to 60%).Six patients(40%)experienced dose-limiting toxicity during chemotherapy.CONCLUSION Regular jejunostomy feeding during neo-adjuvant chemotherapy can maintain weight and adipose tissue.Feeding alone is not sufficient to maintain muscle mass.Further insight into the underlying processes causing reduced muscle mass in cancer patients may help to provide targeted interventions.

Real-time outcome monitoring following oesophagectomy using cumulative sum techniques

AIM:To examine the feasibility of prospective,realtime outcome monitoring in a United Kingdom oesophago-gastric cancer surgery unit.METHODS:The first 100 hybrid(laparoscopic abdominal phase,open thoracic phase) Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomies performed by a United Kingdom oesophagogastric cancer surgery unit were assessed retrospectively using cumulative sum(CUSUM) techniques.The monitored outcome was 30-d post-operative mortality,with the accepted mortality risk defined as 5%.A variable life adjusted display(VLAD) was constructed by plotting a graph of cumulative mortality minus cumulative mortality risk on the y axis vs sequential case number on the x axis.This was modified to a zeroed VLAD by preventing the plot from crossing the y = 0 axis essentially creating two plots,one examining trends where cumulative mortality was higher than mortality risk(i.e.,worse than expected outcomes) where y > 0,and vice versa.Alert lines were set at y = ± 2.At any point where a plot breaches an alert line,it is felt that the 30-d post-operative mortality rate has deviated significantly from that expected and an internal review should be performed.RESULTS:One hundred cases were assessed,with a mean age of 66.4 years,mean T stage of 2.1,and mean N stage of 0.48.Three cases were commenced using a laparoscopic technique and converted to open surgery due to technical factors.Median length of inpatient stay was 15 d.The crude 30 d mortality was 5% and the incidence of clinically significant anastomotic leak was 6%.The VLAD demonstrated a plot of cumulative mortality minus cumulative mortality risk(i.e.,5% per case) which remained in the range-1.4 to +0.5 excess mortalities.With the alert set at two greater or fewer than predicted mortalities,this method does not approach the point of triggering internal review.It is however arguable that a run of performance that is better than expected,causing the plot to be well below y = 0,would mask a subsequent run of poor performance by requiring a rise of greater than two excess mortalities to trigger the alert line.The zeroed VLAD removes this problem by preventing the plot that is examining above expected mortality from passing below y = 0,and vice versa.In this study period,no audit triggers were reached.It is therefore possible to independently assess runs of good,or poor performance and so target internal audit to the appropriate series of cases.It is important to note this technique allows targeted internal review,in response to both above and below average outcomes.This study has demonstrated the feasibility of prospective outcome monitoring using the above techniques,actual real-time implementation has the potential to pick up and reinforce good practices when performance is better than predicted,and provide an early warning system for when performance falls below that predicted.Further development is possible,including more patient specific risk adjustment using the oesophago-gastric surgery physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity score.CONCLUSION:CUSUM techniques provide a potential method of prospective,real-time outcome monitoring in oesophageal cancer surgery.

Incidence of anastomotic stricture after Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy using a circular stapling device

BACKGROUND Benign oesophageal strictures carry a significant level of morbidity,causing burdensome symptoms impacting on quality of life.Post-oesophagectomy anastomotic stricture rates as high as 41%have been reported in the literature.These can require endoscopic dilatation,often multiple times to relieve dysphagia.The aim of the present study was to determine a single surgeons stricture rate in a series of 2-stage Ivor-Lewis procedures,and to identify any independent risk factors in their development.AIM To determine a single surgeons stricture rate in a series of 2-stage Ivor-Lewis procedures,and to identify any independent risk factors in their development.METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy performed from 2004-2018 to determine the stricture rate.The database comprised a single-surgeon series of open,two-stage oesophagectomies with a circular stapled intra-thoracic anastomosis.Tumour location,histology,neoadjuvant chemotherapy,stapler size,T-stage and R-status were analysed to see if they could predict stricture formation.Stricture was defined as dysphagia requiring endoscopic dilatation.Patients with anastomotic leaks were excluded on the basis they would develop an anastomotic stricture.RESULTS One hundred and seventy patients were collected in the database.Nineteen were excluded on the basis of anastomotic leak,perioperative death and early recurrence.One hundred and fifty-four patients(119 males,35 females)with a mean age of 64±10 years were eligible for analysis.A total of 15 patients developed strictures a median of 99 d(interquartile range:84-133)after surgery,giving a Kaplan-Meier estimated stricture rate of 10%at one year.None of the factors considered were found to be significantly associated with strictures.CONCLUSION In this study the stricture rate was 10%,with the majority occurring in the first 100 d after surgery.No significant independent factors were found in the development of strictures.

Risk factors of admission for acute colonic diverticulitis in a population-based cohort study: The North Trondelag Health Study, Norway

AIM To assess risk factors of hospital admission for acute colonic diverticulitis.METHODS The study was conducted as part of the second wave of the population-based North Trondelag Health Study(HUNT2), performed in North Trondelag County, Norway, 1995 to 1997. The study consisted of 42570 participants(65.1% from HUNT2) who were followed up from 1998 to 2012. Of these, 22436(52.7%) were females. The cases were defined as those 358 participants admitted with acute colonic diverticulitis during follow-up. The remaining participants were used as controls. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses was used for each sex separately after multiple imputation to calculate HR.RESULTS Multivariable Cox regression analyses showed that increasing age increased the risk of admission for acute colonic diverticulitis: Comparing with ages < 50 years, females with age 50-70 years had HR = 3.42, P < 0.001 and age > 70 years, HR = 6.19, P < 0.001. In males the corresponding values were HR = 1.85, P = 0.004 and 2.56, P < 0.001. In patients with obesity(body mass index ≥ 30) the HR = 2.06, P < 0.001 in females and HR = 2.58, P < 0.001 in males. In females, present(HR = 2.11, P < 0.001) or previous(HR = 1.65, P = 0.007) cigarette smoking increased the risk of admission. In males, breathlessness(HR = 2.57, P < 0.001) and living in rural areas(HR = 1.74, P = 0.007) increased the risk. Level of education, physical activity, constipation and type of bread eaten showed no association with admission for acute colonic diverticulitis.CONCLUSION The risk of hospital admission for acute colonic diverticulitis increased with increasing age, in obese individuals, in ever cigarette smoking females and in males living in rural areas.

Jejunostomy Feeding Tube Placement in Gastrectomy Procedures: A Systematic Review

Many nutritional interventions have been developed to improve nutritional outcomes following upper gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether or not the routine use of intraoperative jejunostomy feeding tubes in partial and total gastrectomy procedures is warranted when assessing complications and nutritional benefits such as improved chemotherapy tolerance. An electronic search of MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase and CINAHL databases was performed to identify studies which reported complications and/or post-operative outcomes of patients who received an intraoperative jejunostomy feeding tube in gastrectomy procedures. Five articles met the inclusion criteria (n = 636) with four retrospective cohort studies and one RCT. Studies varied in regards to the complications and nutritional outcomes reported. Jejunostomy feeding tube insertion may carry a risk of increased infectious complications but appears to reduce patient post-operative weight-loss and may improve chemotherapy tolerance. Due to the lack of high-quality studies, it is unclear if the routine use of an intraoperative jejunostomy feeding tube is indicated for all patients undergoing gastrectomy procedures or only those at a high-risk of post-operative malnutrition. More comprehensive research is recommended, particularly on the usefulness of home enteral nutrition post-gastrectomy.

香港地区结直肠癌发病率不同趋势:一项年龄-时期-队列分析

背景与目的自2012年以来,结直肠癌已成为香港地区男性和女性第二大常见癌症,但发病率增加的原因仍不清楚。我们分析了香港地区居民结直肠癌的发病趋势,以探讨其发病原因。方法根据香港地区癌症登记处的数据,按照性别、年龄和解剖部位对1983年至2012年期间结直肠癌发病率的时间趋势进行了连接点回归分析。使用年龄–时期–队列分析来评估年龄、时期和出生队列对观察到的时间趋势的影响。结果从1983年到20世纪90年代中期,50岁及50岁以上两性结肠癌发病率稳步上升,此后略有下降,而20–49岁的发病率在1983年到2012年间稳步下降。相反,在此期间,男性的直肠癌发病率稳步上升,而女性的发病率则保持稳定。结肠癌有明显的时期效应和出生队列效应,而时期效应对时间趋势的影响仅在男性直肠癌中能观察到。结论在1983年至2012年间香港地区结肠癌和直肠癌的发病率呈现出不同的模式,表明这两种癌症的病因不同。相关部门应对香港地区居民结肠癌和直肠癌相关的危险因素进行监测,尤其男性直肠癌的发病率上升值得特别关注。

Neuropathic arthropathy of the shoulder: Two cases of syringomyelia with cocaine use

Neuropathic arthropathy (NA) is a progressive, degenerative disorder associated with decreased sensory innervation of the involved joints. The shoulder joint is an uncommon presentation for NA, although syringomyelia is the most common cause for this joint. Two cases are presented of NA of the shoulder, with both patients having a history of syringomyelia and cocaine use. In both cases a work up for malignancy was negative, but imaging was consistent with NA. Although syringomyelia has been linked with this presentation in prior publications, the role of cocaine use may not be incidental, with complex biochemical interactions in bone metabolism. Cocaine has been shown to involve the Leptin, Neuromedin U (NmU), cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), and Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) pathways of bone remodeling. Treatment can be challenging, involving concurrent use of pharmacotherapy, surgical correction, and protective bracing.