Feasibility and safety of endoscopic resection for the jejunoileal lesions

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic resection (ER) for jejunoileal lesions (JILs) has been technically challenging. We aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic characteristics, feasibility, and safety of ER for JILs.

METHOD

We retrospectively investigated 52 patients with JILs who underwent ER from January 2012 to February 2022. We collected and analyzed clinicopathological characteristics, procedure-related parameters, outcomes, and follow-up data.

RESULTS

The mean age was 49.4 years. Of the 52 JILs, 33 ileal tumors within 20 cm from the ileocecal valve were resected with colonoscopy, while 19 tumors in the jejunum or the ileum over 20 cm from the ileocecal valve received enteroscopy resection. The mean procedure duration was 49.0 min. The en bloc resection and en bloc with R0 resection rates were 86.5% and 84.6%, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) included one (1.9%) major AE (delayed bleeding) and five (9.6%) minor AEs. During a median follow-up of 36.5 months, two patients had local recurrence (3.8%), while none had metastases. The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were 92.9% and 94.1%, respectively. Compared with the enteroscopy group, overall AEs were significantly lower in the colonoscopy group (P < 0.05), but no statistical differences were observed in RFS (P = 0.412) and DSS (P = 0.579). There were no significant differences in AEs, RFS, and DSS between the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and the endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) group.

CONCLUSIONS

ER of JILs has favorable short-term and long-term outcomes. Both ESD and EMR can safely and effectively resect JILs in appropriately selected cases.

Validation and update of a clinical score model to predict technical difficulty of colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection: a multicenter prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The Zhongshan colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (CR-ESD) score model was proposed to grade the technical difficulty of CR-ESD. The objective of this study was to prospectively validate and update the score model.

METHODS

A multicenter prospective cohort analysis of CR-ESD was conducted. Individual data on patients, lesions, and outcomes of CR-ESD were used to validate the original model and further refine the difficulty of the prediction model. Data were randomly divided into discovery and internal validation cohorts. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted on the discovery cohort to develop an updated risk-scoring system, which was then validated.

RESULTS

Five hundred forty-eight patients with 565 colorectal lesions treated by ESD from 4 hospitals were included. In the prospective validation cohort, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the original model was .707. Six risk factors were identified and assigned point values: tumor size (2 points for 30-50 mm, 3 points for ≥50 mm), at least two-thirds circumference of the lesion (3 points), tumor location in the cecum (2 points) or flexure (2 points), laterally spreading tumor-nongranular lesions (1 point), preceding biopsy sampling (1 point), and NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic type 3 (3 points). The updated model had an area under the ROC curve of .738 in the discovery cohort and of .782 in the validation cohort. Cases were categorized into easy (score = 0-1), intermediate (score = 2-3), difficult (score = 4-6), and very difficult (score ≥7) groups. Satisfactory discrimination and calibration were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The original model achieved an acceptable level of prediction in the prospective cohort. The updated model exhibited superior performance and can be used in place of the previous version. (Clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR2100047087.).

Endoscopic resection of giant esophageal subepithelial lesions: experience from a large tertiary center

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Increased reports on endoscopic resection (ER) of esophageal giant subepithelial lesions (g-SELs) have emerged in recent years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, technical difficulty, and safety through our single-center experience.

METHODS

Seventy-five patients with g-SELs undergoing endoscopic resection were included in the training set. Clinicopathologic features, procedure-related characteristics, postprocedural outcomes, and follow-up data were analyzed. A predictive nomogram model for procedural difficulty was proposed based on the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Internal and external validations were conducted to verify the model performance.

RESULTS

The overall en bloc resection rate was 93.3%. Intraoperative and postoperative adverse events occurred in 7 (9.3%) and 13 (17.3%) patients, respectively. No recurrence or metastasis was observed. Thirty-two (42.7%) patients underwent a difficult procedure. Age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], .915; P = .004), maximal tumor diameter ≥8 cm (aOR, 9.896; P = .009), irregular shape (aOR, 4.081; P = .053), extraluminal growth pattern (aOR, 5.419; P = .011), and submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (aOR, .109; P = .042) were found to be statistically or clinically significant factors for predicting endoscopic resection difficulty, based on which a nomogram model was developed. Internal and external validations of the nomogram via receiver-operating characteristic curves and calibration curves achieved favorable results.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic resection serves as a promising therapeutic option for esophageal g-SELs. A younger patient age, large tumor size, irregular shape, and extraluminal growth may indicate increased endoscopic resection difficulty, whereas a submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection procedure tends to be of lower difficulty. Our nomogram model performs well for predicting endoscopic resection difficulty for esophageal g-SELs.

Endoscopic resection for calcifying fibrous tumors of the gastrointestinal tract

BACKGROUND

Calcifying fibrous tumors (CFTs) are rare mesenchymal lesions that can occur in various sites throughout the body, including the tubular gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

AIM

To analyze the clinical findings of 36 patients with GI tract CFTs to provide guidance for diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 36 patients diagnosed with CFTs of the GI tract. We collected demographic and clinical information and conducted regular follow-ups to assess for local recurrence.

RESULTS

The stomach was the most commonly involved site, accounting for 72.2% of the 36 CFTs. Endoscopic mucosal resection (n = 1, 2.8%), endoscopic submucosal dissection (n = 14, 38.9%), endoscopic full-thickness resection (n = 16, 44.4%), and submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (n = 5, 13.9%) were used to resect calcifying fibrous tumors. Overall, 34 (94.4%) CFTs underwent complete endoscopic resections with a mean procedure time of 39.8 ± 29.8 min. The average maximum diameter of the tumors was 10.6 ± 4.3 cm. No complications, such as bleeding or perforation, occurred during an average hospital stay of 2.9 ± 1.2 d. In addition, two patients developed new growth of CFTs near the primary tumor sites, and none of the patients developed distant metastases during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

GI tract CFTs are rare and typically benign tumors that can be effectively managed with endoscopic procedures.

The efficacy of full-thickness endoscopic resection of subepithelial tumors in the gastric cardia

BACKGROUND

Gastric subepithelial tumors (SETs) may harbor potential malignancy. Although it is well recognized that large SETs should be resected, the precise treatment strategy remains controversial. Compared to surgical resection, endoscopic resection (ER) has many advantages; however, ER of SETs in the cardia is challenging.

AIM

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) for the treatment of gastric cardia SETs.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed data from all patients with SETs originating from the muscularis propria layer in the gastric cardia that were treated by EFTR or submucosal tunneling ER (STER) at Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University between November 2014 and May 2022. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes, including procedure times and complications rates, were compared between groups of patients receiving EFTR and STER.

RESULTS

A total of 171 tumors were successfully removed [71 (41.5%) tumors in the EFTR and 100 (58.5%) tumors in the STER group]. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) were the most common SET. The en bloc resection rate was 100% in the EFTR group vs 97.0% in STER group (P > 0.05). Overall, the EFTR group had a higher complete resection rate than the STER group (98.6% vs 91.0%, P < 0.05). The procedure time was also shorter in the EFTR group (44.63 ± 28.66 min vs 53.36 ± 27.34, P < 0.05). The most common major complication in both groups was electrocoagulation syndrome. There was no significant difference in total complications between the two groups (21.1% vs 22.0%, P = 0.89).

CONCLUSION

EFTR of gastric cardia SETs is a very promising method to facilitate complete resection with similar complications and reduced operative times compared to STER. In cases of suspected GISTs or an unclear diagnosis, EFTR should be recommended to ensure complete resection.

Management of delayed bleeding of upper gastrointestinal endoscopic submucosal tunneling procedures: a retrospective single-center analysis and brief meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Delayed bleeding is a rare but important major adverse event (mAE) after endoscopic submucosal tunneling procedures (ESTP), which is scarcely reported. We aimed to characterize the clinical characteristics of delayed bleeding and provide better management of this mAE.

METHOD

From August 2010 to October 2022, we reviewed 3852 patients with achalasia receiving peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) and 1937 patients with upper gastrointestinal tumors receiving submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER). Among these, records of 22 patients (15 POEM, 7 STER) with delayed bleeding were collected. Clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of delayed bleeding were analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean age was 43.6 years. Ten patients (45.5%) were intratunnel bleeding, seven (31.8%) were intratunnel bleeding accompanied by mucosal bleeding, and five (22.7%) were mucosal bleeding. The most common accompanied symptoms were hematemesis, fever, and melena. The most common accompanied mAEs were fistula, pulmonary inflammation, and pleural effusion with atelectasis. The mean duration from ESTP to endoscopic intervention was 5.3 ± 4.9 days. Active bleeding was identified in 21 patients (95.5%). The bleeding was successfully controlled by electrocoagulation (19 cases), endoscopic clipping (six cases), and Sengstaken-Blakemore tube insertion (three cases), and no patient required surgical intervention. The mean hemostatic procedure duration was 61.8 ± 45.8 min. The mean post-bleeding hospital stay was 10.0 ± 6.2 days. A brief meta-analysis of previous studies showed the pooled estimate delayed bleeding rate after POEM, STER, and G-POEM was 0.4%.

CONCLUSIONS

Delayed bleeding is uncommon and could be effectively managed by timely emergency endoscopic procedures without requiring subsequent surgical interventions.

Landscape of Psychological Profiles in Patients With Esophageal Achalasia

INTRODUCTION

Esophageal achalasia (EA) is a chronic esophageal dysmotility disease, of which psychological distress was poorly understood. This study aims to assess the status of psychosocial characteristics in EA and to determine the relationship between psychological distress and EA.

METHODS

Seventy pairs of age and gender-matched patients with EA and healthy control individuals were prospectively enrolled from December 2019 to April 2020 at our hospital. Demographic, psychosocial, and clinical data were obtained. Psychosocial assessments contained psychological distress (Symptom Checklist-90 Revised), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale-14), and stressful life events (Life Events Scale). Comparison for psychological parameters was made between patients with EA and controls as well as for EA before/after per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to testify the association between psychological distress and achalasia symptoms.

RESULTS

The mean course and Eckardt score of patients with EA were 4.26 ± 5.11 years and 6.63 ± 2.21, respectively. There was a significant difference between patients with EA and healthy individuals in Global Severity Index ( P = 0.039) and Positive Symptoms Total ( P = 0.041) for Symptom Checklist-90 Revised as well as positive intensity ( P = 0.011) for the Life Events Scale. Somatization ( P < 0.001), anxiety ( P = 0.021), anger-hostility ( P = 0.009), and others (appetite and sleep, P = 0.010) accounted for the most difference. Somatization was positively associated with chest pain ( P = 0.045). Two patients with EA developed recurrence and showed no relationship with psychological status. Psychological status was significantly improved after POEM.

DISCUSSION

Psychological distress, especially somatization, was more prevalent in patients with EA than healthy controls. POEM seemed able to improve psychological distress.

Muscular injury as an independent risk factor for esophageal stenosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection of esophageal squamous cell cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Stenosis after esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has a high incidence, and muscular injury is an important risk factor for esophageal stenosis. Hence, this study aimed to classify muscular injury degrees and investigate their association with postoperative stenosis.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 1033 patients with esophageal mucosal lesions treated with ESD between August 2015 and March 2021. Demographic and clinical parameters were analyzed, and stenosis risk factors were identified using multivariate logistic regression. A novel muscular injury classification system was proposed and used to investigate the association between different muscular injury degrees and postoperative stenosis. Finally, a scoring system was established to predict muscular injury.

RESULTS

Of 1033 patients, 118 (11.4%) had esophageal stenosis. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that the history of endoscopic esophageal treatment, circumferential range, and muscular injury were significant risk factors for esophageal stenosis. Patients with type II muscular injuries tended to develop complex stenosis (n = 13 [36.1%], P < .05), and type II muscular injuries were more likely to predispose patients to severe stenosis than type I (73.3% and 92.3%, respectively). The scoring system showed that patients with high scores (3-6) were more likely to have muscular injury. The score model presented good discriminatory power in the internal validation (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, .706; 95% confidence interval, .645-.767) and goodness-of-fit in the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P = .865).

CONCLUSIONS

Muscular injury was an independent risk factor for esophageal stenosis. The scoring system demonstrated good performance in predicting muscular injury during ESD.

Salvage peroral endoscopic myotomy is a promising treatment for achalasia after myotomy failure

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Reintervention modalities after myotomy failure in achalasia patients have yet to be established. The efficacy and safety of salvage peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for treatment of achalasia after myotomy failure were evaluated in the study.

METHODS

Between August 2011 and August 2021 at the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital, 219 achalasia patients who had previously undergone a myotomy underwent a salvage POEM and were thus retrospectively enrolled in this study. After propensity score matching (PSM), operation-related parameters were compared between the salvage POEM group and the naïve POEM group. Subgroup analysis was performed between patients with previous Heller myotomy (HM) and patients with previous POEM.

RESULTS

With similar baseline characteristics between both groups after PSM, the salvage POEM group presented with shorter tunnel length (11.8 ± 2.2 cm vs 12.8 ± .9 cm, P < .0001) and myotomy length (9.8 ± 2.0 cm vs 10.4 ± 1.0 cm, P < .0001) than the naïve POEM group. No significant differences were found in procedure-related adverse events between patients of salvage POEM and naïve POEM. The primary outcome of treatment success occurred in 175 of 193 patients (90.7%) in the salvage POEM group versus 362 of 374 patients (96.8%) in the naïve POEM group (P = .0046). At a 2- and 5-year follow-up, significantly higher rates of clinical failures were observed in the previous HM subgroup than in the previous POEM subgroup (P = .0433 and P = .0230, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Salvage POEM after a previous myotomy failure, especially after a POEM failure, is a promising treatment option because it has a durable clinical relief rate.

Endoscopic resection and suturing methods for non-ampullary duodenal submucosal tumors: "mini-invasive" treatments that should never be underestimated

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic resection and various suturing methods to treat non-ampullary duodenal submucosal tumors (NAD-SMTs).

DESIGN

We performed a retrospective observational study of patients with NAD-SMTs who underwent endoscopic resection at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China, between June 2017 and December 2020. Data on patient characteristics, treatments and follow-up results were collected. The association between clinicopathologic characteristics and different suturing methods or adverse events were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 128 patients analyzed, 26 underwent endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), 64 underwent endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE), and 38 underwent endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR). EMR and ESR are both appropriate for non-full-thickness lesions, whereas ESE is more appropriate for tumors located in the bulb or descending duodenum. Gastric tube drainage is more strongly recommended after ESE. Satisfactory suturing is also vital endoscopic resection of NAD-SMTs. Metallic clips are often used in EMR or ESE of non-full-thickness lesions. The pathological findings revealed that the full-thickness lesions were predominantly gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), Brunner's tumor or lipoma, and the surgeons usually used purse-string sutures to close the wounds. The operation time was longer for purse-string suture closure than metallic clip closure. Eleven patients had complications. Risk factors for adverse events included large-diameter tumor (≥ 2 cm), location in the descending part of the duodenum, involvement of the fourth layer of the duodenal wall, EFTR, and GIST.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic resection of NAD-SMTs is effective but is associated with a high incidence of complications due to their anatomical peculiarities. Preoperative diagnosis is quite important. Careful selection of treatment and suturing methods are necessary to reduce the risk of adverse effects. Given the increased frequency of severe complications during or following duodenal endoscopic resection, this procedure should be performed by experienced endoscopists.

Clinical outcomes of endoscopic resection for the treatment of esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a ten-year experience from a large tertiary center in China

BACKGROUNDS

Esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (E-GISTs) are extremely rare and surgical resection is the recommended approach. However, surgical resection usually causes severe trauma that may result in significant postoperative morbidity. Endoscopic resection (ER) has developed rapidly in recent years and has been widely used in gastrointestinal lesions. Nevertheless, the feasibility and efficacy of ER in the management of E-GISTs are unknown.

METHODS

Retrospective data were collected from January 2011 to December 2020 in a large tertiary center of China. Twenty-eight patients with E-GISTs treated by ER were included in the study.

RESULTS

Of the 28 patients, there were 21 males and 7 females, with a median age of 55 years (40-70 years). The median tumor size was 15 mm (5-80 mm). The technical success rate was 100% (28/28), while the en bloc resection rate was 96.4% (27/28). The median operation time was 35 min (10-410 min). Sixteen (57.2%) tumors were categorized into very low risk group, six (21.4%) into low risk group, and six (21.4%) into high risk group. Pathologists carefully examined margins of each lesion. There were 11 lesions (39.3%) determined as R0 resection and 17 lesions (60.7%) as R1 resection with positive margins. The median hospital stay was 2 days (range, 1-8 days). One patient suffered from hydrothorax and required drainage, leading to a major adverse event rate of 3.6% (1/28). There was no conversion to surgery, and no death occurred within 30 days after the procedure. Imatinib was given to two patients after ER under multidisciplinary team surveillance. During follow-up (median of 54 months, 9-122 months), no recurrences or metastasis were observed.

CONCLUSION

ER is safe and effective for E-GISTs and might become an optional choice in the future. Multicenter, prospective, large samples with long-term follow-up studies are still needed.

Endoscopic mucosal resection of gastrointestinal polyps with a novel low-temperature plasma radio frequency generator: a non-inferiority multi-center randomized control study

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of novel plasma radio frequency generator and its single-use polypectomy snares for endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of gastrointestinal (GI) polyps.

METHODS

A total of 217 patients with 413 GI polyps were recruited from four centers in China. Patients were assigned to experimental or control groups using a central randomization method. The experimental group used the novel plasma radio frequency generator and its matched single-use polypectomy snares (Neowing, Shanghai), while the control group used the high-frequency electrosurgical unit (Erbe, Germany) and disposable electrosurgical snares (Olympus, Japan). The primary endpoint was the en bloc resection rate, and the non-inferiority margin was set at 10%. Secondary endpoint included operation time, coagulation success rate, intraoperative and postoperative bleeding rate, and perforation rate.

RESULTS

The en bloc resection rate was 97.20% (104/107) in the experimental group and 95.45% (105/110) in the control group (P = 0.496). The operation time was 29.14 ± 20.21 min in the experimental group and 30.26 ± 18.74 min in the control group (P = 0.671). The average removal time of a single polyp in the experimental group was 7.52 ± 4.45 min, which was slightly shorter than that in the control group 8.90 ± 6.67 min, with no statistical difference (P = 0.076). The intraoperative bleeding rates of the experimental group and control group were 8.41% (9/107) and 10.00% (11/110), respectively (P = 0.686). No intraoperative perforation occurred in either group. The postoperative bleeding rates of the experimental group and the control group were 1.87% (2/107) and 4.55% (5/110), respectively (P = 0.465). No postoperative perforation occurred in the experimental group (0/107), while one case of delayed perforation occurred in the control group (1/110, 0.91%). There was no statistical difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic mucosal resection of GI polyps with the novel plasma radio frequency generator is safe and effective, and non-inferior to the conventional high-frequency electrosurgical system.

Submucosal Tunneling Techniques for Tumor Resection

The concept of third space endoscopy is based on the principle that the deeper layers of the gastrointestinal tract can be accessed by tunneling in the submucosal space and maintaining the integrity of the overlying mucosa. The mucosal flap safety valve enabled endoscopists to use submucosal space securely. The era of third space endoscopy started with peroral endoscopic myotomy for treatment of achalasia and has expanded to treat various other gastrointestinal disorders, such as mucosal lesions, submucosal tumors, extraluminal tumors, and refractory gastroparesis, Zenker diverticulum, and restoration of the completely obstructed esophageal lumen. Third space endoscopy rapidly emerged as a minimally invasive alternative to conventional surgery. Many studies discovered that this technique is safe and effective with excellent outcomes. Our review focused on the indications, techniques, clinical management, and adverse events of submucosal tunneling techniques for tumor resection.

A cross-sectional study reveals a chronic low-grade inflammation in achalasia

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Immune-mediated neuroinflammation has been proposed to underlie the loss of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) myenteric neurons in achalasia. However, the immune status and key pathogenic immune subpopulations remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the inflammatory status of patients with achalasia and their correlation with clinical characteristics, and further explore the key pathogenic subpopulations.

METHODS

We investigated the complete blood cell count and inflammatory markers in a large population of patients with achalasia (n = 341) and healthy controls (n = 80). The subpopulations of lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence was used to determine immune cell infiltration in the LES. Transcriptome changes of the key subpopulation were determined by RNA sequencing analysis.

RESULTS

NLR, MLR, CRP, globulin, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly elevated in patients with achalasia. MLR and globulin were positively correlated with disease duration. The absolute count and percentage of CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and its infiltration around ganglion in the LES were significantly increased in achalasia. Transcriptome analysis indicated that CD8+ T cells were activated and proliferative. In addition to multiple inflammatory pathways, regulation of neuroinflammatory response pathway was also significantly up-regulated in achalasia. GSEA analysis revealed a close association with autoimmune diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with achalasia suffered from chronic low-grade inflammation with dysregulated immune cells and mediators associated with disease duration. CD8+ T cells might be the key pathogenic subpopulation of achalasia. Our results provide an important immune cell signature of the pathogenesis of achalasia.

A prediction model and nomogram for technical difficulty of peroral endoscopic myotomy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a promising endoscopic technique for achalasia. We aimed to establish a regression model and develop a simple nomogram to predict the technical difficulty of POEM in a single center with large volume cases.

METHODS

3385 achalasia patients treated with POEM were included, and the technical difficulty was systemically evaluated. All of them were randomized into the training cohort (n = 1693) or internal validation cohort (n = 1692). Then, the prediction model and nomogram were proposed based on multivariate logistic regression analysis in the training cohort and assessed in the validation cohort.

RESULTS

Of 3385 patients, technical difficulty happened in 417 (12.32%) cases. In the training stage, six factors were weighted based on the β coefficient from the regression model, including age, disease duration, sigmoid esophagus, mucosal edema, submucosal fibrosis, and tunnel length. The patients were categorized into low-risk (< 0.1), medium-risk (0.1-0.25), and high-risk (> = 0.25) groups. Our score model performed satisfying discrimination with the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.743 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.701-0.785) and calibration with goodness of fit in the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P = 0.088) in internal validation.

CONCLUSIONS

The prediction model and nomogram demonstrated good performance in predicting the technical difficulty of POEM.

Endoscopic radial incision versus endoscopic balloon dilation as initial treatments of benign esophageal anastomotic stricture

BACKGROUND AND AIM

We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic radial incision (ERI) versus endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) treatment of naïve, recurrent, and refractory benign esophageal anastomotic strictures.

METHODS

One hundred and one ERI, 145 EBD, and 42 ERI combined with EBD sessions were performed in 136 consecutive patients with benign esophageal anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy at Zhongshan Hospital from January 2016 to August 2021. Baseline characteristics, operational procedures, and clinical outcomes data were retrospectively evaluated. Parameters and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared between ERI and EBD in patients with naïve or recurrent or refractory strictures. Risk factors for re-stricture after ERI were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine ERI versus 68 EBD sessions were performed for naïve stricture, 26 ERI versus 60 EBD for recurrent strictures, and 46 ERI versus 17 EBD for refractory stricture. With comparable baseline characteristics, RFS was greater in the ERI than the EBD group for naïve strictures (P = 0.0449). The ERI group had a lower 12-month re-stricture rate than the EBD group (37.9% vs 61.8%, P = 0.0309) and a more prolonged patency time (181.5 ± 263.1 vs 74.5 ± 82.0, P = 0.0233). Between the two interventions, recurrent and refractory strictures had similar RFS (P = 0.0598; P = 0.7668). Multivariate analysis revealed initial ERI treatment was an independent predictive factor for lower re-stricture risk after ERI intervention (odds ratio = 0.047, P = 0.001). Few adverse events were observed after ERI or EBD (3.0% vs 2.1%, P = 0.6918).

CONCLUSIONS

ERI is associated with lower re-stricture rates with better patency and RFS compared with EBD for naive strictures.

Endoscopic resection of upper GI extraluminal tumors (with videos)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Endoscopic resection is a feasible treatment for GI extraluminal tumors but remains a challenging procedure with limited data. In this study, we assessed the safety and efficacy of endoscopic resection for extraluminal tumors in the upper GI tract.

METHODS

From May 2016 to December 2021, 109 patients undergoing endoscopic resection for extraluminal tumors in the upper GI tract were retrospectively included. Clinicopathologic characteristics, procedure-related parameters, adverse events (AEs), and follow-up outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

The en-bloc tumor resection rate was 94.5% and en-bloc retrieval rate 86.2%. Statistical analysis revealed tumor size ≥3.0 cm and irregular shape as significant risk factors for piecemeal extraction. Resection time and suture time were 46.8 ± 33.6 minutes and 20.6 ± 20.1 minutes, respectively. Large tumor size was significantly associated with a longer procedure duration. Five patients (4.6%) experienced major AEs, including recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, hydrothorax, major bleeding, local peritonitis, duodenal leakage, and repeat endoscopic surgery for tumor extraction. Minor AEs occurred in 13 patients (11.9%). Irregular tumor shape and tumor location (duodenum) were significantly associated with AE occurrence. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.7 ± 3.3 days. No recurrence or metastasis was observed during the mean follow-up period of 31.8 ± 15.2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic resection is a safe and feasible therapeutic approach for upper GI extraluminal tumors. Tumor size, shape, and location impact the difficulty and safety of the procedure. Endoscopic resection of duodenal tumors is also feasible but associated with an increased risk of AEs compared with tumors in other locations.

Landscape of esophageal submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection-related adverse events in a standardized lexicon: a large volume of 1701 cases

BACKGROUND

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) has been widely applied for esophageal submucosal tumors. This large volume study aims to provide a standard landscape of STER-related AEs for reference.

METHODS

1701 patients with esophageal SMTs undergoing STER were included at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Data of clinical characteristics and adverse events were collected and analyzed in depth. Adverse events were recorded by ASGE lexicon and graded by ASGE grading/Clavien-Dindo system. Risk factors for major AEs were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Three hundred and twenty (18.8%) patients with 962 cases of adverse events were observed. Accordingly, 84 (5.0%) were classified as major AEs (moderate and severe) by ASGE grading and 37 (2.2%) were classified as major AEs (grades III-V) by Clavien-Dindo grading. First 1 year operation, distance > 6 cm from incision to tumor, piecemeal resection, partially extraluminal location, mucosal injury, and operation time > 60 min were included in the risk score model for major AEs of STER, with 57.1% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

STER was a safe procedure for diagnosis and treatment of esophageal SMTs with a total 18.8% incidence of AEs, among which only 5.0% were major AEs requiring therapeutic measurements.

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic septum division for esophageal diverticulum with a median follow-up of 39 months: a multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic septum division (STESD) is an endoscopic minimally invasive technique for treating esophageal diverticulum. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and efficacy of STESD and its impact on patients' quality of life.

METHODS

This study included consecutive patients who underwent STESD for esophageal diverticulum from April 2016 to August 2020 in 2 centers (Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Tianjin First Central Hospital). Esophagogram and endoscopic examination were performed before STESD and 30 days after STESD. Patients completed the 36-item Short Form survey (SF-36) before STESD and 1 year after surgery. Clinical symptoms were assessed via telehealth every 6 months until August 2021. Costamagna and Eckardt scores were used to evaluate changes in symptoms.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients were included. Mucosal injury 1 to 2 cm below the septum occurred in 2 patients. No severe surgical adverse events were observed. Median duration of follow-up was 39 months (range, 12-63). Total SF-36 scores increased from 118.7 ± 18.6 before STESD to 132.4 ± 9.1 at 1 year after the procedure (P = .007). SF-36 subscales of general health (P = .002), vitality (P = .004), social functioning (P = .030), and mental health (P = .020) improved significantly after STESD. The mean Costamagna score decreased from 3.83 ± 1.33 to 1.67 ± 1.51 (P = .010), whereas the mean Eckardt score decreased from 3.50 ± .90 to 1.25 ± 1.76 (P = .002). One patient developed symptom recurrence at 10 months after STESD.

CONCLUSIONS

STESD is a safe and valid endoscopic minimally invasive surgery for esophageal diverticulum, which can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.

Repeat endoscopic submucosal dissection as salvage treatment for local recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after initial endoscopic submucosal dissection

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Local recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after endoscopic resection does not have an established treatment. The efficacy and safety of repeat endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for recurrent ESCC were determined in the study.

METHODS

Forty-three consecutive patients with 45 locally recurrent superficial ESCC lesions undergoing repeat ESD and 909 first ESD lesions for propensity score matching (PSM) at Zhongshan Hospital between January 2011 and January 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. After PSM (1:2), operation-related parameters were compared between repeat ESD and first ESD. In the repeat ESD group, the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used for identification of risk factors for local recurrence after repeat ESD.

RESULTS

As compared with propensity score-matched first ESD, rates of complete resection (86.7% vs 97.8%, P = .02) and curative resection (86.7% vs 96.7%, P = .06) were lower and procedure duration (54.8 ± 21.7 minutes vs 46.2 ± 20.6 minutes, P = .67) and hospital stay (4.3 ± 1.8 days vs 2.9 ± 1.4 days, P = .25) were longer in the repeat ESD group. The en-bloc resection rate (93.3% vs 98.8%, P > .11) remained comparable. Adverse events including bleeding (4.4% vs 0%, P = .11), perforation (.0% vs .0%, P > .99), and stricture (6.7% vs 2.2%, P = .33) presented with no difference. The 5-year overall survival rate and recurrence-free survival rate for repeat ESD was 100% and 86.0%, respectively. Multiplicity was significantly associated with recurrence after repeat ESD (P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Repeat esophageal ESD showed favorable short- and long-term outcomes and thus provides an alternative choice for recurrent superficial ESCC.

Comparison of safety and short-term outcomes between endoscopic and laparoscopic resections of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors with a diameter of 2-5 cm

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Developments of endoscopic techniques brought the possibility of endoscopic resection for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) of larger sizes. We aim to compare safety and short-term outcomes between endoscopic and laparoscopic resections of gastric GISTs with a diameter of 2-5 cm.

METHODS

This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study. The clinical data, perioperative conditions, and the adverse events of patients who underwent endoscopic or laparoscopic resection for gastric GIST of 2-5 cm in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from January 2016 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 346 patients were reviewed; 12 patients who failed to accomplish the planned procedure were excluded; 182 underwent laparoscopic resection; and 152 underwent endoscopic resection. Significant differences exist in the tumor size between the laparoscopic group (3.43 ± 0.86 cm) and the endoscopic group (2.78 ± 0.73 cm) (P < 0.01). Compared with laparoscopic resection, endoscopic resection was associated with faster recovery (P < 0.01), shorter hospital stays (P < 0.01), and lower cost (P < 0.01). The incidence of Clavien-Dindo grade II-V adverse events in the endoscopic group (3/152) was significantly lower than that in the laparoscopic group (12/182) (P = 0.04). After a propensity score matching analysis, the endoscopic group showed similar incidences of complications with the laparoscopic group, while the advantages over laparoscopic resection in postoperative hospital stay, time to first oral intake, and hospitalization expenses remained significant (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic resection is a safe and cost-effective method for 2-5 cm of gastric GISTs compared with laparoscopic resection.

Long-term prognosis of small gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors with high histological grade: a longitudinal nested cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are mostly seen in the stomach. Clinical data on GISTs ≤ 2 cm with > 5 mitosis/50 HPFs are limited. This study aimed to analyze small GISTs with high histological grades to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their clinical characteristics with long-term follow-up.

METHODS

This was a nested cohort study of patients with gastric GISTs ≤ 2 cm and > 5 mitosis/50 HPFs. Individuals with endoscopically resected gastric specimens diagnosed as GISTs between January 2008 and July 2019 were enrolled. We analyzed baseline clinicopathological characteristics, perioperative characteristics, risk of recurrence, and metastasis during follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 55 patients diagnosed with gastric GISTs ≤ 2 cm and > 5 mitosis/50 HPFs were enrolled. The mean tumor size was 1.6 ± 0.4 cm (median 1.7 cm, range 0.8-2.0 cm). ESD was performed in 33 patients (60.0%) and EFTR in 22 patients (40.0%). Mean mitotic figures were 8.9/50 HPFs. Postoperative bleeding in one patient (1.8%) was the only severe adverse event. The mean follow-up period was 61.2 ± 33.9 months (median 53 months, range 13-133 months). Five patients (5/55, 9.1%) received additional therapies, including partial gastrectomy and adjuvant Imatinib. Only two patients (2/55, 3.6%) showed signs of recurrence. We observed no significant difference regarding baseline clinical characteristics and recurrence among GISTs with mitosis < 10/50 HPF and ≥ 10/50 HPF. No patient had signs of metastasis during follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic resection of gastric GISTs ≤ 2 cm with > 5 mitosis/50 HPFs has a low risk of recurrence and metastasis in the long term. Endoscopic resection of GISTs is safe and feasible.

Erratum: A scoring system to support surgical decision-making for cardial submucosal tumors

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1055/a-1775-7976.].

A scoring system to support surgical decision-making for cardial submucosal tumors

Background and study aims  Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) and non-tunneling techniques are two alternative options for the treatment of cardial submucosal tumors (SMTs). We aimed to establish a regression model and develop a simple scoring system (Zhongshan Tunnel Score) to help clinicians make surgical decisions for cardial submucosal tumors. Patients and methods  A total of 246 patients who suffered cardial SMTs and received endoscopic resection were included in this study. All of them were randomized into either the training cohort (n = 147) or the internal validation cohort (n = 99). Then, the scoring system was proposed based on multivariate logistic regression analysis in the training cohort and assessed in the validation cohort. Results  Of 246 patients, 97 were treated with STER and the others with non-tunneling endoscopic resection. In the training stage, four factors were weighted with points based on the β coefficient from the regression model, including irregular morphology (-2 points), ulcer (2 points), the direction of the gastroscope (-2 points for forward direction and 1 point for reverse direction), and originating from the muscularis propria (-2 points). The patients were categorized into low-score (< -4), medium-score (-4 to -3) and high-score (> -3) groups, and those with low scores were more likely to be treated with STER. Our score model performed satisfying discriminatory power in internal validation (Area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve, 0.829; 95 % confidence interval, 0.694-0.964) and goodness-of-fit in the Hosmer-Lemeshow test ( P  = .4721). Conclusions  This scoring system could provide clinicians the references for making decisions about the treatment of cardial submucosal tumors.

[Analysis of genetic abnormalities and clinical outcome of fetus with ultrasonic nonstructural abnormality]

Objective: To analysis the incidence of abnormal genetics and the clinical outcome of fetuses with ultrasonic nonstructural abnormality. Methods: This study was conducted retrospectively. 631 pregnant women were enrolled in the Prenatal Diagnostic Center of Fujian Maternal and Child Health Hospital due to ultrasonic nonstructural abnormality from January 2016 to January 2019. According to different gestational weeks, amniotic fluid or umbilical cord blood samples were collected for chromosome karyotype analysis and SNP-array. According to the number of nostructural abnormalities, they were divided into 1 nostructural abnormality group, 2 nostructural abnormalities group, and ≥3 nostructural abnormalities group. Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups. Results: Of the 631 cases, 34 cases (5.4%, 34/631) had abnormal karyotypes, including 20 cases with abnormal chromosome number and 14 cases with abnormal chromosome structure. In results of SNP-array, there were 53 abnormal results (8.4%, 53/631), including 32 cases of pathogenic copy number variations (CNV) and 21 cases of variations of uncertain clinical significance (VOUS). The rates of pathogenic CNV were 4.57% (21/260), 4.76% (7/147) and 16.67% (4/24) in the group of 1, 2 and ≥3 nostructural abnormalities, respectively. The rate of the three groups showed a linear trend, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=7.419,P<0.05). In the single nostructural abnormality group, the rate of pathogenic CNV of nasal bone dysplasia, fetal growth restriction (FGR) and thickened nuchal translucency (NT) were 8.11% (3/37), 7.04% (5/71) and 5.60% (7/125), respectively. Conclusions: Compared with the karyotype analysis, SNP-array can significantly improve the detection rate of genetic abnormalities in ultrasonic nonstructural abnormality. When multiple ultrasonic nonstructural abnormality were combined, the risk of genetic abnormalities showed an upward trend.

Endoscopic removal of entirely embedded esophagus-penetrating foreign bodies (with video)

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Traditionally, surgery is the only choice for esophageal foreign bodies (FBs) penetrating into the mediastinum or cervical para-esophageal space. Recent progress in endoscopic techniques and devices has made it possible to perform endoscopic procedures in the mediastinum. Here, we describe a novel method to remove the entirely embedded esophagus-penetrating FBs through an endoscopic approach.

METHODS

Patients who underwent endoscopic removal of entirely embedded esophagus-penetrating FBs were prospectively enrolled between December 2018 and June 2020. All procedures were performed by using five major steps: localization of the FB; mucosal incision; wound debridement, myotomy, and FB exposure; FB extraction; and closure of the esophageal wound.

RESULTS

A total of five cases of entirely embedded esophagus-penetrating FBs were evaluated, two in children and three in adults. All FBs were successfully removed and extracted using a therapeutic endoscope and a hook knife or a hybrid knife and a grasping forceps as accessories. The average procedure time was 19.0 ± 12.4 min (range 10-40 min). The major surgical procedure was avoided in all patients. The average length of hospital stay was 3.8 ± 2.5 days (range 2-8 days). There were no severe short-term adverse events after all procedures. During the 1 month and 3 months follow-up, no patient developed long-term adverse events including stenosis of the esophagus and fistula formation.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic approach was a safe and effective way to remove entirely embedded esophagus-penetrating FBs.

[Efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma after TACE combined with TKI therapy]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) receptor monoclonal antibody (MoAb) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after treatment of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Methods: From February 2019 to February 2020, 56 HCC patients who relapsed after TACE-TKI treatment in Department of Interventional Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University were enrolled. All patients received anti-PD-1 MoAb (sintilimab injection) and followed up every 6 weeks. According to mRECIST, the curative effect was evaluated as complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD) or progressive disease (PD). Objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were recorded. Univariate analysis by Chi-square test and binary logistic regression model was used to determine the influencing factors of DCR. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression model were used to analyze the survival data. Results: A total of 48 patients were enrolled in this study including 42 males and 6 females, with a median age of 55 years (29-71 years). ECOG scores comprised of 0 in 24 cases, 1-2 in 24 cases. Thirty-six patients were in Child-Pugh grade A of liver function and 12 cases were grade B. The median follow-up time was 4.5 months. There were 2 patients achieved CR, 12 patients with PR and 16 with SD. ORR was 29.2%, DCR was 62.5%. The independent influencing factors of DCR was ECOG score and AFP level (P=0.031, P=0.012). Median PFS was 4.1 months (95%CI 2.7-5.4 months), and ECOG score was the independent influencing factor of PFS (P=0.042). Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 70.8% (34/48) patients. Incidence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ TRAEs was 22.9% (11/48). Conclusion: In patients with HCC who relapse from TACE and TKI treatment, anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody is efficacious safe especially in those with ECOG 0 score.

[Analysis on post-marketing effectiveness and immunogenicity of enterovirus-A71 vaccine]

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness and immunogenicity of enterovirus-A71(EV-A71) vaccine in immunization program. Methods: A cohort study was conducted in immunization clinics in Jing'an district in Shanghai from October to December 2017. Children who received EV-A71 vaccine based on a 2-dose schedule (on day 0 and day 30) were enrolled as vaccine group and those who received no EV-A71 vaccine were enrolled as control group. After 1-year follow-up, the effectiveness and neutralizing antibody level and the positive results of antibody immunogenicity in vaccine group were analyzed. Results: A total of 3 018 children aged 8-20 months were enrolled, in whom 1 211 were in vaccine group and 1 807 were in control group. The vaccine effectiveness was 100% against EV-A71-associated hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) indicated by 1 year follow-up (95%CI: -66.99%-100.00%). The geometric mean titer of neutralizing antibody (GMT) was 41.76 (95%CI: 35.60-49.34) at day 60 and 28.44(95%CI: 23.59-34.54) at day 365 in 124 children in vaccine group. Conclusions: In children, EV-A71 vaccine elicited EV-A71-specific immune response. Less EV-A71-associated HFMD cases have been observed, further observation is needed.

[Analysis of selective endoscopy results during the epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)]

Objective: To explore the necessity and safety of selective endoscopy to detect gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out to analyze the clinical data of selective endoscopy performed at the Endoscopic Center, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from February 20 to March 6, 2020. Clinical data included epidemiological questionnaire, chief complaints, endoscopic findings and biopsy pathology results, etc. All medical staff had blood test for IgM/IgG antibodies of COVID-19. Patients and their families were followed up by phone to determine whether they were infected with COVID-19. Meanwhile, the clinical data of selective endoscopy during the same period from February 20 to March 6, 2019 were collected as the control group to compare the overall results of endoscopy examinations during the epidemic and the detection rate of GI malignancy. Results: A total of 911 patients underwent endoscopy in the epidemic period group, and a total of 5746 cases in the control group, which was 6.3 times over the epidemic period group. In the epidemic period group, 544 cases received gastroscopy and 367 cases received colonoscopy, while 3433 cases received gastroscopy and 2313 cases received colonoscopy in the control group, which were both 6.3 times of epidemic period group. Gastroscopy revealed that 39 patients (7.2%) were diagnosed with upper GI malignancies in the epidemic period group and 77 patients (2.2%) in the control group with significant difference (χ(2)=40.243, P<0.001). The detection rate of gastric cancer in these two groups was 3.3% (n=18) and 1.7% (n=59) respectively with significant difference (χ(2)=6.254,P=0.012). The detection rate of esophageal cancer was 3.7% (n=20) and 0.5% (n=18) respectively with significant difference (χ(2)=49.303,P<0.001). Colonoscopy revealed that colorectal cancer was found in 32 cases (8.7%) of the epidemic period group and 88 cases (3.8%) of the control group with significant difference (χ(2)=17.888, P<0.001). During the epidemic period, no infection of medical staff was found through the blood test of IgM/IgG antibodies on COVID-19. No patient and family members were infected with COVID-19 by phone follow-up. Conclusion: Compared with the same period in 2019, the number of selective endoscopy decreases sharply during the epidemic period, while the detection rate of various GI malignant tumors increases significantly, which indicates that patients with high-risk symptoms of GI malignancies should still receive endoscopy as soon as possible. Provided strict adherence to the epidemic prevention standards formulated by the state and professional societies, it is necessary to carry out clinical diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

[Multi-center empirical study of virtual gastroscopy simulator in the examination of clinical practice skills of specialist physicians]

Objective: To study the role of virtual gastroscopy simulator in the examination of clinical practice skills of gastrointestinal specialists. Methods: A multi-center empirical study was carried out. In June 2018, ninety participants from three tertiary care teaching hospitals in China, including Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai Tongji Hospital and Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, took part in the examination. Participants were selected as follows: 30 specialists without any experience of gastroscopy exams, 30 with basic knowledge (gastroscopy exams <500 cases) and 30 with good skill (gastroscopy exams ≥500 cases). These 90 students participated in this empirical study after theoretical study and simulator training. Among them, 50 (55.6%) were undergraduates, 25 (27.8%) masters, and 15 (16.7%) doctors; 42 (46.7%) were residents, 39 (43.3%) attending physicians, and 9 (10.0%) deputy chief physicians. The assessment was divided into two parts. The first part was to use the simulator (GI mentor II) for ballooning within 10 minutes, with a total score of 40 points. The second part was a complete gastroscopy exam on the simulator, including preparation before gastroscopy exam, gastroscopy exam, post - exam management and related knowledge quiz. The difficulty and discrimination of the assessment plan were evaluated by the extreme grouping method parameters (difficulty P definition: <0.3 was difficult, 0.3 to 0.7 was medium, ≥0.7 was easy; discrimination degree D definition: <0 was poor, 0 to 0.2 was medium, ≥0.2 was good), and by comparing the virtual gastroscopy assessment scores of different experience, academic, and professional title groups. The score analysis of the student group was expressed using the mastering rate (the average score divided by the total score). The data of the normal distribution was represented by (mean±SD) (range), and the data of the nonnormal distribution was represented by M (P25, P75). Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The total score of 90 students was (82.9±10.9) (55.8 to 99.0), and the mastering rate was 82.9%. The overall difficulty of the first and the second parts were 0.78 and 0.76, respectively, and the difficulty level was easy. The overall discrimination of the first and the second parts were 0.70 and 0.67, respectively, and the discrimination was good. The stratified analysis was performed according to the professional title. The median score was 83.2 (75.5, 89.0) in the residents, 82.5 (71.7, 93.6) in the attending physicians, and 93.5 (88.5, 99.0) in the deputy chief physicians, and the difference was statistically significant (H=6.213, P=0.045). According to the stratification analysis of academic qualifications, the median score was 81.7 (73.0, 87.5) in participants with undergraduate degree, 91.0 (79.0, 95.0) in those with master degree and 88.0 (81.7, 93.5) in those with doctor degree, whose difference was statistically significant (H=9.233, P=0.010). The stratified analysis of the second part showed that the median scores of the "operational process" part of the low, medium and high basis group were 33.0 (30.5, 36.5), 34.0 (32.0, 36.0) and 37.0 (35.0, 37.5), respectively, whose difference was statistically significant (H=7.603, P=0.022). The median scores of the "operational process" section of the resident, attending physician, and deputy chief physician were 33.0 (30.5, 35.0) points, 36.0 (34.0, 37.5) points and 37.0 (37.0, 37.5) points, respectively, whose difference was statistically significant (H=18.563, P=0.001). Conclusions: The virtual gastroscopy simulator can reflect the true level of gastroscopy exam skills of the students. The examination questions are moderately difficult, and there is a good discrimination of the exam.

[Endoscopic minimally invasive treatment--from inside the lumen to outside the lumen, from the superficial layer to the deep layer]

Since the introduction of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in China in 2006, endoscopic minimally invasive treatment has experienced a booming development for more than 10 years, and its indications are gradually being expanded from inside the lumen to outside the lumen, from the superficial layer to the deep layer, from organic diseases to functional diseases. This article summaries the development of endoscopic minimally invasive resection in the past 10 years, from the perspective of mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosal and even extraluminal lesions, respectively, to introduce the role of endoscopic minimally invasive treatment. For mucosal lesions, ESD has become a first-line treatment for early gastric cancer; endoscopic treatment of colorectal lesions is still controversial in Europe and the United States, but is gradually being accepted. For submucosal tumors(SMT), the Expert Consensus for Endoscopic Diagnosis and Treatment of Submucosal Tumors in China (version 2018) was published in 2018, and the principles and related technical rules for gastrointestinal SMT have been highlighted. For serosal and even extraluminal lesions, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and tunnel endoscopic surgery, mainly including endoscopic myotomy (POEM) and endoscopic transmucosal tunneling tumor resection (STER), showed potential for development in preliminary studies, and showed good results in cholecystectomy, appendectomy, achalasia, gastroparesis and even extra-gastrointestinal tumor resection. This article describes the various endoscopic treatment techniques, and looks into their application prospects and future challenges.

[The renal protective effect and mechanism of liraglutide in diabetic mice induced by high-fat diet]

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of liraglutide on kidney of diabetic mice induced by high-fat diet and its possible mechanisms. Methods: C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into normal chow diet (NC) group and high-fat diet (HFD) group, which were fed with normal chow diet and HFD for 12 weeks respectively. After diet challenge, the mice were randomly divided into normal control group, normal chow diet with liraglutide treatment (NC+Lira) group, HFD group and high-fat diet with liraglutide treatment (HFD+Lira) group. The mice in NC+Lira and HFD+Lira groups were given intraperitoneal injection of liraglutide (400 μg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) for 8 weeks, while mice in NC and HFD groups were given intraperitoneal injection of same amount of normal saline. Urinary albumin and creatinine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Renal morphology was observed by HE staining. The expression levels of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) and thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) were determined by Western blot. Results: Compared with HFD group, liraglutide significantly lowered the body weight [(30.98±1.29) g vs (39.43±2.58) g], fasting blood glucose (FBG) [(7.21±0.15) mmol/L vs (9.55±0.29) mmol/L] and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) [(205.48±17.14) μg/mg vs (319.86±34.14) μg/mg] in HFD+Lira group (all P<0.05). HE staining showed that glomerular hypertrophy of HFD group alleviated after liraglutide treatment. The expression level of TXNIP in the kidney of HFD mice significantly decreased after liraglutide treatment (0.41±0.10 vs 3.50±0.70), while expression level of SIRT1 significantly increased (0.75±0.15 vs 0.32±0.04) (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Liraglutide could improve diabetic nephropathy by up-regulation of SIRT1 expression and down-regulation of TXNIP expression in diabetic mice induced by HFD.

Clinical and endoscopic predictors for intraprocedural mucosal injury during per-oral endoscopic myotomy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Mucosal injury (MI) is one of the most common perioperative adverse events of per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). Severe undertreated MI may lead to contamination of the tunnel and even mediastinitis. This study explored the characteristics, predictors, and management approaches of intraoperative MI.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the prospectively collected database at a large tertiary referral endoscopy unit was conducted for all patients undergoing POEM between August 2010 and March 2016. MI was graded according to the difficulty of repair (I, easy to repair; II, difficult to repair). The primary outcomes were the incidence and predictors of intraoperative MI. Secondary outcomes were MI details and the corresponding treatment.

RESULTS

POEM was successfully performed in 1912 patients. A total of 338 patients experienced 387 MIs, for an overall frequency of 17.7% (338/1912). Type II MI was rare, with a frequency of 1.7% (39/1912). Major adverse events were more common in patients with MI than in those without MI (6.2% vs 2.5%, P < .001). On multivariable analysis, MI was independently associated with previous Heller myotomy (odds ratio [OR], 2.094; P = .026), previous POEM (OR, 2.441; P = .033), submucosal fibrosis (OR, 4.530; P < .001), mucosal edema (OR, 1.834; P = .001), and tunnel length ≥13 cm (OR, 2.699; P < .001). Previous POEM (OR, 5.005; P = .030) and submucosal fibrosis (OR, 12.074; P < .001) were significant predictors of type II MI. POEM experience >1 year was a protective factor for MI (OR, .614; P = .042) and type II MI (OR, .297; P = .042).

CONCLUSIONS

MI during POEM is common, but type II injury is rare. Previous POEM and submucosal fibrosis were significant predictors of type II mucosal injury. POEM experience after the learning curve reduces the risk of MI.

The effect of prior treatment on clinical outcomes in patients with achalasia undergoing peroral endoscopic myotomy

BACKGROUND

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a treatment option for patients with previous surgical or endoscopic treatment. We aimed to evaluate the influence of prior treatment on perioperative and follow-up outcomes in patients undergoing POEM.

METHODS

From August 2010 to December 2014, a total of 1384 patients with achalasia underwent POEM at our center. We retrospectively reviewed 849 patients who completed follow-up. Patients with an Eckardt score ≥ 4 after POEM were considered to have a clinical failure. We compared variables between patients with and without prior treatment. We analyzed risk factors for perioperative major adverse events, and clinical reflux and failure during follow-up.  RESULTS:  245 patients (28.9 %) had undergone prior treatment, and 34 patients (4.0 %) experienced a major adverse event associated with the POEM procedure. During a median follow-up of 23 months (range 1 - 71), clinical reflux occurred in 203 patients (23.9 %) and clinical failure was recorded for 94 patients (11.1 %). Patients with prior treatment had a longer procedure duration (P = 0.001) and longer hospital stay after POEM (P = 0.001). Prior treatment was not an independent risk factor for major adverse events or clinical reflux (odds ratio [OR] 1.19, P = 0.65; OR 1.26, P = 0.19; logistic regression), but it did increase the rate of clinical failure during follow-up (hazard ratio 1.90, P = 0.002; Cox regression).

CONCLUSIONS

POEM was performed safely with a low rate of major adverse events in patients with achalasia who had undergone prior surgical or endoscopic treatment. However, prior treatment increased the risk of clinical failure after POEM.

A novel injectable thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system for facilitating endoscopic submucosal dissection procedure

Background and aims

Making an optimal and lasting submucosal cushion is critical for endoscopic submucosal dissection. The thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system composed of poloxamer 407 and poloxamer 188 might be an excellent submucosal injection solution considering the unique feature that it remains liquid at room temperature and becomes gelatinous after being injected in the submucosa of the digestive tract. The present study focuses on preparing the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system and testing its capacity in mucosal lifting and its role in the endoscopic submucosal dissection procedure.

Methods

Various concentrations of poloxamer 407 and poloxamer 188 were added to normal saline. The gelation temperature viscosity of the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system was measured to choose the best formula. The thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system and normal saline were first compared in extracted porcine stomach. For in vivo study, the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system and normal saline were compared for facilitating the endoscopic submucosal dissection procedure.

Results

Among the 46 kinds of thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system, gelation temperatures of the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system I (poloxamer 407/poloxamer 188, 17%/0.5%, w/w) and the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system II (poloxamer 407/poloxamer 188, 18%/2%, w/w) were among the ideal range of gelation temperature. The injecting pressure in vitro study of thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system II was significantly higher than that of thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system I and normal saline (p < 0.001). Sixteen gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection procedures were performed in a porcine model. The initial volume of normal saline injection (13.88 ± 3.91 ml vs 5.88 ± 3.44 ml, p = 0.001) was significantly larger than the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system group. The postoperative wound showed a significant difference in the two groups (p = 0.023) indicating that the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system can create a cleaner wound.

Conclusions

Considering the gelation temperature, viscosity, injection pressure, and the height of the mucosal elevation, the thermo-sensitive binary hydrogels system I was the better submucosal injection solution.

Submucosal tunnel endoscopic resection for extraluminal tumors: a novel endoscopic method for en bloc resection of predominant extraluminal growing subepithelial tumors or extra-gastrointestinal tumors (with videos)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The management of subepithelial tumors with a predominant extraluminal growth pattern or extra-GI tumors can be challenging and traditionally requires a surgical resection that is not only invasive but may carry a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel endoscopic technique termed submucosal tunnel endoscopic resection for extraluminal tumors (STER-ET).

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled patients who underwent STER-ET for GI subepithelial tumors with a predominant extraluminal growth pattern or extra-GI tumors located at the level of cardia or the proximal part of the lesser curvature of the stomach seen on cross-sectional imaging between January 2016 and March 2017.

RESULTS

Eight patients underwent STER-ET. The mean (± standard deviation) tumor size was 2.8 ± 0.6 cm and 2.3 ± 0.8 cm in longest and shortest dimension, respectively. The average procedure time was 67 ± 4.4 minutes. The rates of curative en bloc resection and en bloc retrieval was 100% and 87.5%, respectively. On final histology, 6 tumors were GI stromal tumors, 1 was a schwannoma, and 1 was a foregut cyst. Five patients had capnoperitoneum during the procedure and required abdominal decompression. One patient had a small mucosotomy successfully treated with a hemostatic clip. There were no major adverse events or deaths. The median length of hospital stay was 3 days. There was no residual tumor on surveillance imaging after a mean follow-up period of 10.0 ± 2.1 months.

CONCLUSIONS

STER-ET is a novel technique that appears to be safe and effective in achieving a curative resection for GI subepithelial tumors with a predominantly extraluminal growth pattern or extraluminal tumors in a selected group of patients. However, larger studies are required to validate our finding.

Outcomes of per-oral endoscopic myotomy for treatment of esophageal achalasia with a median follow-up of 49 months

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has received wide acceptance as a highly effective and safe treatment for esophageal achalasia. Short-term and small-scale studies are ample, but long-term large-scale studies are few. The aim of the study was to systematically analyze our long-term results of POEM, with particular emphasis on POEM failures and associated risk factors.

METHODS

In this single-center study, consecutive patients treated with POEM between August 2010 and December 2012 were included. The Kaplan-Meier survival function was used to estimate clinical success rate at each year. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze risk factors related to recurrence.

RESULTS

A total of 564 patients were included. Major perioperative adverse events occurred in 36 patients (6.4%). After a median follow-up of 49 months (range, 3-68), the Eckardt score and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure were significantly decreased (median Eckardt score, 8 to 2 [P < .05]; median LES pressure, 29.7 mm Hg to 11.9 mm Hg [P < .05]). Fifteen failures occurred within 3 months, 23 between 3 months and 3 years, and 10 after 3 years. The estimated clinical success rates at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years were 94.2%, 92.2%, 91.1%, 88.6%, and 87.1%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression revealed long disease duration (≥10 years) and history of prior interventions to be risk factors for recurrence. Clinical reflux occurred in 37.3% of patients (155/ 416).

CONCLUSIONS

POEM is a highly safe and effective treatment for esophageal achalasia with favorable long-term outcomes.

Endoscopic full-thickness resection for gastrointestinal submucosal tumors

Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) is a "changing-concept" endoscopic resection technique, which safely allows resecting deep submucosal tumors (SMTs) in the gastrointestinal (GI) wall. It's a highly promising endoscopic procedure that allows full-thickness excision of a small piece of the complete GI wall by using only a flexible endoscope. EFTR is a meeting point between surgery and endoscopy and probably the onset of many prospective combined minimally invasive therapeutic techniques that science will explore. In this review, use of the EFTR technique for gastrointestinal SMTs is highlighted, focusing on some technical aspects, indications, contraindications and outcomes.

Submucosal fibrosis in achalasia patients is a rare cause of aborted peroral endoscopic myotomy procedures

Background and aims Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is now an established treatment for esophageal achalasia. The standard protocol ensures a smooth operation in most patients, but technical challenges and failures exist and little is known about the incidence, causes, and impact of aborted procedures. Here, using a large patient cohort, we attempted to answer these questions. Methods All patients admitted for planned POEM between August 2010 and July 2015 underwent chart review. Aborted POEM was defined as the inability to finish the procedure after submucosal injection. The cause of the failure, clinical course, management, and follow-up data were analyzed. Results Thirteen of the 1693 POEMs (0.77 %) were aborted. Out of the 13 failures, 12 (92.3 %) were due to severe submucosal fibrosis, which precluded tunneling, and one (7.7 %) was due to atrial fibrillation related to the electric current of the endoscopic knife. Submucosal fibrosis, prior Heller myotomy, and age ( ≥ 60 years) were related to technical failure, while a disease duration of ≥ 6 years, sigmoid esophagus, mucosal edema, and prior interventions were risk factors for the presence of fibrotic changes. In turn, fibrosis was correlated with a prolonged operation, longer hospital stay, more mucosal injuries, and more major perioperative adverse events. Finally, the yearly frequency of aborted POEMs decreased after the second year as operators became more experienced. Conclusions Aborted POEM is a rare event and is largely due to the presence of submucosal fibrosis, which not only causes increased procedural difficulties, but also gives rise to major adverse events.