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Background and Aims: GI angiodysplastic (GIAD) lesions are an important cause of blood loss throughout the GI tract, particularly in elderly persons. The aim of this study was to determine whether mortality rates in patients with GIAD were higher for weekend compared with weekday hospital admissions., Methods: We performed a retrospective study using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2000 to 2011 including inpatients with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code for gastrointestinal GIAD (code 537.82 or 537.83). We assessed rates of delayed endoscopy (examinations performed >24 hours after admission), intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and in-hospital mortality rates. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for mortality., Results: There were 85,971 discharges for GIAD between 2000 and 2011, of which 69,984 (81%) were weekday hospital admissions and 15,987 (19%) were weekend admissions. Patients with weekend versus weekday admissions were more likely to undergo delayed endoscopic examination (35% vs 26%, P ≤ .0001). Mortality rates were higher for patients with weekend admissions (2% vs 1%, P = .0002). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for inpatient mortality associated with weekend admissions was elevated (2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-3.9; P = .0005). Rates of delayed endoscopic examinations were lower in patients with higher socioeconomic status (aOR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68-0.88). ICU admission rates were higher for weekend compared with weekday admissions (8% vs 6%, P = .004). The presence of a delayed endoscopic examination was associated with an increased length of stay of 1.3 days (95% CI, 1.2-1.4 days)., Conclusions: Weekend admissions for angiodysplasia were associated with higher odds of mortality, ICU admissions, higher rates of delayed endoscopic procedures, longer lengths of stay, and higher hospital charges., (Copyright © 2016 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. All rights reserved.)

Background: The advent of wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) has revolutionized the diagnostic approach to small-bowel disease. However, the task of reviewing WCE video sequences is laborious and time-consuming; software tools offering automated video analysis would enable a timelier and potentially a more accurate diagnosis., Objective: To assess the validity of innovative, automatic lesion-detection software in WCE., Design/intervention: A color feature-based pattern recognition methodology was devised and applied to the aforementioned image group., Setting: This study was performed at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and the Technological Educational Institute of Central Greece, Lamia, Greece., Materials: A total of 137 deidentified WCE single images, 77 showing pathology and 60 normal images., Results: The proposed methodology, unlike state-of-the-art approaches, is capable of detecting several different types of lesions. The average performance, in terms of the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, reached 89.2 ± 0.9%. The best average performance was obtained for angiectasias (97.5 ± 2.4%) and nodular lymphangiectasias (96.3 ± 3.6%)., Limitations: Single expert for annotation of pathologies, single type of WCE model, use of single images instead of entire WCE videos., Conclusion: A simple, yet effective, approach allowing automatic detection of all types of abnormalities in capsule endoscopy is presented. Based on color pattern recognition, it outperforms previous state-of-the-art approaches. Moreover, it is robust in the presence of luminal contents and is capable of detecting even very small lesions., (Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recent data suggest that administration of prokinetics before gastroscopy may be useful in patients with acute upper GI bleeding (UGIB). Published studies are limited in the number of subjects evaluated, and the conclusions are disparate., Objective: To assess the evidence of administering prokinetic agents before EGD in acute UGIB., Design and Setting: Comprehensive literature searches from 1990 to January 2010 were performed. We selected for meta-analysis randomized trials assessing prokinetic agents in acute UGIB. The primary outcome was the need for a repeat EGD. Secondary outcomes included endoscopic visualization, blood transfusions, duration of hospitalization, and surgery. Results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) or weighted mean differences (WMDs)., Results: From 487 citations identified, we selected 3 fully published articles and 2 abstracts assessing a total of 316 patients. Erythromycin (3 studies) and metoclopramide (2 studies) were compared with either placebo (2 studies) or no treatment (3 studies). A prokinetic agent significantly reduced the need for repeat EGD (OR 0.55; 95% CI, 0.32-0.94). The number of units of blood was not significantly altered (WMD, -0.40; 95% CI, -0.86 to 0.06) nor was hospital stay (WMD, -1.04; 95% CI, -2.83 to 0.76) or the need for surgery (OR 1.11; 95% CI, 0.27-4.67). Endoscopic visualization was not analyzed because the disparate definitions across studies did not allow for meaningful clinical inferences., Limitations: The results are limited by the small number of subjects., Conclusions: Intravenous erythromycin or metoclopramide immediately before EGD in acute UGIB patients decreases the need for a repeat EGD, but does not improve other clinically relevant measurable outcomes., (Copyright © 2010 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Duodenal diverticulum (DD) is a rare cause of upper-GI bleeding. The diagnosis and treatment of DD bleeding (DDB) is challenging. Surgical management was the mainstay of therapy before the 1990s., Objective: To evaluate the clinical feature, diagnosis, and management of cases of DDB at our institution and the literature after the first description of endoscopic therapy of this disease., Design: Retrospective single-center clinical review., Setting: Primary- and tertiary-care centers., Patients: A retrospective study of patients with DDB from January 2000 to January 2005 at Changhua Christian Medical Center., Main Outcome Measurements: Diagnostic yield and therapy results of endoscopy on DDB., Results: At our institution, from January 2000 to January 2005, a total of 11 patients (4 men and 7 women, mean age 75 years) were found to have DDB. The diverticulum was located in the second portion (n = 10) and the third portion (n = 1). Endoscopy was used as the diagnostic method in all of these cases and as the therapeutic method in 72.73% of these cases. None of our patients experienced recurrent bleeding., Limitations: The study is limited to the small case number and was retrospective., Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report and the largest series that studied endoscopic management of DDB in the literature. We concluded that endoscopy is useful to diagnose and treat patients with DDB.

Background: Aorto-enteric fistula is rare but can result in exsanguination without timely surgery or endovascular stent placement., Methods: Four cases of aorto-enteric fistula were reviewed in which the presentation was unusual and diagnosis difficult., Observations: The first patient had an aorto-sigmoid fistula in the setting of an aorto-bi-femoral graft. Two patients had a primary aorto-enteric fistula, one to the stomach from a suprarenal aortic aneurysm, and the other, to the duodenum in the setting of retroperitoneal spread of renal cancer. The aortoduodenal fistula recurred in the 4th patient within 3 months of surgical repair; this patient is the only one who survived long term., Conclusions: When presentation is atypical, the diagnosis of aorto-enteric fistula can be extremely difficult. Because investigative studies are not consistently useful in making a definitive pre-operative diagnosis, a strong index of clinical suspicion and a willingness to consider surgical exploration are essential for timely and successful management.

Background: The diagnosis of Henoch-Schönlein purpura is difficult, especially when abdominal symptoms precede cutaneous lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of GI involvement in Henoch-Schönlein purpura., Methods: Endoscopic or radiographic findings throughout the entire GI tract were retrospectively reviewed for 7 patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Histopathologic findings were analyzed and correlated with findings at EGD and colonoscopy., Observations: The duodenum and small intestine were most frequently involved (6 patients, each site). Contrast radiography of the small intestine demonstrated thickened mucosal folds or small barium flecks. Findings at EGD were multiple irregular ulcers, mucosal redness and petechiae in the duodenum. In 4 patients, the second part of the duodenum was predominantly affected. Ulcerating lesions accompanied by hematoma-like protrusions were detected in 4 patients in whom leukocytoclastic vasculitis was proven histopathologically., Conclusions: EGD appears to have the greatest diagnostic utility in patients suspected to have Henoch-Schönlein purpura with GI involvement.

Background: Little is known about the yield and accuracy of endoscopic examination with the duodenoscope after ERCP, and there appears to be no uniform standard of practice for endoscopic examination in this setting., Methods: Over a 1-year period, all patients undergoing ERCP also underwent endoscopic examination of the duodenum, stomach, and esophagus with the duodenoscope upon completion of ERCP. Patients were then placed in the left lateral decubitus position and upper endoscopy was performed with a standard forward-viewing endoscope. The same investigator performed both endoscopic examinations. Patients were queried about prior ulcer disease, upper GI symptoms, and use of antisecretory medication as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs., Results: During the 12-month study, 368 patients (mean age 53 years) underwent 474 procedures. The most frequent indication for ERCP was suspected choledocholithiasis (24%). Endoscopic examination was normal in 42% of patients, and the most frequent endoscopic finding was hiatal hernia (132 patients, 36%). The lesions most frequently missed with the duodenoscope were trauma at the upper esophageal sphincter (12 patients) and small benign gastric polyps (3 patients). Examination with the duodenoscope was superior to the forward-viewing endoscope for identification of Schatzki's ring. No carcinoma, gastric varices, or severe esophagitis were missed with the duodenoscope., Conclusions: Given the frequency of endoscopic lesions, a yield of positive findings similar to that obtained with the forward-viewing endoscope, and the ease of performing endoscopy with the duodenoscope, endoscopic examination of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum with the duodenoscope should become standard practice after ERCP.

Background: Duodenal diverticula are acquired lesions found more often in older patients; when located near the major duodenal papilla they are called juxtapapillary. The prevalence of juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula (JDD) in the general population is around 20%; they are often associated with biliary lithiasis. This study assessed the association between JDD and biliary stone disease, particularly choledocholithiasis., Methods: Four hundred fifty ERCPs were performed in 420 patients from 1995 through 1999. The results for 300 ERCPs that were performed in 285 patients for suspected biliary lithiasis were analyzed., Results: JDD were present in 21.42% of the 420 patients; most were found in patients in the eighth and ninth decades of life. Patients with JDD had bile duct stones alone more often than patients without JDD (44% vs. 24%). According to their features, these bile duct stones were characterized as mainly primary. The existence of JDD influences bile duct diameter irrespectively of the presence of bile duct stones., Conclusions: JDD are important causative factors in the formation of bile duct stones.