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Despite the introduction of serological neoplastic biomarkers and typical radiological characteristics in clinical practice, liver biopsy (LB) is often still necessary to establish a histological diagnosis, especially in ambiguous cases. Nowadays, LB via the percutaneous approach (PC-LB), under computed tomography (CT) scan or ultrasonography (US) guidance, is the route of choice. However, certain focal liver lesions can be challenging to access percutaneously. In such cases, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle biopsy (FNB) may represent an attractive, minimally invasive alternative. This retrospective observational study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, diagnostic performance, and safety of EUS-FNB conducted on 58 focal liver lesions located in both liver lobes. The adequacy of FNB samples for focal liver lesions located in the left and right lobes was 100% and 81.2%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Technical success was 100% for both liver lobes. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 95% and 100%, respectively. EUS-FNB is effective in making an accurate diagnosis with an excellent safety profile for focal liver lesions located in both liver lobes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Gastric outlet obstruction is a clinical syndrome caused by a variety of mechanical obstructions. Peptic ulcer disease used to be responsible for most gastric outlet obstruction, but in the last 40 years the prevalence of malignant tumors has risen significantly. Adhesive disease is an infrequent and insidious cause of mechanical gastric outlet obstruction. Case presentation We report the case of a 78-year-old Caucasian man who had a clinical history of a right nephrectomy for malignancy three years earlier and who was admitted for a severe gastric outlet obstruction (score of 1) confirmed both by an upper endoscopy and by a fluoroscopic view after contrast injection. A computed tomography scan and a laparotomy, with omental biopsies, showed a peritoneal carcinomatosis with the development of abdominal adhesions that prompted an abnormal gastric rotation around the perpendicular axis of his antrum with a dislocation in the empty space of his right kidney. Symptoms disappeared after surgical bypass through a gastrojejunostomy. Conclusions Our patient experienced a very rare complication characterized by the development of adhesions due to peritoneal carcinomatosis caused by a renal carcinoma treated with nephrectomy. These adhesions prompted an abnormal dislocation of his antrum, as an internal hernia, in the empty space of his right kidney.

Abstract Background Liver involvement, including elevated direct-reacting bilirubin levels, is common in patients with sickle cell disease. Fifty to seventy percent of sickle cell patients have pigmented gallstones due to precipitation of unconjugated bilirubin, and cholelithiasis or choledocholithiasis are common complications. The highest prevalence of these complications occurs in patients with Gilbert's syndrome because of the combined effect of increased bilirubin production and reduced bilirubin-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase enzyme activity. Cholelithiasis is also a common complication in patients with thalassemia. Endoscopic removal of choledochal stones does not always resolve the clinical picture, as in cases of dysfunction of the Vater's papilla, increased bile density due to persistently impaired bile flow or distortion of the choledocus due to dilatation, or inflammation secondary to gallstone. Case presentation We report here a case of severe and persistent obstructive jaundice in a child affected with thalassodrepanocytosis and Gilbert's syndrome, previously, and unsuccessfully, treated with endoscopic removal of choledochal stones. Deep and thorough biliary washing, and stenting with a new removable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered flared-type stent led to complete resolution of the obstructive jaundice. Conclusions This report shows that an aggressive endoscopic approach in this select category of patients can help resolve the severe complication of hemolytic anemia, thus avoiding surgery.

Abstract A comparative food ethnobotanical study was carried out in twenty-one local communities in Italy, fourteen of which were located in Northern Italy, one in Central Italy, one in Sardinia, and four in Southern Italy. 549 informants were asked to name and describe food uses of wild botanicals they currently gather and consume. Data showed that gathering, processing and consuming wild food plants are still important activities in all the selected areas. A few botanicals were quoted and cited in multiple areas, demonstrating that there are ethnobotanical contact points among the various Italian regions (Asparagus acutifolius, Reichardia picroides, Cichorium intybus, Foeniculum vulgare, Sambucus nigra, Silene vulgaris, Taraxacum officinale, Urtica dioica, Sonchus and Valerianella spp.). One taxon (Borago officinalis) in particular was found to be among the most quoted taxa in both the Southern and the Northern Italian sites. However, when we took into account data regarding the fifteen most quoted taxa in each site and compared and statistically analysed these, we observed that there were a few differences in the gathering and consumption of wild food plants between Northern and Southern Italy. In the North, Rosaceae species prevailed, whereas in the South, taxa belonging to the Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, and Liliaceae s.l. families were most frequently cited. We proposed the hypothesis that these differences may be due to the likelihood that in Southern Italy the erosion of TK on wild vegetables is taking place more slowly, and also to the likelihood that Southern Italians' have a higher appreciation of wild vegetables that have a strong and bitter taste. A correspondence analysis confirmed that the differences in the frequencies of quotation of wild plants within the Northern and the Southern Italian sites could be ascribed only partially to ethnic/cultural issues. An additional factor could be recent socio-economic shifts, which may be having a continued effort on people's knowledge of wild food plants and the way they use them. Finally, after having compared the collected data with the most important international and national food ethnobotanical databases that focus on wild edible plants, we pointed out a few uncommon plant food uses (e.g. Celtis aetnensis fruits, Cicerbita alpine shoots, Helichrysum italicum leaves, Lonicera caprifolium fruits, Symphytum officinale leaves), which are new, or have thus far been recorded only rarely.

Background Anastomotic biliary strictures (ABS) following liver transplantation (LT) are one of the most common complications, occurring in 4.5-32% of patients. Multiple plastic stenting (MPS) requires multiple sessions, with the associated risk, cost and patient discomfort. Fully covered selfexpandable metal stents (FC-SEMS) have increasingly been used in this setting. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comparing the role of FC-SEMS and MPS in the treatment of ABS post-LT. Methods We conducted a bibliographic search using PubMed and EMBASE, aimed at identifying available RCTs that compared MPS to FC-SEMS in patients with ABS post LT from January 2000 to October 2017. Primary outcomes were ABS resolution and recurrence, while secondary outcomes were adverse events and number of procedures performed. Pooled estimates were calculated using random-effects models. Results Four RCTs (205 patients) were included. ABS resolution and recurrence did not differ significantly between the groups (odds ratio [OR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43-2.56, P=0.92; and OR 2.37, 95%CI 0.54-10.38, P=0.25). The same was true for adverse events (OR 0.91, 95%CI 0.84-3.48, P=0.86) and migration rate (OR 1.31, 95%CI 0.46-3.71, P=0.61). The mean number of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedures was lower for FC-SEMS (mean difference [MD] -2.08). Conclusions FC-SEMS and MPS had equal ABS resolution and recurrence, although there was a trend towards a higher recurrence rate in FC-SEMS that disappeared when trials with a shorter stent indwelling time were excluding. No difference was found in overall adverse events or migration rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]