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Background and Objectives: The main clinical practice guidelines recommend adequate periprocedural withdrawal and reintroduction of antithrombotic drugs in case of invasive techniques. The main objective of this study was to assess whether, in patients receiving anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy, the suppression or reduction of the pharmacological dose for the performance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) implies a greater risk of thromboembolic events., Patients and Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out, which included 644ERCP performed with therapeutic intention during 2019 at the Reina Sofía University Hospital with follow-up during the 30days after the endoscopic intervention., Results: Six patients presented a thromboembolic event, finding no differences between the incorrect withdrawal/reintroduction of antithrombotic treatment and a higher proportion of thromboembolic or hemorrhagic events after the procedure (P>.05). The incidence of thrombotic events was significantly higher in patients treated with heparin or apixaban (P=.001), as well as with a history of atrial fibrillation (P=.05), rheumatic valve disease (P=.037) and recurrent pulmonary embolism (P=.035), this being also an independent risk factor. Likewise, the incidence of hemorrhage in the 30days post-sphincterotomy was significantly lower in those with implantation of a biliary prosthesis (P=.04)., Conclusions: Inadequate periprocedural management of antithrombotic therapy is not associated with a significant increase in the incidence of thromboembolic events in the 30days after ERCP. However, close follow-up and surveillance during the days after this is essential in those patients with a condition that significantly increases the risk of thrombosis., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To determine the prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated with portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis., Patients and Methods: Cross-sectional study including a consecutive cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis enrolled in a screening program of oesophageal varices who underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy from November, 2013, to November, 2018. Clinical predictors of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression., Results: A total of 379 patients were included. The most frequent aetiology of liver disease was alcohol consumption (60.4%). The prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated with portal hypertension was 39.6% (n=150). Among 96 patients with peptic lesions, urease was obtained in 56.2% of patients (positive in 44.4% of them). The prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension was not associated with age, gender, liver function or ultrasound findings of portal hypertension. The prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension was not associated with age, gender, liver function or ultrasound findings of portal hypertension. Smokers had a trend to increased prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension (43.2% vs. 34.6%; p=0.09), particularly peptic ulcer (6.4% vs. 0.6%; p=0.05) and peptic duodenitis (17.3% vs. 6.3%; p=0.002). Active smoking was the only independent predictor of peptic ulcer or duodenitis (OR=2.56; p=0.017)., Conclusion: Active smoking is a risk factor for endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension. This finding should be further investigated to reassess endoscopic screening programs in cirrhotic smokers., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Aims: A high quality colonoscopy is key in preventing colorectal cancer, but the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) exists. The aims of the study were to investigate the incidence, characteristics and predictive factors of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC)., Material and Method: A retrospective and prospective observational study was designed. A population undergoing colonoscopy between 1-01-1997 and 31-12-2014 was included. We analysed demographic variables, characteristics of the diagnostic colonoscopy of CRC, of the previous ones and the lesions found in them. To compare the PCCRC group versus the CRC group without previous colonoscopy, the Student's t-test and multiple logistic regression were used to determine predictive factors of PCCRC (SPSS ® 15). The statistical significance was P<.05., Results: A total of 56,984 colonoscopies, 1,977 CRC and 132 patients (mean 70.8 years old, 56.8% male) with at least one colonoscopy in 10 years before were registered (PCCRC). Seventy and a half percent of the previous colonoscopies were completed and 63.7% had an adequate bowel preparation. Predictive factors of PCCRC were personal history of polyps (OR 35.01; 95% CI 11.1-110.8; P<.001), previous CRC (OR 176.64; 95% CI 51.5-606.1); P<.001), family history of CRC (OR 3.14; 95% CI 1.5-6.4); P=.002) and proximal CRC (OR 3.15; 95% CI 2.1-4.9; P<.001)., Conclusions: PCCRC rate in 10 years was 6.7%. An adequate follow-up and a high-quality colonoscopy could prevent PCCRC, especially in patients with risk factors., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In patients who have undergone partial gastric resections, the difficulty of performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is increased due to the resulting anatomic abnormality., Aim: To review our experience of ERCP in patients with Billroth II gastrectomy and other types of gastrectomy (Billroth I and indeterminate) in our center., Material and Methods: We included all patients with Billroth II gastrectomy or other types of gastrectomy undergoing ERCP in a 19-year period., Results: We included 233 patients (91% men and 9% women) from 1993 to 2012. A total of 88.4% of the patients had undergone Billroth II and 11.6% had undergone other types of gastrectomy, with an ERCP success rate of 51.9% and 55.6%, respectively. The most common causes of failure were inability to cannulate (44%) and failure to identify the papilla (39.6%). The final diagnosis was choledocholithiasis in 31.8%. The mean number of sessions was 1.09. The complications rate was 2.6%., Conclusions: The success of ERCP is influenced by the technical difficulty. For this reason, the success rate in our center was slightly over 50%, but with few complications., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. and AEEH y AEG. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Pneumatic dilation and surgical myotomy are currently the procedures of choice to treat achalasia. The selection of one or other treatment depends on the experience of each center and patient preferences., Background and Aims: To review the experience of pneumatic dilation in patients with achalasia in our center., Material and Methods: We included all patients with a clinical, endoscopic and manometric diagnosis compatible with achalasia who underwent pneumatic dilation in a 19-year period. All dilations were routinely performed with a Rigiflex(®) balloon, usually at pressures of 250, 250 and 300mm Hg in three inflations of one minute, each separated by one minute. The success of the dilation was assessed on the basis of the patient's symptoms, the number of sessions, the need for surgery, and the presence of complications., Results: A total of 171 patients were included, 53.2% men and 46.8% women, with a mean age of 51.53±17.78 years (16-87 years), from June 1993 to October 2012. A 35-mm balloon was used in 157 patients, a 30-mm balloon in 9 patients and a 40-mm balloon in 7 patients. A single dilation session was required in 108 patients, two sessions were required in 56 patients, with a mean time between the first and second sessions of 25.23±43.25 months (1-215 months), and 3 sessions were required in 7 patients with a mean time between the second and third sessions of 6.86±5.33 months (1-15 months). Outcome after dilation was successful in 81% of the patients. Of the 140 responders, 121 had complete response (complete disappearance of symptoms without recurrence) and 19 partial response (initial disappearance of symptoms with subsequent reappearance). Surgery (Heller myotomy) was required in 15.8% of the patients. Perforation occurred in 4 of the 171 patients as a complication of the technique; these perforations were satisfactorily resolved, two by conservative treatment and two by surgery. There was no mortality associated with the technique or its complications., Conclusions: In our series, pneumatic dilation had a high success rate. In most patients, a single session was required and the complications rate was low. These results show that this technique is safe and effective in these patients, avoiding a large number of surgical interventions., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. and AEEH y AEG. All rights reserved.)

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an underdiagnosed disease that should be suspected in all patients with dysphagia and food impaction. Although these are the leading symptoms, the clinical and endoscopic spectrum is highly varied. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of endoscopy-related complications in this disorder. Precautions should be maximized in endoscopic examinations to avoid iatrogenic damage. We describe the case of a young patient with esophageal stricture and dysphagia who suffered a perforation following a biopsy., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Background: in recent years many factors have been shown to influence dose received by the patient during ERCP. Therefore it is necessary to update radio induced cancer risk., Objectives: to calculate lifetime attributable risk of cancer during ERCP. To compare the risk with the most common X-ray examinations., Design: descriptive study with 393 consecutive ERCP performed at one center. Equipment used was Philips BV pulsera. In each exploration demographic and anthropometric variables of the patient were collected. Dosimetric quantities were calculated from exposure parameters. Effective dose was estimated using specific conversion factors. Organ doses and radio induced cancer incidence was estimated., Results: dose area product was 0.82 mGym2(IQR 0.4-1.5) with an average fluoroscopy time of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Entrance surface dose was 30.7 mGy (IQR 15-60.8) and effective dose was 0.44 mSv (IQR 0.2-0.9). Multivariate analysis identified that difficult papillary cannulation (β 0.4; p = 0.009), patient age (β-0.01; p = 0.001) and therapeutic applied (β= 0.89; p < 0.001) influenced dose-area product. The ERCP dose would be equivalent to the radiation received by twenty chest radiographs and would be about fourteen times smaller than a barium enema or twenty times less than that received during an abdominal CT. Life-time attributable risk of cancer incidence was 4.08 and 16.81 per million procedures in diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP respectively., Conclusions: from the radiological point of view, ERCP is a safe technique that uses low exposure levels compared to other explorations commonly used in medicine. It implies a reasonably low risk of radio induced cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the phenotype and genotype characteristic of patients included in the Andalusian Registry for familial adenomatous polyposis, the genotype/phenotype correlation and the impact of Registry in the frequency of colorectal cancer of registered., Material and Methods: A descriptive study of 77 patients with FAP belonging to 33 families, included in a centralized database visited by the physicians of the hospitals taking part in the present study, on prior signing of confidentiality letters. All genetic studies were carried out in the Immunology Service of our institution., Results: We have included in our study 77 patients of 33 families; 31 probands with a mean age of 32 years (13-51) and 46 relatives at risk with a mean age of 21.8 years (6-55). Genetic study informed in 68/77 with positive result in 92.6%. Ten probands showed colorectal cancer (CRC) at the time of diagnosis (32.2%). Only two affected relatives showed CRC at diagnosis (4.3%), a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Gastrointestinal involvement was observed in 30/61 (49%), desmoid tumors in 7/77 (9.1%) and congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium in 23/55 (65.7%). 86.7% of patients with this alteration showed mutations between codons 454 and 1019, with a statistically significant correlation ((p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The registry has facilitated the genetic diagnosis for all affected families disregard their province of origin. It has also improved the screening of affected relatives and has made it possible to take preventive measures immediately, therefore diminishing the incidence of CRC at diagnosis in registered affected relatives. The correlation between congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium with some mutations is the only phenotypic-genotypic correlation with statistical significance.

Background and Objectives: Familial adenomatous polyposis is an inherited disorder characterized by the presence of multiple colorectal adenomas (more than 100 in the classic form and between 10 and 100 in the attenuated one), with a high risk of colorectal cancer development. To improve the diagnostic and therapeutic management of these patients, the Spanish Registry of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis was created in 2007.We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis in Spain., Patients and Methods: All patients included in the Registry during one year were evaluated with respect to their demographic, clinical, pathological, and genetic characteristics., Results: 243 patients of 156 unrelated families from 15 Spanish centers were included. One hundred thirty patients were male, and the mean age at diagnosis was 40 years. According to the clinical presentation, 127 corresponded to the classic form and 116 to the attenuated one. Colorectal adenoma with high-grade dysplasia was identified in 67 (28%) patients, and colorectal cancer in 42 (17%). Extracolonic manifestations were: duodenal involvement (n=46), gastric involvement (n=44), desmoid tumors (n=24), thyroid cancer (n=8), osteomas (n=6) and brain tumor (n=1). APC and/or MYH gene testing was performed in 140 (90%) families, detecting the causative mutation in 75 (54%) of them (70 in the APC gene and 5 in the MYH gene)., Conclusions: During its first year of operability, a large number of patients and families were included in the Registry. The reduced prevalence of colorectal cancer as well as the large proportion of families submitted to gene testing demonstrated a high-quality clinical practice in Spain., (Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Background: Placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes can require endoscopic support., Aim: To analyze the usefulness of transnasal ultrathin endoscopy in the placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes., Patients and Methods: We performed an ambispective study of all patients who underwent nasoenteral feeding (4.9 mm) in 2007., Results: Twenty-six procedures were performed. The mean age of the patients was 69.3+/-13 years. Nasal anesthesia was used in 23 patients (88.4%), and midazolam in 8 (30.8%). No anesthesia was used in 4 patients (15.3%)., Indications: stenotic esophageal lesions (42.3%), distal placement to the pathological alteration (46.1%), and failure of placement through the normal route (11.5%). We placed 13 (50%) nasoduodenal, 7 (29.6%) nasogastric and 6 (23.1%) nasojejunal tubes. The success rate was 100%. The most frequently used calibre was 12 F. There were no complications., Conclusions: The use of transnasal ultrathin endoscopy in the placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes in our patients was safe, effective and relatively easy.

Background: There is scant information on the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients under 18., Objective: To analyze our experience in all patients under 18 who underwent ERCP., Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective study of all ERCP conducted in patients under 18 between 1993 and 2006. We analyzed indications, endoscopic and radiologic findings, diagnostic and therapeutic success, and complications., Results: We included 31 patients who underwent 36 ERCP in total. The mean age was 9.89 +/- 5 years old. We used general anesthesia in 58.3% (21 patients), with a mean age of 8 +/- 5 years. The most frequent indications were complications after liver transplantation in 33.3% (12 patients), suspicion of biliary obstruction in 27.7% (10 patients), and pancreatitis in 22.2% (8 patients). We achieved cannulation and repletion in the selected duct in 94.4%. The most frequent pathologic findings were changes in the biliary tract after liver transplantation in 25% (9 patients). The results of ERCP were normal in 10 patients (27.7%). Therapeutic maneuvers were indicated in 17 out of the 34 (50%) examinations considered, achieving therapeutic success in 76.47% (13/17). Complications consisted of hemorrhage after simple sphincterotomy in one patient (2.8%) and mild pancreatitis in two patients (5.6%)., Conclusions: We found ERCP to be a safe procedure with a high diagnostic and therapeutic success rate, and a low rate of early complications.

Endoscopic biliary drainage through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a widely accepted therapeutic option in malignant biliary obstructions. However, the procedure is not free of complications. Perforation is one possible complication although it is much less frequent (less than 1%) than pancreatitis (5.4%) or hemorrhage (2%). We present 2 cases of duodenal perforation after placement of a biliary prosthesis through ERCP. Both patients had extensive hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Onset of symptoms of perforation occurred a few hours after placement of the prosthesis and the diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomography and laparotomy. We believe that the mechanism through which perforation occurred was proximal adhesion of the prosthesis to the tumor. This increased the intensity of distal trauma produced by the intraduodenal segment, preventing adaptation of the prosthesis to intestinal peristalsis. A good preventive measure would consist of correctly adjusting the length of the prosthesis in relation to the proximal end of the biliary stenosis.

Background: Biliary diseases represent particular diagnostic and therapeutic problems in elderly patients., Methods: Patients 90 years of age or older who underwent ERCP from January 1993 to September 2001 were studied retrospectively., Results: A total of 126 patients underwent 147 ERCP procedures (range 1-5 per patient). Twelve additional ERCPs were performed in 9 of the patients during follow-up because of recurrent symptoms. A total of 159 procedures were, therefore, available for analysis. The most frequent indications were suspicion of bile duct stones (46.8%) and obstructive jaundice (35.7%). Midazolam (95.6%) was used for conscious sedation and hyoscine (74.8%) for duodenal ileus. Patient tolerance of the procedure was good in 92.4% of sessions. Diagnoses included bile duct stones (54%), bile duct dilatation without any apparent obstruction (11.9%), and malignant stenosis (9.5%). Therapeutic procedures were indicated in 95.6% of diagnosed patients and completed in 96.3% of cases. Complications occurred in association with 2.5% of the ERCP procedures; the procedure-related mortality rate was 0.7%., Conclusions: ERCP in elderly patients is practicable. The complication rate is low, and therapeutic efficacy is good.

The aim of this study was to know if endoscopic sphincterectomy could be an alternative to cholecystectomy in high surgical risk patients that have suffered acute biliary pancreatitis. Between January 1992 to December 1995 endoscopic sphincterectomy was carried out in 52 high surgical risk patients who had suffered an episode of acute biliary pancreatitis. The lithiasic gallbladder was not removed. The mean age was 75.6 years (35-91). After a follow up of 15.9 months (1-46.5), no patient suffered from a new episode of acute pancreatitis. Six patients (12%) required cholecystectomy due to complications derived from the lithiasic gallbladder. Endoscopic sphincterectomy is an effective alternative to cholecystectomy in the prevention of new episodes of acute biliary pancreatitis in patients with lithiasic gallbladder and high surgical risk. The complications of the lithiasic gallbladder in situ after endoscopic sphincterectomy are relatively infrequent.