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Background Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with biliary brush cytology is commonly used to diagnose malignant pancreatobiliary strictures. This trial compared the sensitivity of two intraductal brush cytology devices. Methods A randomized controlled trial in which consecutive patients with suspected malignant, extrahepatic biliary strictures were randomized (1:1) to a dense or conventional brush cytology device. Primary endpoint was sensitivity. Interim analysis was conducted after 50% of the patients completed follow-up. Results were interpreted by a data safety monitoring board. Results Between June 2016 and June 2021, 64 patients were randomized to the dense (27 patients, 42%) or conventional brush (37 patients, 58%). Malignancy was diagnosed in 60 patients (94%) and benign disease in 4 patients (6%). Diagnoses were confirmed by histopathology in 34 patients (53%), cytopathology in 24 patients (38%), and clinical or radiological follow up in 6 patients (9%). Sensitivity of the dense brush was 50%, compared to 44% for the conventional brush (p = 0·785). Discussion The results of this randomized controlled trial showed that the sensitivity of a dense brush is not superior to a conventional brush for diagnosing malignant extrahepatic pancreatobiliary strictures. This trial was prematurely ended for reasons of futility. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register number; NTR5458.

Background: Follow-up in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) aims to detect advanced neoplasia (high-grade dysplasia/cancer) in an early stage. The 2015 American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), 2017 International Association of Pancreatology (IAP), and the 2018 European Study Group on Cystic tumours of the Pancreas (European) guidelines differ in their recommendations on indications for surgery. However, it remains unclear which guideline is most accurate in predicting advanced neoplasia in IPMN. Methods: Patients who underwent surgery were extracted from a prospective database (January 2006–January 2021). In patients with IPMN, final pathology was compared with the indication for surgery according to the guidelines. ROC-curves were calculated to determine the diagnostic accuracy for each guideline. Results: Overall, 247 patients underwent surgery for cystic lesions. In 145 patients with IPMN, 52 had advanced neoplasia, of which the AGA guideline would have advised surgery in 14 (27%), the IAP and European guideline in 49 (94%) and 50 (96%). In 93 patients without advanced neoplasia, the AGA, IAP, and European guidelines would incorrectly have advised surgery in 8 (8.6%), 77 (83%) and 71 (76%). Conclusion: The European and IAP guidelines are clearly superior in detecting advanced neoplasia in IPMN as compared to the AGA, albeit at the cost of a higher rate of unnecessary surgery. To harmonize care and to avoid confusion caused by conflicting statements, a global evidence-based guideline for PCN in collaboration with the various guidelines groups is required once the current guidelines require an update.

Acute pancreatitis (AP), chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic cancer are three distinct pancreatic diseases with different prognoses and treatment options. However, it may be difficult to differentiate between benign and malignant disease. AP may be a first symptom of pancreatic cancer, particularly in patients between the ages of 56 and 75 with presumed idiopathic AP who had a concomitant diagnosis of new-onset diabetes mellitus or patients who present with CP at diagnosis of AP. In these patients, additional imaging is warranted, preferably by endoscopic ultrasonography. CP may lead to pancreatic cancer through oncogenic mutations, mostly in patients with hereditary CP, and in patients in whom risk factors for pancreatic cancer (e.g., nicotine and alcohol abuse) are also present. Patients with PRSS1-mediated CP and patients with a history of autosomal dominant hereditary CP without known genetic mutations may be considered for surveillance for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic inflammation may mimic pancreatic cancer by appearing as a focal mass-forming lesion on imaging. Differentiation between the above mentioned benign and malignant disease may be facilitated by specific features like the duct-penetrating sign and the duct-to-parenchyma ratio. Research efforts are aimed towards developing a superior discriminant between pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer in the form of imaging modalities or biomarkers. This may aid clinicians in timely diagnosing pancreatic cancer in a potentially curable stage.

Main RecommendationsESGE suggests endoscopic therapy and/or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) as the first-line therapy for painful uncomplicated chronic pancreatitis (CP) with an obstructed main pancreatic duct (MPD) in the head/body of the pancreas. The clinical response should be evaluated at 6 – 8 weeks; if it appears unsatisfactory, the patient’s case should be discussed again in a multidisciplinary team and surgical options should be considered.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE suggests, for the selection of patients for initial or continued endoscopic therapy and/or ESWL, taking into consideration predictive factors associated with a good long-term outcome. These include, at initial work-up, absence of MPD stricture, a short disease duration, non-severe pain, absence or cessation of cigarette smoking and of alcohol intake, and, after initial treatment, complete removal of obstructive pancreatic stones and resolution of pancreatic duct stricture with stenting.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends ESWL for the clearance of radiopaque obstructive MPD stones larger than 5 mm located in the head/body of the pancreas and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for MPD stones that are radiolucent or smaller than 5 mm. Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE suggests restricting the use of endoscopic therapy after ESWL to patients with no spontaneous clearance of pancreatic stones after adequate fragmentation by ESWL.Weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE suggests treating painful dominant MPD strictures with a single 10-Fr plastic stent for one uninterrupted year if symptoms improve after initial successful MPD drainage. The stent should be exchanged if necessary, based on symptoms or signs of stent dysfunction at regular pancreas imaging at least every 6 months. ESGE suggests consideration of surgery or multiple side-by-side plastic stents for symptomatic MPD strictures persisting beyond 1 year after the initial single plastic stenting, following multidisciplinary discussion. Weak recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends endoscopic drainage over percutaneous or surgical treatment for uncomplicated chronic pancreatitis (CP)-related pseudocysts that are within endoscopic reach.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE recommends retrieval of transmural plastic stents at least 6 weeks after pancreatic pseudocyst regression if MPD disruption has been excluded, and long-term indwelling of transmural double-pigtail plastic stents in patients with disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE suggests the temporary insertion of multiple side-by-side plastic stents or of a fully covered self-expandable metal stent (FCSEMS) for treating CP-related benign biliary strictures.Weak recommendation, moderate quality evidence.ESGE recommends maintaining a registry of patients with biliary stents and recalling them for stent removal or exchange.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.

Background A forward-viewing linear (FVL) echoendoscope has been developed with the aim of overcoming some of the limitations of standard curved linear-array (CLA) echoendoscopes. There are no existing studies comparing the performance of the two echoendoscopes for endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) of solid lesions other than subepithelial lesions. Methods This was a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial with a noninferiority design comparing FVL vs. CLA echoendoscopes in patients with solid lesions of the gastrointestinal tract or adjacent organs. Primary outcomes were successful identification of the lesion and success of EUS-TA. Secondary outcomes were safety, sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the two different scopes for EUS-TA. Results 126 patients with solid lesions were randomly assigned to the CLA group (63 patients) or the FVL group (63 patients). The two groups were homogeneous with no differences in terms of needle type used, mean number of passes, and site of EUS-TA. No differences were observed between the FVL vs. CLA scopes in identification of the lesion (96.8 % vs. 98.4 %; P > 0.99) and technical success of EUS-TA (92.1 % vs. 96.8 %; P = 0.44). No adverse events occurred. Overall, diagnostic accuracy (77.8 % vs. 84.1 %), sensitivity (76.6 % vs. 84.1 %), and specificity (81.3 % vs. 84.2 %) did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions Our results strongly suggest that the FVL echoendoscope is noninferior to the CLA scope for the detection and performance of EUS-TA in patients with solid lesions of the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs. In addition, the FVL scope has the same diagnostic yield, accuracy, and safety as the CLA scope.

Background: Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a focal form of chronic pancreatitis affecting the paraduodenal groove area, for which consensus on diagnosis and management is lacking. Goals: We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine patient characteristics and imaging features of GP and to evaluate clinical outcomes after treatment. Results: Eight studies were included reporting on 335 GP patients with a median age of 47 years (range, 34 to 64 y), with 90% male, 87% smokers, and 87% alcohol consumption, and 47 months (range, 15 to 122 mo) of follow-up. Most patients presented with abdominal pain (91%) and/or weight loss (78%). Imaging frequently showed cystic lesions (91%) and duodenal stenosis (60%). Final treatment was conservative (eg, pain medication) in 29% of patients. Endoscopic treatment (eg, pseudocyst drainage) was applied in 19% of patients-34% of these patients were subsequently referred for surgery. Overall, 59% of patients were treated surgically (eg, pancreatoduodenectomy). Complete symptom relief was observed in 50% of patients who were treated conservatively, 57% who underwent endoscopic treatment, and 79% who underwent surgery. Conclusions: GP is associated with male gender, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The vast majority of patients presents with abdominal pain and with cystic lesions on imaging. Although surgical treatment seems to be the most effective, both conservative and endoscopic treatment are successful in about half of patients. A stepwise treatment algorithm starting with the least invasive treatment options seems advisable.

Background and Aim: Data on non-surgical treatment of groove pancreatitis (GP) and the risk of cancer are lacking. We aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of cancer in patients in whom the diagnosis GP was considered, and to evaluate symptom improvement after treatment. Study: Patients referred with possible GP (2001-2014) were retrospectively included. An experienced radiologist reassessed imaging. GP patients received questionnaires evaluating their symptoms. Results: From the 38 possible GP patients, 10 had cancer (26%) and 28 GP (74%). Compared with cancer patients, GP patients more frequently had cysts (2/10 vs. 18/28, P = 0.03), less often jaundice (6/10 vs 3/27, P

Patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) are at risk of malnutrition due to malabsorption, pain and/or alcohol consumption. This can cause vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, which is associated with osteoporosis and increased risks of fractures. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in CP patients. Furthermore, we compared these results with healthy controls. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the literature by searching PubMed and EMBASE (January 2000-December 2015) on CP and vitamin D. Primary outcome was prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency ( 0.05). There is a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in CP patients. Nevertheless, there is no significant difference in prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency compared to healthy controls. Further research should indicate the clinical relevance and consequences of these findings for clinical practice

Background and Aims Currently, 3 guidelines are available for the management of pancreatic cysts. These guidelines vary in their indication for resection of high-risk cysts. We retrospectively compared the final pathologic outcome of surgically removed pancreatic cysts with the indications for resection according to 3 different guidelines. Methods Patients who underwent pancreatic resection were extracted from our prospective pancreatic cyst database (2006-present). The final histopathologic diagnosis was compared with the initial indication for surgery stated by the guidelines of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP), European Study Group on Cystic tumors of the Pancreas and American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). We considered surgery in retrospect justified for malignancy, high-grade dysplasia, solid pseudopapillary neoplasms, neuroendocrine tumors or symptom improvement. Furthermore, we evaluated the patients with suspected intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) separately. Results Overall, 115 patients underwent pancreatic resection. The preoperative diagnosis was correct in 83 of 115 patients (72%) and differentiation between benign and premalignant in 99 of 115 patients (86%). In retrospect, surgery was justified according to the aforementioned criteria in 52 of 115 patients (45%). For patients with suspected IPMN (n = 75) resection was justified in 36 of 67 (54%), 36 of 68 (53%), and 32 of 54 (59%) of patients who would have had surgery based on the IAP, European, or AGA guidelines, respectively. The AGA guideline would have avoided resection in 21 of 75 (28%) patients, versus 8 of 75 (11%) and 7 of 75 (9%) when the IAP or European guideline would have been applied strictly. Nevertheless, 4 of 33 patients (12%) with high-grade dysplasia or malignancy would have been missed with the AGA guidelines, compared with none with the IAP or European guidelines. Conclusion Although fewer patients undergo unnecessary surgery based on the AGA guidelines, the risk of missing malignancy or high-grade dysplasia with this guideline seems considerably high.

Data on non-surgical treatment of groove pancreatitis (GP) and the risk of cancer are lacking. We aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of cancer in patients in whom the diagnosis GP was considered, and to evaluate symptom improvement after treatment.Patients referred with possible GP (2001-2014) were retrospectively included. An experienced radiologist reassessed imaging. GP patients received questionnaires evaluating their symptoms.From the 38 possible GP patients, 10 had cancer (26%) and 28 GP (74%). Compared with cancer patients, GP patients more frequently had cysts (2/10 vs. 18/28, P = 0.03), less often jaundice (6/10 vs 3/27, P 0.01), an abrupt caliber change of the CBD (5/10 vs. 2/28, P 0.01) or suspicious cytology (5/9 vs 2/20, P = 0.02). Of the 28 GP patients, 14 patients were treated conservatively of whom 12 reported symptom improvement after a median follow-up of 45 months (range 7-127 months). All 6 patients treated endoscopically and 7/8 patients treated surgically reported symptom improvement. Surgery, performed because of treatment failure (3/8) or inability to exclude malignancy (5/8), caused mortality in 1/8 patients.Suspicion of pancreatic cancer should be high in patients presenting with possible GP. Conservative, endoscopic and surgical treatment can all lead to symptom improvement, suggesting a 'step-up approach' to GP once cancer is excluded.

Objective: Patients with potentially premalignant neoplastic pancreatic cysts without high-risk stigmata usually enter a surveillance program. Data on outcomes of such surveillance programs are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the resection rate and malignancy rate during follow-up. Material and methods: From our prospective database (2006–2015) of patients with pancreatic cysts, we analyzed patients with pancreatic cysts without high-risk stigmata with at least six months follow-up. Results: In total, 146 patients were followed for a median of 29 months (IQR 13.5–50 months). In 124 patients (84.9%), no changes in clinical or imaging characteristics occurred during follow-up. Thirteen patients (8.9%) developed an indication for surgery after a median follow-up of 25 months (IQR 12–42 months). Two patients did not undergo surgery because of comorbidity, 11 patients (7.5%) underwent resection. Indications for surgery were symptoms (n = 2), development of a pancreatic mass (n = 1), a new nodule (n = 2), thickened cyst wall (n = 1), pancreatic duct dilation (n = 3), and/or suspicion of mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) (n = 3). Postoperative histology showed one pancreatic malignancy not originating from the cyst, three mixed type-intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), one side branch-IPMN, two MCN, one neuroendocrine tumor, one serous cystadenoma, one inflammatory cyst, and one lymphangioma. The highest grade of cyst dysplasia was borderline dysplasia. Conclusions: Most neoplastic pancreatic cysts without high-risk stigmata at initial presentation show no substantial change during 1–4-year follow-up. Only 7.5% of patients underwent surgery and less than 1% of patients developed pancreatic malignancy. This indicates that additional markers are needed to tailor treatment of pancreatic cysts.

DISCLOSURE: The following authors disclosed financial relationships relevant to this publication: Dr Fockens is a consultant to Olympus, Fujifilm, Boston Scientific, and Cook. Dr Bel collaborates on projects for Elekta. Dr van Hooft is a consultant to Cook Ireland Ltd and Boston Scientific. All other authors disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this publication. Dr van der Horst and Eelco Lens were supported by the Foundation Bergh in het Zadel through the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF Kankerbestrijding) project no. UVA 2011-5271.

Tu1658 Does EUS Add to the Value of High-Resolution CT Staging in Pancreatic Carcinoma? Jayaprakash Sreenarasimhaiah*, Deepak Agrawal Medicine/Gastroenterology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX Background: Pancreatic carcinoma often presents at an advanced stage at diagnosis. Distant metastatic disease is easily detected by computerized tomography (CT). Additionally, the presence of vascular invasion or celiac node (CN) involvement may deem a tumor unresectable. Computerized tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) are frequently used to determine resectability. Aims: To determine if EUS provides additional detail to CT staging of pancreatic carcinoma in regard to vascular invasion and CN involvement. Methods: The endoscopic database was examined retrospectively for a 5 year-period between July 2007 and July 2012. Consecutive patients with pancreatic carcinoma proven by EUS-FNA (fine needle aspiration) were included. Patients with CN visualized by EUS were examined and compared to pancreas protocol CT scan performed with 2 and 5mm image slices. The detection of invasion into great vessels adjacent to the tumor was also examined for each modality. Results: 117 patients with EUS-biopsy-proven carcinoma were identified. Mean age was 60 years with 59% males. Mean size of largest tumor dimension was 3.9cm. Tumors were located in the pancreas head or uncinate process in 88 (75%), tail in 10 (9%), and in the body or neck in 19 (16%). 30/117 (26%) had visible CN on EUS while 10/117 (9%) had visible CN on CT scan. In 21/30 nodes seen on EUS, size was O1cm and had morphology suspicious for malignancy. EUSFNA demonstrated 11/21 CN with malignant, 4/11 atypical or non-diagnostic, and 6/ 11 benign cytology. 4/11 (41%) patients with malignant CN did not have visible nodes on CT. In 21 patients with abnormal CN, EUS identified 13 with vascular invasion, 4 with portal vein abutment, and 4 without invasion. CT imaging was consistent with EUS in identifying vascular invasion in all 21 patients. Conclusions: Celiac lymphadenopathy was detected three-fold more commonly by EUS than CT scan. Malignant CN was missed in approximately 40% of cases that EUS identified. While vascular invasion was identified similarly by both modalities, its presence did not predict CN. Thus, complete staging of pancreatic carcinoma should include EUS despite findings by high-resolution CT imaging. AB548 GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY Volume 81, No. 5S : 2015 HIGH-RESOLUTION