ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: The American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) have published guidelines for choledocholithiasis. However, the guidelines were formulated using data from a large number of patients with no to low risk of common bile duct (CBD) stones. This study aimed to assess the guidelines' predictive performance in a population with a high frequency of stones. Methods: Data for three choledocholithiasis standard reference tests were retrospectively reviewed from January 2019 to June 2021. Clinical parameters were used to categorize patients into risk groups according to the guidelines, and then the guidelines' predictive abilities were calculated. Results: Among 1185 patients, 521 were included. The stone prevalence was 61.0% (n = 318). Twelve (2.3%), 146 (28.0%), and 363 (69.7%) patients were classified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups according to the ASGE guidelines, and 30 (5.8%), 149 (28.6%), and 342 (65.6%) according to the ESGE guidelines. Focusing on the high-risk group, the ASGE guidelines had a positive predictive value of 73.6 and a positive likelihood ratio of 1.78. The ESGE guidelines had a positive predictive value of 73.7 and positive likelihood ratio of 1.79. Both guidelines had equivalent areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-0.73) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.64-0.72), respectively. Conclusion: In the high-risk group, the guidelines increased the chance of detecting choledocholithiasis by approximately 10% (61.0% prevalence to 73.6 and 73.7% positive predictive value). However, statistically, the guidelines had marginal discriminative performance in a population with high stone prevalence.
ABSTRACT
Colonic actinomycosis is rare and can present as an ill-defined intra-abdominal mass that can be difficult to differentiate from colon cancer. This case report aims to share the details of this case and provide diagnostic clues. A 63-year-old female presented with a palpable right-sided abdominal mass. Computed tomography (CT) revealed irregular thickening of the colonic hepatic flexure, and colonoscopy detected no abnormalities. Five months later, the patient returned with an increase in the mass size. Repeat CT revealed lesion expansion, with suspected abdominal wall invasion. Extended right-hemicolectomy with abdominal wall wedge resection was performed, and the histological results were compatible with actinomycosis infection. Colonic actinomycosis is a rare chronic inflammatory disease. Normal colonic mucosa during colonoscopy, with clinical and imaging findings, may help physicians diagnose the condition preoperatively.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopic surgery is an alternative procedure for colorectal cancers. However, high-level supporting evidence has been derived from high-volume centers in developed countries. During the early phase of applying the laparoscopic approach, we evaluated the procedure's short-term outcomes in our regional middle-volume hospital in a developing country. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data for a cohort of 223 colorectal cancer patients who underwent elective surgery from October 2017 to September 2019. We compared 165 patients undergoing open surgery (OS group) with 58 undergoing laparoscopic surgery (LS group) using a propensity score-matched analysis. RESULTS: After matching, each group contained 58 patients for evaluating outcomes. The LS group had more harvested mesenteric lymph nodes (5.0 nodes, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8-8.1; p-value: <0.01) with comparable blood loss (p-value: 0.54) and margin status (p-value: 0.66). However, LS was more time-consuming (68.8 min longer; 95% CI: 53.0-84.7; p-value: <0.01). Morbidity and mortality rates were equivalent (odds ratio (OR): 1.3, 95% CI: 0.25-2.73, p-value: 0.74, and OR: 2, 95% CI: 0.18-22.1, p-value: 0.57, respectively). The LS group experienced fewer days to begin normal eating (-0.5 days, 95% CI: -0.9 to -0.1, p-value: 0.04) and shorter hospital stay (-1.5 days, 95% CI: -2.7 to -0.4, p-value: <0.01). The conversion rate was 3.5%. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic approach was applicable even in a regional middle-volume hospital in a developing country. However, longer surgical time was a drawback.
