Treatment Result of the Mucopexy-Recto Anal Lifting Method for Hemorrhoids in Comparison with Ligation and Excision, and Aluminum Potassium Sulfate and Tannic Acid Sclerotherapy.

The outcomes of Mucopexy-Recto Anal Lifting (MuRAL) in hemorrhoid surgery were compared with ligation and excision (LE), and aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid sclerotherapy (ALTA). In this study, we conducted a 3-year follow-up study of MuRAL (380 cases) and compared it with LE (1417 cases) and ALTA (541 cases) performed at the same period. Operative time, mean hospital stay, postoperative pain, postoperative complications, and recurrence were compared and examined retrospectively. The mean operative time was the longest for MuRAL, followed by LE, and then ALTA at 29.1, 21.5, and 12.4 minutes, and the mean length of hospital stay was 6.2, 10.6, and 1.3, days, respectively. Based on the frequency of injectable analgesic use, postoperative pain was clearly milder in MuRAL and ALTA than in LE. The recurrence rates were 3.2% with MuRAL, 1.1% with LE, and 12.4% with ALTA. Early postoperative low-grade fever and bowel movement urgency were observed in all surgeries, but these were minor and did not pose a safety problem. LE is painful and requires prolonged hospitalization but is the most curative; ALTA is simple and can be performed as a day surgery but has a high recurrence rate. MuRAL was less painful than LE and had a lower recurrence rate than ALTA. In recent years, there have been various innovations in the surgical treatment of hemorrhoids, and choosing a technique that is appropriate for the condition of the hemorrhoid and patient's needs is necessary. MuRAL can be one of the options for hemorrhoid treatment as a "cure without cutting" method.

Diagnostic utility of linked color imaging in the evaluation of colonic mucosal inflammation in ulcerative colitis: a pilot study.

Background and aims Recent studies recommend histological mucosal healing of intestinal tissue as a treatment goal in ulcerative colitis (UC). Linked-color imaging (LCI) is a new endoscopy system that enhances the color differences of the gastrointestinal mucosa. We investigated the efficacy of LCI in the evaluation of intestinal activity, including the histological activity in UC. Method A total of 21 UC patients who were evaluated by the LASEREO system (FUJIFILM Co., Tokyo, Japan) were enrolled from August to December in 2016. All of the target points were observed by conventional white-light imaging (WLI) and LCI and biopsied from the region of interest in each view. We quantified the color tones of 73 biopsied points on WLI and LCI using the L*a*b* color value (WLI-L, WLI-a, WLI-b, and LCI-L, LCI-a, LCI-b). We then investigated the relationships among the L*a*b* color values, endoscopic findings, and histological healing. Results The average LCI-a and LCI-b values of patients with high mucosal activity disease were significantly higher than in those with mucosal healing ( P  < 0.01), and only LCI-a was significantly correlated with the score for histological healing. With regard to the other color values (LCI-L and all WLI values), there were no statistically significant differences in terms of average color value and correlation between patients with high mucosal activity and those with mucosal healing. In addition, the difference in the average color values with LCI and WLI was 7.1 and 3.1, respectively. Conclusion LCI is more useful than WLI for the visualization and evaluation of mucosal inflammation in UC.

Anti-ganglionic AChR antibodies in Japanese patients with motility disorders.

BACKGROUND: The existence of several autoantibodies suggests an autoimmune basis for gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility. Whether GI motility disorders are features of autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG) or are related to circulating anti-ganglionic acetylcholine receptor (gAChR) antibodies (Abs) is not known. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between autonomic dysfunction, anti-gAChR Abs, and clinical features in patients with GI motility disorders including achalasia and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO). METHODS: First study: retrospective cohort study and laboratory investigation. Samples from 123 patients with seropositive AAG were obtained between 2012 and 2017. Second study: prospective study. Samples from 28 patients with achalasia and 14 patients with CIPO were obtained between 2014 and 2016, and 2013 and 2017, respectively. In the first study, we analyzed clinical profiles of seropositive AAG patients. In the second study, we compared clinical profiles, autonomic symptoms, and results of antibody screening between seropositive, seronegative achalasia, and CIPO groups. RESULTS: In the first study, we identified 10 patients (8.1%) who presented with achalasia, or gastroparesis, or paralytic ileus. In the second study, we detected anti-gAChR Abs in 21.4% of the achalasia patients, and in 50.0% of the CIPO patients. Although patients with achalasia and CIPO demonstrated widespread autonomic dysfunction, bladder dysfunction was observed in the seropositive patients with CIPO as a prominent clinical characteristic of dysautonomia. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate a significant prevalence of anti-gAChR antibodies in patients with achalasia and CIPO. Anti-gAChR Abs might mediate autonomic dysfunction, contributing to autoimmune mechanisms underlying these GI motility disorders.

Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis in Which Obstructive Jaundice Developed due to Invagination of the Duodenal Wall.

A 63-year-old woman was admitted with epigastric pain, eosinophilia, and elevated hepatobiliary enzyme levels. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination showed that the mucosa of the gastroduodenal wall was edematous. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) was diagnosed based on eosinophilic infiltration of the gastroduodenal mucosa. Computed tomography showed invagination of the duodenal wall into the common bile duct. The invagination of the duodenal wall improved after conservative therapy, while bile duct drainage was impossible due to the narrowing of the duodenal lumen. EGE was successfully treated without recurrence with steroids and antiallergic therapy. We herein report a rare case of EGE with obstructive jaundice.

Hepatitis B virus reactivation in inflammatory bowel diseases.

Immunosuppressive therapy is a standard treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. However, immunosuppressive therapy is associated with severe side effects such as serious infection. In particular, hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a concern because it often leads to severe or fatal hepatitis. Screening for HBV infection using the the Japan Society of Hepatology guidelines for the management of Hepatitis B Virus infection published by the drafting committee prior to immunosuppressive therapy or chemother- apy is recommended. Observing the guidelines can prevent severe hepatitis.

Fecal Human Neutrophil Peptide Levels Correlate with Intestinal Inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Fecal markers have recently been found to provide convenient and noninvasive assessment of intestinal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we examined the clinical significance of fecal human neutrophil peptides (F-HNP) in the evaluation of IBD disease activity. METHODS: This study enrolled 70 patients with IBD, consisting of 45 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 25 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and 11 non-IBD controls. Stools samples were evaluated for the association between F-HNP concentration and disease and endoscopic activity in each group and the correlation between F-HNP and fecal calprotectin (F-CP) concentrations. RESULTS: Median F-HNP levels were as follows: UC: 25.6 ng/ml; CD: 20.1 ng/ml; and non-IBD controls: 4.9 ng/ml. F-HNP levels were significantly higher in each IBD group, especially in the UC group, than in the control group. In the UC group, both F-HNP and F-CP levels were significantly higher during active disease compared to the remission phase. Both markers were significantly correlated with the Mayo endoscopic score, although the correlation was stronger for F-HNP than for F-CP (r = 0.66 vs. r = 0.54). CONCLUSION: F-HNP is a noninvasive marker that is useful for evaluating UC endoscopic activity.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the duodenum effectively treated with TS-1: a case report.

An 89-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for thorough investigation of refractory diabetes mellitus, which revealed primary squamous cell carcinoma of the duodenum. After two courses of chemotherapy, follow-up esophagoduodenogastroscopy and duodenal biopsy showed no evidence of tumor. No findings were suggestive of recurrence of the primary lesion 19 months after starting chemotherapy. This case suggests that chemotherapy including TS-1 may be effective for treating unresectable primary squamous cell carcinoma of the duodenum.