Minimal standard terminology for gastrointestinal endoscopy - MST 3.0.

Standardization of the language of gastrointestinal endoscopy is becoming increasingly important on account of international collaboration, standardized documentation requirements, and computer-based reporting. Version 1 of the Minimal Standard Terminology (MST) was devised to facilitate this development, and, through broad international collaboration, the document was developed and tested further to produce version 2.0, published in 2000. The document forms the basis for computer software by offering standard minimal lists of terms to be used in the structured documentation of endoscopic findings. The ownership of the MST has been transferred to the World Organisation of Digestive Endoscopy (OMED) and in this context, a new revision of the MST document is now in place. Version 3.0 of the terminology includes terms for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and enteroscopy, as well as for adverse event reporting. In addition, acknowledged scoring systems have been included for specific findings, and some structural enhancements have been implemented. The entire document is freely available for noncommercial use from www.omed.org.

Esophageal stents for iatrogenic esophageal perforations during cardiac surgery.

The usefulness and safety of transesophageal echocardiography during cardiac surgery have been well described in the literature. However, rare complications of this procedure can occur and should be familiar to surgeons and anesthesiologists. A series of two cases of esophageal perforation by echoprobe during cardiac surgery treated successfully by endoscopic stenting are reported.