Introduction

The introduction of biological drugs has led to great expectations and growing optimism in the possibility that this new therapeutic strategy could favourably change the natural history of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and in particular that it could lead to a significant reduction in surgery in the short and long term. The evaluation of the incidence of intestinal resection after the introduction of biological therapy is very complex and subject to several potential bias, the most prominent being the shift in IBD management over the last few decades.

Aims & Methods

This study aims to assess the impact of biological versus conventional therapy on surgery-free survival time (from the diagnosis to the first bowel resection) and on the overall risk of surgery in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) who were never with the surgical option.
This is a retrospective, double-arm study including CD patients treated with either biological or conventional therapy (mesalamine, immunomodulators, antibiotics, or steroids). All CD patients admitted at the GI Unit of the S. Salvatore Hospital (L’Aquila, Italy) and treated with biological therapy since 1998 were included in the biological arm. Data concerning the CD patients receiving a conventional therapy were retrospectively collected from our database. These patients were divided into a pre-1998 and post-1998 group (pre and post biologic era, respectively). Our primary outcome was the evaluation of the surgery-free survival since CD diagnosis to the first bowel resection. Surgery-free time and event incidence rates were calculated and compared among all groups, both in the original population and in the propensity-matched population.

Results

203 CD patients (49 biological, 93 conventional post-1998, 61 conventional pre-1998) were included in the study. Kaplan-Mayer survivorship estimate shows that patients in the biological arm had a longer surgery-free survival compared to those in the conventional arm (p=0.03). However, after propensity matching analysis, no significant difference was found in surgery-free survival (p=0.3). A sub-group analysis showed shorter surgery-free survival in patients on conventional therapy in the pre-biologic era only (p=0.02) while no significative difference was found between the biologic and conventional post-biologic groups (p=0.15).

Conclusion

This study shows that the introduction of biological therapy had only a slight impact on the occurrence of surgery in CD patients over a long observation period. Despite the milder disease, patients in the conventional group in the biologic era had the same surgery-free survival compared to patients in biological therapy. Nevertheless, biological therapy appears to delay the first intestinal resection. However, the cumulative incidence of first intestinal resection between patients who underwent biological or conventional therapy ends up being similar considering a very long period.

Disclosure

None

Introduction

In Crohn’s disease (CD) a symptomatic luminal stricture occurs in up to 20% of patients at the diagnosis and in more than 50% during lifetime (1,2). Endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) or surgical procedures are the currently available treatments (3,4). However, a considerable percentage of patients often require further surgery for post-operative CD recurrence (5). A consequent increased burden of short bowel syndrome is warranted. The combination of biological therapy with EBD could potentially reduce this risk.

Aims & Methods

The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of EBD combined with biologic therapy in symptomatic gastrointestinal strictures in CD’s patients. We conducted a retrospective study including consecutive CD patients who underwent EBD for low bowel strictures from December 2015 until November 2022 at our tertiary IBD Center. Clinical strictures recurrence, needs for steroids and for surgery due to CD stenosis relapse were the primary outcomes evaluated during a follow-up period of six and twelve months. Chi-square and univariate statistical analyses were used when appropriate.

Results

A total of 52 patients treated with EBD with an overall number of 55 strictures were included. In the study population, 14 patients (27%) were smoker, the mean age was of 46,8 (18-77) years; the median of disease duration was 9 (0-42) years. Thirty-nine patients (75%) were in active treatment with biologic therapy at the moment of EBD. Twenty-three patients (44%) underwent EBD for anastomotic stricture, 8 (15%) for ileal stricture, 11 (21%) for ileocecal valve stricture, 5 (6%) for anal stricture and 4 (8%) for colic stricture. Three patients (6%) underwent EBD for multifocal bowel stenosis. Twenty-two (42%) patients had increased CRP value, 40 patients (77%) had evidence of moderate or severe endoscopic disease activity and 42 (81%) patients showed ulcerative lesions at stricture site. EBD was performed by 8-10, 12-15 or 15-18 mm dilation balloon. Technical success was reported in 60% of procedures and no adverse events were registered.
After 6 months from EBD, at univariate analysis, active smoke resulted a risk factor for clinical stricture recurrence (OR 10,25; IC 1,350 to 135,4; p value = 0,022) and for subsequent surgery (OR 10,25; IC 1,350 to 135,4; p value = 0,022). Moreover, increased CRP at the time of dilatation resulted a risk factor for need of steroids (OR 14,63; IC 2,69 to 71,50; p value = 0,0006). Concomitant biologic therapy and presence of ulcerative lesions did not show significative correlation with considered outcomes.
After 12 months from EBD, concomitant biologic therapy resulted a protective factor for prevention of surgery (OR 0,061; IC 0,005 to 0,502; p value = 0,0047), while anastomotic strictures were associated with a lower risk of sub-occlusion events than ileal stenosis (OR 0,07; IC 0,005 to 0,651; p value = 0,015). Increased CRP at the time of EBD, ulcerative lesions at the stricture site and active smoke were not significantly correlated with the considered outcome.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that in patients with CD undergoing EBD for bowel CD stricture, concomitant biological therapy reduces the risk of surgery for CD stenosis recurrence. Further prospective and controlled studies are underway to confirm these observations.

References

1. Rieder F Managing Intestinal Fibrosis in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Gastroenterology & hepatology. 2018. February; 14(2):120–122
2. Yoo JH, Holubar S, Rieder F. Fibrostenotic strictures in Crohn’s disease. Intest Res. 2020;0.
3. Paine E, Shen B. Endoscopic therapy in inflammatory bowel diseases (with videos). Gastrointest Endosc 2013;78:819–35.
4. Hassan C, Zullo A, De Francesco V, Ierardi E, Giustini M, Pitidis A, Taggi F, Winn S, Morini S. Systematic review:
Endoscopic dilatation in Crohn's disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Dec;26(11-12):1457-64
5. Olaison G, Smedh K, Sjödahl R. Natural course of Crohn’s disease after ileocolic resection: endoscopically visualised ileal ulcers preceding symptoms. Gut 1992;33:331–5.

Introduction

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly affects female patients of reproductive age, making the interaction between fertility, pregnancy and IBD an important issue in disease management. The effect of disease activity on the outcome of pregnancy and its impact on neonatal growth is a field of intense research. Close follow-up of pregnant IBD patients by a multidisciplinary team improves maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Aims & Methods

Α national retrospective study of pregnancies in women with IBD between 2010-2020 was carried out in 22 IBD reference centers in Greece. Patient characteristics such as disease profile, type of treatment, and disease activity during gestation were analyzed in correlation to the method of delivery, pregnancy outcomes, as well as breastfeeding and offspring health.

Results

Two-hundred and twenty-three pregnancies in 175 IBD patients were registered in the study. 122 with Crohn’s disease (CD). Median age during diagnosis was 25.6 years (12-44) with median disease duration of 7.4 years (0-23). One-hundred and twenty-nine patients (58%) were recorded during their first pregnancy. Early pregnancy termination was reported by 48 patients (22%). Pregnancy as a result of in vitro fertilization (IVF) occurred in 15 cases (6.7%). At the beginning of gestation 165 patients (74%) were under treatment: 48 with anti-TNF agents (29%), 43 with azathioprine (26%), 101 with 5-aminosalicylic acid formulations (61%) and 12 with steroids (7%). We recorded 49 cases of IBD flares (22%) during pregnancy. Two-thirds of them (n=30) were in remission at the onset of the pregnancy. Almost half of them (n=22) required corticosteroid treatment. Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) were in greater risk of disease flare during pregnancy (p<0.001). All but 3 pregnancies (99.1%) resulted in uncomplicated delivery. In 147 cases (67.1%) cesarean delivery was performed. Two late fetal deaths (0.9%) were reported, both in patients with continuously active disease since the beginning of pregnancy. After delivery, 75 patients (34%) presented with a disease flare, which was associated with active disease at the beginning of pregnancy (p <0.001).
Table 1. Demographics and characteristics of the cohort

Conclusion

The majority of female, Greek IBD patients, had a favorable pregnancy outcome. Active inflammation during gestation and UC diagnosis were associated with a negative impact on pregnancy outcomes. The results of this study are in favor of the continuation of IBD treatment during pregnancy.
This study was funded by a research grant 2020EOMIFNEmp1 from the Hellenic Group for the Study of IBD (EOMIFNE)

Introduction

Early discharge post ERCP can potentially reduce strain on the tight bed occupancy status in tertiary hospitals.

Aims & Methods

The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of early discharge (<24 hours) for patients who had undergone ERCP in a tertiary hospital in Singapore.
This is a retrospective observational study which reviewed patients who were admitted in the TTSH Medical Ambulatory Center (MAC) and discharged within 16 hours post ERCP. To assess safety of this service, electronic medical records of patients admitted between January 2022 and February 2024 were reviewed. Complications post ERCP, predisposing factors, patient demographics were reviewed.

Results

There were 400 patients admitted to MAC for early discharge after ERCP during this period. The overall complication rate was 5.8% (23 patients). Post-ERCP pancreatitis was diagnosed in 1.8% (7 patients) of the admissions, whereas those who developed post-ERCP cholangitis accounted for 3.5% (14 patients). 1 patient developed non-specific chills with no fever nor abdominal pain (not conclusive for either cholangitis or pancreatitis) 2 days post discharge from MAC. 1 patient had post ERCP cholangiopancreatitis (0.3%). No other patients presented with complications related to ERCP after discharge.
Out of the 23 patients with post ERCP complications, 5 (21.7%) patients developed within 1-6 hours (3 pancreatitis, 2 cholangitis). 8 (34.8%) patients (3 pancreatitis, 5 cholangitis) developed within 7-11 hours, whereas 8 (34.8%) patients (1 pancreatitis,7 cholangitis) developed within 12-16 hours post ERCP. 1 patient with cholangiopancreatitis presented within 6 hours.
Of the 14 patients with post ERCP cholangitis, 7 were females and 7 were males. The median age (years) for this group was 72,youngest being 32 and eldest 80. 6 patients in this group had undergone a concurrent spyglass cholangioscopy during ERCP. All of them received prophylactic antibiotics prior to cholangioscopy. It was also noted that there were 6 patients in this group of post ERCP cholangitis with Diabetes Mellitus
Out of 7 patients with post ERCP pancreatitis, 6 were females and 1 was male. The median age (years) for this group was 72, youngest being 56 and eldest being 85. All but 1 patient in this group had sphincterotomy performed. All patients in this group received 100 milligrams of rectal diclofenac for prophylactically. Only 1 patient had documented difficult cannulation.

Conclusion

From this study, it could be concluded that it was safe to allow early discharge for patients who had undergone ERCP, if there is a clear monitoring protocol and discharge plans. The onset of post ERCP pancreatitis tend to be earlier compared to those who developed post ERCP cholangitis. There is female predominance in the post ERCP pancreatitis group. The patients who develop post ERCP pancreatitis tend to be older. Complex pancreatico-biliary anatomy is a significant risk for post ERCP complications. As there were 94.2% of the patients who remained well after ERCP, they could be potentially discharged even earlier (<10 hours). Further research could focus on early identification of patients who are likely going to develop post ERCP complications to facilitate early discharge, ​thus relieving ​tight bed occupancy ​status.

References

Hui, C., Lai, K. C., Wong, W., Yuen, M., Ng, M., Chan, C., Hu, W., Cheung, W., Lai, C., amp; Wong, B. C. (2004). Outpatients undergoing therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: Six-hour versus overnight observation. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 19(10), 1163–1168
Jeurnink, S. M., Siersema, P. D., Steyerberg, E. W., Dees, J., Poley, J., Haringsma, J., amp; Kuipers, E. J. (2011). Predictors of complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: a prognostic model for early discharge. Surgical Endoscopy and Other Interventional Techniques, 25(9), 2892–2900.

Disclosure

There is no conflict of interest to declare

Introduction

Insulinomas are rare, functioning neuroendocrine neoplasms that cause non-ketotic hypoglycemia due to hyperinsulinism. Surgery is considered the gold-standard treatment, although endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) has been recently described as a less invasive, efficient therapeutic option for these tumors. In this study, we aim to compare post-procedural outcomes of surgical resection versus EUS-RFA for pancreatic insulinomas.

Aims & Methods

All patients who underwent surgical resection or EUS-RFA for pancreatic insulinoma in our Institution were included in the study, and data from all procedures were retrospectively recorded and statistically analyzed. EUS-RFA was indicated for all subjects either unfit for surgery or unwilling to undergo surgical treatment. Patients’ baseline characteristics, location, size of insulinomas, procedural time, and intra- and postoperative outcomes were compared.

Results

From April 2012 to July 2022, 11 and 10 patients with pancreatic insulinoma underwent surgical resection and EUS-RFA, respectively. The median age was 65.5 (51-84) and 37 years (28-72, p<0.001) for the EUS-RFA and surgery cohorts, respectively. As a whole, 15 (71.4%) out of 21 were female. The median tumor size was 15mm (8-30) for the surgical group and 11mm (8-19) for the EUS-RFA group (p=0.17). The majority of the insulinomas were located in the pancreatic body (28.6%) and tail (28.6%), with no statistical difference between the two groups (p=0.16). Operative time was significantly longer in the surgical population (280min, 120-372) as compared to the endoscopic one (28min,18-40, p<0.001). Clinical success, defined as the normalization of glucose blood levels, was reached in all cases. The complication rate was significantly higher in the surgical group compared to the endoscopic group (7-63.6% vs 1-10%, p=0.01). Specifically, 7 patients in the surgical cohort developed a pancreatic fistula while one patient in the EUS-RFA population had self-limiting bleeding after the procedure. One patient of the surgical cohort underwent reoperation for an infected abdominal fluid collection.

Table 1. Characteristics of patients classified by treatments.

Conclusion

As compared to surgical resection, EUS-RFA for pancreatic insulinomas may be considered a safe and efficient treatment option with a shorter operative time and a lower rate of related complications. Prospective comparative studies are needed to ascertain the role of EUS-RFA as a treatment of choice for selected patients with pancreatic insulinoma.

References

Fahmawi Y, Mehta A, Abdalhadi H et al. Efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for management of pancreatic lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Jul 25;7:30.
Zhao YP, Zhan HX, Zhang TP et al. Surgical management of patients with insulinomas: Result of 292 cases in a single institution. J Surg Oncol. 2011 Feb;103(2):169-74.

Introduction

Splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) is a local complication of acute pancreatitis (AP) that may lead to subsequent complications such as portal hypertension, gastrointestinal bleeding, and mesenteric ischemia.^1,2 Despite its clinical significance, there is limited data in the literature concerning the temporal development and associated risk factors of SVT.

Aims & Methods

Our aim was to understand the time course and risk factors of SVT in the early phase of AP. To identify relevant studies we conducted a systematic search across four major medical databases (Embase, MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) on 27th of October 2022. We included studies that employed appropriate imaging techniques in adult patients with AP, reported SVT data from the early phase of AP, and provided reliable information about the timing of imaging relative to AP symptom onset or hospital admission. We excluded studies that reported data on patients with a recent history of malignant disease or recent surgical procedures. We calculated the proportion of patients affected by SVT with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We conducted subgroup analyses based on diagnostic timing and disease characteristics. To assess the risk of bias we used the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Prevalence Studies and the GRADEpro tool to determine the level of evidence. The protocol for this method was registered prospectively in the PROSPERO database, with registration number CRD42022367578.

Results

Data from 14 eligible studies and 1,951 patients was pooled; the proportion of patients with SVT in the early phase of AP (within 11 days after symptom onset or 5 days after hospital admission) was 0.13 (CI 0.07-0.23). The occurrence was lowest 0-3 days after symptom onset at 0.06 (CI 0.03-0.1), it increased to 0.23 (CI 0.16-0.31) between 3-11 days. Disease factors influencing SVT occurrence were severity (mild: 0.14 (CI 0.04-0.39), moderate: 0.23 (CI 0.09-0.47), severe: 0.31 (CI 0.15-0.54), p=0.21), etiology (alcoholic 0.31 (CI 0.13-0.58), biliary 0.12 (CI 0.04-0.3), p=0.03), and pancreatic necrosis (absent 0.10 (CI 0.04-0.25), under 30% 0.25 (CI 0.1-0.5), over 30% 0.55 (CI 0.29-0.78), p= 0.01).

Conclusion

One in eight patients develops SVT in the early phase of AP. Alcoholic etiology and pancreatic necrosis increase the risk of SVT. In addition, this risk seems to increase with the duration of AP; therefore, looking for and diagnosing SVT with imaging is important in the management of AP.

References

1. Nawacki L, Matykiewicz J, Stochmal E, Gluszek S. Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis in Acute Pancreatitis and Its Consequences. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2021;27.
2. Valeriani E, Riva N, Di Nisio M, Ageno W. Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis: Current Perspectives. Vascular Health and Risk Management. 2019;15.

Introduction

The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) is a major breakthrough in hepatology representing the therapeutical standard of care in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Despite high rates of sustained virological response (SVR), DAAs therapy doesn’t eliminate the risk of thrombotic events.

Aims & Methods

We aimed to assess the prevalence of nontumoral portal vein thrombosis (PVT) after SVR.We prospectively analyzed a cohort of patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis treated with paritaprevir/ritonavir, ombitasvir and dasabuvir (PrOD) ± ribavirin and ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LED/SOF) ± ribavirin for 12/24 weeks, in a gastroenterology center from Romania, between January 1^st 2016 and July 1^st 2021. All patients with presumption of thrombosis were evaluated by vascular Doppler, abdominal ultrasound and confirmed by CT scan.

Results

The study included 730 patients treated with DAAs, of which 35 were diagnosed with non-malignant PVT after-SVR (15 men and 20 women, mean age 57.86 ± 7,068 years), corresponding to a prevalence of 4.8%. The mean time from SVR to complication was 290.00 ± 116.639 days. Most patients with nontumoral PVT received LED/SOF (71.4%), while the rest received PrOD (28.6%). During the study, an improvement in the Child-Pugh and MELD score was observed at the SVR. The evolution changes slightly at the 48-week assessment, with a slight increase in the proportion of patients in the Child B class and MELD ≥ 15. The pro- and anticoagulant factors evaluated reflect the classic hemostatic profile of patients with liver cirrhosis and PVT, characterized by increased FII, FVIII and FvW and decreased anticoagulant factors (PC, PS, ATIII).

Conclusion

The study included 730 patients treated with DAAs, of which 35 were diagnosed with non-malignant PVT after-SVR (15 men and 20 women, mean age 57.86 ± 7,068 years), corresponding to a prevalence of 4.8%. The mean time from SVR to complication was 290.00 ± 116.639 days. Most patients with nontumoral PVT received LED/SOF (71.4%), while the rest received PrOD (28.6%). During the study, an improvement in the Child-Pugh and MELD score was observed at the SVR. The evolution changes slightly at the 48-week assessment, with a slight increase in the proportion of patients in the Child B class and MELD ≥ 15. The pro- and anticoagulant factors evaluated reflect the classic hemostatic profile of patients with liver cirrhosis and PVT, characterized by increased FII, FVIII and FvW and decreased anticoagulant factors (PC, PS, ATIII).