Faculty Bibliography

We recommend that uncomplicated GERD be diagnosed on the basis of typical symptoms without the use of diagnostic testing, including EGD. We recommend EGD for patients who have symptoms suggesting complicated GERD or alarm symptoms. We recommend that EGD not be routinely performed solely for the assessment of extraesophageal GERD symptoms. We recommend that endoscopic findings of reflux esophagitis be classified according to an accepted grading scale or described in detail. We suggest that repeat EGD be performed in patients with severe erosive esophagitis after at least an 8-week course of PPI therapy to exclude underlying BE or dysplasia. 44BB We recommend against obtaining tissue samples from endoscopically normal tissue to diagnose GERD or exclude BE in adults. We suggest that endoscopy be considered in patients with multiple risk factors for Barrett’s esophagus. We recommend that tissue samples be obtained to confirm endoscopically suspected Barrett’s esophagus. We suggest that endoscopic antireflux therapy be considered for selected patients with uncomplicated GERD after careful discussion with the patient regarding potential adverse effects, benefits, and other available therapeutic options.

OAE is commonly used. The majority of patients referred for OAE are considered appropriate for endoscopy according to ASGE guidelines. Most patients undergoing OAE procedures are knowledgeable about the study and are satisfied with the experience. Several potential problems have been identified, including inappropriate referrals, communication errors, and inadequately prepared or informed patients. OAE can be safely used if preprocedure assessment, informed consent, information transfer, patient safety, and satisfaction are addressed in all cases.

BACKGROUND AND AIM/OBJECTIVE:Accurate preoperative staging of ampullary neoplasms is of paramount importance in predicting prognosis and determining the most appropriate therapeutic approach. The aim of the present review was to evaluate the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in predicting depth of ampullary tumor invasion (T-stage) and regional lymph node status (N-stage) by carrying out a meta-analysis of all relevant studies. METHODS:We systematically searched PubMed, Medline and Scopus databases for all studies published between January 1980 and December 2012. Only EUS studies involving ≥ 10 patients with ampullary neoplasms, confirmed by surgical histopathology, with data available for construction of a 2 × 2 table were included. RESULTS:Meta-analysis of 14 studies involving 422 patients using the Mantel-Haenszel method was performed. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of EUS to diagnose T1-stage tumor were 77% (95% CI: 69-83) and 78% (95% CI: 72-84), respectively. Pooled sensitivity for T4 tumors was 84% (95% CI: 73-92) and specificity was 74% (95% CI: 63-83). Combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio for diagnosing nodal status were 0.70 (95% CI: 0.62-0.77), 0.74 (95% CI: 0.67-0.0.80), 2.49 (95% CI: 1.91-3.24), 0.46 (95% CI: 0.36-0.59) and 6.53 (95% CI: 3.81-11.19), respectively. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Based on our pooled estimates, EUS had a moderate strength of agreement with histopathology in preoperative staging of ampullary neoplasms in predicting tumor invasion and lymph node involvement. Additional refinement in EUS technologies and diagnostic criteria may be required to enhance staging accuracy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS/OBJECTIVE:Few studies have compared the efficacy and complications of endoscopic or medical therapies for bleeding angiodysplasias or gastric antral vascular ectasias (GAVE). We conducted a systematic review to evaluate therapies. METHODS:We performed a PubMed search for studies (written in English from January 1, 1980, through January 1, 2013) of medical or endoscopic treatment of bleeding angiodysplasias and GAVE. Measured outcomes included levels of hemoglobin, transfusion requirements, rebleeding rates, complications, treatment failures, and overall mortality. RESULTS:We analyzed data from 63 studies that met inclusion criteria; 50 evaluated endoscopic treatment (1790 patients), 13 evaluated medical treatment (392 patients), and 12 were comparative studies. In patients with angiodysplasias, the combination of estrogen and progesterone did not significantly reduce bleeding episodes, compared with placebo (0.7/y vs 0.9/y, respectively), and increased mortality, compared with conservative therapy (33% vs 21%). A higher percentage of patients receiving octreotide were free of rebleeding at 1 and 2 years vs placebo (77% vs 55% and 68% vs 36%, respectively; P = .03). Thalidomide reduced the number of bleeding episodes (-8.96/y), compared with iron therapy (-1.38/y, P < .01), but neither treatment reduced mortality. More patients with GAVE treated by endoscopic band ligation were free from rebleeding (92%) than those treated with argon plasma coagulation (32%, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS:In a systematic review, we found a low quality of evidence to support treatment of angiodysplasias with thalidomide or the combination of estrogen and progesterone and insufficient evidence to support treatment with octreotide. There is also insufficient evidence for endoscopic therapy of angiodysplasia or GAVE. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to study the efficacy and complications of medical and endoscopic treatments for patients with angiodysplasias or GAVE.