The majority of patients affected by Crohn’s disease(CD)develop a chronic condition with persistent inflammation and relapses that may cause progressive and irreversible damage to the bowel,resulting in stricturing o...The majority of patients affected by Crohn’s disease(CD)develop a chronic condition with persistent inflammation and relapses that may cause progressive and irreversible damage to the bowel,resulting in stricturing or penetrating complications in around 50%of patients during the natural history of the disease.Surgery is frequently needed to treat complicated disease when pharmacological therapy failes,with a high risk of repeated operations in time.Intestinal ultrasound(IUS),a non-invasive,cost-effective,radiation free and reproducible method for the diagnosis and follow-up of CD,in expert hands,allow a precise assessment of all the disease manifestations:Bowel characteristics,retrodilation,wrapping fat,fistulas and abscesses.Moreover,IUS is able to assess bowel wall thickness,bowel wall stratification(echo-pattern),vascularization and elasticity,as well as mesenteric hypertrophy,lymph-nodes and mesenteric blood flow.Its role in the disease evaluation and behaviour description is well assessed in literature,but less is known about the potential space of IUS as predictor of prognostic factors suggesting response to a medical treatment or postoperative recurrence.The availability of a low cost exam as IUS,able to recognize which patients are more likely to respond to a specific therapy and which patients are at high risk of surgery or complications,could be a very useful instrument in the hands of IBD physician.The aim of this review is to present current evidence about the prognostic role that IUS can show in predicting response to treatment,disease progression,risk of surgery and risk of post-surgical recurrence in CD.展开更多
Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Apart from Japan, where screening programmes have resulted in early diagnosis in asymptomatic patients, in ...Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Apart from Japan, where screening programmes have resulted in early diagnosis in asymptomatic patients, in most countries the diagnosis of gastric cancers is invariably made on account on dyspeptic and alarm symptoms, which may also be of prognostic significance when reported by the patient at diagnosis. However, their use as selection criteria for endoscopy seems to be inconsistent since alarm symptoms are not sufficiently sensitive to detect malignancies. In fact, the overall prevalence of these symptoms in dyspeptic patients is high, while the prevalence of gastro-intestinal cancer is very low. Moreover, symptoms of early stage cancer may be indistinguishable from those of benign dyspepsia, while the presence of alarm symptoms may imply an advanced and often inoperable disease. The features of dyspeptic and alarm symptoms may reflect the pathology of the tumour and be of prognostic value in suggesting site, stage and aggressiveness of cancer. Alarm symptoms in gastric cancer are independently related to survival and an increased number, as well as specific alarm symptoms, are closely correlated to the risk of death.Dysphagia, weight loss and a palpable abdominal mass appear to be major independent prognostic factors in gastric cancer, while gastro-intestinal bleeding, vomiting and also duration of symptoms, do not seem to have a relevant prognostic impact on survival in gastric cancer.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate whether symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), before diagnosis modify dietary habits, and to investigate the pre-illness diet in patients with recent IBD in comparison with an age-matched heal...AIM: To evaluate whether symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), before diagnosis modify dietary habits, and to investigate the pre-illness diet in patients with recent IBD in comparison with an age-matched healthy control group. METHODS: Overall, 83 new cases of IBD (41 ulcerative colitis, 42 Crohn's disease) and 160 healthy controls were studied. Portions per week of 34 foods and beverages before onset of symptoms were recorded using a validated questionnaire. Duration of symptoms before IBD diagnosis, presence of specific symptoms and their impact on subjective changes in usual dietary habits were also recorded. The association between diet and IBD was investigated by multiple logistic regression and dietary patterns were assessed by factor analysis. RESULTS: Changes in dietary habits, due to the presence of symptoms, were reported by 38.6% of patients and were not significantly related to specific symptoms, rather to long duration of symptoms, only in Crohn's disease patients. In IBD patients who did not change dietary habits, moderate and high consumption of margarine (OR = 11.8 and OR = 21.37) was associated with ulcerative colitis, whilst high consumption of red meat (OR = 7.8) and high intake of cheese were associated with Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: More than one third of IBD patients change dietary habits before diagnosis. Margarine, red meat and cheese increase the risk of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.展开更多
Gastrointestinal ultrasound is a practical, safe, cheap and reproducible diagnostic tool in inflammatorybowel disease gaining global prominence amongst clinicians. Understanding the embryological processes of the inte...Gastrointestinal ultrasound is a practical, safe, cheap and reproducible diagnostic tool in inflammatorybowel disease gaining global prominence amongst clinicians. Understanding the embryological processes of the intestinal tract assists in the interpretation of abnormal sonographic findings. In general terms, the examination principally comprises interrogation of the colon, mesentery and small intestine using both lowfrequency and high-frequency probes. Interpretation of findings on GIUS includes assessment of bowel wall thickness, symmetry of this thickness, evidence of transmural changes, assessment of vascularity using Doppler imaging and assessment of other specific features including lymph nodes, mesentery and luminal motility. In addition to B-mode imaging, transperineal ultrasonography, elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography are useful adjuncts. This supplement expands upon these features in more depth.展开更多
Diabetes mellitus is one of the most frequent co-morbidities of ulcerative colitis patients.The epidemiological association of these diseases suggested a genetic sharing and has challenged gene identification.Diabetes...Diabetes mellitus is one of the most frequent co-morbidities of ulcerative colitis patients.The epidemiological association of these diseases suggested a genetic sharing and has challenged gene identification.Diabetes co-morbidity in ulcerative colitis has also relevant clinical and therapeutic implications,with potential clinical impact on the follow up and outcome of patients.These diseases share specific complications,such as neuropathy,hepatic steatosis,osteoporosis and venous thrombosis.It is still unknown whether the coexistence of these diseases may increase their occurrence.Diabetes and hyperglycaemia represent relevant risk factors for postoperative complications and pouch failure in ulcerative colitis.Medical treatment of ulcerative colitis in patients with diabetes mellitus may be particularly challenging.Corticosteroids are the treatment of choice of active ulcerative colitis.Their use may be associated with the onset of glucose intolerance and diabetes,with difficult control of glucose levels andwith complications in diabetic patients.Epidemiologic and genetic evidences about diabetes co-morbidity in ulcerative colitis patients and shared complications and treatment of patients with these diseases have been discussed in the present review.展开更多
BACKGROUND Intestinal metastases from breast cancer(BC)arerare;available data depend mainly on case reports and case series.AIM To conduct a review of the literature regarding presentation,diagnosis,treatment and surv...BACKGROUND Intestinal metastases from breast cancer(BC)arerare;available data depend mainly on case reports and case series.AIM To conduct a review of the literature regarding presentation,diagnosis,treatment and survival of patients with intestinal metastasis from BC.METHODS We identified all articles that described patients with intestinal metastasis(from duodenum to anum)from BC using MEDLINE(1975 to 2020)and EMBASE(1975 to 2020)electronic databases.RESULTS We found 96 cases of intestinal metastasis of BC.Metastasization involved large bowel(cecum,colon,sigmoid,rectum)(51%),small bowel(duodenum,jejunum,ileum)(49%),and anum(<1%).Median age of patients was 61-years.The most frequent histology was infiltrating lobular carcinoma followed by infiltrating ductal carcinoma.In more than half of patients,the diagnosis was made after the diagnosis of BC(median:7.2 years)and in many cases of emergency,for bowel obstruction,bleeding or perforation.Diagnosis was achieved through endoscopy,radiological examination or both.In most of the cases,patients underwent surgery with or without systemic therapies.Survival of patients included in this review was available in less than 50%of patients and showed an overall median of 12 mo since diagnosis of the intestinal metastasis.CONCLUSION Although,intestinal metastases of BC are considered a rare condition,clinicians should consider the possibility of intestinal involvement in case of abdominal symptoms even in acute setting and many years after the diagnosis of BC,especially in patients with a histology of lobular carcinoma.展开更多
文摘The majority of patients affected by Crohn’s disease(CD)develop a chronic condition with persistent inflammation and relapses that may cause progressive and irreversible damage to the bowel,resulting in stricturing or penetrating complications in around 50%of patients during the natural history of the disease.Surgery is frequently needed to treat complicated disease when pharmacological therapy failes,with a high risk of repeated operations in time.Intestinal ultrasound(IUS),a non-invasive,cost-effective,radiation free and reproducible method for the diagnosis and follow-up of CD,in expert hands,allow a precise assessment of all the disease manifestations:Bowel characteristics,retrodilation,wrapping fat,fistulas and abscesses.Moreover,IUS is able to assess bowel wall thickness,bowel wall stratification(echo-pattern),vascularization and elasticity,as well as mesenteric hypertrophy,lymph-nodes and mesenteric blood flow.Its role in the disease evaluation and behaviour description is well assessed in literature,but less is known about the potential space of IUS as predictor of prognostic factors suggesting response to a medical treatment or postoperative recurrence.The availability of a low cost exam as IUS,able to recognize which patients are more likely to respond to a specific therapy and which patients are at high risk of surgery or complications,could be a very useful instrument in the hands of IBD physician.The aim of this review is to present current evidence about the prognostic role that IUS can show in predicting response to treatment,disease progression,risk of surgery and risk of post-surgical recurrence in CD.
文摘Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Apart from Japan, where screening programmes have resulted in early diagnosis in asymptomatic patients, in most countries the diagnosis of gastric cancers is invariably made on account on dyspeptic and alarm symptoms, which may also be of prognostic significance when reported by the patient at diagnosis. However, their use as selection criteria for endoscopy seems to be inconsistent since alarm symptoms are not sufficiently sensitive to detect malignancies. In fact, the overall prevalence of these symptoms in dyspeptic patients is high, while the prevalence of gastro-intestinal cancer is very low. Moreover, symptoms of early stage cancer may be indistinguishable from those of benign dyspepsia, while the presence of alarm symptoms may imply an advanced and often inoperable disease. The features of dyspeptic and alarm symptoms may reflect the pathology of the tumour and be of prognostic value in suggesting site, stage and aggressiveness of cancer. Alarm symptoms in gastric cancer are independently related to survival and an increased number, as well as specific alarm symptoms, are closely correlated to the risk of death.Dysphagia, weight loss and a palpable abdominal mass appear to be major independent prognostic factors in gastric cancer, while gastro-intestinal bleeding, vomiting and also duration of symptoms, do not seem to have a relevant prognostic impact on survival in gastric cancer.
文摘AIM: To evaluate whether symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), before diagnosis modify dietary habits, and to investigate the pre-illness diet in patients with recent IBD in comparison with an age-matched healthy control group. METHODS: Overall, 83 new cases of IBD (41 ulcerative colitis, 42 Crohn's disease) and 160 healthy controls were studied. Portions per week of 34 foods and beverages before onset of symptoms were recorded using a validated questionnaire. Duration of symptoms before IBD diagnosis, presence of specific symptoms and their impact on subjective changes in usual dietary habits were also recorded. The association between diet and IBD was investigated by multiple logistic regression and dietary patterns were assessed by factor analysis. RESULTS: Changes in dietary habits, due to the presence of symptoms, were reported by 38.6% of patients and were not significantly related to specific symptoms, rather to long duration of symptoms, only in Crohn's disease patients. In IBD patients who did not change dietary habits, moderate and high consumption of margarine (OR = 11.8 and OR = 21.37) was associated with ulcerative colitis, whilst high consumption of red meat (OR = 7.8) and high intake of cheese were associated with Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: More than one third of IBD patients change dietary habits before diagnosis. Margarine, red meat and cheese increase the risk of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
文摘Gastrointestinal ultrasound is a practical, safe, cheap and reproducible diagnostic tool in inflammatorybowel disease gaining global prominence amongst clinicians. Understanding the embryological processes of the intestinal tract assists in the interpretation of abnormal sonographic findings. In general terms, the examination principally comprises interrogation of the colon, mesentery and small intestine using both lowfrequency and high-frequency probes. Interpretation of findings on GIUS includes assessment of bowel wall thickness, symmetry of this thickness, evidence of transmural changes, assessment of vascularity using Doppler imaging and assessment of other specific features including lymph nodes, mesentery and luminal motility. In addition to B-mode imaging, transperineal ultrasonography, elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography are useful adjuncts. This supplement expands upon these features in more depth.
文摘Diabetes mellitus is one of the most frequent co-morbidities of ulcerative colitis patients.The epidemiological association of these diseases suggested a genetic sharing and has challenged gene identification.Diabetes co-morbidity in ulcerative colitis has also relevant clinical and therapeutic implications,with potential clinical impact on the follow up and outcome of patients.These diseases share specific complications,such as neuropathy,hepatic steatosis,osteoporosis and venous thrombosis.It is still unknown whether the coexistence of these diseases may increase their occurrence.Diabetes and hyperglycaemia represent relevant risk factors for postoperative complications and pouch failure in ulcerative colitis.Medical treatment of ulcerative colitis in patients with diabetes mellitus may be particularly challenging.Corticosteroids are the treatment of choice of active ulcerative colitis.Their use may be associated with the onset of glucose intolerance and diabetes,with difficult control of glucose levels andwith complications in diabetic patients.Epidemiologic and genetic evidences about diabetes co-morbidity in ulcerative colitis patients and shared complications and treatment of patients with these diseases have been discussed in the present review.
文摘BACKGROUND Intestinal metastases from breast cancer(BC)arerare;available data depend mainly on case reports and case series.AIM To conduct a review of the literature regarding presentation,diagnosis,treatment and survival of patients with intestinal metastasis from BC.METHODS We identified all articles that described patients with intestinal metastasis(from duodenum to anum)from BC using MEDLINE(1975 to 2020)and EMBASE(1975 to 2020)electronic databases.RESULTS We found 96 cases of intestinal metastasis of BC.Metastasization involved large bowel(cecum,colon,sigmoid,rectum)(51%),small bowel(duodenum,jejunum,ileum)(49%),and anum(<1%).Median age of patients was 61-years.The most frequent histology was infiltrating lobular carcinoma followed by infiltrating ductal carcinoma.In more than half of patients,the diagnosis was made after the diagnosis of BC(median:7.2 years)and in many cases of emergency,for bowel obstruction,bleeding or perforation.Diagnosis was achieved through endoscopy,radiological examination or both.In most of the cases,patients underwent surgery with or without systemic therapies.Survival of patients included in this review was available in less than 50%of patients and showed an overall median of 12 mo since diagnosis of the intestinal metastasis.CONCLUSION Although,intestinal metastases of BC are considered a rare condition,clinicians should consider the possibility of intestinal involvement in case of abdominal symptoms even in acute setting and many years after the diagnosis of BC,especially in patients with a histology of lobular carcinoma.
