Aim: This was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm intervention, against historical controls, study of the efficacy of a vonoprazan-based 7-day triple regimen with metronidazole (VPZ-AMPC-MNZ) as a first-line therapy for eradicating clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Methods: We enrolled 35 patients positive for clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori, as assessed by culture, without a history of eradication. These 35 patients were prospectively eradicated with VPZ-AMPC-MNZ. As historical controls, we also assessed 98 patients with clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori from our prior prospective studies, who achieved H. pylori eradication with a 7-day triple regimen including clarithromycin (VPZ-AMPC-CAM). A preplanned analysis was performed as a superiority study against the historical controls (VPZ-AMPC-MNZ compared to VPZ-AMPC-CAM). In each regimen, vonoprazan was used at 20 mg bid, amoxicillin at 750 mg bid, metronidazole at 250 mg bid, and clarithromycin at 200 mg or 400 mg bid for 7 days. We assessed the outcome of eradication therapy using a ¹³C-urea breath test or H. pylori stool antigen test. We evaluated safety using patient questionnaires. Results: The intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) eradication rates of VPZ-AMPC-MNZ were both 100% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 90.0–100%, n = 35). The eradication rates of VPZ-AMPC-CAM were 76.5% (95% CI 66.9–84.5%, n = 98) in the ITT analysis and 77.3% (95% CI 67.7–85.2%, n = 97) in the PP analysis. The eradication rate of VPZ-AMPC-MNZ was significantly higher than that of VPZ-AMPC-CAM in both the ITT (p = 0.00052) and PP (p = 0.00095) analyses. Conclusions: The findings suggest that 7-day VPZ-AMPC-MNZ was superior to 7-day VPZ-AMPC-CAM as a first-line regimen for eradicating clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori. We suggest VPZ-AMPC-MNZ as the standard first-line regimen for eradication of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori in Japan.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of peroral cholangiopancreatoscopy (POCPS) using the 9‐Fr eyeMAX for the diagnosis of pancreatobiliary diseases. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 43 patients who underwent POCPS using the 9‐Fr eyeMAX for diagnostic procedures at two tertiary referral centers between May 2023 and November 2024. The primary outcome was the incidence of adverse events following POCPS. Patient backgrounds, procedural details, technical success (successful insertion of the 9‐Fr eyeMAX), and adequate tissue sampling were also analyzed. Results: Of the 43 patients, 32 were male, and 11 were female, with a median age of 75 years (range, 46–87 years). Peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) was performed on 30 patients. The final diagnosis in this cohort was an ampullary tumor ( n = 2), extrahepatic bile duct cancer ( n = 16), gallbladder cancer ( n = 3), metastatic liver tumor ( n = 1), and benign biliary stricture ( n = 8). The adequate tissue sampling rate for the POCS was 86.4%. Adverse events after POCS occurred in two patients (6.7%), including mild pancreatitis ( n = 1) and fever ( n = 1). Peroral pancreatoscopy (POPS) was performed on 13 patients. The final diagnoses of all patients undergoing POPS were intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN), categorized as branch duct‐type IPMN ( n = 1), mixed‐type IPMN ( n = 8), and main duct‐type IPMN ( n = 4). The technical success rate was 92.3% (12/13). The tissue sampling rate for POPS was 83.6%. No adverse events, such as pancreatitis, were observed. Conclusions: The 9‐Fr eyeMAX facilitates a safe POCPS procedure, achieving a high technical success rate and an adequate tissue sampling rate.

Background: Peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) is valuable for assessing malignant biliary strictures; however, biliary drainage prior to POCS often hinders accurate diagnosis. Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the feasibility of POCS using a newly developed cholangioscope, CHF-B290, during initial endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for malignant biliary strictures. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included patients who underwent initial ERCP for malignant biliary strictures at two institutions between January 2018 and March 2022. Patients who underwent initial ERCP with POCS were classified into the POCS group, and those without POCS were classified into the non-POCS group. To prevent post-POCS cholangitis, the original irrigation system for CHF-B290 was used in all POCS examinations. The primary endpoint was the rate of post-ERCP biliary infections, and the secondary endpoints were other ERCP-related complications, including pancreatitis, bleeding, and perforation. Results: Overall, 53 and 94 patients were included in the POCS and non-POCS groups, respectively. For the primary endpoint, the rate of post-ERCP biliary infection was not significantly different between the two groups (1.9% vs. 5.3%, p = 0.42). For the secondary endpoints, no significant differences were observed in the rates of post-ERCP pancreatitis (5.7% vs. 6.4%, p = 1.00) and other ERCP-related complications. The overall complication rate was 9.4% in the POCS group and 13% in the non-POCS group (p = 0.60). Conclusions: POCS during the initial ERCP for malignant biliary strictures is feasible.

Background/Objectives: Detective flow imaging (DFI) endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) can identify the microvascular flow imaging of a mural nodule (MN) in an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) without the use of contrast agents. This retrospective study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of DFI-EUS and its ability to evaluate the blood flow of MNs in IPMNs. Methods: Between April 2021 and September 2023, 68 patients with MNs in IPMNs observed on EUS images were retrospectively analyzed. Both DFI-EUS and contrast-enhanced EUS (CE-EUS) were performed during the same session. Three expert endosonographers blinded to the patients’ clinical data assessed the MN images obtained with CE-EUS and DFI-EUS. First, DFI-EUS images were evaluated using a predefined scoring system; thereafter, CE-EUS images were evaluated. The diagnostic capability of DFI-EUS to detect MN blood flow was assessed with CE-EUS as the gold standard. Secondary outcomes included inter-reader agreement, the correlation between MN size and detection rates, and the association between DFI blood flow signal patterns and malignancy of MNs in surgically resected cases. Results: CE-EUS showed a contrast effect in the MN in 24 cases. Among these, DFI-EUS detected blood flow signals in 20 cases; false-positive results were not observed. DFI-EUS demonstrated a sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 100%, and accuracy of 93% for detecting MN blood flow. Inter-reader agreement was substantial (kappa values, 0.6–0.8). The subgroup analysis revealed that all MNs ≥ 10 mm had detectable blood flow on DFI-EUS, whereas MNs < 10 mm had reduced detection rates (75%; 12/16 cases). No significant correlation between the DFI blood flow signal patterns and MN malignancy of resected cases was observed. Conclusions: DFI-EUS demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for detecting MN blood flow. Because of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, DFI-EUS could be an alternative to CE-EUS for patients with MNs inside IPMNs.

Background/Objectives: The usefulness of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for low absorption in the parenchymal phase and contrast effects in the delayed phase for pancreatic cancer is not clear. Therefore, the diagnostic capability of low-KeV images obtained using DECT for pancreatic cancer in the pancreatic parenchymal and delayed phases was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. Methods: Twenty-five patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent contrast-enhanced DECT were included. A total of 50 and 70 KeV CT images, classified as low-keV and conventional CT-equivalent images, were produced, respectively. The tumor-to-pancreas contrast (Hounsfield units [HU]) in the pancreatic parenchymal and delayed phases was calculated by subtracting the CT value of the pancreatic tumor from that of normal parenchyma. Results: The median tumor-to-pancreas contrast on 50 KeV CT in the pancreatic parenchymal phase (133 HU) was higher than that on conventional CT (68 HU) (p < 0.001). The median tumor-to-pancreas contrast in the delayed phase was −28 HU for 50 KeV CT and −9 HU for conventional CT (p = 0.545). For tumors < 20 mm, the tumor-to-pancreas contrast of 50 KeV CT (−39 HU) had a significantly clearer contrast effect than that of conventional CT (−16.5 HU), even in the delayed phase (p = 0.034). Conclusions: These 50 KeV CT images may clarify the low-absorption areas of pancreatic cancer in the pancreatic parenchymal phase. A good contrast effect was observed in small pancreatic cancers on 50 KeV delayed-phase images, suggesting that DECT is useful for the visualization of early pancreatic cancer with a small tumor diameter.

Antegrade laser lithotripsy via endoscopic ultrasonography-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) is challenging when the intrahepatic bile duct forms acute angulation [1] [2]. A novel slim cholangioscope (9-Fr eyeMAX; Micro-Tech, Nanjing, China), featuring a highly flexible deflection system, has recently become available [3] [4] [5]. A 78-year-old man who had undergone pancreatoduodenectomy for a neuroendocrine tumor was admitted with a large intrahepatic biliary stone ([Fig. 1]). First, balloon enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiography was performed; however, severe adhesive angulation of the afferent limb resulted in poor maneuverability of the balloon enteroscope. Although the 9-Fr eyeMAX could be advanced with difficulty, targeting the intrahepatic stone by laser probe (LithoEVO; EDAP TMS, Lyon, France) was impossible ([Fig. 2]). Therefore, EUS-HGS was planned to create the antegrade route for stone removal. A non-dilated bile duct, identified posterior to a hepatic cyst, was punctured with 22-gauge needle. After guidewire placement toward the hilum, a double-pigtail plastic stent was deployed ([Fig. 3]). Three weeks later, the plastic stent was exchanged for a partially covered metallic stent, and antegrade stone removal was performed. The 9-Fr eyeMAX was inserted through the metallic stent; however, targeting the intrahepatic stone was difficult because of the acute intraductal angulation. Rotation of the cholangioscope and bile aspiration brought the stone into direct frontal view. Although the laser probe tip intermittently went out of view, the green aiming beam allowed clear discrimination between the stone and the bile duct wall. After laser lithotripsy, the hepaticojejunostomy anastomosis was dilated with a balloon catheter, and the fragmented stones were successfully removed. No residual stones were seen on cholangioscopy, and the metallic stent was removed ([Fig. 4]). The patient was discharged without complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of antegrade laser lithotripsy for intrahepatic biliary stones using a novel slim cholangioscope ([Video 1]). Endoscopy_UCTN_Code_TTT_1AR_2AH Article published online: 02 October 2025 © 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany