Foreign body ingestion is a frequently encountered emergency in healthcare institutions. It mostly affects pediatric populations, although it can also affect adults with developmental delays, those with psychiatric diseases, drug abusers, and prisoners. Endoscopy is a diagnostic and treatment method for suspected foreign body ingestion. In this article, we discuss a 45-year-old tailor who swallowed a sewing pin while at work. The abdominal X-ray showed a needle-shaped metal shadow in the stomach region. During an upper endoscopy, it was discovered that a sewing pin with a sharp edge was stuck in the pylorus. The sewing pin was extracted endoscopically, and the patient was discharged the same day in good condition. Since the estimated risk of complications of foreign body ingestion in the adult population is about 35%, and the most common complications include impaction, laceration, bleeding, or perforation of the gastrointestinal wall, endoscopic or surgical removal is necessary. This also emphasizes the importance of a careful endoscopic evaluation of some at-risk occupations for foreign body ingestion with or without gastrointestinal complaints.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a partial or complete obstruction of blood flow through the portal vein (PV) due to an intraluminal thrombus. Neoplastic portal vein thrombosis is a common complication in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it is a sign of a poor prognosis. Diagnosing HCC and tumor PVT is usually performed using non-invasive radiological imaging and measuring tumor marker blood levels. Sometimes, a PVT is present without any detectable liver tumor mass or conclusive findings. In cases like these, a tumor PVT biopsy is performed for confirmation. In the available literature, tumor PVT biopsy is performed either percutaneous or endoscopic, as fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Only a single publication was regarding PVT CORE needle biopsy (CNB). At this moment, we present three cases of percutaneous transhepatic ultrasound-guided biopsy. For the patients in question, the single method remained for diagnostic, staging, and pathohistological verification due to the insufficient sensitivity of the performed radiological imaging. In all three cases, the diagnosis of HCC was confirmed. All three procedures have been carried out without any complications.

Background: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is the mildest form of hepatic encephalopathy. One of the neuropsychological tests that detects MHE is the Stroop test (via EncephalApp). The aim was to evaluate the Stroop test for the screening and diagnosis of MHE. Methods: This prospective case–control study was performed at the Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, and included patients with cirrhosis and MHE and healthy controls. In all patients, the presence of MHE was confirmed using the animal naming test. The Stroop test was performed on each participant, and the results were compared between the two groups. The test has two components, the “OFF” and “ON” states. Results: A total of 111 participants were included. The median OFF time did not differ between the two groups, 106.3 and 91.4, p > 0.05. However, in patients with MHE, the median values of ON time and total time were significantly higher, with 122.3 vs. 105.3 and 228.0 vs. 195.6, respectively, p < 0.05. Statistical significance between patients and controls in examined parameters was detected in younger participants and the group with higher educational levels. Conclusions: The Stroop test displayed limited sensitivity in Serbian patients. Age and education affect time measurements and test performance.