Background: Epidemiological studies have suggested a possible correlation between nutritional factors and gastrointestinal diseases. Methods: A case–control study was designed in order to investigate if functional foods consumption and Mediterranean diet adherence have a positive effect in ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. In total, 142 patients (cases) and 147 gender-matched healthy people (controls) participated in the study. Functional food consumption was screened by using a Food Frequency Questionnaire based on the NHANES study, while Mediterranean diet adoption was evaluated by a 14-item Med Diet Assessment tool based on the PREDIMED study. The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS-22. Results: In the previous 2–3 years, the controls had more frequently consumed some categories (probiotics, prebiotics-enriched, and low-fat foods) and some kinds of functional foods (mountain tea, berries, pomegranate, oats, mastics, turmeric, soybeans, and raisins) compared to the cases (p < 0.05). Healthy people were more adherent to the Mediterranean diet than patients (p < 0.05). A multifactor analysis showed that the augmented score of the Mediterranean diet and the augmented consumption of categories and kinds of functional foods were protective factors in the appearance of gastrointestinal diseases. Conclusions: More studies should be conducted in order to further investigate the possible association between specific food components and gastrointestinal diseases’ pathophysiology.

Gastric cancer remains a disease with an ominous prognosis, while early gastric cancer has a good-to-excellent prognosis, with 5-year survival rates of up to 92.6% after successful endoscopic resection. In this context, the accurate identification of patients with established gastric precancerous lesions, namely chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, is the first step in a stepwise approach to minimize cancer risk. Although current guidelines advocate for the execution of random biopsies to stage the extent and severity of gastritis/intestinal metaplasia, modern biopsy protocols are still imperfect as they have limited reproducibility and are susceptible to sampling error. The advent of novel imaging-enhancing modalities, i.e., high-definition with virtual chromoendoscopy (CE), has revolutionized the inspection of gastric mucosa, leading to an endoscopy-based staging strategy for the management of these premalignant changes in the stomach. Nowadays, the incorporation of CE-targeted biopsies in everyday clinical practice offers not only the robust detection of premalignant lesions but also an improvement in quality, by reducing missed diagnoses along with mean biopsies and, thus, the procedural costs and the environmental footprint. In this review, we summarize the recent evidence regarding the endoscopic grading and sampling of gastric precancerous lesions.

Choledocholithiasis is one of the most common indications for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in daily practice. Although the majority of stones are small and can be easily removed in a single endoscopy session, approximately 10–15% of patients have complex biliary stones, requiring additional procedures for an optimum clinical outcome. A plethora of endoscopic methods is available for the removal of difficult biliary stones, including papillary large balloon dilation, mechanical lithotripsy, and electrohydraulic and laser lithotripsy. In-depth knowledge of these techniques and the emerging literature on them is required to yield the most optimal therapeutic effects. This narrative review aims to describe the definition of difficult bile duct stones based on certain characteristics and streamline their endoscopic retrieval using various modalities to achieve higher clearance rates.

Extramedullary plasmacytoma is an uncommon tumor that most often involves the nasopharynx or upper respiratory tract. Extramedullary plasmacytoma is a type of plasma cell neoplasm that can present as a primary tumor or secondary to another plasma cell neoplasm, such as multiple myeloma. Secondary extramedullary plasmacytoma is usually noted in the advanced stages of the disease. Involvement of the gastrointestinal tract occurs in approximately 10% of cases. A 71-year-old Caucasian woman with known diverticular disease of the colon and multiple myeloma diagnosed 3 years previously, with monoclonal bands of immunoglobulin A, lambda light chains, and multiple osteolytic lesions, presented to our hospital with abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, and pneumoperitoneum. She underwent left colectomy for diverticulitis with perforation, and an extramedullary secondary colonic plasmacytoma was found in histopathological examination of the sigmoid colon. Plasmacytoma is known to occur in extraosseous sites. The stomach and small intestine are the most commonly involved sites in the gastrointestinal tract. Secondary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the colon is rare. Colonic plasmacytoma may have varying clinical presentations, such as inflammatory bowel disease and multiple colonic strictures. Although these cases are rare, treating physicians as well as radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons should be aware of this entity.

Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) has emerged as a transformative technique for managing gastrointestinal (GI) lesions, previously deemed unsuitable for endoscopic removal. Unlike conventional endoscopic resection methods, such as endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), EFTR enables en bloc excision of both intraluminal and subepithelial lesions by resecting all layers of the GI wall, followed by defect closure to prevent complications. The introduction of the full-thickness resection device (FTRD^®) has significantly enhanced the feasibility and safety of EFTR, particularly in the colon and upper GI tract, with increasing adoption worldwide. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of FTRD^®, focusing on its clinical applications, procedural methodology, and comparative efficacy against other endoscopic resection techniques. The indications and contraindications for EFTR are explored, highlighting its utility in treating non-lifting adenomas, subepithelial tumours, and T1 carcinomas without lymph node involvement. This review synthesizes current clinical data and FTRD^® advantages. Despite its strengths, EFTR via FTRD^® incorporates challenges such as limitations in lesion size, procedural complexity, and potential adverse events. Strategies for overcoming these challenges, including hybrid techniques and modifications in procedural approach, are examined. The review also emphasizes the need for further research to optimize surveillance strategies and determine the long-term clinical impact of EFTR in GI lesion management. By integrating recent evidence, this paper provides valuable insights into the evolving role of EFTR in therapeutic endoscopy.

Background: The Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Disk (IBD-Disk) is a physician-administered tool that evaluates the functional status of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The aim of our study was to validate the content of the IBD-Disk in a Greek cohort of IBD patients. Methods: Two questionnaires [the IBD Disk and the IBD-Disability Index (IBD-DI)] were translated into Greek and administered to IBD patients at baseline visit, after 4 weeks and 6 months. Validation of the IBD Disk included measuring of concurrent validity, reproducibility, and internal consistency. Results: A total of 300 patients were included at baseline and 269 at follow-up. There was a good correlation between the total scores of the IBD-Disk and IBD-DI at baseline (Pearson correlation 0.87, p < 0.001). Reproducibility of the total IBD-Disk score was very good [intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89 (0.86–0.91)]. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha for all items achieved 0.90 (95%CI 0.88–0.92), demonstrating a very good homogeneity of the IBD-Disk items. Female gender and extraintestinal manifestations were significantly associated with a higher IBD-Disk total score. Conclusions: The Greek version of the IBD-Disk proved to be a reliable and valid tool in detecting and assessing IBD-related disability in a Greek cohort of IBD patients.