Endoscopic hemostatic techniques, such as endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and over-the-scope clip (OTSC), have emerged as effective endoscopic hemostatic treatments for colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB). However, their comparative effectiveness remains unclear. In this retrospective study, we investigated the effectiveness of EBL and OTSC using the propensity score matching method. We analyzed the data of patients with CDB who underwent EBL or OTSC between August 2014 and December 2023 and compared initial hemostasis, early (30-day) recurrent bleeding, requirements for interventional radiology or surgery, length of hospital stay, requirements for red blood cell transfusion, and adverse events between the 2 groups. A total of 303 cases (247 patients) were enrolled in the study, with the EBL (231 cases) and OTSC (72 cases) groups comprising 68 cases each in the propensity score-matched cohort. OTSC was associated with significantly low early recurrent bleeding rate (odds ratio, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.02-0.77; P = .017) and the length of hospital stay (P = .026) compared with EBL. No significant differences in initial hemostasis, requirements for interventional radiology or surgery, requirements of red blood cell transfusion, and adverse events were observed between the 2 groups. OTSC was more effective than EBL for reducing early recurrent bleeding rate in endoscopic hemostasis for CDB.

The specimen collection and subsequent pathological diagnosis of malignant biliary stricture (MBS) are difficult. This study aimed to determine whether the cell block (CB) method using overnight-stored bile is useful in the diagnosis of MBS. This trial was a single-arm prospective study involving a total of 59 patients with suspected MBS. The primary endpoint was cancer detectability and accuracy using the CB method, and a comparison with the detectability and accuracy achieved with bile cytology was made. The immunohistochemical sensitivity for maspin and p53 was also investigated in the CB and surgical specimens. We were able to collect bile from all 59 patients, and 45 of these patients were clinically diagnosed with MBS. The cancer detectability using the CB method (62.2%) was significantly higher than that using cytology (37.8%) (p = 0.0344). When CB was combined with biopsy, the rates of cancer detectability (75.6%) and accuracy (81.4%) increased. In eight patients who received surgical therapy, maspin- and p53-immunohistochemistry was applied to the surgical and CB specimens, and cancer cells in both specimens showed positive cytoplasmic and nuclear staining for maspin and nuclear staining for p53. The CB method is, thus, useful for detecting malignancy (UMIN000034707).

Background/Objectives: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) is a useful procedure for obtaining histological specimens. However, its utility in diagnosing autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) has not yet been well studied. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic capability of EUS-FNB for AIP by comparing a 19-gauge Franseen needle (19FR) and a 22-gauge Franseen needle (22FR). Methods: This study included patients with a final diagnosis of AIP undergoing EUS-FNB for pancreatic lesions between January 2014 and February 2023. All patients underwent EUS-FNB with either 19FR or 22FR. Histological findings were evaluated according to the International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria (ICDC). The primary outcome was the diagnostic yield of Level 1 (≥3 ICDC items) or Level 2 (2 ICDC items). Results: The 19FR group included 31 patients, and the 22FR group included 36 patients. The Level 1 diagnostic rate was significantly higher in the 19FR group than in the 22FR group (90.3% vs. 61.1%, p = 0.010). No significant difference was observed in the Level 2 diagnostic rate. The 19FR group yielded significantly larger histological tissue samples than the 22FR group (median area: 9.19 mm²/session vs. 3.36 mm²/session, p < 0.001). The analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between tissue area and the number of histological diagnostic items obtained. Conclusions: EUS-FNB performed with the 19FR provided larger histological specimens and a higher histological diagnostic yield than the 22FR in the diagnosis of AIP. Obtaining a larger amount of tissue may facilitate a definitive diagnosis of AIP.

Adenomyomatosis (ADM) of the gallbladder is a condition characterized by the proliferation of Rokitansky–Aschoff sinus (RAS), in which the epithelium of the gallbladder extends into the muscular layer, causing a thickening of the gallbladder wall. Although ADM is generally considered not to be a precancerous lesion of gallbladder cancer, there are some reports of cases of gallbladder cancer from ADM. Therefore, the relationship between ADM and gallbladder cancer remains controversial. We herein report a case of early-stage gallbladder cancer, BilIN3 (high grade), arising from ADM that was positive for ALDH1A1, an important marker of stem cells and cancer stem cells.

Introduction: Bile leakage is one of the complications after hepatobiliary surgery, causing intra‐abdominal infections, and is sometimes difficult to treat. The purpose of our study was to investigate the factors related to severity and to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic treatment. Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study conducted at three tertiary care medical centers. The severity of bile leakage was classified per the International Study Group of Liver Surgery, and Grades B and C (requiring some intervention or reoperation) were considered as severe. Results: The subjects were 59 patients. The surgical procedures were 31 cholecystectomies, 23 hepatectomies, and five pancreaticoduodenectomies. The severity was Grade A/B/C: 17/40/2. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that age (unit odds ratio [UOR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0–1.19; p = 0.049) and days from surgery to bile leak (UOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.04–1.35; p = 0.012) were independent predictors of bile leak severity. Of 40 Grade B biliary leakage patients, 37 patients underwent endoscopic drainage, of which 11 also received intra‐abdominal abscess drainage. Eventually, bile leakage was successfully treated in all patients after several endoscopic drainage sessions, and the median drainage period was 18 days (inter‐quartile range: 13–35). Conclusion: In the management of bile leakage after hepatobiliary surgery, elderly patients or patients with late onset of bile leak may be at high risk of severity. Endoscopic biliary drainage is considered a safe and effective treatment for severe patients.

Background: Steroid therapy is the first-line treatment for autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) with high response rates, although steroids can cause adverse events (AEs), such as diabetes mellitus (DM). The optimal initial steroid dose has not been well studied, and initiating high-dose steroid treatment may cause worsening of DM. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the initial steroid dosage on treatment efficacy and diabetes mellitus in the management of autoimmune pancreatitis. Methods: A total of 81 AIP patients treated with steroids were divided into two groups based on the starting steroid dosage: a high-dose group (HD group; >0.4 mg/kg) and a low-dose group (LD group; ≤0.4 mg/kg). Treatment efficacy (response rate, pancreatic volume), relapse rate, and DM worsening rate were analyzed. Results: Among the 81 patients, 58 received HD steroids, and 23 received LD steroids. The treatment response rate was 100% in both groups (58 vs. 23, p = 1), and the overall relapse rate was 29% vs. 26% (17 vs. 6, p = 0.79), with no significant difference. At 1 year, DM worsening occurred in 50% vs. 16% (25 vs. 3, p = 0.007), significantly more in the HD group. The risk factors for DM worsening were starting HD steroid treatment (OR 6.52, 95% CI 1.41–30.2, p = 0.01) and older age (OR 1.10 per year, 95% CI 1.01–1.19, p = 0.03). Conclusions: No significant difference in treatment efficacy was found between HD and LD steroid treatment for AIP. LD treatment may prevent DM worsening.