Anastomotic strictures are a common complication following esophagogastric surgery, with prevalence varying depending on the type of surgery and anatomical site. These strictures can lead to debilitating symptoms such as dysphagia, pain, and malabsorption, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life. Endoscopic treatment of anastomotic strictures has established a role as the first-line strategy in this setting instead of revision surgery, offering benefits in terms of lower morbidity. Various endoscopic methods are available for anastomotic stricture management, including balloon dilation, stent placement, the new lumen-apposing metal stent, and endoscopic incision techniques. However, there is currently no strong evidence and established guidelines for the optimal treatment strategy. Available data suggest that endoscopic treatments, when performed in tertiary referral centers, can provide favorable outcomes in terms of symptom relief and reduced need for rescue surgical intervention. Nonetheless, challenges remain regarding the management of recurrent strictures and procedural complications, underscoring the need for a personalized, multidisciplinary approach to optimize clinical outcomes. This review aims to provide an updated overview of endoscopic techniques and available evidence with a focus on the most recent technologies, supporting clinicians in effectively managing anastomotic strictures in complex clinical settings.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) precipitates complex malnutrition through synergistic mechanisms: exocrine pancreatic insufficiency–driven maldigestion, duodenal or pancreatobiliary strictures limiting nutrient flow, cholestasis impairing micelle formation, alcohol-related anorexia, pain-induced hypophagia, proteolytic catabolism from type 3c diabetes, and a chronic inflammatory milieu that accelerates sarcopenia and bone demineralisation. Consequent calorie–protein depletion, micronutrient and fat-soluble vitamin deficits, and metabolic derangements markedly amplify morbidity. Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) with targeted micronutrient repletion is foundational; high-protein regimens co-administered with PERT curb muscle loss, and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) can augment caloric delivery by bypassing lipase dependence, although their benefit over personalised dietetic counselling is marginal. Optimal dietary fat thresholds and timing of escalation from oral to enteral or parenteral feeding remain unresolved. Comprehensive care also demands alcohol abstinence, effective analgesia and stringent glycaemic control. Serial monitoring—biochemical indices, densitometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and imaging-based body-composition metrics—permits early detection of high-risk patients and precision tailoring of interventions. Intensified multidisciplinary programmes already improve prognostic endpoints and are unveiling biomarkers of nutritional resilience. A structured, evidence-based strategy integrating PERT, macronutrient engineering, micronutrient repletion and metabolic surveillance is essential to mitigate nutrition-related morbidity, enhance long-term outcomes and optimise quality of life in CP.

Endoscopy has revolutionized the management of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, enabling less invasive treatments for cases that once required surgery. Among these innovations, endoscopically placed stents have played a crucial role in the treatment of upper GI tract diseases for many years. Today, stents remain a valid first-line treatment for specific indications; however, advancements in endoscopic technologies have led to a reassessment of their role in some conditions. While stents are still the primary choice for palliation of malignant esophageal strictures, endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) has demonstrated superior outcomes for esophageal leaks, and Endoscopic UltraSonography-guided placement of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) has outperformed traditional stents in gastric obstructions. This review evaluates current stent indications, highlighting upper GI conditions where they remain the best option, while also exploring emerging technologies and updated clinical guidelines to optimize patient care.

Liver disease is not uncommon during pregnancy and is associated with increased maternal and fetal/neonatal morbidity and mortality. Physiological changes during pregnancy, including a hyperestrogenic state, increase in circulating plasma volume and/or reduction in splanchnic vascular resistance, and hemostatic imbalance, may mimic or worsen liver disease. For the clinician, it is important to distinguish among the first presentation or exacerbation of chronic liver disease, acute liver disease non-specific to pregnancy, and pregnancy-specific liver disease. This last group classically includes conditions such as hyperemesis gravidarum, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, liver disorders associated with the pre-eclampsia spectrum, and an acute fatty liver of pregnancy. All of these disorders often share pathophysiological mechanisms, symptoms, and laboratory findings (such as elevated liver enzymes), but a prompt and correct diagnosis is fundamental to guide obstetric conduct, reduce morbidity and mortality, and inform upon the risk of recurrence or development of other chronic diseases later on in life. Finally, the cause of elevated liver enzymes during pregnancy is unclear in up to 30–40% of the cases, and yet, little is known on the causes and mechanisms underlying these alterations, or whether these findings are associated with worse maternal/fetal outcomes. In this narrative review, we aimed to summarize pragmatically the diagnostic work-up and the management of subjects with elevated liver enzymes during pregnancy.

Next-generation sequencing has overturned the dogma of biliary sterility, revealing low-biomass microbiota along the gut–biliary axis with metabolic and immunologic effects. This review synthesizes evidence on composition, function, and routes of colonization across benign and malignant disease. In cholelithiasis, Proteobacteria- and Firmicutes-rich consortia provide β-glucuronidase, phospholipase A₂, and bile salt hydrolase, driving bile supersaturation, nucleation, and recurrence. In primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and autoimmune hepatitis, intestinal dysbiosis and disturbed bile acid pools modulate pattern recognition receptors and bile acid signaling (FXR, TGR5), promote Th17 skewing, and injure cholangiocytes; bile frequently shows Enterococcus expansion linked to taurolithocholic acid. Distinct oncobiomes characterize cholangiocarcinoma subtypes; colibactin-positive Escherichia coli and intratumoral Gammaproteobacteria contribute to DNA damage and chemoresistance. In hepatocellular carcinoma, intratumoral microbial signatures correlate with tumor biology and prognosis. We critically appraise key methodological constraints—sampling route and post-sphincterotomy contamination, antibiotic prophylaxis, low biomass, and heterogeneous analytical pipelines—and outline a translational agenda: validated microbial/metabolomic biomarkers from bile, tissue, and stent biofilms; targeted modulation with selective antibiotics, engineered probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and bile acid receptor modulators. Standardized protocols and spatial, multi-omic prospective studies are required to enable risk stratification and microbiota-informed therapeutics.

Pancreatic pseudocysts (PPs) and walled-off necrosis (WON) are two distinct sequelae of acute and chronic pancreatitis, requiring accurate differentiation to guide appropriate management. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remain essential for distinguishing PPs from WON, assessing their content, and identifying potential complications. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has emerged as a key modality for both diagnosis and drainage planning, offering high-resolution imaging and the possibility of real-time aspiration. Management strategies have evolved significantly, shifting from surgical to minimally invasive approaches. Endoscopic drainage, including EUS-guided transmural drainage with double-pigtail or lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), has become the preferred strategy for symptomatic or infected collections. Endoscopic necrosectomy is increasingly performed for WON, providing a less invasive alternative to surgical debridement. However, patient selection and procedural techniques remain topics of ongoing debate. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive synthesis of current evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of pancreatic pseudocyst and walled-off necrosis. We will synthesize current evidence on diagnostic criteria, imaging modalities, and therapeutic algorithms for PPs and WON. We will discuss technical aspects, success rates, and complications associated with drainage modalities, comparing endoscopic, percutaneous, and surgical approaches. Special attention will be given to recent advancements in interventional endoscopy and their impact on patient outcomes. By integrating clinical insights with the latest literature, this review aims to provide an up-to-date reference for clinicians managing pancreatic fluid collections. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and MEDLINE databases to identify relevant studies on diagnostic criteria, imaging techniques, and management strategies.