Objective:To develop a robotic digestive endoscope system (RDES) and to evaluate its feasibility, safety and control performance by experiments.Methods:The RDES was designed based on the master-slave control system, which consisted of 3 parts: the integrated endoscope, including a knob and button robotic control system integrated with a gastroscope; the robotic mechanical arm system, including the base and arm, as well as the endoscopic advance-retreat control device (force-feedback function was designed) and the endoscopic axial rotation control device; the control console, including a master manipulator and an image monitor. The operator sit far away from the endoscope and controlled the master manipulator to bend the end of the endoscope and to control advance, retract and rotation of the endoscope. The air supply, water supply, suction, figure fixing and motion scaling switching was realized by pressing buttons on the master manipulator. In the endoscopy experiments performed on live pigs, 5 physicians each were in the beginner and advanced groups. Each operator operated RDES and traditional endoscope (2 weeks interval) to perform porcine gastroscopy 6 times, comparing the examination time. In the experiment of endoscopic circle drawing on the inner wall of the simulated stomach model, each operator in the two groups operated RDES 1∶1 motion scaling, 5∶1 motion scaling and ordinary endoscope to complete endoscopic circle drawing 6 times, comparing the completion time, accuracy (i.e. trajectory deviation) and workload.Results:RDES was operated normally with good force feedback function. All porcine in vivo gastroscopies were successful, without mucosal injury, bleeding or perforation. In beginner and advanced groups, the examination time of both RDES and ordinary endoscopy tended to decrease as the number of operations increased, but the decrease in time was greater for operating RDES than for operating ordinary endoscope (beginner group P=0.033; advanced group P=0.023). In the beginner group, the operators operating RDES with 1∶1 motion scaling or 5∶1 motion scaling to complete endoscopic circle drawing had shorter completion time [1.68 (1.40, 2.17) min, 1.73 (1.47, 2.37) min VS 4.13 (2.27, 5.16) min, H=32.506, P<0.001], better trajectory deviation (0.50±0.11 mm, 0.46±0.11 mm VS 0.82±0.26 mm, F=38.999, P<0.001], and less workload [42.00 (30.00, 50.33) points, 43.33 (35.33, 54.00) points VS 52.67 (48.67, 63.33) points, H=20.056, P<0.001] than operating ordinary endoscope. In the advanced group, the operators operating RDES with 1∶1 or 5∶1 motion scaling to complete endoscopic circle drawing had longer completion time than operating ordinary endoscope [1.72 (1.37, 2.53) min, 1.57 (1.25, 2.58) min VS 1.15 (0.86, 1.58) min, H=13.233, P=0.001], but trajectory deviation [0.47 (0.13, 0.57) mm, 0.44 (0.39, 0.58) mm VS 0.52 (0.42, 0.59) mm, H=3.202, P=0.202] and workload (44.62±21.77 points, 41.24±12.57 points VS 44.71±17.92 points, F=0.369, P=0.693) were not different from those of the ordinary endoscope. Conclusion:The RDES enables remote control, greatly reducing the endoscopists' workload. Additionally, it gives full play to the cooperative motion function of the large and small endoscopic knobs, making the control more flexible. Finally, it increases motion scaling switching function to make the control of endoscope more flexible and more accurate. It is also easy for beginners to learn and master, and can shorten the training period. So it can provide the possibility of remote endoscopic control and fully automated robotic endoscope.

Objective:To investigate the current status of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in China, and to provide supporting data and reference for the development of endoscopic treatment.Methods:In this study, initiated by the Liver Health Consortium in China (CHESS), a questionnaire was designed and distributed online to investigate the basic condition of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in 2022 in China. Questions included annual number and indication of endoscopic procedures, adherence to guideline for preventing esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB), management and timing of emergent EGVB, management of gastric and isolated varices, and improvement of endoscopic treatment. Proportions of hospitals concerning therapeutic choices to all participant hospitals were calculated. Guideline adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals were compared by using Chi-square test.Results:A total of 836 hospitals from 31 provinces (anotomous regions and municipalities) participated in the survey. According to the survey, the control of acute EGVB (49.3%, 412/836) and the prevention of recurrent bleeding (38.3%, 320/836) were major indications of endoscopic treatment. For primary [non-selective β-blocker (NSBB) or endoscopic therapies] and secondary prophylaxis (NSBB and endoscopic therapies) of EGVB, adherence to domestic guideline was 72.5% (606/836) and 39.2% (328/836), respectively. There were significant differences in the adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals in primary prophylaxis of EGVB [71.0% (495/697) VS 79.9% (111/139), χ2=4.11, P=0.033] and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB [41.6% (290/697) VS 27.3% (38/139), χ2=9.31, P=0.002]. A total of 78.2% (654/836) hospitals preferred endoscopic therapies treating acute EGVB, and endoscopic therapy was more likely to be the first choice for treating acute EGVB in tertiary hospitals (82.6%, 576/697) than secondary hospitals [56.1% (78/139), χ2=46.33, P<0.001]. The optimal timing was usually within 12 hours (48.5%, 317/654) and 12-24 hours (36.9%, 241/654) after the bleeding. Regarding the management of gastroesophageal varices type 2 and isolated gastric varices type 1, most hospitals used cyanoacrylate injection in combination with sclerotherapy [48.2% (403/836) and 29.9% (250/836), respectively], but substantial proportions of hospitals preferred clip-assisted therapies [12.4% (104/836) and 26.4% (221/836), respectively]. Improving the skills of endoscopic doctors (84.2%, 704/836), and enhancing the precision of pre-procedure evaluation and quality of multidisciplinary team (78.9%, 660/836) were considered urgent needs in the development of endoscopic treatment. Conclusion:A variety of endoscopic treatments for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension are implemented nationwide. Participant hospitals are active to perform emergent endoscopy for acute EGVB, but are inadequate in following recommendations regarding primary and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB. Moreover, the selection of endoscopic procedures for gastric varices differs greatly among hospitals.

Objective:To develop and evaluate the efficacy and safety of a three-dimensional (3D) digestive endoscope for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) through animal experiments.Methods:Two Dutch pigs were utilized from the Zhengzhou University Animal Experiment Center for the study. ESD procedures were performed by two senior endoscopists, one using 3D glasses and the other utilizing a 3D high-definition head display. The success of ESD was assessed based on predefined criteria, including completion of surgical steps, complete detachment of the presumptive lesion, and effective bleeding control during and after the surgery. The number of successful procedures and incidences of perforation were recorded. The stereoscopic experience of the endoscopists, including both the primary endoscopist and the assistant, was also evaluated. Furthermore, the assessment encompassed any reported symptoms of eye discomfort, such as eye fatigue, ocular pain, and blurred vision. Additionally, the confidence level of the endoscopists in the mechanical aspects of the operation, as well as encountered issues during the endoscopic procedures, were documented.Results:Two ESD were successful and no perforation occurred. Feedback from endoscopists suggested that 3D digestive endoscopy offered clear images with enhanced three-dimensionality during surgery, clear sense of distance and layering, allowing for a precise judgment of bleeding points, which surpassed 2D capabilities. No eye discomfort was experienced by endoscopists or assistants during or after the procedures. While endoscopists exhibited high confidence in 3D digestive endoscopy, they noted issues with image blurring when the camera was positioned less than 10 mm from the gastrointestinal tract wall.Conclusion:Preliminary results show that 3D digestive endoscopes can provide excellent stereo imaging, improved positioning accuracy, and safety during live animal stomach ESD procedures, without significantly increasing endoscopists' eye discomfort. Nevertheless, efforts are needed to address image blurring concerns when the camera is close to the gastrointestinal tract wall.

AIM: To explore the predictive value of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in early poor neurologic improvement after intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: A total of 102 patients with acute ischemic stroke who received intravenous thromblysis with alteplase within 4.5 hours of onset were analyzed retrospectively. RDW level was measured before thrombolysis. According to the percentage change in NIHSS at 24 hours, the patients were divided into two groups: good neurological improvement (≥ 30%) group (n=53) and poor neurological improvement (<30%) group (n=49). The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to investigate whether RDW level is an independent factor affecting patients' neurological improvement. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the cut-off value of RDW to predict poor early neurological improvement after thrombolysis. RESULTS: Compared with the good neurological improvement group, higher proportion of atrial fibrillation (24.5% vs. 9.4%, P= 0.042), diabetes mellitus (57.1% vs. 30.2%, P= 0.006), hemorrhagic transformation (10.2% vs. 0%, P=0.023) in the poor neurological improvement group. The level of RDW in poor neurological improvement group was significantly higher than that in good neurological improved group(14.09±0.77) vs. (13.31±0.63), P=0.000. Logistic regression analysis showed that elevated RDW (OR=4.614, 95%CI: 2.263-9.408, P=0.000) and history of diabetes mellitus (OR=2.606, 95%CI: 1.034-6.573, P=0.042) were independently associated with early poor neurological improvement. The ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of RDW to predict poor early neurological improvement after thrombolysis was 13.56% (AUC=0.782, 95%CI: 0.690-0.874; sensitivity 76%; specificity 74%). CONCLUSION: Elevated RDW is of a certain value in predicting the poor early neurological improvement of AIS patients after thrombolysis.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of endoscopic resection and laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with a maximum diameter of 2 to 5 cm, and to analyze the influence of factors such as tumor surface, growth pattern and lesion origin on the choice of resection method, so as to provide a safer and more effective treatment for patients with gastric GIST.Methods:From January 2012 to November 2019, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, the clinical data of 301 patients with gastric GIST who underwent endoscopic resection (137 cases in the endoscopic resection group) or laparoscopic surgery (164 cases in the laparoscopic surgery group) were retrospectively analyzed, including age, gender, whether there was depression on the tumor surface (the local subsidence depth of the mucosa on the tumor surface was >5 mm), whether the tumor surface was irregular (non-hemispherical or non-elliptical tumor surface), whether there was combined ulcer, location, shape, origin of the lesion, growth pattern (intralumina growth or combined intraluminal and extraluminal growth), risk classification (very low risk, low risk, medium risk, high risk), whether the tumor was en bloc resection, operation time, whether bleeding or not, fasting time, indwelling time of gastric tube, time of hospitalization, time of postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications and follow-up. Independent sample t test, chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Among the 137 patients with gastric GIST in the endoscopic resection group, 85 cases (62.0%) underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection, 9 cases (6.6%) underwent endoscopic submucosal excavation, 42 cases (30.7%) underwent endoscopic full-thickness resection, and 1 case (0.7%) underwent submucosal tunnel endoscopic resection. There were no significant differences in gender, age, lesion location, tumor size, and risk classification between the endoscopic resection group and the laparoscopic surgery group (all P>0.05). The tumor surface was depressed, with ulcer or irregular in 1, 49, 26, and 2 cases of patients with gastric GIST of very low risk, low risk, medium risk and high risk, respectively. There was statistically significant difference in the proportion of depression, irregularity and ulcer on the tumor surface at different risk levels ( Z=-2.55, P=0.011). The complete tumor resection rate of the endoscopic resection group was lower than that of the laparoscopic surgery group (86.1%, 118/137 vs. 100.0%, 164/164), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=24.28, P<0.001). However the operation time, fasting time, the indwelling time of gastric tube, time of hospitalization, and the time of postoperative hospital stay of the endoscopic resection group were shorter than those of the laparoscopic surgery group, and the total hospitalization cost was lower than that of the laparoscopic surgery group (90.0 min (62.5 min, 150.0 min) vs. 119.5 min, (80.0 min, 154.2 min); 3 d (3 d, 4 d) vs. 5 d (4 d, 7 d); 3 d (2 d, 4 d) vs. 4 d (2 d, 6 d); 11 d (10 d, 14 d) vs. 16 d (12 d, 20 d); 7 d (6 d, 9 d) vs. 9 d (7 d, 11 d); (38 211.6±10 221.0) yuan vs. (59 926.1±17 786.1) yuan), and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-2.46, -7.12, -4.44, -6.89 and -5.92, t=-13.24; all P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative abdominal pain and other severe postoperative complications (including shock, respiratory failure, pulmonary embolism, gastroparesis, etc.) of the endoscopic resection group were all lower than those of the laparoscopic surgery group (16.8%, 23/137 vs. 27.4%, 45/164; 0.7%, 1/137 vs. 4.9%, 8/164), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=4.84, Fisher′s exact test, P=0.028 and 0.043). There were no significant differences in the incidence of intraoperative bleeding, postoperative bleeding, fever and perforation between the two groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of operation-related complications of lesions with intraluminal growth and originating from muscularis propria in the endoscopic resection group were lower than those of the laparoscopic surgery group (19.5%, 25/128 vs. 32.6%, 45/138; 12.6%, 12/95 vs. 31.4%, 37/118), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=5.86 and 10.42, P=0.016 and 0.001). There was no significant difference in the postoperative tumor recurrent rate between the endoscopic resection group and the laparoscopic surgery group (0, 0/137 vs. 2.4%, 4/164; Fisher’s exact test, P=0.129). Conclusions:Endoscopic treatment is safe and effective for gastric GIST with a maximum diameter of 2 to 5 cm, which is superior to laparoscopic surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery is recommended for tumor with depressed, ulcerative, or irregular surface and combined intraluminal and extraluminal growth.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic performance of MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2018 in high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with intrahepatic parenchymal substantial lesions ≤3.0 cm.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in hospitals between September 2014 to April 2020. 131 pathologically confirmed non-HCC cases with lesions ≤3.0 cm in diameter were randomly matched with 131 cases with lesions ≤3.0 cm in diameter and divided into benign (56 cases), other hepatic malignant tumor (OM, 75 cases), and HCC group (131 cases) in a 1:1 ratio. MRI features of the lesions were analyzed and classified according to LI-RADS v2018 criteria (tie-break rule was applied to lesions with both HCC and LR-M features). Taking the pathological results as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the LI-RADS v2018 classification criteria and the more stringent LR-5 criteria (with three main signs of HCC at the same time) were calculated for HCC, OM or benign lesions diagnosis. Mann -Whitney U test was used to compare the classification results. Results:The number of cases classified as LR-M, LR-1, LR-2, LR-3, LR-4, and LR-5 in HCC group after applying the tie-break rule were 14, 0, 0, 12, 28, and 77, respectively. There were 40, 0, 0, 4, 17, 14 and 8, 5, 1, 26, 13, 3 cases in benign and OM group, respectively. There were 41 (41/77), 4 (4/14) and 1 (1/3) lesion case in the HCC, OM and benign group, respectively, that met the more stringent LR-5 criteria. The sensitivity of LR-4 combined with LR-5 (LR-4/5) criteria, LR-5 criteria and more stringent LR-5 criteria for HCC diagnosis were 80.2% (105/131), 58.8% (77/131) and 31.3% (41/131), respectively, and the specificity were 64.1% (84/131), 87.0% (114/131) and 96.2% (126/131), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of LR-M were 53.3% (40/75) and 88.2% (165/187), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity using LR-1 combined with LR-2 (LR-1/2) criteria for the diagnosis of benign liver lesions were 10.7% (6/56) and 100% (206/206), respectively.Conclusions:LR-1/2, LR-5, and LR-M criteria have high diagnostic specificity for intrahepatic lesions with a diameter of ≤3.0 cm. Lesions classified as LR-3 are more likely to be benign. The specificity of LR-4/5 criteria is low, while the more stringent LR-5 criteria has a high specificity for HCC diagnosis.

Objective:To study the correlation between liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) category with tumor differentiation, Ki67 index, microvascular infiltration, and predictive prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological data of 178 patients with HCC who were confirmed by histopathological studies after liver resection between January 2015 and September 2020 at Lishui Central Hospital and Lishui People’s Hospital. There were 156 males and 22 females, with age of (57±10) years old. These patients were assessed for LI-RADS categories according to the 2018 version of LI-RADS, and they were divided into 4 groups according to the assessment results: 12 patients with LI-RADS-3 (the LI-RADS-3 group); 26 patients with LI-RADS-4 (the LI-RADS-4 group); 102 patients with LI-RADS-5 (the LI-RADS-5 group); and 38 patients with LI-RADS-M (the LI-RADS-M group). The patients' general information, tumor markers, pathology and other clinical data were recorded. Correlation analysis between the LI-RADS category with pathology was performed by the Kendall's tau-b test. Survival analysis between groups was performed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis. The Cox regression risk model was used to analyze the relationship between these variables with the risk of death.Results:The Kendall's tau-b test showed that LI-RADS category was positively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation ( t=0.204, P=0.002), but not with microvascular infiltration and Ki 67 index ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up for 4.2 to 84.2 months (median follow-up 36.3 months). By the end of follow-up, 31 patients had died and 147 patients were alive. The cumulative 1-year and 3-year survival rates of the LI-RADS-5 group were 97% and 90% respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the LI-RADS-M group (81% and 63%), and the LI-RADS-4 group (96% and 81%), ( P<0.05). The cumulative 1-year and 3-year survival rates of patients in the LI-RADS-3 group were 100% and 67% respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference with the LI-RADS-5 group ( P>0.05). The Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that tumor glycoantigen 199 (>50 μl/ml) to be an independent influencing factor in survival of HCC patients ( HR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.24-0.76, P=0.004). Conclusion:The LI-RADS category of HCC was positively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation, and patients with HCC meeting the LI-RADS-5 criteria had relatively better prognosis.

From June 2017 to September 2019, 5 patients who were diagnosed as having benign severe pyloric stenosis underwent fully covered stent placement using a new stenting method at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Five patients were performed successfully without serious complications. Postoperative barium meal radiograph revealed that the stents were in good location and the acontrast agent passed smoothly. The liquid diet was commenced 1-3 days after surgery. No vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea occurred. During the follow-up, all the patients had improved weight and nutritional status. Four patients underwent stent removal 3-4 months postoperatively. One patient was found that the stent had migrated to stomach 3 months after discharge. After removing the stent, balloon dilation and mucosal resection was performed for the mild pyloric stenosis. All 5 patients had an additional follow-up of 3 months, and no symptoms and restenosis occured. These preliminary results showed that the new stenting method of fully covered stent placement is feasible, safe and effective in the treatment of benign pyloric stenosis.

Objective:To study the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic full-thickness resection(EFR) in the treatment of large gastric stromal tumors with diameter of 5-7 cm.Methods:Data of 36 patients with large gastric stromal tumors (5-7 cm) who received EFR or surgery (including laparoscopic and open surgery) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and confirmed by postoperative histopathology from January 2017 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into endoscopic group (9 cases) and surgical group (27 cases) according to different resection methods. The perioperative indicators and the total incidence of complications in the two groups were compared.Results:In terms of perioperative indicators, the median operation time of the endoscopic group was significantly longer than that of the surgical group (4.0 hours VS 2.0 hours, P<0.01), and the postoperative fasting time (4.55±0.88 days VS 6.22±2.24 days, t=-2.15, P=0.03) and hospital stay (6.88±1.26 days VS 10.03±2.90 days, t=-3.13, P<0.01) were significantly shorter than those of the surgical group. The median visual analogue scores (VAS) of abdominal pain of the endoscopic group on the first postoperative day (3 VS 6, P<0.01)and the third postoperative day (1 VS 3, P<0.01) were significantly lower than those of the surgical group. The hospitalization cost was significantly less than that of the surgical group (55±14.7 thousand yuan VS 73±24.3 thousand yuan, t=-2.11, P=0.04). In term of the total incidence of complications, the endoscopic group was 11.1% (1/9), which was higher than that of the surgical group [7.4% (2/27)], but there was no statistically significant difference( P=1.00). Conclusion:EFR is safe and effective in the treatment of large gastric stromal tumors (5-7 cm), and has the advantages of less invasiveness, rapid postoperative recovery, and lower hospitalization cost. But how to shorten the operation time is an urgent problem to be solved.

Data of 55 cases of gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (G-NENS) with diameter ≤12 mm in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from August 2014 to August 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the methods of endoscopic resection, the patients were divided into two groups: the endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap (EMR-C) group (35 cases) and the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) group (20 cases). The results showed that the success rates of operation, the whole resection rates and the complete resection rates were all 100.0% in the two groups. Compared with the ESD group, the EMR-C group had a shorter median operation time (12.00 min VS 28.35 min, P<0.001), less mean hospitalization costs (21 165.19 yuan VS 28 400.35 yuan, P=0.004), and a similar overall incidence of complications [2.86% (1/35) VS 0, P=1.000]. By March 2020, the recurrence rate of EMR-C group and ESD group were 28.6% (10/35) and 15.0% (3/20), respectively, without significant difference ( P=0.418). It is suggested that for G-NENS with diameter ≤12 mm, without muscular invasion, lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis, EMR-C and ESD are both safe and effective, but EMR-C has more advantages in terms of operation time and hospitalization costs.