Background/Aims: Immune checkpoint blockade has recently been reported to be effective in treating microsatellite instability (MSI)-high tumors. Therefore, sufficient sampling of histological specimens is necessary in cases of unresectable pancreatic cancer (UR-PC). This multicenter study investigated the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) using a Franseen needle for MSI evaluation in patients with UR-PC. Methods: A total of 89 patients with UR-PC who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) or EUS-FNB using 22-G needles at three hospitals in Japan (2018–2021) were enrolled. Fifty-six of these patients (FNB 23 and FNA 33) were followed up or evaluated for MSI. Patient characteristics, UR-PC data, and procedural outcomes were compared between patients who underwent EUS-FNB and those who underwent EUS-FNA. Results: No significant difference in terms of sufficient tissue acquisition for histology was observed between patients who underwent EUS-FNB and those who underwent EUS-FNA. MSI evaluation was possible significantly more with tissue samples obtained using EUS-FNB than with tissue samples obtained using EUS-FNA (82.6% [19/23] vs. 45.5% [15/33], respectively; p<0.01). In the multivariate analysis, EUS-FNB was the only significant factor influencing the possibility of MSI evaluation. Conclusions EUS-FNB using a Franseen needle is desirable for ensuring sufficient tissue acquisition for MSI evaluation.

This study aimed to validate the usefulness of parent artery complex coil protection for the treatment of wide-neck, side-branched, and ruptured aneurysms. A microcatheter was first introduced into the aneurysmal sac, and another microcatheter was introduced into the parent artery or near the orifice of the branch artery. A framing coil was deployed partially from the first microcatheter, and a protection coil was deployed from the second microcatheter to prevent protrusion of the first framing coil to the parent artery and side branches. After the first framing coil insertion, the protection coil was withdrawn to confirm the stability of the framing coil and blood flow. The procedures with this technique were successful for 3 patients. Parent artery complex coil protection can be an effective and safe coil embolization technique for the preservation of parent and side branch arteries and an alternative method for emergent ruptured cases.

Background/Aims: Patients with achalasia-related esophageal motility disorders (AEMDs) frequently present with dilated and sigmoid esophagus, anddevelop esophageal diverticulum (ED), although the prevalence and patients characteristics require further elucidation. Methods: We conducted a multicenter cohort study of 3707 patients with AEMDs from 14 facilities in Japan. Esophagography on 3682 patients were analyzed. Results: Straight (n = 2798), sigmoid (n = 684), and advanced sigmoid esophagus (n = 200) were diagnosed. Multivariate analysis revealed that long disease duration, advanced age, obesity, and type I achalasia correlate positively, whereas severe symptoms and integrated relaxation pressure correlate negatively with development of sigmoid esophagus. In contrast, Grade II dilation (3.5-6.0 cm) was the most common (52.9%), while grade III dilation (≥ 6 cm) was rare (5.0%). We found early onset, male, obesity, and type I achalasia correlated positively, while advanced age correlated negatively with esophageal dilation. Dilated and sigmoid esophagus were found mostly in types I and II achalasia, but typically not found in spastic disorders. The prevalence of ED was low (n = 63, 1.7%), and non-dilated esophagus and advanced age correlated with ED development. Patients with right-sided ED (n = 35) had a long disease duration (P = 0.005) with low integrated relaxation pressure values (P = 0.008) compared with patients with left-sided ED (n = 22). Patients with multiple EDs (n = 6) had lower symptom severity than patients with a single ED (P = 0.022). Conclusions The etiologies of dilated esophagus, sigmoid esophagus, and ED are considered multifactorial and different. Early diagnosis and optimal treatment of AEMDs are necessary to prevent these conditions.

Purpose: Gastric neoplasia is a common manifestation of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics, endoscopic features including fundic gland polyposis (FGPsis), and treatment outcomes of gastric neoplasms (GNs) in patients with FAP. Materials and Methods: A total of 35 patients diagnosed with FAP, including nine patients from four pedigrees who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), were investigated regarding patient characteristics, GN morphology, and treatment outcomes. Results: Twenty-one patients (60.0%) had 38 GNs; 33 (86.8%) and 5 (13.2%) were histologically diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and adenoma, respectively. There were no specific patient characteristics related to GNs.Nodule-type GNs were more prevalent in patients with FGP than without (52.2% vs. 0.0%, P=0.002) in the upper body of the stomach. Conversely, depressed-type GNs were fewer in patients with FGPsis than in those without (13.0% vs. 73.3%, P<0.001). Slightly elevated-type GNs were observed in both groups (34.8% vs. 20.0%, P=0.538). Even within pedigrees, the background gastric mucosa and types of GNs varied. In total, 24 GNs were treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and eight with endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). EMR was selected for GNs with FGPsis because of the technical difficulty of ESD, resulting in a lower en bloc resection rate (62.5% vs. 100%, P=0.014). Conclusions Our study indicates the necessity of routine EGD surveillance in patients diagnosed with FAP. Notably, the morphology and location of GNs differed between patients with and without FGPsis. Endoscopic treatment and outcomes require more attention in cases of FGPsis.

Background/Aims: ManoScan and Sandhill high-resolution manometry (HRM) systems are used worldwide; however, the diagnosis of achalasia on the Starlet HRM system is not fully characterized. Furthermore, the impact of calcium channel blockers and nitrites in treating achalasia has not been investigated using HRM. Management of recurrent cases is a priority issue, although few studies have examined patient characteristics. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, large-scale database analysis. First, the diagnosis of treatment-naive achalasia in each HRM system was investigated. Next, patient characteristics were compared between type I-III achalasia, and the impact of patient characteristics, including calcium channel blocker and nitrite use for integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) values, were analyzed. Finally, patient characteristics with recurrent achalasia were elucidated. Results: The frequency of type I achalasia with Starlet was significantly higher than that with ManoScan and Sandhill HRM systems. In achalasia, multivariate analysis identified male sex, advanced age, long disease duration, obesity, type I achalasia, and sigmoid type as risk factors related to normal IRP values (< 26 mmHg). Calcium channel blockers and nitrites use had no significant impact on the IRP values, although achalasia symptoms were indicated to be alleviated. In recurrent cases, the IRP value was significantly lower, and advanced age, long disease duration, and sigmoid type were more common than in treatment-naive patients. Conclusions We should cautiously interpret the type of achalasia and IRP values in the Starlet HRM system. Symptoms of recurrent cases are related to disease progression rather than IRP values, which should be considered in decision making.

Clarifying the current state of ophthalmic solutions and the handling of eye drops is important for the proper use of ophthalmic solutions. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted from May 2018 to February 2019 on 200 ophthalmic inpatients who provided consent. In total, 36.5% of the patients were dissatisfied with the usability of ophthalmic containers due to their hard material andthe difficulty of releasing the ophthalmic solution. In addition, 43.0% of the patients repliedthat they hadlearnedfrom medical professionals, such as doctors and pharmacists, about the handling of eye drops, whereas 45.0% reported failing to apply ophthalmic solutions onto their eyes correctly. Only 2.0% of the respondents answeredthat they hadconsulteddoctors or pharmacists about the use of ophthalmic solutions. These findings underscore the current problems about patients’ satisfaction with ophthalmic solutions andhandling of eye drops. Therefore, pharmacists may needto be actively involvedin patients’ selection of ophthalmic solutions andinstruct them regarding usage.

A 3-month alcoholism rehabilitation program at psychiatric hospitals is common in Japan for patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, many AUD patients are often hospitalized for the treatment of digestive disorders due to alcohol-related liver diseases and pancreatitis. In this sense, AUD patients need to be better supported by professionals and departments in general hospitals. Here we analyzed the problems in alcohol-related medical care in Japan and examined the measures to be taken at general hospitals.

Background/Aims: Recently, a three-plane symmetric nee-dle with Franseen geometry was developed for endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy (EUS-FNB). In this ret-rospective study, tissue acquisition per pass was compared between 22-gauge Franseen FNB and standard fine needle aspiration (FNA) needles in patients with solid pancreatic le-sions. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent EUSFNA or EUS-FNB for solid pancreatic lesions between Octo-ber 2014 and March 2018 were retrospectively studied. The tissue acquisition rate and the diagnostic performance per session, per pass, and at first pass were compared. Results: A total of 663 passes (300 by the FNB needle and 363 by the standard FNA needle) were performed in 154 patients (71 FNB and 83 FNA). The tissue acquisition rate per session and at first pass in the FNB and FNA groups was 100% and 95% (p=0.13) and 87% and 69% (p=0.007), respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that among the patients, EUS-FNB (odds ratio, 3.07; p=0.01) was associated with a higher first-pass tissue acquisition rate. While the tissue ac-quisition rate reached a plateau after the 4th pass with FNA, it reached a plateau after the 2nd pass with FNB. Among the 129 malignant cases, the histological tissue acquisition rate per session was similar (100% and 94%), but the sensitivity by histology alone per session was higher for FNB than for FNA (93% and 73%, p<0.01). Conclusions The results of our retrospective analysis indicated that compared with a standard FNA needle, a 22-gauge Franseen FNB needle was associated with a higher first-pass tissue acquisition rate.

Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ-J) consists of sixty independent questionnaires and 9 physical constitutions called subscales. One type is balanced constitution (i.e., gentleness), and the following eight types represent unbalanced constitution: Qi-deficiency constitution, Yang-deficiency constitution, Yin-deficiency constitution, Phlegm-dampness constitution, Damp-heat constitution, Stagnant Blood constitution, Stagnant Qi constitution, and Inherited Special constitution. In this study, we proposed to determine optimal number of groups in 851 participants recruited from crowdsourcing answered CCMQ-J questionnaire consisting of 60 questions. In the present study, we applied k-means clustering with gap statistics to the questionnaire data and the number of optimal groups was estimated by five. The five groups are mainly characterized by 3 subscales in CCMQ-J, i.e. (i) two subscales corresponding to Yang-deficiency and Qi-depress, (ii) three subscales corresponding to gentleness, Yang-deficiency and Qi-depress (iii) Yang-deficiency, (iv) gentleness, and (v) Qi-depress. In the crowdsourcing survey, two subscales, Yang-deficient and Qi-depress are the most frequently occurred in current Japanese people.