Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a standard procedure for obtaining tissue from lesions near the gastrointestinal lumen. However, there is a scarcity of information on the diagnostic performance of EUS-FNA for abdominal lymphadenopathy of unknown causes. To assess the accuracy of EUS-FNA in diagnosing abdominal lymphadenopathy of unknown etiology. Methods: The EUS records of patients with undiagnosed abdominal lymphadenopathy between 2010 and 2015 were reviewed. Results: A total of 42 patients were included in this study. Adequate specimens were obtained from 40 patients (95%). The final diagnoses were metastatic cancer (n=16), lymphoma (n=9), tuberculosis (n=8), inflammatory changes (n=6), and amyloidosis (n=1). For diagnosing malignancy, EUS-FNA had a sensitivity of 84.6%, specificity of 95.7%, positive predictive value of 91.7%, negative predictive value of 91.7%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.901. For the diagnosis of lymphoma, EUS-FNA was 100% accurate when combined with cytologic evaluation and immunohistochemical staining. The diagnostic sensitivity decreased to 75%, whereas the specificity remained 100%, for tuberculosis. The overall AUROC was 0.850. No procedure-related complications occurred. Conclusions EUS-FNA showed high diagnostic performance for abdominal lymphadenopathy of unknown causes, especially malignancy, lymphoma, and tuberculosis. Therefore, it is a crucial diagnostic tool for this patient population.

Background/Aims: The Thai Association for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy published recommendations on safe endoscopy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to assess the practicality and applicability of the recommendations and the perceptions of endoscopy personnel on them. Methods: A validated questionnaire was sent to 1290 endoscopy personnel globally. Of these, the data of all 330 responders (25.6%) from 15 countries, related to the current recommendations on proper personal protective equipment (PPE), case selection, scope cleaning, and safety perception, were analyzed. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the relationships between the variables. Results: Despite an overwhelming agreement with the recommendations on PPE (94.5%) and case selection (95.5%), their practicality and applicability on PPE recommendations and case selection were significantly lower (p=0.001, p=0.047, p<0.001, and p=0.032, respectively). Factors that were associated with lower sense of safety in endoscopy units were younger age (p=0.004), less working experience (p=0.008), in-training status (p=0.04), and higher national prevalence of COVID-19 (p=0.003). High prevalent countries also had more difficulty implementing the guidelines (p<0.001) and they considered the PPE recommendations less practical and showed lower agreement with them (p<0.001 and p=0.008, respectively). A higher number of in-hospital COVID-19 patients was associated with less agreement with PPE recommendations (p=0.039). Conclusions Using appropriate PPE and case selection in endoscopic practice during a pandemic remains a challenge. Resource availability and local prevalence are critical factors influencing the adoption of the current guidelines.

Patients with symptomatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) typically present with gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. This report presents an unusual case of fundic GIST complicated by gastroduodenal intussusception, manifesting as acute pancreatitis. The patient presented with epigastric pain and pancreatic enzyme elevation; thus, he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Computed tomography showed evidence of pancreatitis and a 4×4.7 cm well-defined hyperdense lesion in the 2nd part of the duodenum, compressing the pancreatic head and pancreatic duct. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed invagination of the gastric folds into the duodenum, causing pyloric canal blockage consistent with gastroduodenal intussusception. Spontaneous reduction of the lesion during endoscopy revealed a 4 cm pedunculated subepithelial mass with central ulceration originating from the gastric fundus. Endoscopic ultrasound demonstrated a heterogeneous hypoechoic lesion originating from the 4th layer of the gastric wall. Laparoscopic-endoscopic intragastric wedge resection of the fundic lesion was subsequently performed, and surgical histology confirmed GIST.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is warranted when cross-sectional imaging demonstrates common bile duct (CBD) dilatation without identifiable causes. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of EUS in CBD dilatation of unknown etiology. Methods: Retrospective review of patients with dilated CBD without definite causes undergoing EUS between 2012 and 2017. Results: A total of 131 patients were recruited. The mean age was 63.2±14.1 years. The most common manifestation was abnormal liver chemistry (85.5%). The mean CBD diameter was 12.2±4.1 mm. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of EUS-identified pathologies, including malignancy, choledocholithiasis, and benign biliary stricture (BBS), was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-1.00). The AUROC of EUS for detecting malignancy, choledocholithiasis, and BBS was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.85-0.97), 1.00 (95% CI, 1.00-1.00), and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.87-0.99), respectively. Male sex, alanine aminotransferase ≥3× the upper limit of normal (ULN), alkaline phosphatase ≥3× the ULN, and intrahepatic duct dilatation were predictors for pathological obstruction, with odds ratios of 5.46 (95%CI, 1.74-17.1), 5.02 (95% CI, 1.48-17.0), 4.63 (95% CI, 1.1-19.6), and 4.03 (95% CI, 1.37-11.8), respectively. Conclusions EUS provides excellent diagnostic value in identifying the etiology of CBD dilatation detected by cross-sectional imaging.

Differentiating Crohn’s disease (CD) from intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) is a diagnostic dilemma, particularly in regions where ITB is prevalent and CD incidence is increasing, because both diseases can present quite similarly, and diagnostic tests to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis in tissue samples have rather poor sensitivity. Studies that were conducted to determine the factors that differentiate CD from ITB identified some significant characteristics, but none of those characteristics are exclusive to either ITB or CD. Many diagnostic models or scoring systems that use one to several diagnostic parameters have been proposed to help distinguish these two intestinal diseases. Early models consisted of parameters common to routine clinical practice, such as clinical features, and endoscopic and pathologic findings. The later models also include more advanced diagnostic parameters like high-resolution imaging and serological testing. However, the number and types of parameters differ among diagnostic models, and the systems used to calculate scoring also vary from model to model. Enhanced awareness and understanding of the currently available diagnostic models will help physicians determine which model(s) is/are most suitable for differentiating CD from ITB in their clinical practice.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the primary treatment modality for bile duct obstruction. When ERCP is unsuccessful, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage can be an alternative method. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has emerged as a treatment option for biliary obstruction, especially after ERCP failure. EUS-BD offers transluminal intrahepatic and extrahepatic drainage through a transgastric and transduodenal approach. EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) is an excellent choice for patients with hilar strictures or those with a surgically altered anatomy. The optimal steps in EUS-HGS are case selection, bile duct visualization, puncture-site selection, wire insertion and manipulation, tract dilation, and stent placement. Caution should be taken at each step to prevent complications. Dedicated devices for EUS-HGS have been developed to improve the technical success rate and reduce complications. This technical review focuses on the essential practical points at each step of EUS-HGS.

Background/Aims: The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) in Thailand (crude incidence rate of 0.28 per 100,000 persons) is much lower than in the West. The burden of UC varies in different populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural history of UC over the two decades in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who were diagnosed with UC between 2000 and 2018 in 2 university hospitals. To evaluate changes in the disease course, we stratified patients into 2000–2009 cohort and 2010–2018 cohort. The cumulative probability of endoscopic healing, UC-related hospitalization and colectomy was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: A total of 291 UC patients were followed for total of 2,228 person-years. Comparison between 2 cohorts, there were no differences in disease pattern and severity whereas an increase in the combination use of oral and topical mesalamine and the early use of thiopurine was observed. Only 1% of patients for each cohort required biologic agent at 5 years. The rate of achieving mucosal healing increased from 15% to 46% at 3 years (P< 0.01). The rate of UC-related hospitalization decreased from 30% to 21% at 5 years (P< 0.05). The rate of colectomy decreased from 6% to 2% at 5 years (P< 0.05). Conclusions The natural history of UC in a low incidence country was less aggressive than the West. Over the past two decades, the rates of UC-related hospitalization and colectomy have been decreasing which were similar to the West.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the primary treatment modality for bile duct obstruction. When ERCP is unsuccessful, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage can be an alternative method. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has emerged as a treatment option for biliary obstruction, especially after ERCP failure. EUS-BD offers transluminal intrahepatic and extrahepatic drainage through a transgastric and transduodenal approach. EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) is an excellent choice for patients with hilar strictures or those with a surgically altered anatomy. The optimal steps in EUS-HGS are case selection, bile duct visualization, puncture-site selection, wire insertion and manipulation, tract dilation, and stent placement. Caution should be taken at each step to prevent complications. Dedicated devices for EUS-HGS have been developed to improve the technical success rate and reduce complications. This technical review focuses on the essential practical points at each step of EUS-HGS.

Background/Aims: The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) in Thailand (crude incidence rate of 0.28 per 100,000 persons) is much lower than in the West. The burden of UC varies in different populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural history of UC over the two decades in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who were diagnosed with UC between 2000 and 2018 in 2 university hospitals. To evaluate changes in the disease course, we stratified patients into 2000–2009 cohort and 2010–2018 cohort. The cumulative probability of endoscopic healing, UC-related hospitalization and colectomy was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: A total of 291 UC patients were followed for total of 2,228 person-years. Comparison between 2 cohorts, there were no differences in disease pattern and severity whereas an increase in the combination use of oral and topical mesalamine and the early use of thiopurine was observed. Only 1% of patients for each cohort required biologic agent at 5 years. The rate of achieving mucosal healing increased from 15% to 46% at 3 years (P< 0.01). The rate of UC-related hospitalization decreased from 30% to 21% at 5 years (P< 0.05). The rate of colectomy decreased from 6% to 2% at 5 years (P< 0.05). Conclusions The natural history of UC in a low incidence country was less aggressive than the West. Over the past two decades, the rates of UC-related hospitalization and colectomy have been decreasing which were similar to the West.