Digestive System
Online Learning Platform

In the guidelines they mention the increasing resistance of  Hpylori strains in the US to Clarithromycin (20-30%)  and Levofloxacin (approaching 40%) , therfore supporting antibiotics with much lower resistance rates (such as amoxicillin, tetracycline, and rifabutin that are all 5%)

That is why this guidelines say Clarithromycin- and levofloxacin-containing treatment regimens should be avoided in the absence of demonstrated macrolide and quinolone susceptibility, respectively.

Clarithromycin- and levofloxacincontaining treatment regimens remain an important option for selected patients, especially treatment-experienced patients with confirmed persistent H. pylori infection with strains that are known to be susceptible to these antibiotics

Vonoprazan is potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB) that inhibits the H⁺, K⁺-ATPase enzyme system in a potassium-competitive manner.    This is the same target as PPI but this class  of drugs  are acid-stable and thus do not require enteric coating or optimal dosing administration 30 minutes prior to meals , are more potent acid suppression, rapid onset of action, and long-lasting half-life.   Penicillin dual therapy was superior to lansoprazole-clarithromycin triple therapy among patients with clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains (70% vs 32%, P , 0.0001).

When treating with Vonoprazan + Amoxicillin, exceptionally we can add Clarithromycin as first line even in naive patients.

Even though only 10% of hep B infections will become chronic and we have an effective vaccination that can virtually prevent infection, the reality is that hepatitis B incidence and prevalence is very high.  WHO estimates that 254 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B infection in 2022, with 1.2 million new infections each year. Maternal-to-newborn perinatal transmission of the virus can be high (70 to 90% in HBeAg-positive-indicating high viral replication-, or 10% to 30% if the mother is HBeAg-negative )

Hepatitis C , despite easy to become chronic (80% of infections) and no effective vaccine, is less common, (Estimated 50 million worldwide) partly because the vertical transmission is low and also because the new  direct-acting antiviral (DAA) tablets are highly effective at clearing the infection in more than 90% , reducing transmission.

It is not 2 times higher, it is actually > 10 times higher!!

This is the reason ADR is probably  the most important surrogate marker of a good  quality colonoscopy, (others are bowel preparation, caecal intubation and withdrawal time) and we need to maintain ADR  at least >20%

Difficult question, but summarizes the (sometimes) difficult scores.
Montreal classification is easy - A for Age  L for location and B for phenotype.  There is ileal and colonic involvement so it is L3 (Ileocolonic) Small p is added when it is perianal disease (abscesses, ulcers or fistulae , but not skin tags or fissures)

The HBI takes into account the general well being , Abdominal pain   Number of liquid stools per day, Abdominal mass and extrainestinal Complications ( arthralgia, uveitis, erythema nodosum, aphthous ulcers, pyoderma gangrenosum ,anal fissure , new fistula or abscess)

<5 Remission   5-7 Mild disease  8-16 Moderate disease  >16 Severe disease

Her score is 9 (Moderate) But this could be guessed based on her level of pain, stools and absence of systemic inflamamtory reponse.

Check the HBI score

With his age, cholesterol:HDL ratio and the BMI the QRISK score is >10% therefore statins are indicated in his case.

Abdominal US is indicated in all cases of abnormal liver blood test.  If proved to have MASLD (Fatty liver on the US) then should be screened for Hb1Ac for type 2 diabetes.

Lifestyle modification is the most important treatment in his case.

Even though doing a FibroScan is never bad practice (it is non invasive and very helpful to estimate the level of liver fibrosis) the fact is that FibroScan would be strictly indicated IF the FIb4-score was > 2 (remember the cutoff in >65 yo is 2 instead of 1.3).

The caliber of the duodenoscope is 11.3mm  (shaft) with a 13.5mm distal end outer diameter.

This can help us  estimating the size of the biliary duct and the stones. We should use a balloon no bigger than  the size of the biliary duct at level of the trapped  stone, and ideally no  bigger than the duct diameter proximal to the ampullary segment.

In this case  biliary duct is approx the same size as the shaft , perhaps slightly less(10-11mm) therefore it is reasonable to start with the size balloon of 10mm (for 30-60 secs, although this is not well stablished) and keep inflating in ranges of 1mm per minute, until the waist of the balloon (see arrow)  disappears completely on fluoroscopic examination (see added picture  of a real balloon at the right to see how it should look at the end of the procedure) . Once balloon waist is gone, sphincter is considered to be adequately dilated .

Mucosal xantoma - benign lesion composed of foamy macrophages within the lamina propria. fibrovascular. They presents as discrete single to multiple yellowish-white patches, most commonly in the antrum or pyloric region of the stomach . Endoscopically it sometimes can resemble candidiasis, polyp, lymphangiectasia, Russell body gastritis, and Pseudoxanthoma elastic or gastric malignancy.

Lymphangiectasia would have showed prominent dilated lymphatics in the lamina propria region of the villous structure, often with extension into submucosa . These are more commonly seen in duodenum or terminal ileum

ESGE recommends offering treatment to all the patients with CBD stones (symptomatic or not) who are fit enough to undergo procedure.
This is true that we should explain always the option of intervention, and we should at least talk about risks of complication from leaving untreated biliary stones (Roughly about 25%  - biliary colic, pancreatitis, cholangitis- vs 12% if we clear the bile stones) this is  based on this  Gallrisk sweddish cohort   where they followed 3969 patients with untreated CBD stones, during follow-up ranging from 0 to 4 years. 

In summary: Explain why there is an indication to treat, which risks ERCP associates, what the alternatives may be  (ie Cholecystectomy plus surgical bile duct exploration in the same setting when approppriate) and their own risks.  And last but not least, explain the alternative of not treating and only monitoring, and the risks of this approach as well.

In grade C-D reflux oesophagitis we should initiate PPI longlife (or increase the dose if patient already taking) and repeat endoscopy in 6-8 weeks to confirm healing and rule out underlying Barrett's (British recommend 6 weeks, american recommend 8weeks)

Biopsies, however, are controversial. ASGE  recommends bx  of irregular or deep oesophageal ulcerations or nodularity. ESGE does not mention them, whereas BSG recommends taking samples of any oesophageal ulcer or severe grade D oesophagitis.

Is the opinion of the author that any suspicious ulcer (despite of the grade of esophagitis) should be biopsied in the moment, whereas in  typical grade D oesophagitis biopsies might have a low diagnostic yield, atypia is difficult to assess due acute inflammation, and samples will be best targeted after improvement of the inflammation.

Kudo II (asteroid or stellate pits) which are star or cross-shaped.  This is very typical of hyperplastic polyps (non neoplastic)  or serrated lesions.