Publications by authors named "Helga Bertani"

Background:  Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided gallbladder drainage (GBD) and EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) with lumen-apposing metal stents are alternative approaches to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. We compared EUS-GBD and EUS-CDS as first-line therapies in the management of distal malignant biliary obstruction (MBO).

Methods:  This was an international, multicenter, retrospective, observational study at 28 tertiary care centers from April 2017 to August 2024.

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Background And Aims: Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)-guided needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) enables real-time microscopic visualization of pancreatic cyst epithelium and can identify high-grade dysplasia/invasive adenocarcinoma (HGD/IC) in branch-duct (BD) intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). We aimed to compare the performance of experts (humans) with artificial intelligence (AI) in stratifying dysplasia in BD-IPMNs.

Methods: This post-hoc analysis involved BD-IPMNs with definitive diagnoses from prospective EUS-nCLE studies (2015-2023) enrolled at a single center.

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Background And Aims: Endoscopic biliary drainage (BD) in patients with surgical altered anatomy (SAA) is a challenging scenario. Different BD approaches are available but still not standardized, and they rely on local availability and expertise. The aim of this study was to explore the approach to BD in patients with SAA in different centers.

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This editorial is a commentary on the case report by Furuya focusing on the challenging diagnosis of early pancreatic adenocarcinoma and new tools for an earlier diagnosis. Currently, pancreatic cancer still has a poor prognosis, mainly due to late diagnosis in an advanced stage. Two main precancerous routes have been identified as pathways to pancreatic adenocarcinoma: The first encompasses a large group of mucinous cystic lesions: intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and mucinous cystic neoplasm, and the second is pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

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Background And Aim: Remimazolam has proved to be a very promising sedative drug in randomized clinical trials for usage in a wide spectrum of patients, including critically ill ones. The purpose of our study was to verify efficacy and safety of remimazolam for procedural sedation during diagnostic and first level operative endoscopy in a real-world setting.

Methods: This single centre prospective study evaluated sedation regimen with remimazolam for EGDS and fentanyl and remimazolam for colonoscopy in consecutive ASA 1-3 patients.

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Background: Malignant Distal Biliary Obstruction (MBDO) is a common event occurring along the natural history of both pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. Epidemiological and biological features make MBDO one of the key elements of the clinical management of patients suffering for of pancreatic cancer or cholangiocarcinoma. The development of dedicated biliary lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) is changing the clinical work up of patients with MBDO.

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Pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs), including pancreatic pseudocysts (PPs) and walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON), are common complications of pancreatitis and pancreatic surgery. Historically, the treatment of these conditions has relied on surgical and radiological approaches; however, it has later shifted toward an endoscopy-based approach. With the development of dedicated lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)-guided procedures have become the standard approach for PFC drainage.

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Pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs), including pancreatic pseudocysts (PPs) and walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON), are common complications of pancreatitis and pancreatic surgery. Historically, the treatment of these conditions has relied on surgical and radiological approaches. The treatment of patients with PFCs has already focused toward an endoscopy-based approach, and with the development of dedicated lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), it has almost totally shifted towards interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)-guided procedures.

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Asparaginase-associated pancreatitis complicates 2-10% of patients treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, causing morbidity and discontinuation of asparaginase administration. Among acute complications, pancreatic fluid collections can be managed conservatively, but intervention is indicated when associated with persistent insulin therapy need and recurrent abdominal pain. Endoscopic treatment has become the standard approach in adult patients, with increasing favorable evidence in children.

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Background: Acute pancreatitis in 10% to 20% of cases can be associated with necrosis of the pancreatic gland, peripancreatic tissue, or both. We report a case series of a new endoscopic approach to treat infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN).

Patients And Methods: Consecutive patients with IPN, extending from the perigastric area up to the paracolic gutters or into the pelvis, were prospectively studied from January 2017 to June 2022.

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Liver cancer is the fifth most common tumor and the second highest death-related cancer in the world. Hepatocarcinoma (HCC) represents 90% of liver cancers. According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer group, different treatment options could be offered to patients in consideration of tumor burden, liver function, patient performance status and biochemical marker serum concentration such as alpha-fetoprotein.

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The implementation of FIT programs reduces incidence and mortality from CRC in the screened subjects. The ultimate efficacy for CRC morbidity and mortality prevention in a FIT program depends on the colonoscopy in FIT+ subjects that has the task of detecting and removing these advanced lesions. Recently, there has been growing evidence on factors that influence the quality of colonoscopy specifically withing organized FIT programs, prompting to dedicated interventions in order to maximize the benefit/harm ratio of post-FIT colonoscopy.

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Objectives: Repeated endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided tissue acquisition represents the standard practice for solid pancreatic lesions after previous nondiagnostic or inconclusive results. Since data are lacking, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of repeated EUS fine-needle biopsy (rEUS-FNB) in this setting. The primary outcome was diagnostic accuracy; sample adequacy, sensitivity, specificity, and safety were secondary outcomes.

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Video 1Endoscopic resection and suture of neoplastic recurrence after the use of endoscopic full-thickness resection devices for invasive rectal adenocarcinoma.

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The therapy of left-sided malignant colonic obstruction continues to be one of the largest problems in clinical practice. Numerous studies on colonic stenting for neoplastic colonic obstruction have been reported in the last decades. Thereby the role of self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) in the treatment of malignant colonic obstruction has become better defined.

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Article Synopsis
  • EUS-nCLE is effective for diagnosing pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs), showing high interobserver agreement (κ = 0.82) and intra-observer reliability.
  • The accuracy for differentiating mucinous from non-mucinous PCLs is 94.8%, with excellent performance in identifying specific subtypes like serous cystadenoma and cystic neuroendocrine tumors.
  • Overall, EUS-nCLE demonstrates a reliable and accurate approach for diagnosing PCLs via a "virtual biopsy" method.
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Background And Aim: Digital single-operator cholangioscopy (D-SOC) is an endoscopic procedure that is increasingly used for the management of bilio-pancreatic diseases. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of D-SOC for diagnostic and therapeutic indications.

Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective study(January 2016-June 2019) across eighteen tertiary centers.

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Article Synopsis
  • The quality of GI endoscopy is vital for patient outcomes and experiences, prompting a study on adherence to ESGE measures among Italian endoscopists.
  • A survey from October to December 2018 gathered data from 392 endoscopists, focusing on their compliance with established quality standards during upper and lower GI procedures.
  • Findings indicated low adherence rates, with only 18.2% tracking EGD duration and 52.8% monitoring complications, highlighting significant gaps in the implementation of best practices in GI endoscopy in Italy.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study looked at a new treatment called cSEMS for patients who had issues after liver transplants, specifically with narrow connections (anastomotic strictures).
  • Researchers examined 91 patients over ten years and found that the treatment worked without serious problems, but some stents moved out of place.
  • The main issue was that when the stents migrated, many patients needed more treatments, suggesting that better designs of stents could help prevent this problem.
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Background: The management of difficult lithiasis of common bile duct (CBD) often requires a multimodal approach. Fully Covered Metal Stents (FCSEMS) could fragment the stones, dilate strictures of the CBD and progressively enlarge the papillary orifice. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of FCSEMS in the treatment of difficult lithiasis of CBD.

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