The results of the present study indicate that ITD injection plus alprazolam medication is the best treatment choice for acute SIT within 3 months of development.

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Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a known premalignant condition of the human stomach along the pathway to gastric cancer (GC). Histologically, GIM represents the replacement of normal gastric mucosa by mucin-secreting intestinal mucosa. Helicobacter pylori infection is the most common etiologic agent of GIM development worldwide. The prevalence of GIM is heterogeneous among different regions of the world and correlates with the population endemicity of H. pylori carriage, among other environmental factors. GC remains the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. GIM is usually diagnosed by upper endoscopy with biopsy, and histologic scoring systems have been developed to risk-stratify patients at highest risk for progression to GC. Several recent endoscopic imaging modalities may improve the optical detection of GIM and early GC. Appropriate surveillance of GIM may be cost effective and represents an opportunity for the early diagnosis and therapy of GC. Certain East Asian nations have established population-level programs for the screening and surveillance of GIM; guidelines regarding GIM surveillance have also recently been published in Europe. By contrast, few data exist regarding the appropriateness of surveillance of GIM in the United States. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of GIM with an emphasis on the role of appropriate endoscopic surveillance.

ObjectivesIn the present study, we investigated whether speech-related cognitive function and speech recognition ability under background noise in adults with hearing impairment are improved with the use of hearing aids.MethodsParticipants were recruited from the ENT Department of Eulji Hospital from September 2008 to July 2009. The study group comprised 18 participants (mean age, 69.5±8.3 years) with sensorineural hearing loss who were fitted with hearing aids, and the control group comprised 11 participants of equivalent age (mean age, 63.1±11.8 years) who were not fitted with hearing aids. All participants were assessed using the computerized Korean visual verbal learning test (VVLT) and words-in-noise (WIN) test prior to fitting of hearing aids for the study group and initially for the control group. Both groups were reassessed in both tests after 6 months. For each group, differences in the results between the two assessments were compared using the Friedman test.ResultsThere was no difference in mean age between the study group and control group. In the study group, total VVLT score (reflecting short-term memory) was significantly improved from before hearing aid use to 6 months after hearing aid use (P<0.05), and VVLT recognition score (reflecting learning ability) was also significantly improved from before hearing aid use to 6 months after hearing aid use (P<0.05), but there was no change in the control group. For VVLT latency score (reflecting efficiency of memory) and speech discrimination score in the WIN test, no statistically significant difference was found between the initial and 6-month assessments in the study group or in the control group (P>0.05).ConclusionThe speech-related cognitive function of individuals with hearing impairment improved after using hearing aids. This finding indicates that hearing aids may induce acclimatization of the central auditory system.

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Background and Aim The portal pressure gradient (PPG) is a useful predictor of portal hypertension (PH) related complications. We previously showed the feasibility and safety of endoscopic ultrasound guided PPG measurement (EUS‐PPG). Now EUS‐guided liver biopsy (EUS‐bx) has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative to percutaneous or Interventional Radiology‐guided liver biopsy for the diagnosis of chronic liver disease (CLD). We aimed to evaluate the correlation between PPG and clinical markers of PH, and assess the feasibility and safety of concomitant, single session EUS‐PPG and EUS‐bx. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients undergoing EUS‐PPG for CLD at a single tertiary endoscopy center between February 2014 and March 2020. EUS‐PPG was performed using a 25‐gauge needle and compact manometer. Data analysis was performed with SAS version 9.4. Results Eighty‐three patients underwent EUS‐PPG with 100% technical success. The mean PPG was 7.06 mmHg (SD 6.09, range 0–27.3). PPG was higher in patients with (vs without) clinical features of cirrhosis (9.46 vs 3.61 mmHg, P < 0.0001), esophageal or gastric varices (13.88 vs 4.34 mmHg, P < 0.0001), and thrombocytopenia (9.25 vs 4.71 mmHg, P = 0.0022). In the 71 patients (85.5%) who underwent EUS‐bx, 70 (98.6%) specimens were deemed adequate by the pathologist for histologic diagnosis. There were no early or late major adverse events. Conclusion EUS‐PPG correlates well with clinical markers of PH. EUS‐bx can be performed safely during the same session as EUS‐PPG, providing a comprehensive endoscopic evaluation of the patient with CLD.

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