Background. Common bile duct (CBD) stones are common. However, they are known to pass spontaneously, which obviates the need for ERCP. Aim. The aim of this study is to identify specific predictors for spontaneous passage of CBD stones. Methods. Data was retrospectively collected for all patients who were hospitalized with clinical, laboratory, or ultrasonographic evidence of choledocholithiasis and who underwent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in Hadassah Medical Center between 2005 and 2011. The patients were classified into 4 groups: group A (positive MRCP and positive ERCP), group B (positive MRCP but negative ERCP), group C (positive MRCP but did not undergo ERCP), and group D (negative MRCP that did not undergo ERCP) for choledocholithiasis. All positive MRCP-groups (A+B+C) were further grouped together into group E. We compared groups A versus B and groups E versus D. Results. Comparing groups A versus B, only gamma-glutamyl transferase predicted spontaneous passage of stones from CBD, as the level was significantly higher in group A (677±12.1) versus group B (362.4±216.2) (P=0.023). Patients with small stone diameter (P=0.001), distal stones (P=0.05), and absence of intrahepatic dilatation (P=0.047) tend to pass their stones spontaneously. Comparing groups D versus E, it was found that male gender (P=0.03), older age (P<0.001), high levels of GGT (P=0.022), high levels of alkaline phosphatase (P=0.011), high levels of total bilirubin (P=0.007), and lower levels of amylase (P<0.001) are predictors for positive MRCP studies for CBD stones. Conclusion. Identification of specific predictors is important to avoid unnecessary invasive endoscopic intervention.

Background: Pap smear has a central role in cervical cancer screening. Previous studies have found that female patients with disabilities are less likely to receive a Pap smear as recommended by guidelines. The aim of our study was to examine the association between physical disability and Pap smear receipt in Israel. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using the electronic medical records of the second largest health care maintenance organization in Israel. All female patients during 2012–2017 aged 25–65 were identified. The exposure variable was physical disability, and the outcome variable was Pap smear receipt. We used logistic regression to control for covariates. Results: A total of 391,259 patients were eligible for this study, 6,720 (1.7%) with physical disability. 56.7% of patients with disabilities had received Pap smear compared to 63.3% of patients without disabilities, odds ratio (OR) 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72–0.80. When adjusting to sociodemographic and clinical covariates, patients with disabilities were less likely to receive Pap smear, adjusted OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.79–0.88. For all patients, older age, lower socioeconomic status, religious minorities, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, and obesity were associated with lower odds of receipt of Pap smear. A history of nongynecologic oncologic disease was associated with increased odds of Pap smear receipt. Conclusion: Our study highlights the disparities between patients with and without physical disability with regard to screening for cervical cancer by receipt of Pap smear. Creating an appropriate practice with adequate access to patients with disability should be a focus for health care providers and policy makers.

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Accumulation of cervical and chin subcutaneous adipose tissues (SAT) represent known phenotypes of obesity. We aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of these fat storages to long-term weight-loss directed lifestyle-intervention and to assess their relations to bodily-adiposity, insulin-resistance, and cardiometabolic risk; We randomly assigned 278 participants with abdominal-obesity/dyslipidemia to low-fat or Mediterranean/low-carbohydrate diets +/− physical-activity. All participants underwent an 18 month whole-body magnetic resonance imaging follow-up, from which we assessed cervical and chin SAT-areas; Participants (age = 48 years; 90% men; body-mass-index = 30.9 kg/m2) had an 18-month adherence-rate of 86%. Cervical-SAT and chin-SAT decreased after 6-months (−13.1% and −5.3%, respectively, p < 0.001). After 18-months only cervical-SAT remained decreased compared to baseline (−5%, p < 0.001). Cervical and chin-SAT 18-month changes were associated with changes in weight (r = 0.70, r = 0.66 respectively; <0.001 for both) and visceral-adipose-tissue (VAT; r = 0.35, r = 0.42 respectively; <0.001 for both). After adjustment to VAT, waist-circumference, or weight-changes, chin-SAT 18-month reduction was associated with favorable changes in fasting-glucose (β = 0.10; p = 0.05), HbA1c (β = 0.12; p = 0.03), and homeostasis-model-assessment-of-insulin-resistance (β = 0.12; p = 0.03). Cervical-SAT 18-month reduction was associated with decreased triglycerides (β = 0.16; p = 0.02) and leptin (β = 0.19; p = 0.01) independent of VAT; Cervical and chin-SATs are dynamic fat depots that correspond with weight-loss and are associated with changes in cardiometabolic profile. In long-term, chin-SAT displays a larger rebound compared with cervical-SAT. Chin-SAT accumulation is associated with in insulin-resistance, independent of central obesity. (ClinicalTrials identifier NCT01530724)