Severe fibrosis contributed to both incomplete resection and difficult colorectal ESD. Larger tumor size and paradoxical movement during the procedure were independent factors contributing to the difficulty of colorectal ESD. These factors might enable endoscopists to develop strategies for treating colorectal ESD.

Delayed bleeding rate associated with gastric ESD is significantly higher in the patients receiving antithrombotic therapy. No significant difference in delayed bleeding rate was observed among patients with and without cessation of antithrombotic therapy. To prevent thrombosis, gastric ESD without cessation may be feasible.

This study identified the risk factors for PECS. Patients with high-risk factors of PECS require careful management after colorectal ESD.

Use of the small-caliber colonoscope reduced pain in female patients, but offered no advantage over standard colonoscopy in male patients. The performance of the small-caliber colonoscope was equivalent to that of the standard colonoscope in terms of cecal intubation rate and time to cecum, regardless of the sex of the patient.

The covering method using PGA sheets and fibrin glue has the potential to reduce post-ESD bleeding in patients receiving continued antithrombotic agents.

Background and study aims  Diagnosis of nonampullary duodenal low grade adenoma (Vienna classification category 3, VCL 3) and high grade adenoma/carcinoma (VCL 4 or higher) is important for clinical management decisions. However, there are no criteria based on which endoscopic diagnosis can differentiate between VCL3 and VCL4 or higher. This study aimed to establish simple diagnostic criteria to differentiate between VCL3 and VCL4 or higher. Patients and methods  This retrospective study included patients with superficial nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (NADETs) who underwent tumor resection between June 2004 and November 2016 at a single cancer center hospital. Using patient demographics and endoscopic findings from 2004 to 2013, variables related to the final histology of VCL4 or higher were analyzed, and a predictive model was developed. Validation analysis was performed on patients treated between 2014 and 2016. Results  A total of 150 lesions in 134 patients were included. Lesion diameter, reddish color, depression, heterogeneous or no nodularity, and mixed or depressed macroscopic types were significantly predictive of VCL4 or higher. A predictive score model was developed and a score of 3 points was defined as an appropriate cutoff for predicting VCL4 or higher. In the validation analysis, the accuracy rate of VCL4 or higher diagnosis was 86 % when the score was ≥ 3 points. Scores between patients with VCL3 and VCL4 or higher were significantly different ( P  = 0.0004). Conclusions  A simple and useful endoscopic scoring system was developed to preoperatively differentiate between VCL3 and VCL4 or higher among superficial NADETs.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), a unique subtype of pancreatitis, is often accompanied by systemic inflammatory disorders. AIP is classified into two distinct subtypes on the basis of the histological subtype: immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis (type 1) and idiopathic duct-centric pancreatitis (type 2). Type 1 AIP is often accompanied by systemic lesions, biliary strictures, hepatic inflammatory pseudotumors, interstitial pneumonia and nephritis, dacryoadenitis, and sialadenitis. Type 2 AIP is associated with inflammatory bowel diseases in approximately 30% of cases. Standard therapy for AIP is oral corticosteroid administration. Steroid treatment is generally indicated for symptomatic cases and is exceptionally applied for cases with diagnostic difficulty (diagnostic steroid trial) after a negative workup for malignancy. More than 90% of patients respond to steroid treatment within 1 month, and most within 2 weeks. The steroid response can be confirmed on clinical images (computed tomography, ultrasonography, endoscopic ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography). Hence, the steroid response is included as an optional diagnostic item of AIP. Steroid treatment results in normalization of serological markers, including IgG4. Short- and long-term corticosteroid treatment may induce adverse events, including chronic glycometabolism, obesity, an immunocompromised status against infection, cataracts, glaucoma, osteoporosis, and myopathy. AIP is common in old age and is often associated with diabetes mellitus (33–78%). Thus, there is an argument for corticosteroid therapy in diabetes patients with no symptoms. With low-dose steroid treatment or treatment withdrawal, there is a high incidence of AIP recurrence (24–52%). Therefore, there is a need for long-term steroid maintenance therapy and/or steroid-sparing agents (immunomodulators and rituximab). Corticosteroids play a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of AIP.

For the trainees, 30 cases were required to attain a higher technical level of competence in gastric ESD. After the learning curve phase, trainee operators could be expected to complete the procedure successfully with favorable long-term outcomes.