Archives of Gastroenterology Research

Review Article Open Access

Optical Insights into Fibrotic Livers: Applications of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Machine Learning

Tamer A. Addissouky, Ibrahim El Tantawy El Sayed, Majeed M. A. Ali, Mahmood Hasen Shuhata Alubiady

Liver fibrosis staging is critical for patient selection and management prior to transplantation, but biopsy is invasive and serum biomarkers lack accuracy. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an emerging non-invasive technology that can detect liver fibrosis via changes in tissue composition. Machine learning (ML) enables analysis of NIRS data for diagnostic modeling.

Clinical Image Open Access

Colonic Granular Cell Tumor

Yong-Xin Yang, Wei Liu

A 42-year-old asymptomatic woman presented for routine health checkup. Abdominal examination was unremarkable. The laboratory tests were normal. The chest radiograph, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and abdominal computed tomography showed no abnormal findings. A colonoscopy was performed. A hepatic flexure polypoid mass (8 × 8 mm in diameter), covered with normal-appearing mucosa, was identified (Figure 1A). 

Clinical Image Open Access

A Case of Carcinoma Ex Pleomorphic Adenoma

Brij Sharma, Vishal Bodh, Rajesh Sharma, Anshul Bhateja

A 50 year old female presented to our institute with complaints of foreign body sensation in oral cavity, the patient was evaluated by ENT department and there was a mass in oropharynx and right tonsillar region, the growth was biopsied and reported as carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma. The patient was offered surgical treatment but refused and started on paclitaxel based chemotherapy but the mass continued to grow and it lead to such a point that it was causing occlusion in the nasal cavity as well as oral cavity leading to feeding and breathing difficulty as seen in Figure 1A. 

Perspective Open Access

Enhancing Staff Safety in Swallowing Assessment: Insights Post COVID Pandemic

Jennifer Coutinho, Heather Warner, Nwanmegha Young

The COVID-19 pandemic was a time of significant challenge in the healthcare industry. In particular, hospitals worked diligently to develop protocols and guidelines to reduce viral transmission to both patients and staff. Service delivery concerning the instrumental assessment of swallowing evaluation was particularly challenging during the pandemic given the high risk of viral transmission to clinical staff. Clinical algorithms were developed with the goal of implementing a measured return to service delivery while preserving the clinical workforce.

Research Article Open Access

Enhancing Maternal Health: Cost-effective Alternatives in High Pressure Processing of Fruit Products

Anita Scales-Akwu, Abimbola Allison, Jayashan Adhikari, Monica Henry, Wendelyn Inman

The search for efficacious Alternatives to the Current Standard Procedure in the Food Manufacturing Industry is a public health imperative. Recent advances and rapid adoption of high-pressure processing units in food manufacturing is gaining momentum across various industry sectors. The momentum of industrial importance across various sectors of food manufacturing, has led to requiring extensive microbiological hurdle validation studies for efficacious and feasible utilization of the technology.

Mini Review Open Access

Obesity and Beyond: The Novel Technical Standard to Study the Small Bowel Microbiome

Daniel Brimberry, Gabriela Leite, Mark Pimentel, Gillian M Barlow, Ruchi Mathur

The small intestinal microbiome (SIM) is colonized by a variety of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukarya which contribute to the overall health of the human host. Commensal bacteria of the small intestine are crucial suppliers of essential nutrients, aid in the metabolism of indigestible carbohydrates, provide defenses against pathogenic bacteria, and are critical components of the mucosal architecture.

Review Article Open Access

Translating Molecular Heterogeneity into Precision Medicine for Advanced Liver Disease

Tamer A. Addissouky

Background: Liver fibrosis arises from chronic hepatic injury and involves the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. Fibrosis progression ultimately leads to cirrhosis, characterized by architectural distortion and complications. Molecular profiling has identified prognostic transcriptomic subtypes, but management remains limited for advanced disease. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify recent advances in characterizing liver cirrhosis subtypes and emerging therapies.

Research Article Open Access

Fecal Loading Evaluation by Two Radiological Scores: Comparisons between Functional Constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Constipation in Children and Adolescents

Gabriela Nascimento Hercos, Mary de Assis Carvalho, Juliana Tedesco Dias, Carine Dias Ferreira de Jesus, Nilton Carlos Machado

Compare fecal loading (FL) using Leech and Starreveld methods in children and adolescents with functional constipation (FC) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Single-center, observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study of consecutive cases referred with unresponsive constipation. Inclusion criteria: FC and IBS-C, according to the Rome IV Criteria, age between 4 and 15 years old. Exclusion criteria: underlying chronic disorders,  no medication during the two weeks preceding the radiography. 

Clinical Image Open Access

A Case of Spontaneous Rectal Perforation in a Constipated Elderly Patient

Vishal Bodh, Brij Sharma, Harmandeep Singh Thabal, Anshul Bhateja

An elderly male patient, aged 90 years, presented to the outpatient department of our institution with a documented history of constipation persisting for a span of twenty days, accompanied by bleeding per rectum exacerbated by straining. Notably, there were no alarming signs such as weight loss, loss of appetite, or anemia. The patient’s general and systemic examination yielded normal results, with laboratory parameters, including tumor markers such as serum CEA, within normal limits. Further evaluation through a proctoscopy examination revealed normal findings, following which the patient was prescribed laxatives and supportive treatments. However, the patient reported back following a few days with persistent symptoms including fever, chills, and rigors.

Case Report Open Access

Intestinal Intussusception in Adults Due to Lipoma: Is Preoperative Diagnosis Possible. Case Report and Literature Review

Emily Rios, Flávio Silano, Ricardo Bandeira de Melo Amaral, Rodolfo Carvalho Santana, Paulo Cezar Galvão do Amaral

Intestinal intussusception in adults is quite rare, accounting for 1-5% of cases of intestinal semi-occlusion. The most frequent symptoms are nausea, vomiting and abdominal distension, as in any obstructive condition seen in the emergency room. Most cases of intestinal intussusception do not have a preoperative etiological diagnosis, due to difficulty in interpreting the radiological image. Case report of a 62-year-old male patient who was admitted to the emergency room at Hospital da Cidade in Salvador- Bahia- Brazil with semi-occlusion secondary to intestinal intussusception.