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Gastroenterology Sep 2023Belching, bloating, and abdominal distention are all highly prevalent gastrointestinal symptoms and account for some of the most common reasons for patient visits to... (Review)
Review
DESCRIPTION
Belching, bloating, and abdominal distention are all highly prevalent gastrointestinal symptoms and account for some of the most common reasons for patient visits to outpatient gastroenterology practices. These symptoms are often debilitating, affecting patients' quality of life, and contributing to work absenteeism. Belching and bloating differ in their pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management, and there is limited evidence available for their various treatments. Therefore, the purpose of this American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Clinical Practice Update is to provide best practice advice based on both controlled trials and observational data for clinicians covering clinical features, diagnostics, and management considerations that include dietary, gut-directed behavioral, and drug therapies.
METHODS
This Expert Review was commissioned and approved by the AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership, and underwent internal peer review by the Clinical Practice Updates Committee and external peer review through standard procedures of Gastroenterology. These best practice advice statements were drawn from a review of the published literature based on clinical trials, the more robust observational studies, and from expert opinion. Because systematic reviews were not performed, these best practice advice statements do not carry formal ratings regarding the quality of evidence or strength of the presented considerations. Best Practice Advice Statements BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 1: Clinical history and physical examination findings and impedance pH monitoring can help to differentiate between gastric and supragastric belching. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 2: Treatment options for supragastric belching may include brain-gut behavioral therapies, either separately or in combination, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, diaphragmatic breathing, speech therapy, and central neuromodulators. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 3: Rome IV criteria should be used to diagnose primary abdominal bloating and distention. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 4: Carbohydrate enzyme deficiencies may be ruled out with dietary restriction and/or breath testing. In a small subset of at-risk patients, small bowel aspiration and glucose- or lactulose-based hydrogen breath testing may be used to evaluate for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 5: Serologic testing may rule out celiac disease in patients with bloating and, if serologies are positive, a small bowel biopsy should be done to confirm the diagnosis. A gastroenterology dietitian should be part of the multidisciplinary approach to care for patients with celiac disease and nonceliac gluten sensitivity. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 6: Abdominal imaging and upper endoscopy should be ordered in patients with alarm features, recent worsening symptoms, or an abnormal physical examination only. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 7: Gastric emptying studies should not be ordered routinely for bloating and distention, but may be considered if nausea and vomiting are present. Whole gut motility and radiopaque transit studies should not be ordered unless other additional and treatment-refractory lower gastrointestinal symptoms exist to warrant testing for neuromyopathic disorders. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 8: In patients with abdominal bloating and distention thought to be related to constipation or difficult evacuation, anorectal physiology testing is suggested to rule out a pelvic floor disorder. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 9: When dietary modifications are needed (eg, low-fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols diet), a gastroenterology dietitian should preferably monitor treatment. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 10: Probiotics should not be used to treat abdominal bloating and distention. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 11: Biofeedback therapy may be effective for bloating and distention when a pelvic floor disorder is identified. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 12: Central neuromodulators (eg, antidepressants) are used to treat bloating and abdominal distention by reducing visceral hypersensitivity, raising sensation threshold, and improving psychological comorbidities. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 13: Medications used to treat constipation should be considered for treating bloating if constipation symptoms are present. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 14: Psychological therapies, such as hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other brain-gut behavior therapies may be used to treat patients with bloating and distention. BEST PRACTICE 15: Diaphragmatic breathing and central neuromodulators are used to treat abdominophrenic dyssynergia.
Topics: Female; Humans; United States; Eructation; Celiac Disease; Pelvic Floor Disorders; Quality of Life; Constipation; Flatulence; Dilatation, Pathologic
PubMed: 37452811
DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.04.039 -
JAMA Neurology Oct 2023Young contact sport athletes may be at risk for long-term neuropathologic disorders, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
IMPORTANCE
Young contact sport athletes may be at risk for long-term neuropathologic disorders, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the neuropathologic and clinical symptoms of young brain donors who were contact sport athletes.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This case series analyzes findings from 152 of 156 brain donors younger than 30 years identified through the Understanding Neurologic Injury and Traumatic Encephalopathy (UNITE) Brain Bank who donated their brains from February 1, 2008, to September 31, 2022. Neuropathologic evaluations, retrospective telephone clinical assessments, and online questionnaires with informants were performed blinded. Data analysis was conducted between August 2021 and June 2023.
EXPOSURES
Repetitive head impacts from contact sports.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Gross and microscopic neuropathologic assessment, including diagnosis of CTE, based on defined diagnostic criteria; and informant-reported athletic history and informant-completed scales that assess cognitive symptoms, mood disturbances, and neurobehavioral dysregulation.
RESULTS
Among the 152 deceased contact sports participants (mean [SD] age, 22.97 [4.31] years; 141 [92.8%] male) included in the study, CTE was diagnosed in 63 (41.4%; median [IQR] age, 26 [24-27] years). Of the 63 brain donors diagnosed with CTE, 60 (95.2%) were diagnosed with mild CTE (stages I or II). Brain donors who had CTE were more likely to be older (mean difference, 3.92 years; 95% CI, 2.74-5.10 years) Of the 63 athletes with CTE, 45 (71.4%) were men who played amateur sports, including American football, ice hockey, soccer, rugby, and wrestling; 1 woman with CTE played collegiate soccer. For those who played football, duration of playing career was significantly longer in those with vs without CTE (mean difference, 2.81 years; 95% CI, 1.15-4.48 years). Athletes with CTE had more ventricular dilatation, cavum septum pellucidum, thalamic notching, and perivascular pigment-laden macrophages in the frontal white matter than those without CTE. Cognitive and neurobehavioral symptoms were frequent among all brain donors. Suicide was the most common cause of death, followed by unintentional overdose; there were no differences in cause of death or clinical symptoms based on CTE status.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This case series found that young brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts were highly symptomatic regardless of CTE status, and the causes of symptoms in this sample are likely multifactorial. Future studies that include young brain donors unexposed to repetitive head impacts are needed to clarify the association among exposure, white matter and microvascular pathologic findings, CTE, and clinical symptoms.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Young Adult; Adult; Retrospective Studies; Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy; Brain; Athletes; Athletic Injuries; Soccer
PubMed: 37639244
DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.2907 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Mar 2024Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract. The incidence of pediatric CD is increasing and is currently 2.5-11.4 per 100000...
Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract. The incidence of pediatric CD is increasing and is currently 2.5-11.4 per 100000 world-wide. Notably, approximately 25% of children with CD develop stricturing CD (SCD) that requires intervention. Symptomatic stricturing diseases refractory to pharmacological management frequently require non-pharmacological interventions. Non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies include endoscopic balloon dilatation, stricturoplasty, and surgical resection of the strictured segment. However, strictures tend to recur postoperatively regardless of treatment modality. The lifetime risk of surgery in patients with childhood SCD remains at 50%-90%. Thus, new and emerging strategies, advanced diagnostic tools, and minimally invasive approaches are under investigation to improve the outcomes and overall quality of life of pediatric patients with SCD.
Topics: Humans; Child; Crohn Disease; Constriction, Pathologic; Quality of Life
PubMed: 38617744
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i12.1651 -
American Journal of Respiratory and... Feb 2024Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) may originate in bronchiolar regions of the lung. Accordingly, there is a need to characterize the morphology and molecular...
Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) may originate in bronchiolar regions of the lung. Accordingly, there is a need to characterize the morphology and molecular characteristics of NCFB bronchioles. Test the hypothesis that NCFB exhibits a major component of bronchiolar disease manifest by mucus plugging and ectasia. Morphologic criteria and region-specific epithelial gene expression, measured histologically and by RNA hybridization and immunohistochemistry, identified proximal and distal bronchioles in excised NCFB lungs. RNA hybridization and immunohistochemistry assessed bronchiolar mucus accumulation and mucin gene expression. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated IL-1R1 knockout in human bronchial epithelial cultures tested IL-1α and IL-1β contributions to mucin production. Spatial transcriptional profiling characterized NCFB distal bronchiolar gene expression. Bronchiolar perimeters and lumen areas per section area were increased in proximal, but not distal, bronchioles in NCFB versus control lungs, suggesting proximal bronchiolectasis. In NCFB, mucus plugging was observed in ectatic proximal bronchioles and associated nonectatic distal bronchioles in sections with disease. MUC5AC and MUC5B mucins were upregulated in NCFB proximal bronchioles, whereas MUC5B was selectively upregulated in distal bronchioles. Bronchiolar mucus plugs were populated by IL-1β-expressing macrophages. NCFB sterile sputum supernatants induced human bronchial epithelial MUC5B and MUC5AC expression that was >80% blocked by IL-1R1 ablation. Spatial transcriptional profiling identified upregulation of genes associated with secretory cells, hypoxia, interleukin pathways, and IL-1β-producing macrophages in mucus plugs and downregulation of epithelial ciliogenesis genes. NCFB exhibits distinctive proximal and distal bronchiolar disease. Both bronchiolar regions exhibit bronchiolar secretory cell features and mucus plugging but differ in mucin gene regulation and ectasia.
Topics: Humans; Bronchioles; Dilatation, Pathologic; Bronchiectasis; Cystic Fibrosis; Mucins; Interleukin-1beta; Fibrosis; RNA; Mucin 5AC
PubMed: 38016030
DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202306-1093OC -
Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical... Oct 2023Inflammatory mediators are a focus of recent corneal ectasia (CE) research and are a profound, modifiable contributor to CE in general and keratoconus (KC) in... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Inflammatory mediators are a focus of recent corneal ectasia (CE) research and are a profound, modifiable contributor to CE in general and keratoconus (KC) in particular, opening a path to explore new methods of control. As advanced imaging technology and expanded population screening allow for earlier detection, the possibility of early intervention can profoundly change the prognosis of CE.
RECENT FINDINGS
Significant increases in the inflammatory mediators and immune components have been observed in the cornea, tear fluid, and blood of ectasia patients, while inflammation dampeners such as vitamin D and their receptors are reduced. Atopy and allergy have a strong association with KC, known to increase itch factors and stimulate eye rubbing, a risk factor in ectasia pathogenesis. Management of atopy or allergic conditions and topical anti-inflammatories has helped stabilize CE disease.
SUMMARY
Strategies such as monitoring inflammatory factors and using immune or inflammatory modulators, including managing subclinical inflammation, may be clinically beneficial in stabilizing the disease and improving outcomes. The detected factors are biomarkers, but as yet unproven to be sensitive or specific enough to be considered biomarkers for early detection of CE. The establishment of such biomarkers could improve the therapeutic outcome.
Topics: Humans; Dilatation, Pathologic; Cornea; Keratoconus; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37490610
DOI: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000935 -
Journal of Medical Ultrasonics (2001) Apr 2024The initial means of detecting right ventricular (RV) dilatation is often transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and once the presence of RV dilatation is suspected,... (Review)
Review
The initial means of detecting right ventricular (RV) dilatation is often transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and once the presence of RV dilatation is suspected, there is the possibility of RV volume overload, RV pressure overload, RV myocardial disease, and even nonpathological RV dilatation. With respect to congenital heart disease with RV volume overload, defects or valvular abnormalities can be easily detected with TTE, with the exception of some diseases. Volumetric assessment using three-dimensional echocardiography may be useful in determining the intervention timing in these diseases. When the disease progresses in patients with pulmonary hypertension as a result of RV pressure overload, RV dilatation becomes more prominent than hypertrophy, and RV functional parameters predict the prognosis at this stage of maladaptive remodeling. The differential diagnosis of cardiomyopathy or comparison with nonpathological RV dilatation may be difficult in the setting of RV myocardial disease. The characteristics of RV functional parameters such as two-dimensional speckle tracking may help differentiate RV cardiomyopathy from other conditions. We review the diseases presenting with RV dilatation, their characteristics, and echocardiographic findings and parameters that are significant in assessing their status or intervention timing.
Topics: Humans; Diagnosis, Differential; Echocardiography; Heart Ventricles; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; Dilatation, Pathologic; Hypertension, Pulmonary
PubMed: 38228943
DOI: 10.1007/s10396-023-01399-4 -
Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany) Oct 2023This review provides updated knowledge on the long-term outcomes among children with antenatally diagnosed urinary tract dilatation (UTD), previously often referred to... (Review)
Review
This review provides updated knowledge on the long-term outcomes among children with antenatally diagnosed urinary tract dilatation (UTD), previously often referred to as antenatal hydronephrosis. Different definitions of UTD exist, which makes comparison between studies and generalized conclusions difficult. Roughly, one-third of antenatally diagnosed UTD, defined as a renal pelvis anterior posterior diameter (APD) of ≥ 4 mm in the second trimester and/or ≥ 7 mm in the third trimester, will resolve before birth, another third will resolve within the first years of life, and in the remaining cases, UTD will persist or a congenital abnormality (CAKUT) will be diagnosed postnatally. The risk of a postnatal CAKUT diagnosis increases with the degree of prenatal and postnatal dilatation, except for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), which cannot be predicted from the degree of UTD. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur in 7-14% of children with UTD during the first years of life. The risk of UTI is higher in children with traditional risk factors for UTI, such as dilated VUR, hydroureteronephrosis, female gender, and intact foreskin. Continuous antibiotic prophylaxis may be considered in selected patients during the first years of life. In long-term follow-ups, permanent kidney damage is diagnosed in approximately 40% of children with moderate or severe UTD, but hypertension, proteinuria, and/or reduced eGFR are uncommon (0-5%). In children with mild UTD, the long-term outcome is excellent, and these children should not be subjected to unnecessary examinations and/or follow-up.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Dilatation; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux; Hydronephrosis; Urinary Tract Infections; Dilatation, Pathologic; Kidney Pelvis; Urinary Tract
PubMed: 36920569
DOI: 10.1007/s00467-023-05907-z -
Clinical & Experimental Optometry Aug 2023Corneal cross-linking is a photopolymerization technique traditionally used to strengthen corneal tissue. Corneal cross-linking utilizes riboflavin (vitamin B2) as a... (Review)
Review
Corneal cross-linking is a photopolymerization technique traditionally used to strengthen corneal tissue. Corneal cross-linking utilizes riboflavin (vitamin B2) as a photosensitizer and ultraviolet-A light (UVA) to create strong covalent bonds within the corneal stroma, increasing tissue stiffness. Multiple studies have demonstrated corneal cross-linking's effectiveness in treating corneal ectasia, a progressive, degenerative, and non-inflammatory thinning disorder, as quantified by key tomographic, refractive, and visual parameters. Since its introduction two decades ago, corneal cross-linking has surpassed its original application in halting corneal ectatic disease and its application has expanded into several other areas. Corneal cross-linking also possesses antibacterial, antienzymolytic and antioedematous properties, and has since become a tool in treating microbial keratitis, correcting refractive error, preventing iatrogenic ectasia, stabilising bullous keratopathy and controlling post keratoplasty ametropia. This review provides an overview of the current evidence base for the therapeutic non-ectasia applications of cornea cross-linking and looks at future developments in the field.
Topics: Humans; Dilatation, Pathologic; Cross-Linking Reagents; Collagen; Cornea; Photosensitizing Agents; Riboflavin; Photochemotherapy; Corneal Diseases; Ultraviolet Rays; Refractive Errors; Keratoconus
PubMed: 36690333
DOI: 10.1080/08164622.2022.2159790 -
Cardiovascular and Interventional... Sep 2023Plain balloon angioplasty remains the first-line treatment for dialysis access stenosis. This chapter reviews the outcomes of plain balloon angioplasty from cohort... (Review)
Review
Plain balloon angioplasty remains the first-line treatment for dialysis access stenosis. This chapter reviews the outcomes of plain balloon angioplasty from cohort studies and comparative studies. Angioplasty outcomes are more favourable in arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) compared to arteriovenous grafts (AVG) with primary patency at 6 months ranging from 42-63% compared to 27-61%, respectively, and improved for forearm fistulae compared with upper arm fistulae. Higher pressures are required to treat stenoses in AVFs compared to AVGs. Outcomes are worse in more severe stenoses, increased patient age, previous interventions and fistulae that develop early stenoses. Major complication rates following angioplasty in dialysis access are between 3 and 5%. Repeat treatments and the use of adjuncts such as drug-coated balloons and stents can prolong the patency of dialysis access. Level of Evidence No level of evidence (Review paper).
Topics: Humans; Graft Occlusion, Vascular; Vascular Patency; Constriction, Pathologic; Renal Dialysis; Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; Treatment Outcome; Angioplasty, Balloon; Arteriovenous Fistula
PubMed: 37156943
DOI: 10.1007/s00270-023-03441-x