• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2024

Purpose: Limited data exist regarding outcome and morbidity associated with portosystemic shunts in the pediatric transplant population. Our study assesses the outcomes of pediatric patients who underwent a portosystemic shunt procedure, both with and without liver transplantation (LT). Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pediatric patients aged 0-19 years who underwent shunt placement between 2003 and 2017 at a tertiary care center. The analysis included cases of shunt placement with or without LT. Results: A total of 13 pediatric patients were included in the study with median age of 8.8 years. Among the cases, 11 out of 13 (84.6%) underwent splenorenal shunt, 1 (7.7%) underwent a mesocaval shunt, and another 1 (7.7%) underwent a Modified Rex (mesoportal) shunt. Additionally, 5 out of 13 (38.5%) patients had LT, with 4 out of 5 (80.0%) receiving the transplant before shunt placement, and 1 out of 5 (20.0%) receiving it after shunt placement. Gastrointestinal bleeding resulting from portal hypertension was the indication in all cases. A total of 10 complications were reported in 5 patients; the most common complication was anemia in 3 (23.1%) patients. At the most recent follow-up visit, the shunts were functional without encephalopathy, and no deaths were reported. Conclusion: Shunt placement plays a crucial role in the management of patients with portal hypertension. Our study demonstrates favorable long-term outcomes in pediatric patients who underwent shunt placement. Long term shunt outcomes were similar and unremarkable in patients with LT and without LT.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2024

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the clinical profile, survival at discharge, and proportion of children with acute liver failure (ALF) meeting the criteria for, yet surviving without, liver transplantation (LT). Methods: Medical case records of children aged >28 days to ≤15 years over a period of 7 years, identified from pediatric admission and discharge registers, were screened. Children satisfying the criteria for ALF were included in this study. Results: A total of 71 records meeting the pediatric ALF (PALF) criteria were included. The survival rate at discharge was 61% (n=44). A considerable proportion of children satisfied the King's College Criteria (KCC) (56.3%) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria (7%) for LT at admission. Nonetheless, the survival rate in the absence of LT was 42.5% in children who satisfied the KCC and 20% in those who met the EASL criteria. Infection (29.5%) and paracetamol overdose (19.7%) were the major identifiable causes of PALF. Hepatitis A was the most common infection identified. No significant predictors of poor outcomes were identified in multivariable analysis. Conclusion: Our study highlights the changing survival rates and the clinical and etiological profiles of patients with PALF. In areas with poor access to LT services, survival in these children could be improved through early referral to centers with adequate intensive care facilities. Preventing ALF and referring patients to LT services are paramount to reducing mortality.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2024

Purpose: Choledochal cysts are congenital anomalies that occur as localized cystic or fusiform dilatations of the biliary tree. Reflux and stasis of pancreatic enzymes in the biliary duct may relate to the development of intestinal metaplasia which might be an important factor related to the carcinogenesis of choledochal cyst, thus the expression of beta-catenin in the metaplastic epithelium might be associated with malignant transformation of choledochal cyst epithelium. Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care pediatric center between October 2014 and March 2017. Forty patients were evaluated for epithelial lining, mural ulceration, fibrosis, inflammation, and metaplasia. Results: Out of 40, 12 cases (30.0%) were the infantile age group and 28 cases (70.0%) were in the classic pediatric group. Ulceration was classified as grade 0 (14 cases, 35.0%), grade 1 (17 cases, 42.5%), or grade 2 (nine cases, 22.5%). Inflammation was classified as grade 0 (2 cases, 5.0%), grade 1 (26 cases, 65.0%), or grade 2 (12 cases, 30.0%). Fibrosis was classified as grade 0 (five cases, 12.5%), grade 1 (11 cases, 27.5%), grade 2 (17 cases, 42.5%), or grade 3 (seven cases, 17.5%). Metaplasia was noted in five (12.5%) out of 40 cases. All choledochal cysts with metaplasia showed beta-catenin nuclear positivity on immunohistochemistry and were followed up. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of detailed histopathological examination and documentation of metaplastic changes. Metaplasia was associated with beta-catenin nuclear positivity. These findings suggest a potential role for beta-catenin as a marker of metaplastic changes in choledochal cysts.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.168-175
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• 2024

Purpose: The presence of alcoholic stool in biliary atresia (BA) patients is the basis of a stool color card (SCC), a screening tool that has led to more patients receiving Kasai portoenterostomy earlier. This study aimed to evaluate the color image processing of stool images captured using smartphones. We propose that measuring digital color parameters is a more objective method for identifying BA stools and may improve the sensitivity of BA screening. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in five hospitals in Thailand between October 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. Stools from infants presenting with jaundice, acholic stool, or dark-colored urine were photographed. Digital image color analysis was performed, and software was developed based on the color on the original SCC. Sensitivity and specificity for predicting BA stools were compared between the SCC and the software. Results: Of 33 infants eligible for data collection, 19 were diagnosed with BA. Saturation and blue were two potential digital color parameters used to differentiate BA stools. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimum cutoff point of both values, and when saturation ≤56 or blue ≥61 was set as a threshold for detecting BA stool, high accuracy was achieved at 81.8% and 78.8%, respectively. Conclusion: Digital image processing is a promising technology. With appropriate cutoff values of saturation in hue, saturation, value and blue in red, green, blue color models, BA stools can be identified, and equivocal-colored stools of non-BA patients can be differentiated with acceptable accuracy in infants presenting with jaundice.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.283-289
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• 2023

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is one of the most common conditions among patients visiting emergency departments in Korea. GI bleeding is divided into upper and lower GI bleeding, according to the bleeding site. GI bleeding is also divided into overt and occult GI bleeding based on bleeding characteristics. In addition, obscure GI bleeding refers to recurrent or persistent GI bleeding from a source that cannot be identified after esophagogastroduodenoscopy or colonoscopy. The small intestine is the largest part of the alimentary tract. It extends from the pylorus to the cecum. The small intestine is difficult to access owing to its long length. Moreover, it is not fixed to the abdominal cavity. When hemorrhage occurs in the small intestine, the source cannot be found in many cases because of the characteristics of the small intestine. In practice, small-intestinal bleeding accounts for most of the obscure GI bleeding. Therefore, in this review, we introduce and describe systemic approaches and examination methods, including video capsule endoscopy and balloon enteroscopy, that can be performed in patients with suspected small bowel bleeding in clinical practice.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.229-238
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• 2023

Background/Aims: Shear wave elastography (SWE) is used for liver fibrosis staging based on stiffness measurements. It can be performed using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) or a transabdominal approach. Transabdominal accuracy can be limited in patients with obesity because of the thick abdomen. Theoretically, EUS-SWE overcomes this limitation by internally assessing the liver. We aimed to define the optimal technique for EUS-SWE for future research and clinical use and compare its accuracy with that of transabdominal SWE. Methods: Benchtop study: A standardized phantom model was used. The compared variables included the region of interest (ROI) size, depth, and orientation and transducer pressure. Porcine study: Phantom models with varying stiffness values were surgically implanted between the hepatic lobes. Results: For EUS-SWE, a larger ROI size of 1.5 cm and a smaller ROI depth of 1 cm demonstrated a significantly higher accuracy. For transabdominal SWE, the ROI size was nonadjustable, and the optimal ROI depth ranged from 2 to 4 cm. The transducer pressure and ROI orientation did not significantly affect the accuracy. There were no significant differences in the accuracy between transabdominal SWE and EUS-SWE in the animal model. The variability among the operators was more pronounced for the higher stiffness values. Small lesion measurements were accurate only when the ROI was entirely situated within the lesion. Conclusions: We defined the optimal viewing windows for EUS-SWE and transabdominal SWE. The accuracy was comparable in the non-obese porcine model. EUS-SWE may have a higher utility for evaluating small lesions than transabdominal SWE.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1355-1366
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• 2020

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value and prognostic relevance of FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients. Materials and Methods: This study included 234 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients who underwent FDG PET-CT between June 2008 and February 2016. The diagnostic performance of FDG PEG-CT was compared to that of contrast-enhanced multidetector row CT (MDCT) and MRI. Independent prognosticators for poor survival were also assessed. Results: The sensitivity of FDG PET-CT for detecting primary tumor and regional lymph node metastases was lower than that of MDCT or MRI (p < 0.001), whereas the specificity and positive predictive value for detecting regional lymph nodes metastases was significantly better in FDG PET-CT compared to MDCT and MRI (all p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the diagnostic yield of distant metastases detection among three diagnostic imaging techniques. In a multivariate analysis, maximum standardized uptake values (SUV_max) of the primary tumor (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-2.69) and of the metastatic lesions ≥ 5 (adjusted HR, 8.10; 95% CI, 1.96-33.5) were independent contributors to poor overall survival in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients. In a subgroup analysis of 187 patients with periductal infiltrating type of cholangiocarcinoma, an SUV_max of the primary tumor ≥ 5 was associated with an increased risk of regional lymph node (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.60; 95% CI, 0.55-4.63) and distant metastases (adjusted OR, 100.57; 95% CI, 3.94-2567.43) at diagnosis as well as with poor overall survival (adjusted HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.04-3.15). Conclusion: FDG PET-CT showed lower sensitivity for detecting primary tumor and regional lymph node involvement than MDCT and MRI. However, the SUV_max of primary tumors and metastatic lesions derived from FDG PET-CT could have significant implications for predicting prognoses in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2024

Purpose: Recently, the prevalence of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) has shown an increasing trend worldwide. As the diagnosis of EGID requires invasive endoscopy with biopsy, noninvasive markers for detecting EGID in suspected patients, particularly children, are urgently needed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) beyond peripheral eosinophil counts in pediatric patients with EGID. Methods: Overall, 156 children diagnosed with EGID were enrolled and 150 children with functional abdominal pain disorder (FAPD) were recruited as controls. All participants underwent endoscopic biopsy in each segment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and serum ECP measurement, as well as peripheral eosinophil percent and absolute eosinophil count. Results: Comparing EGID (n=156) with FAPD (n=150) patients, serum ECP levels were significantly higher in pediatric patients with EGID than in those with FAPD (25.8±28.6 ㎍/L vs. 19.5±21.0 ㎍/L, p=0.007), while there was no significant difference in peripheral eosinophil percent and absolute eosinophil counts between the two groups. Serum ECP levels were correlated with peripheral eosinophil percent (r=0.593, p<0.001) and the absolute eosinophil count (r=0.660, p<0.001). The optimal cutoff value of serum ECP for pediatric EGID was 10.5 ㎍/mL, with a sensitivity of 69.9% and a specificity of 43.4% with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.562. Conclusion: The combination of serum ECP levels and peripheral eosinophil counts, when employed with appropriated thresholds, could serve as a valuable noninvasive biomarker to distinguish between EGID and FAPD in pediatric patients manifesting GI symptoms.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2024

Purpose: Diarrhea is one of the leading causes of mortality in children living in developing countries. The etiology of acute diarrhea in each healthcare center varies depending on place, time, and population. This study aimed to identify pathogen patterns in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and non-HIV children suffering from acute diarrhea, using multiplex real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in an Indonesian tertiary hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Hospital from March 2019 to April 2020. Results: The study showed that multiplex RT-PCR results were positive in 58.9% of the specimens, with more positive results in HIV-infected children than in non-HIV-infected children (70% vs. 54.7%). Altogether 72 enteropathogens were detected from all specimens. Enteropathogens in non-HIV children with acute diarrhea consisted of bacteria (70.6%) and viruses (29.4%) with a predominance of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (25.4%), followed by Campylobacter spp. (11.8%), enteropathogenic E. coli (9.8%), Norovirus GII (7.8%), and Clostridium difficile (7.8%). Enteropathogens in HIV-infected children consisted of viruses (57.1%), bacteria (28.6%), and parasites (14.3%) comprising Norovirus GII (24%), Cryptosporidium spp. (14.3%), Campylobacter spp. (14.3%), Norovirus GI (14.3%), and Astrovirus (14.3%). Cryptosporidium spp. was the only parasite found in this study and was found only in HIV-infected children. In non-HIV children with acute diarrhea, most pathogens were invasive bacteria, while in HIV-infected children, more viral and parasite infections occurred, primarily caused by opportunistic pathogens. Conclusion: The pattern of enteropathogens can help clinicians determine further examinations and appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy for the patient.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.125-135
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• 2024

Purpose: The updated ROME IV criteria for functional constipation (FC) in children were published in 2016. However, information on the use of these criteria is scarce. This study aimed to report the frequency of the use of the ROME IV criteria by Indonesian pediatricians and general practitioners (GPs) in FC management in infants and toddlers. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was conducted between November 2021 and March 2022. Results: A total of 248 respondents (183 pediatricians and 65 GPs) from 24 Indonesian provinces completed the survey. Most respondents reported an estimated prevalence of FC to be less than 5% both in infants and toddlers. On average, only 64.6% of respondents frequently used the ROME IV criteria. Pediatricians used the ROME IV criteria more often than GPs did (p<0.001). The most frequently used criteria were painful or hard bowel movements (75.0%) and ≤2 defecations/week (71.4%). Lactulose as a laxative was the preferred treatment choice, followed by changing the standard formula to a specific nutritional formula. Most of the respondents carried out parenteral reassurance and education. Normal growth, as a marker of good digestion and absorption function, and normal stool consistency and frequency were the most reported indicators of gut health. Conclusion: The ROME IV criteria for functional constipation are not extensively used by pediatricians and GPs in Indonesia. Laxatives and specific nutritional formulas were the most used management approaches in infants and toddlers. Medical education, especially for general practitioners, should be updated.