MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective single centre randomised single blinded comparative study conducted in HUSM. The primary endpoints for this study are the overall complete stone clearance rate and complication rate, while the secondary outcome for this study are duration of procedure and rate of usage of adjunct methods. Objective data analysis is conducted using independent sample t-test and chi-squared test.
RESULTS: A total of 66 patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for choledocholithiasis which is CBD stone. 34 patients were allocated to EST plus EPLBD arm (n=34), and 32 patients were in EST alone arm (n=32) using randomisation method. For intention to treat, patients from EST alone arm that unable to achieve complete stone clearance will be switched to EST plus EPLBD arm. The overall complete stone removal rate for both groups were comparable (EST plus EPLDB: 100% versus EST alone: 93.8%; p= 0.139). The two patients from EST alone group (6.2%) that unable to achieve complete stone clearance were converted to EST plus EPLBD group for intention to treat and able to achieve complete stone clearance by EST plus EPLBD. For procedural time, both arms are comparable as well (EST plus EPLDB: 15.8 minutes vs EST alone: 15.5 minutes; p= 0.860). Complications such as pancreatitis occurred in one patient in EST plus EPLBD arm (EST plus EPLDB: 2.9 % vs EST alone: 0 %; p= 0.328), and bleeding occurred in one patient in EST alone arm (EST plus EPLDB: 0 % vs EST alone: 3.1 %; p= 0.299) , but it is not statistically significant. No perforation or cholangitis complication occurred in both groups. No adjunct usage was observed in both groups.
CONCLUSION: In this study with limited sample size, both EST plus EPLBD and EST alone are effective and has comparable procedural time in removing CBD stone. Even though both methods are equally effective, EPLBD plus EST is an alternative solution if complete stone clearance is unable to achieve via EST alone.
METHODS: This study enrolled 100 patients in a single-center tertiary teaching hospital. Patients presented for screening colonoscopy, and those with suspicious colorectal lesions were included in this study. During colonoscopy, the most suspicious lesion in each patient was analyzed using the NBI system based on Sano's classification. Each lesion was biopsied for histopathological analysis, the gold standard. Endoscopic images were captured electronically. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of NBI colonoscopy were assessed. Other associated factors related to neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions were analyzed accordingly.
RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the NBI were 88.2% and 71.9%, respectively. The area under the receiver-operator curve was 0.801, indicating that NBI has a good ability to differentiate between disease and non-disease. There are significant associations between histopathological examination outcomes and both presenting symptoms, especially weight loss, and lesion site, even after other variables were controlled (P