Background and Study Aims: as there is no single golden rule for the diagnosis and activity of ulcerative colitis disease, this study is going to discuss the clinical relevance of calprotectin and PTX 3 in cases of ulcerative colitis and their roles as non-invasive methods to diagnose UC and determine disease activity.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an uncommon entity without the characteristics of a disease by itself and it is characterized by the presence of gas cysts within the submucosa or subserosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Its precise etiology has not been clearly established and several hypotheses have been postulated regarding the pathogenesis. Since it was fi rst described by Du Vernoy in autopsy specimens in 1730 and subsequently named by Mayer as Cystoides intestinal pneumatosis in 1825, it has been reported in some studies. PCI is defi ned by physical or radiographic fi ndings and it can be divided into a primary and secondary forms. In the fi rst instance, no identifi able causal factors are detected whether secondary forms are associated with a wide spectrum of diseases, ranging from life-threatening to innocuous conditions. For this reason, PCI management can vary from urgent surgical procedure to clinical, conservative treatment. The clinical onset may be very heterogeneous and represent a challenge for the clinician. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman with PCI associated with rtropathy and asthma and a long-lasting steroid therapy. Our purpose is to underline the correlation of PCI with artropathy and asthma. Moreover we would like to describe the diffi culties to diagnose this enity, avoiding a misdiagnosis and therefore an incorrect therapy.

Colonoscopy has been shown to be effective in the detection and removal of precancerous lesions and early cancers, and as a result, colorectal screening programs are in preparation, or in place throughout the world. Screening efforts are reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and allow diagnosis CRCs at an earlier stage. It is increasingly evident that colonoscopic polypectomy including endoscopic mucosal resection and submucosal dissection has become a means of cancer prevention with evidence of reduced predicted incidence and mortality of colorectal malignancies. However, the risk of interval CRC relates to the skill of the performing colonoscopist, rather than any patient or polyp characteristic. Every endoscopist needs to actively look for proximal and flat or depressed lesions. For the general endoscopist, this means the ability to find and accurately assess a lesion is vital. In addition, advancing endotherapeutics means more lesions are potentially removable, and so endoscopists must be able to describe lesions in a standard fashion. This review deals with the current means of describing lesion morphology and surface characteristics, together with the significance of these. We also discuss the developing adjuncts to endoscopic imaging.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a systemic immunoinfl ammatory response to auto-digestion of the pancreas and peri-pancreatic organs. It is a frequent gastrointestinal disease with an important morbimortality, reaching 30% in severe cases. Different studies and reviews by international groups have developed multiple classifi cation systems to assess the severity and address the correct management along time, identifying the better molecular markers, clinical outcome determinants and reaching conservative management as the angular piece in AP. In this review we present a compilation of the latest studies and international consensus about AP physiology, etiology, risk factors, diagnosis, severity assessment, imaging and treatment.

The anorectum plays an important role in regulation of defecation and in maintenance of continence [1]. The most widely used test for anorectal function is anorectal manometry. It measures pressures of the anal sphincter muscles, sensation in the rectum, and neural refl exes that are needed for normal bowel movements. This test is mainly used in evaluation of constipation, fecal incontinence, anal sphincter tone, functional anorectal pain, pelvic fl oor dyssynergia and diagnosis of Hirschsprung’s Disease [2]. Parameters studied by anorectal manometry are the rectoanal inhibitory refl ex, anal resting pressure, sustained voluntary contraction of anal canal and rectal sensation [3]. Anorectal manometry is now available at multiple centres in India. However, the awareness regarding the procedure and its uses is limited. This study was done with the aim to analyse the indications for referral and results of anorectal manometry in two teaching hospitals in India.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an uncommon entity without the characteristics of a disease by itself and it is characterized by the presence of gas cysts within the submucosa or subserosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Its precise etiology has not been clearly established and several hypotheses have been postulated regarding the pathogenesis. Since it was fi rst described by Du Vernoy in autopsy specimens in 1730 and subsequently named by Mayer as Cystoides intestinal pneumatosis in 1825, it has been reported in some studies. PCI is defi ned by physical or radiographic fi ndings and it can be divided into a primary and secondary forms. In the fi rst instance, no identifi able causal factors are detected whether secondary forms are associated with a wide spectrum of diseases, ranging from life-threatening to innocuous conditions. For this reason, PCI management can vary from urgent surgical procedure to clinical, conservative treatment. The clinical onset may be very heterogeneous and represent a challenge for the clinician. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman with PCI associated with rtropathy and asthma and a long-lasting steroid therapy. Our purpose is to underline the correlation of PCI with artropathy and asthma. Moreover we would like to describe the diffi culties to diagnose this enity, avoiding a misdiagnosis and therefore an incorrect therapy.