Sajiv Sethi

Introduction Women make up 15% of the total number of practicing gastroenterology (GI) physicians in the US. Despite this disparity, only 33% of the current GI fellows are female. Increasing female GIs is a major goal of all four GI societies. It is known that gender disparity exists in the field of gastroenterology, and women are underrepresented in the leadership ranks and trainee level at academic programs. Whether an increase in female leadership in academic medicine is associated with an increase in female program directors and trainees is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess this relationship in GI. Materials and Methods Data were collected via a standardized protocol from all 173 US gastroenterology fellowship programs up until October 2018 from program websites and supplemented by online surveys completed by program coordinators. Any missing information was collected by calling the program coordinators. Data were collected on gender and academic rank of the program director, associate program director, division chief, chair of medicine, program size, academic center affiliation, number, and academic rank of female faculty and geographic region. The association was assessed using a Chi-square test or independent samples t test. Results In leadership positions, men were listed as comprising 86% of chairs, 82% of division chiefs, 76% of program directors and 63% of associate program directors. Forty-three percent of programs did not have female representation at any leadership level. The presence of a female program director or female associate program director was associated with an increase in the number of female fellows (4.03 vs 3.20; p = 0.076; 4.26 vs 3.36; p = 0.041), respectively. Overall, the presence of a female in any leadership position led to an increase in the number of female fellows (4.04 females vs 2.87 females; p = 0.007) enrolled in a program. If a GI division chief was male, the program director was more likely to be male as well (81% male vs. 18.8% female). Conversely, having a female division chief was likely to lead to a more equitable program director representation, 54% female to 48% male (p value < 0.0001, OR 5.03 95% CI 2.04–12.3). Furthermore, if either the internal medicine department chair or GI chief was female, the proportion of female program directors increased to 41% as compared to 19% if both were male (p value < 0.0001, OR 2.99 95% CI 1.34–6.6). Conclusion Women are significantly underrepresented in the number of practicing gastroenterologists, at all levels of leadership in GI fellowship programs, and at the fellow level. Increasing the number of women in fellowship leadership positions is associated with an increase in female program directors and trainees. Per our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship between female leadership in fellowship programs and the gender of trainees. Increasing female representation in leadership positions would not only address current gender disparity, but it may also increase the number of female future GI trainees.

Background and Aim: Post‐ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) is the most common complication following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). It is still controversial whether the presence of a trainee would increase the risk of PEP. Additionally, the effects of demographic factors and comorbidities on the risk and severity of PEP are not fully understood. Our aim was to evaluate these factors using national database.Methods: Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2000–2014 was used to identify adult patients admitted with biliary obstruction without acute pancreatitis and had an inpatient ERCP. PEP was defined as having a subsequent diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. The presence of major organs failure marked moderate–severe PEP. Demographic information, hospital characteristics, and ERCP intervention types were collected.Results: We included 654 394 patients. Overall PEP rate was 5.4%. The PEP rate was lower in teaching (4.8%) compared with nonteaching (6.2%, P < 0.001) hospitals. The highest PEP rate was observed among patients undergoing Sphincter of Oddi Manometry (15.1%, odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, P < 0.001) as compared to diagnostic cholangiography (4.4%). Asians and Hispanics had higher rate of PEP (10% and 7.9%, respectively) compared with Caucasians and African Americans (4.9% and 5%, respectively, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that after controlling for the ERCP intervention types, Asians and Hispanics continued to have higher odds of PEP (OR = 1.3, P < 0.001). Seventeen percent of patients were classified as moderate–severe PEP. Older patients (OR = 3.2, P < 0.001), males (OR = 1.4, P < 0.001), and high comorbidities (1.3, P < 0.001) were major predictors of moderate–severe PEP.Conclusion: No evidence of higher PEP rates in teaching hospitals. Asians and Hispanics had higher PEP rates. Although ERCP intervention type is the major PEP predictor, its severity is dependent on patient characteristics.

Neuroendocrine tumors are well-differentiated low grade malignant neoplasms. Their pathogenesis is thought to be secondary to the unrestricted proliferation of neuroendocrine cells. They most commonly arise in the bronchopulmonary or gastrointestinal tract but can originate from almost any organ. While the liver is a common site of metastases, primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors are an exceedingly rare pathology, of which fewer than 100 cases have been described in world literature. Thus, there exists a paucity of data regarding the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of this disease. We present a case of a 35-year-old patient who presented to our facility for evaluation of a cough and cervical lymphadenopathy. Two biopsies of the lymph nodes were negative, however on workup for an occult malignancy a hypodense heterogeneous hypervascular lesion measuring 3.7 cm × 2.7 cm in segment IVb of the liver was noted on computer tomography (CT) scan. The levels of laboratory studies such as liver enzymes, alkaline phospatase, chromogranin A, 24-hour 5 hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and tumor markers including alpha fetoprotein were not elevated. An MRI confirmed the mass, and the patient underwent CT guided biopsy of the hepatic lesion. Staining from the biopsy resulted in cells reactive for synaptophysin, chromogranin, anti-Cytokeratin (CAM 5.2), MOC31, CD 56 and mucin glycoprotein (MUC) confirming a nonsecretory neuroendocrine tumor. Patient underwent octreotide scan, PET scan, CT chest, MRI head along with EUS, EGD and colonoscopy to evaluate for a primary source, however, none was found. The well localized presentation without extensive hepatic invasion made the patient a candidate for surgical resection which was successfully performed. The patient remains disease free over 36 months after initial presentation. Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors are an exceedingly rare entity whose variable presentation necessitates provider familiarity with this condition. Once identified, excluding other primary locations with thorough investigation and treatment with surgical resection has been shown to provide the most patient benefit.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the 5th most common cancer in the United States. Early detection would improve the outcome of these patients. Currently, urine cytology or cystoscopy are used for early detection of UC. Urine fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis is a novel noninvasive molecular test to detect genetic abnormalities in urine samples. We evaluated the efficacy of the noninvasive urine FISH test in improving the quality of care of UC patients. We retrospectively analyzed urine FISH tests performed in our institution from 01/2005 to 06/2012. Patients were followed up to determine any positive cytology or biopsy. Data were statistically analyzed. Of 305 cases, 49 cases (16.1%) were positive including 14 for screening (initial diagnosis of UC) and 35 for surveillance of UC (to monitor disease recurrence). Of the 14 screening cases, 7 were confirmed on subsequent biopsy as high grade UC; 2 had prostate adenocarcinomas, and in 5, urine cytology was negative and no biopsy was done. Of the 35 surveillance cases, 33 cases were biopsy-confirmed UC: 21 high-grade and 12 low-grade; 1 case had a positive cytology but no biopsy was done and 1 had no cytology or biopsy. Our findings indicate that urine FISH test can detect genetic abnormalities indicative of malignancy in 16% cases. It is clinically useful in detecting index cases to screen for UC and surveillance of UC cases on treatment to monitor disease recurrence at times earlier than biopsy. This is because genotypic expression precedes phenotypic expression of the malignancy. Thus in the correct clinical context, when done in conjunction with urine cytology and biopsy, the urine FISH test is helpful in improving early detection of new cases and surveillance of patients on therapy, ultimately improving the quality of care of UC patients.