22 WORLD GASTROENTEROLOGY NEWS OCTOBER 2014 Editorial | Expert Point of View | Gastro 2015: AGW/WGO | WDHD News | WGO & WGOF News | WGO Global Guidelines | Calendar of Events Spanish Digestive Diseases Week (SED) Fernando Carballo Alvarez, MD President of the Spanish Society of Digestive Pathology (SEPD) Director of the Department of Gastroenterology of the University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca Murcia, Spain The Spanish Digestive Diseases Week (SED) is the largest congress in Span-ish aimed at digestive specialists and it is organized by the Spanish Society of Digestive Pathology (SEPD). The latest course (SED 2014) held in Valencia, Spain, from 14 to 16 June, brought together more than 950 experts. It is a unique scientific and educational event in the field of gastroenterology that aims to improve clinical practice and provide digestive specialists the opportunity to par-ticipate in training courses and share clinical experiences and research. SEPD developed a complete scientific program for the SED to promote continuing medical education. Of all the topics presented at the Spanish Digestive Diseases Week, we highlight: • Pancreatoscopy, a pioneering technique that will facilitate early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer • New therapeutic options for inflammatory bowel disease • New treatments for irritable bowel syndrome PANCREATOSCOPY is a novel medical procedure that allows en-doscopy inside the pancreas by using extremely thin tubes, barely 3mm in diameter, with a lamp and an optical device. Experts consider that the primary benefit of this technique, currently under development, will be the detection of pancreatic lesions in a premalignant stage, which will improve both diagnosis and treat-ment. Pancreatoscopy is a pioneering technique that only a few centers in Spain can offer to patients; how-ever, awareness by gastroenterology professionals is important because of its high diagnostic yield regarding le-sions otherwise difficult to recognize. Pancreatoscopy is particularly effective in the detection of small tumors or of tumors usually missed by other pro-cedures or scans. SEPD (Sociedad Es-pañola de Patología Digestiva) experts believe this technique will become a routine test for pancreatic conditions within a few years. IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) is a chronic functional disor-der that presents with abdominal pain or discomfort, and alters bowel habit either by diarrhea, constipa-tion or an altering of diarrhea and constipation. This can be a chronic condition. SEPD experts estimate that 10% of the population has IBS, of whom 40-50% seek medical help. Thus this condition is of paramount importance, as it may account for ap-proximately 30% of outpatient visits. Symptoms differ from one person to the next, and range from mild to se-vere. There may also be a psychosocial component. As the cause of this disorder remains unknown, management is aimed at relieving symptoms with the appropriate drug or regimen. New therapies may become available soon to control the various symp-toms associated with irritable bowel syndrome-related constipation. Novel therapies are also expected for the other symptoms in the future term. Dr. Grace Su lectures during SED 2014.
ewgn-vol19-issue3-FINAL
To see the actual publication please follow the link above