Serrated lesions represent a group of lesions with different genetic and biological features causing important clinical repercussions. Three types of serrated lesions are identified: hyperplastic, sessile adenomas (with and without dysplasia) and traditional serrated adenomas. Such lesions are now recognized as precancerous lesions.The carcinogenic process of serrated lesions follows a pathway including: alterations concerning activation of mitogen and protein kinase regulating the extracellular signal of other intracellular kinases (MAPK-ERK), inhibition of the apoptosis and hypermethylation of DNA and instability of microsatellites. Like for adenomatous polyps, the risk factors for serrated lesions are environmental factors, related to lifestyle and diet. The cancerogenic risk is increased by excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and poor intake of folate. When a high number of...

Background: Management of anastomotic dehiscences following colorectal surgery is a topic of debate. In this context, endoluminal vacuum therapy offers promising results. Objective: To analyze the efficacy and feasibility of endoluminal vacuum therapy in distal anastomotic dehiscences after colorectal surgery. Materials and methods: This study is a descriptive case series that evaluates patients with anastomotic dehiscences over a period of 18 months. All patients were treated with Endo-sponge™ (Braun Medical, Hessen, Germany). Results: Fourteen patients were included in the final analysis. The indications for endoluminal vacuum therapy were Hartmann's stump insufficency (n=6), anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (n=4), and anastomotic dehiscence after transanal total mesorectal excision (n=4). A total of 204 sponges were placed per patient (median 12.5, ra...