The year 2021 saw several developments and advances in hepato-gastroenterology, particularly in regard to the general practitioner. In 2021, several simple non-invasive methods were made available and validated by the European scientific society for the study of the liver in order to assess liver fibrosis in at-risk individuals, including patients with metabolic syndrome or excessive alcohol consumption. Moreover, the criteria for reimbursement of certain medications against hepatitis B virus were reviewed. Indeed, these criteria no longer require a systematic liver biopsy while targeting even more patients at risk. Concerning the metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, scientific studies with different types of diets were demonstrated to induce disease regression, with their potential advantages and disadvantages described. As a result, these diets can now be proposed by general practitioners. A lesser-known field of endoscopy has also been presented using motorized spiral enteroscopy, which is currently being employed at the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc. This technique is likely to improve both exploration and management of small bowel disease. Lastly, for practitioners often confronted with hemorrhoidal disease, recommendations for its management were drawn up and published by a group of Belgian proctologists.
Key Words
AFLD, NASH, non-invasive testing, hepatitis B, enteroscopy, hemorrhoidal disease