Title: Endoscopic features and clinical course of patients with asymptomatic cecal ulcers
Version: 1 Date: 09 Apr 2022
Reviewer's report:
We authors presented the endoscopic features and clinical course of patients with asymptomatic
cecal ulcers with 24 cases. The case number is too small. There are only four patients with
significant ulcer without spontaneous regression in this study. It makes the predictors of
development of clinically significant diseases unreliable.  Besides, anti-platelets and anti-
coagulants are also major cases of cecal ulcers. Why do the authors only rule out NSAID users?
Pathological diagnosis of TB colitis is not sensitive enough, TB smear, culture and PCR are
required to rule out TB infection for the other two cases. Besides, we could not make the
diagnosis of IBD according to pathological finings only. Complete surveillance, including cross
section images and infection survey (blood, stool) is necessary. The case who had the isolated
cecal ulcer initially was diagnosed with UC years later due to proctitis.  We still can't make sure
the cecal ulcer is related to UC or other etiology. When the case was diagnosed as UC, was
the cecal ulcer still there?  To sum up, out of 24 patients, 20 patients had unknown etiologies
and only four cases could be analysed.   The data was not enough to explain the etiologies of
asymptomatic cecal ulcers.
Title: Endoscopic features and clinical course of patients with asymptomatic cecal ulcers
Version: 1 Date: 09 Apr 2022
Reviewer's report:
We authors presented the endoscopic features and clinical course of patients with asymptomatic
cecal ulcers with 24 cases. The case number is too small. There are only four patients with
significant ulcer without spontaneous regression in this study. It makes the predictors of
development of clinically significant diseases unreliable.  Besides, anti-platelets and anti-
coagulants are also major cases of cecal ulcers. Why do the authors only rule out NSAID users?
Pathological diagnosis of TB colitis is not sensitive enough, TB smear, culture and PCR are
required to rule out TB infection for the other two cases. Besides, we could not make the
diagnosis of IBD according to pathological finings only. Complete surveillance, including cross
section images and infection survey (blood, stool) is necessary. The case who had the isolated
cecal ulcer initially was diagnosed with UC years later due to proctitis.  We still can't make sure
the cecal ulcer is related to UC or other etiology. When the case was diagnosed as UC, was
the cecal ulcer still there?  To sum up, out of 24 patients, 20 patients had unknown etiologies
and only four cases could be analysed.   The data was not enough to explain the etiologies of
asymptomatic cecal ulcers.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Endoscopic features and clinical course of patients with asymptomatic cecal ulcers
Version: 1 Date: 09 Apr 2022
Reviewer's report:
We authors presented the endoscopic features and clinical course of patients with asymptomatic
cecal ulcers with 24 cases. The case number is too small. There are only four patients with
significant ulcer without spontaneous regression in this study. It makes the predictors of
development of clinically significant diseases unreliable.  Besides, anti-platelets and anti-
coagulants are also major cases of cecal ulcers. Why do the authors only rule out NSAID users?
Pathological diagnosis of TB colitis is not sensitive enough, TB smear, culture and PCR are
required to rule out TB infection for the other two cases. Besides, we could not make the
diagnosis of IBD according to pathological finings only. Complete surveillance, including cross
section images and infection survey (blood, stool) is necessary. The case who had the isolated
cecal ulcer initially was diagnosed with UC years later due to proctitis.  We still can't make sure
the cecal ulcer is related to UC or other etiology. When the case was diagnosed as UC, was
the cecal ulcer still there?  To sum up, out of 24 patients, 20 patients had unknown etiologies
and only four cases could be analysed.   The data was not enough to explain the etiologies of
asymptomatic cecal ulcers.
assistant