Congestive ischemic colitis successfully treated with antiinflammatory therapy: A case report

BACKGROUND Congestive ischemic colitis is a rare subtype of ischemic colitis with an unknown pathophysiology.Excluding conservative management,such as fasting,no established treatment exists;therefore,surgical intervention should be considered in some cases if symptoms worsen.Current literature suggests that anti-inflam-matory agents may effectively treat congestive ischemic colitis.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 68-year-old female patient who underwent laparoscopic left hemicolectomy for transverse colon cancer 3 years ago.Postoperatively,follow-up included an annual colonoscopy and abdominal computed tomography(CT)at a local clinic.However,progressive erythema and edema of the sigmoid colon were observed 1 year postoperatively.Upon admission to our hospital,she complained of abdominal pain and diarrhea.Abdominal CT showed thickening of the sigmoid colon walls,and colonoscopy revealed erythema,edema,and multiple ulcers with exudate in the sigmoid colon.CT angiography showed engorgement of the sigmoid vasa recta without any vascular abnormalities.The diagnosis was congestive ischemic colitis,and we treated the patient with anti-inflammatory agents.After 2 mo of glucocorticoid therapy(20 mg once daily)and 7 mo of 5-aminosalicylate therapy(1 g twice daily),the ulcers completely healed.She has not experienced any recurrence for 2 years.CONCLUSION Anti-inflammatory therapy,specifically glucocorticoids and 5-aminosalicylate,has demonstrated promising efficacy and introduces potential novel treatment options for congestive ischemic colitis.

Somatostatin adjunctive therapy for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal rebleeding after endoscopic therapy

AIM:To evaluate the effect of pantoprazole with a somatostatin adjunct in patients with acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding(NVUGIB).METHODS:We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospective database in a tertiary care university hospital.From October 2006 to October 2008,we enrolled 101 patients with NVUGIB that had a high-risk stigma on endoscopy.Within 24 h of hospital admission,all patients underwent endoscopic therapy.After successful endoscopic hemostasis,all patients received an 80-mg bolus of pantoprazole followed by continuous intravenous infusion(8 mg/h for 72 h).The somatostatin adjunct group(n=49)also received a 250-μg bolus of somatostatin,followed by continuous infusion (250μg/h for 72 h).Early rebleeding rates,disappearance of endoscopic stigma and risk factors associated with early rebleeding were examined.RESULTS:Early rebleeding rates were not significantly different between treatment groups(12.2%vs 14.3%,P=0.766).Disappearance of endoscopic stigma on the second endoscopy was not significantly different between treatment groups(94.2%vs 95.9%,P=0.696).Multivariate analysis showed that the complete Rockall score was a significant risk factor for early rebleeding(P =0.044,OR:9.080,95%CI:1.062-77.595).CONCLUSION:The adjunctive use of somatostatin was not superior to pantoprazole monotherapy after successful endoscopic hemostasis in patients with NVUGIB.

Efficacy of cap-assisted colonoscopy according to lesion location and endoscopist training level

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of cap-assisted colonoscopy(CAC) for detection of colorectal polyps and adenomas according to the lesion location and endoscopist training level.METHODS: Patients 20 years or older, who underwent their first screening colonoscopy in a single tertiary center from May 2011 to December 2012 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent either CAC or standard colonoscopy(SC), and all of the procedures were performed by 11 endoscopists(8 trainees and 3 experts). All procedures were performed with highdefinition colonoscopes and narrow band imaging. The eight trainees had experiences of performing 150 to 500 colonoscopies, and the three experts had experiences of performing more than 3000 colonoscopies. A 4-mmlong transparent cap was attached to the end of a colonoscope in the CAC group. We retrospectively evaluated the number of polyps and adenomas, polyp detection rate(PDR), and the number of adenomas and adenoma detection rate(ADR) according to the lesion location and endoscopist training level between CAC and SC. We also evaluated the number of polyps and adenomas according to their size between CAC and SC.RESULTS: Overall, PDR and ADR using CAC were significantly higher than those using SC for both whole colon(48.5% vs 40.7%, P = 0.012; 35.7% vs 28.3%, P = 0.012) and right-side colon(35.3% vs 26.6%, P = 0.002; 27.0% vs 16.9%, P < 0.001). The number of polyps and adenomas per patient using CAC was significantly higher than that using SC for both the whole colon(1.07 ± 1.59 vs 0.82 ± 1.31, P = 0.008; 0.72 ± 1.32 vs 0.50 ± 1.01, P = 0.003) and right-side colon(0.66 ± 1.18 vs 0.41 ± 0.83, P < 0.001; 0.46 ± 0.97 vs 0.25 ± 0.67, P < 0.001). In the trainee group, the PDR and ADR using CAC were significantly higher than those using SC for both the whole colon(46.7% vs 39.7%, P = 0.040; 33.9% vs 26.0%, P =0.012) and right-side colon(34.2% vs 26.5%, P = 0.015; 25.3% vs 15.9%, P = 0.001). In the expert group, the PDR and ADR using CAC were significantly higher than those using SC only for the right-side colon(42.1% vs 27.0%, P =0.035; 36.8% vs 21.0%, P = 0.020).CONCLUSION: CAC is more effective than SC for detection of colorectal polyps and adenomas, especially when performed by trainees and when the lesions are located in the right-side colon.

Is endoscopic ultrasonography essential for endoscopic resection of small rectal neuroendocrine tumors?

AIM To evaluate the importance of endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS) for small(≤ 10 mm) rectal neuroendocrine tumor(NET) treatment.METHODS Patients in whom rectal NETs were diagnosed by endoscopic resection(ER) at the Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital between 2008 and 2014 were included in this study. A total of 120 small rectal NETs in 118 patients were included in this study. Histologic features and clinical outcomes were analyzed, and the findings of endoscopy, EUS and histology were compared. RESULTS The size measured by endoscopy was not significantly different from that measured by EUS and histology(r = 0.914 and r = 0.727 respectively). Accuracy for the depth of invasion was 92.5% with EUS. No patients showed invasion of the muscularis propria or metastasis to the regional lymph nodes. All rectal NETswere classified as grade 1 and demonstrated an L-cell phenotype. Mean follow-up duration was 407.54 ± 374.16 d. No patients had local or distant metastasis during the follow-up periods. CONCLUSION EUS is not essential for ER in the patient with small rectal NETs because of the prominent morphology and benign behavior.

Efficacy and safety of limited endoscopic sphincterotomy before self-expandable metal stent insertion for malignant biliary obstruction

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of limited endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) before placement of self-expandable metal stent (SEMS).METHODSThis was a retrospective analysis of 244 consecutive patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction, who underwent placement of SEMSs following limited ES from December 2008 to February 2015. The diagnosis of malignant biliary obstruction and assessment of patient eligibility for the study was established by a combination of clinical findings, laboratory investigations, imaging and pathological results. All patients were monitored in the hospital for at least 24 h following endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreatography (ERCP). The incidence of immediate or early post-ERCP complications such as post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) and bleeding related to limited ES were considered as primary outcomes. Also, characteristics and complications according to the cancer type were classified.RESULTSAmong the 244 patients included, the underlying diagnosis was cholangiocarcinoma in 118 patients, pancreatic cancer in 79, and non-pancreatic or non-biliary malignancies in the remaining 47 patients. Early post-ERCP complications occurred in 9 patients (3.7%), with PEP in 7 patients (2.9%; mild, 6; moderate, 1) and mild bleeding in 2 patients (0.8%). There was no significant association between the incidence of post-ERCP complications and the type of malignancy (cholangiocarcinoma vs pancreatic cancer vs others, P = 0.696) or the type of SEMS used (uncovered vs covered, P = 1.000). Patients who had more than one SEMS placed at the first instance were at a significantly higher risk of post-ERCP complications (one SEMS vs two SEMS, P = 0.031). No other factors were predictive of post-ERCP complications.CONCLUSIONLimited ES is feasible and safe, and effectively facilitates the placement of SEMS, without any significant risk of PEP or severe bleeding.

Advantage of endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap for rectal neuroendocrine tumors

AIM: To compare the outcomes of endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap(EMR-C) with those of endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD) for the resection of rectal neuroendocrine tumors.METHODS: One hundred and sixteen lesions in 114 patients with rectal neuroendocrine tumor(NET) resected with EMR-C or ESD were included in the study. This study was performed at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital between July 2009 and August 2014. We analyzed endoscopic complete resection rate,pathologic complete resection rate,procedure time,and adverse events in the EMR-C(n = 65) and ESD(n = 51) groups. We also performed a subgroup analysis by tumor size.RESULTS: Mean tumor size was 4.62 ± 1.66 mm in the EMR-C group and 7.73 ± 3.14 mm in the ESD group(P < 0.001). Endoscopic complete resection rate was 100% in both groups. Histologic complete resection rate was significantly greater in the EMR-C group(92.3%) than in the ESD group(78.4%)(P = 0.042). Mean procedure time was significantly longer in the ESD group(14.43 ± 7.26 min) than in the EMR-C group(3.83 ± 1.17 min)(P < 0.001). Rates of histologic complete resection without complication were similar for tumor diameter ≤ 5 mm(EMR-C,96%; ESD,100%,P = 0.472) as well as in cases of 5 mm < tumor diameter ≤ 10 mm(EMR-C,80%; ESD,71.0%,P = 0.524).CONCLUSION: EMR-C may be simple,faster,and more effective than ESD in removing rectal NETs and may be preferable for resection of small rectal NETs.

Needle-knife fistulotomy vs double-guidewire technique in patients with repetitive unintentional pancreatic cannulations

AIM: To compare the success rates and adverse events of early needle-knife fistulotomy(NKF) and double-guidewire technique(DGT) in patients with repetitive unintentional pancreatic cannulations.METHODS: From a total of 1650 patients admitted for diagnostic or therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) at a single tertiary care hospital(Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, South Korea) between January2009 and December 2012, 134(8.1%) patients with unsuccessful biliary cannulation after 5 min trial of conventional methods, together with 5 or more repetitive unintentional pancreatic cannulations, were enrolled in the study. Early NKF and DGT groups were assigned 67 patients each. In the DGT group, NKF was performed for an additional 7 min if successful cannulation was not achieved.RESULTS: The success rates with early NKF andthe DGT were 79.1%(53/67) and 44.8%(30/67)(P< 0.001), respectively. The incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis(PEP) was lower in the early NKF group than in the DGT group [4.5%(3/67) vs 14.9%(10/67),P = 0.041]. The mean cannulation times in the early NKF and DGT groups after assignment were 257 s and312 s(P = 0.013), respectively.CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that early NKF should be considered as the first approach to selective biliary cannulation in patients with repetitive unintentional pancreatic cannulations.

Endoscopic resection using band ligation for esophageal SMT in less than 10mm

AIM:To evaluate the safety and feasibility of endoscopic resection using band ligation(EMR-B) for the diagnostic and therapeutic removal of tumors located in the esophageal subepithelial region having originated from the submucosa.METHODS:From May 2009 to September 2014,after medical chart and endoscopic ultrasonography report review,a total of 15 esophageal tumors located in the submucosal layer were resected by EMR-B.Previous symptom,location,pathology,complete resection rate,incidence of complications,incidence of minor complication,size,length of procedures time and follow up months were evaluated.To evaluate local recurrence at the resection site,periodic follow-up endoscopic examination was undertaken in all of the patients.The first endoscopic examination was performed about 6 mo after the endoscopic resection.Thereafter,the endoscopic follow up were scheduled annually.RESULTS:The mean age was 50.3 ± 9.67 years.The mean tumor size was 6.93 ± 3.15 mm and most of the lesions size was between 5-10 mm in diameter(10/15,66.6%).In all patients,endoscopic en bloc resection was achieved.In one patient,the vertical margin was involved.The mean procedural time was 8.86 ± 3.66 min.In all patients,no evidence of severe complications such as perforation or bleeding occurred.Minor complications such as chest pain(2/15,13.3%) and heartburn(3/15,13.3%) were reported but they symptoms were controlled by proton pump inhibitors,ulcermin and/or analgesics.Histologic assessments of the removed specimens revealed 10 granular cell tumors(66.6%),4 leiomyomas(16.6%) and one lipoma(6.6%).No recurrence was observed during the mean follow up period of 45 ± 3.5 mo(range:5-64 mo).CONCLUSION:EMR-B might be considered safe and effective for the diagnosis and treatment of lesions measuring less than 10 mm in diameter.

Assessment of disease activity by fecal immunochemical test in ulcerative colitis

AIM To evaluate the efficacy of quantitative fecal immunochemical test(FIT) as biomarker of disease activity in ulcerative colitis(UC).METHODS Between February 2013 and November 2014, a total of 82 FIT results, obtained in conjunction with colonoscopies, were retrospectivelyevaluated for 63 patients with UC. The efficacy of FIT for evaluation of disease activity was compared to colonoscopic findings. Quantitative fecal blood with automated equipment examined from collected feces. Endoscopic disease severity were assessed using the Mayo endoscopic subscore(MES) classification. The extent of disease were classified by proctitis(E1), left sided colitis(E2), and extensive colitis(E3). Clinical activity were subgrouped by remission or active.RESULTS All of 21 patients with MES 0 had negative FIT(< 7 ng/mL), but 22 patients with MES 2 or 3 had a mean FIT of > 134.89 ng/m L. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value(PPV), negative predictive value(NPV) and accuracy of negative FIT about mucosal healing were 73.33%, 81.82%, 91.49%, 51.43% and 73.17%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of predictive value of positive FIT(cutoff value > 100 ng/mL) about active disease status were 45.45%, 93.33%, 71.43%, 82.35%and 26.83%, respectively. Among patients with clinical remission, FIT was negative in 31(81.6%) of 38 cases, with a mean fecal hemoglobin concentration of 6.12 ng/mL(range, negative to 80.9 ng/mL) for this group of patients. Among patients with clinical active disease, FIT was negative in 16(36.4%) out of 44 cases, with a mean fecal hemoglobin concentration > 167.4 ng/mL for this group of patients. FIT was positively correlated with endoscopic activity(r = 0.626, P < 0.01) and clinical activity(r = 0.496, P < 0.01). But, FIT did not correlate with the extent of disease(r =-0.047, P = 0.676)CONCLUSION Quantitative FIT can be a non-invasive and effective biomarker for evaluation of clinical and endoscopic activity in UC, but not predict the extent of disease.

Double layered self-expanding metal stents for malignant esophageal obstruction, especially across the gastroesophageal junction

AIM: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of double-layered self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) for treatment of malignant esophageal obstruction according to whether SEMS crosses the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). METHODS: Forty eight patients who underwent the SEMS insertion for malignant esophageal obstruction were enrolled. Patients were classified as GEJ group (SEMS across GEJ, 18 patients) and non-GEJ group (SEMS above GEJ, 30 patients) according to SEMS position. Double layered (outer uncovered and inner covered stent) esophageal stents were placed. RESULTS: The SEMS insertion and the clinical improvement were achieved in all patients in both groups. Stent malfunction occurred in seven patients in the GEJ group and nine patients in the non-GEJ group. Tumor overgrowth occurred in five and eight patients, respectively, food impaction occurred in one patient in each group, and stent migration occurred in one and no patient, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups. Reflux esophagitis occurred more frequently in the GEJ group (eight vs five patients, P = 0.036) and was controlled by proton pump inhibitor. Aspiration pneumonia occurred in zero and five patients, respectively, and tracheoesophageal fistula occurred in zero and two patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Double-layered SEMS are a feasible and effective treatment when placed across the GEJ for malignant esophageal obstruction. Double-layered SEMS provide acceptable complications, especially migration, although reflux esophagitis is more common in the GEJ group.

Rectal tonsil:A case report and literature review

The rectal tonsil,a reactive proliferation of lymphoidtissue located in the rectum,is rare.Histologically,benign lymphoid hyperplasia of the rectum is usuallycharacterized by large lymphoid follicles with activegerminal centers and a narrow surrounding mantlezone and marginal zone.This lesion is benign,but must be differentiated from the polypoid type of mucosaassociated lymphoid tissue lymphomas.In the current paper,we present a case of rectal tonsil in a 59-yearold woman.We describe the endoscopic ultrasound imaging findings with literature review.

Sphincterotomy by triple lumen needle knife using guide wire in patients with Billroth Ⅱ gastrectomy

AIM:To investigate the usefulness of a guide wire and triple lumen needle knife for removing stones in BillrothⅡ(B-Ⅱ)gastrectomy patients.METHODS:Endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients with B-Ⅱgastrectomy is challenging.We used a new guide wire technique involving sphincterotomy by triple lumen needle knife through a forward-viewing endoscopy.This technique was performed in nine patients between August 2010 and June 2012.Sphincterotomy as described above was performed.Adequate sphincterotomy,successful stone removal,and complications were investigated prospectively.RESULTS:Sphincterotomy by triple lumen needle knife using guide wire was successful in all nine patients.Sphincterotomy started towards the 4-5 o’clock direction and continued to the upper margin of the papillary roof.Complete stone removal in one session was achieved in all patients.There were no procedure related complications,such as bleeding,pancreatitis,or perforation.CONCLUSION:In patients with B-Ⅱgastrectomy,guide wire using sphincterotomy by triple lumen needle knife through a forward-viewing endoscopy seems to be an effective and safe procedure for the removal of common bile duct stones.

Rapidly growing primary anal canal lymphoma:a case report and literature review

Introduction Anal cancer is a rare cancer accounting for2%of all gastrointestinal tract malignancies[1].Among anal cancers,squamous cell cancer(SCC)is the most common and lymphoma is one of the least frequent.The gastrointestinal tract is the most common site for extranodal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma(NHL),and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)is the most common histologic subtype.However,primary colorectal lymphoma accounts for only 0.3%of all large intestinal malignancies and3%of all gastrointestinal lymphomas[2].Anal canal SCC and lymphomas are treated differently;thus,accurate diagnosis is crucial.