Comparison of postpolypectomy bleeding between epinephrine and saline submucosal injection for large colon polyps by conventional polypectomy:A prospective randomized,multicenter study

AIM:To evaluate and compare the clinical outcomes of prophylactic submucosal saline-epinephrine injection and saline injection alone for large colon polyps by conventional polypectomy. METHODS:A prospective study was conducted from July 2003 to July 2004 at 11 tertiary endoscopic centers. Large colon polyps (> 10 mm in diameter) wererandomized to undergo endoscopic polypectomy with submucosal saline-epinephrine injection (epinephrine group) or normal saline injection (saline group). Endoscopic polypectomy was performed by the conventional snare method,and early (< 12 h) and late bleeding complications (12 h-30 d) were observed. RESULTS:A total of 561 polyps in 486 patients were resected by endoscopic polypectomy. Overall,bleeding complications occurred in 7.6% (37/486) of the patients,including 4.9% (12/244) in the epinephrine group,and 10.3% (25/242) in the saline group. Early and late postpolypectomy bleeding (PPB) occurred in 6.6% (32/486) and 1% (5/486) of the patients,respectively,including 4.5% (11/244),0.4% (1/244) in the epinephrine group,and 8.7% (21/242),1.7% (4/242) in the saline group. No significant differences in the rates of overall,early and late PPB were observed between the 2 groups. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that large size (> 2 cm) and neoplastic polyps were independently and significantly associated with the presence of PPB. CONCLUSION:The prophylactic submucosal injection of diluted epinephrine does not appear to provide an additional advantage over the saline injection alone for the prevention of PPB.

Clinical course of ulcerative colitis patients who develop acute pancreatitis

AIM To investigate the clinical course of ulcerative colitis(UC)patients who develop acute pancreatitis.METHODS We analyzed 3307 UC patients from the inflammatory bowel disease registry at Asan Medical Center from June 1989 to May 2015.The clinical course of UC patients who developed acute pancreatitis was compared with that of non-pancreatitis UC patients.RESULTS Among 51 patients who developed acute pancreatitis,13(0.40%)had autoimmune,10(0.30%)had aminosalicylate-induced,and 13(1.73%)had thiopurineinduced pancreatitis.All 13 patients with autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP)had type 2 AIP.Two(15.4%)patients had pre-existing AIP,and three(23.1%)patients developed AIP and UC simultaneously.Compared to non-pancreatitis patients,AIP patients had UC diagnosed at a significantly younger age(median,22.9 years vs 36.4 years;P=0.001).AIP and aminosalicylate-induced pancreatitis patients had more extensive UC compared to non-pancreatitis patients.All patients with pancreatitis recovered uneventfully,and there were no recurrences.Biologics were used more frequently in aminosalicylate-and thiopurine-induced pancreatitis patients compared to non-pancreatitis patients[adjusted OR(95%CI),5.16(1.42-18.67)and6.90(1.83-25.98),respectively].Biologic utilization rate was similar among AIP and non-pancreatitis patients[OR(95%CI),0.84(0.11-6.66)].Colectomy rates for autoimmune,aminosalicylate-induced,and thiopurineinduced pancreatitis,and for non-pancreatitis patients were 15.4%(2/13),20%(2/10),15.4%(2/13),and7.3%(239/3256),respectively;the rates were not significantly different after adjusting for baseline disease extent.CONCLUSION Pancreatitis patients show a non-significant increase in colectomy,after adjusting for baseline disease extent.

Clinical correlations of infliximab trough levels and antibodies to infliximab in South Korean patients with Crohn's disease

AIM To investigate the clinical implications of infliximab trough levels(IFX-TLs) and antibodies to infliximab(ATI) levels in Crohn's disease(CD) patients in Asian countries. METHODS IFX-TL and ATI level were measured using prospectively collected samples obtained with informed consent from CD patients being treated at Asan Medical Center, South Korea. We analyzed the correlations between IFX-TLs/ATI levels and the clinical activity of CD(quiescent vs active disease) based on the CD activity index, C-reactive protein level, and physician's judgment of patients' clinical status at enrollment. The impact of concomitant immunomodulators was also investigated. RESULTS This study enrolled 138 patients with CD(84 with quiescent and 54 with active disease). In patients with quiescent and active diseases, the median IFX-TLs were 1.423 μg/mL and 0.163 μg/mL, respectively(P < 0.001) and the median ATI levels were 8.064 AU/m L and 11.209 AU/m L, respectively(P < 0.001). In the ATI-negative and-positive groups, the median IFXTLs were 1.415 μg/mL and 0.141 μg/mL, respectively(P < 0.001). In patients with and without concomitant immunomodulator use, there were no differences in IFX-TLs(0.632 μg/mL and 1.150 μg/mL, respectively; P = 0.274) or ATI levels(8.655 AU/mL and 9.017 AU/mL, respectively; P = 0.083).CONCLUSION IFX-TL/ATI levels were well correlated with the clinical activity in South Korean CD patients. Our findings support the usefulness of IFX-TLs/ATI levels in treating CD patients receiving IFX in clinical practice.

Temporal trends in the misdiagnosis rates between Crohn's disease and intestinal tuberculosis

AIM To investigate the temporal trends in the misdiagnosis rate between Crohn's disease(CD) and intestinal tuberculosis(ITB) in South Korea. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients managed for CD or ITB at Asan Medical Center, a tertiary referral hospital, Seoul, Korea between 1996 and 2014. The temporal trends in the misdiagnosis rates between the two diseases were analyzed. The demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between CD patients who were initially misdiagnosed as ITB(final CD group) and vice versa(final ITB group). Final diagnostic criteria for ITB and medication for CD before definite diagnosis of TB were also analyzed in final ITB group.RESULTS In total, 2760 patients were managed for CD and 772 patients for ITB between 1996 and 2014. As well, 494 of the 2760 CD patients(17.9%) were initially misdiagnosed as ITB and 83 of the 772 ITB patients(10.8%) as CD. The temporal trend in misdiagnosing CD as ITB showed a decrease(OR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.87-0.91, P < 0.001), whereas the temporal trend in misdiagnosing ITB as CD showed an increase(OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 1.01-1.11, P = 0.013). Age at diagnosis, presenting symptoms, and proportion of patients with active/past perianal fistula and active/inactive pulmonary tuberculosis(TB) were significantly different between final CD group and final ITB group. Forty patients(48.2%) in final ITB group were diagnosed by favorable response to empirical anti-TB treatment. Seventeen patients(20.5%) in final ITB group had inappropriately received corticosteroids and/or thiopurines due to misdiagnosis as CD. However, there were no mortalities in both groups. CONCLUSION Cases of CD misdiagnosed as ITB have been decreasing, whereas cases of ITB misdiagnosed as CD have been increasing over the past two decades.

Risk factors and prognostic value of acute severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding in Crohn’s disease

BACKGROUND Acute severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding(LGIB)is an uncommon but challenging complication of Crohn’s disease(CD).AIM To identify the predictors of acute severe LGIB and to evaluate the impact of acute severe LGIB on the subsequent clinical course in CD patients.METHODS A retrospective inception cohort study was conducted in 75 CD patients with acute severe LGIB and 1359 CD patients without acute severe LGIB who were diagnosed between February 1991 and November 2019 at Asan Medical Center,a tertiary university hospital in Korea.Multivariable analysis with Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to identify the risk factors for acute severe LGIB.A matched analysis using 72 patients with bleeding and 267 matched patients without within the cohort was also conducted to investigate whether acute severe LGIB is a predictor of clinical outcomes of CD.RESULTS Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that early use of thiopurines[hazard ratio(HR):0.23,95%confidence interval(CI):0.12-0.48;P<0.001]and female sex(HR:0.51,95%CI:0.27-0.94;P=0.031)were significantly associated with a lower risk of acute severe LGIB.The cumulative risks of behavioral progression and intestinal resection were not significantly different between the two matched groups(P=0.139 and P=0.769,respectively).The hospitalization rate was higher in the bleeding group than in the matched non-bleeding group(22.1/100 vs 13.2/100 patient-years;P=0.012).However,if hospitalizations due to bleeding episodes were excluded from the analysis,the hospitalization rate was not significantly different between the bleeding group and the matched nonbleeding group(14.5/100 vs 13.2/100 patient-years;P=0.631).CONCLUSION Early use of thiopurines may reduce the risk of acute severe LGIB.History of acute severe LGIB may not have a significant prognostic value in patients with CD.

Enterovenous fistulization: A rare complication of Crohn's disease

The presence of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) is associated with numerous diseases, and has been regarded as a serious, even catastrophic condition. However, anecdotal reports mention that some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who developed HPVG after diagnostic examinations of the colon, were successfully managed with antibiotic therapy and have followed benign courses. In contrast, among IBD patients, the development of HPVG is rarely caused by enterovenous fistula. We describe a 32-year-old man with Crohn's ileocolitis who presented with hypotension and fever associated with HPVG, as well as superior mesenteric vein thrombosis, possibly caused by enterovenous fistula, who was successfully managed by surgery. We also review the literature concerning portal venous gas associated with Crohn's disease.

Extracolonic findings of computed tomographic colonography in Koreans

AIM:To determine the frequency and characteristics of extracolonic lesions detected using computed tomographic(CT)colonography.METHODS:The significance of extracolonic lesions was classified as high,intermediate,or low.Medical records were reviewed to establish whether further investigations were carried out pertaining to the extracolonic lesions that were detected by CT colonography.RESULTS:A total of 920 cases from 7 university hospitals were included,and 692 extracolonic findings were found in 532(57.8%)patients.Of 692 extracolonic findings,60 lesions(8.7%)were highly significant,250(36.1%)were of intermediate significance,and 382(55.2%)were of low significance.CT colonography revealed fewer extracolonic findings in subjects who were without symptoms(P<0.001),younger(P<0.001),or who underwent CT colonography with no contrast enhancement(P=0.005).CT colonography with contrast enhancement showed higher cost-effectiveness in detecting highly significant extracolonic lesions in older subjects and in subjects with symptoms.CONCLUSION:Most of the extracolonic findings detected using CT colonography were of less significant lesions.The role of CT colonography would be optimized if this procedure was performed with contrast enhancement in symptomatic older subjects.

Brunner’s gland hyperplasia associated with lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding:A case report

BACKGROUND Brunner’s gland hyperplasia(BGH)is a rare benign lesion of the duodenum.Lipomatous pseudohypertrophy(LiPH)of the pancreas is an extremely rare disease.Because each condition is rare,the probability of purely coincidental coexistence of both conditions is extremely low.CASE SUMMARY We report a 26-year-old man presenting to our hospital with symptoms of recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a huge pedunculated polypoid lesion in the duodenum with bleeding at the base of the lesion.Histopathological examination of the duodenal biopsy specimens showed BGH.Besides,abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked fat replacement over the entire pancreas,confirmed by histopathological evaluation on percutaneous pancreatic biopsies.Based on the radiological and histological findings,LiPH of the pancreas and BGH were diagnosed.The patient refused any surgical intervention.Therefore,he was managed with supportive treatment.The patient’s symptoms improved and there was no further bleeding.CONCLUSION This is the first well-documented case showing the coexistence of LiPH of the pancreas and BGH.