Abhai Verma

Slow Transit Constipation Associated With Excess Methane Production and Its Improvement Following Rifaximin Therapy: A Case Report

Constipation, a common problem in gastroenterology practice, may result from slow colonic transit. Therapeutic options for slow transit constipations are limited. Excessive methane production by the methanogenic gut flora, which is more often found in patients with constipation, slows colonic transit. Thus, reduction in methane production with antibiotic treatment directed against methanogenic flora of the gut may accelerate colonic transit resulting in improvement in constipation. However, there is not much data to prove this hypothesis. We, therefore, report a patient with slow transit constipation associated with high methane production both in fasting state and after ingestion of glucose, whose constipation improved after treatment with non-absorbable antibiotic, rifaximin, which reduced breath methane values.

Gluing Gastric Varices in 2012: Lessons Learnt Over 25 Years

Bleeding from gastric varices (GV) continues to pose a challenge to the endoscopist and no consensus has been reached on the best way for treating these patients. Gastric variceal obturation (GVO) with the tissue adhesive, N-2-butyl-cyanoacrylate (NBC), is considered the treatment of first-choice for this condition in most parts of the world. The liquid monomer polymerizes into a solid cast, obturating the vessel within 10-20 s of coming in contact with ionic solutions such as blood. Gastric variceal obturation achieves hemostasis in over 90% of patients with active bleeding, eradicates GV in over 80% of these patients, and re-bleeding occurs in 3-30%. These results are comparable with those of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS; over 90% hemostasis in acute bleeding with re-bleeding in 15-30%). Though, there has been no direct comparison with GVO, balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration of GV (BRTO) achieves near 100% obliteration with recurrence in 0-10% and is superior to TIPS for hemostasis in active bleeding when used in combination with transcatheter sclerotherapy. Several complications have been described for GVO including thromboembolic complications which occur in 0.5-4.3% and may be devastating in some. Many of the complications and the variability in results of GVO can be attributed to variations in injection technique. The use of a standardized injection technique has been reported to achieve 100% hemostasis and obliteration with 6.9% re-bleeding and no embolic complications. Gastric variceal obturation with NBC continues to be the first-choice therapy for GV bleeding outside Japan. Adherence to a standard injection technique will maximize hemostasis and eradication of GV while minimizing complications of therapy.

Tropical Sprue in 2014: the New Face of an Old Disease

Tropical sprue (TS), once known to be a common cause of malabsorption syndrome (MAS) in India and other tropical countries, is believed to be uncommon currently in spite of contrary evidence. Several recent studies from India showed TS to be the commonest cause of sporadic MAS in Indian adults. TS is diagnosed in patients presenting with suggestive clinical presentation, which cannot be explained by another cause of MAS and investigations revealing malabsorption of two unrelated substances, abnormal small-intestinal mucosal histology, which responds to treatment with antibiotics such as tetracycline and folic acid. There is substantial overlap between TS and postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome. There have been several advances in epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of TS, hitherto an enigmatic condition.

Esophageal Acidification During Nocturnal Acid-breakthrough with Ilaprazole Versus Omeprazole in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

Background/Aims Though nocturnal acid-breakthrough (NAB) is common in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients, its clinical importance results from esophageal acidification, which has been shown to be uncommon. Ilaprazole, a long-acting proton pump inhibitor, may cause NAB infrequently. Accordingly, we studied prospectively, (1) frequency and degree of esophageal acidification during NAB, and (2) frequency and severity of NAB while on ilaprazole versus omeprazole. Methods Fifty-eight consecutive patients with GERD on once daily ilaprazole, 10 mg (n = 28) or omeprazole, 20 mg (n = 30) for > one month underwent 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring prospectively. NAB was defined as intra-gastric pH < 4 for > one hour during night, and esophageal acidification as pH < 4 for any duration. Nocturnal symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation, and chest pain) were also recorded. Results Of the 58 patients (age 35.5 [inter-quartile range 26.5–46.0] years, 38 [65.5%], 42 (72.4%) had NAB. Though patients with NAB had lower nocturnal intra-gastric pH than without (2.8 [1.9–4.1] vs 5.7 [4.6–6.8], P < 0.001), frequency and duration of nocturnal esophageal acidification (17/42 vs 4/16, P = 0.360 and 0.0 [0.0–1.0] vs 0.0 [0.0–0.3] minutes, P = 0.260, respectively) and symptoms were comparable (13/42 vs 6/16, P = 0.750). Though ilaprazole was associated with less NABs (1 [range 1–2, n = 19] vs 1 [range 1–3, n = 23], P = 0.010) than omeprazole, the frequency, duration, and mean intra-gastric pH during NAB were comparable (19/28 vs 23/30, P = 0.560; 117 [0–315] vs 159 [69–287] minutes, P = 0.500; 1.02 [0.7–1.4] vs 1.04 [0.44–1.3], P = 0.620, respectively). Conclusions Though NAB was common while patients were on a proton pump inhibitor, esophageal acidification was uncommon. Frequency and severity of NAB were comparable among patients on ilaprazole and omeprazole, except for the lesser number of NABs with ilaprazole.

Mapping of Brain Activations to Rectal Balloon Distension Stimuli in Male Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background/Aims Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with exaggerated cerebral response including emotional processing following visceral stimulation; though data on this issue is available in female IBS patients, it is scanty among males. Hence, we aimed to study brain response of male IBS patients following rectal balloon distension as compared to healthy controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Data between diarrhea and constipation predominant IBS (IBS-D and IBS-C) were also compared. Methods Rectal balloon distension threshold was assessed in 20 male IBS patients (10 IBS-C and 10 IBS-D) and 10 age-matched male healthy controls. Subsequently, fMRI on all the participants was performed at their respective rectal pain threshold. The fMRI data were analysed using the Statistical Parametric Mapping software. Results IBS patients showed greater cerebral activations in insula, middle temporal gyrus, and cerebellum in the left hemisphere compared to healthy controls. Neural activation was found in bilateral precuneus/superior parietal lobules in controls but not in patients with IBS. The brain activation differed among IBS-C and IBS-D patients; while the right mid-cingulate cortex was activated in IBS-C, the left inferior orbito-frontal cortex, left calcarine, and bilateral fusiform gyri were activated among patients with IBS-D following rectal balloon distension. Conclusions Brain response to rectal balloon distension differed among male patients with IBS and controls and among patients with IBS-C and IBS-D. Differential activation among patients with IBS-C and IBS-D was seen in the brain regions controlling affective motivation, homeostatic emotions, and autonomic responses to pain.

Gastrointestinal bleeding in a young man: Think outside the box

Hereditaryhemorrhagictelangiectasia(HHT)isarareautoso-mal dominant disorder of the fibrovascular tissue, character-ized by the triad of mucocutaneous telangiectasia, recurrentepistaxis and familial occurrence. Clinical manifestation mayvary from recurrent epistaxis to overt gastrointestinal (GI)bleeding from telangiectatic lesions in mucocutaneous sur-faces. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy in a young man withhematemesis and melena of short duration coupled withhistory of recurrent epistaxis since childhood and a fam-ily history of similar symptoms in his elder brother re-vealed multiple telangiectasia in the fundus and body ofthe stomach (Fig. 1a). Capsule enteroscopy revealedhookworms in the small intestine as an incidental find-ing (Fig. 1b). The clinical manifestations of HHT arevariable and age dependent and treatment is individual-ized [1]. Capsule endoscopy can evaluate the entiresmall bowel to detect additional telangiectasia, buthookworm infestation was an important additional find-inginthispatient[2]. Hookworm infestation is knownto be an etiological factor of both obscure occult andovert GI bleed in tropical countries like India, and thispatient underscores the importance of incidental parasit-osis in contributing to GI bleeding in an individual withanother overt cause for bleeding.References

High-Resolution Esophageal Manometry: Principles, Technique, and Interpretation

There are many upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in which either the cause or the result is abnormal motility. Naturally, the study of motor functions of the gut in normal and abnormal conditions is of great help in understanding the pathophysiology and management of these disorders. Motor functions of the GI tract can be assessed by a variety of recording techniques including radiology, scintigraphy, manometry, and most recently intraluminal electrical impedance monitoring. In many instances the techniques are complementary to each other. However, manometry is the most reliable and reproducible method of studying motor functions of the esophagus. In this chapter we will elaborate principles, technique, and interpretation of esophageal manometry.

Corrigendum to “Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) guidance for antiviral therapy against HCV infection: Update 2016” [J. Clin. Exp. Hepatol. 6 (2016) 119–145]

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2016.07.001.].

An uncommon cause of unexplained nonbloody diarrhea: When mind knows eyes may see

Collagenous colitis (CC) is characterized by chronic secretory diarrhea with the apparently normal gross appearance of the colonic mucosa. A biopsy is usually diagnostic. The symptoms of CC appear most commonly in the elderly. In CC, the major microscopic characteristic is a thickened collagen layer beneath the colonic mucosa. The reported case represents unexplained nonbloody diarrhea of a systemic lupus erythematosus patient, on extensive evaluation found to have CC. This case highlights the importance of considering a rare possibility of CC as a differential in a patient of unexplained nonbloody diarrhea.