Alessandra Bizzotto

Endoscopic magnetic gastroenteric anastomosis for palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction: a prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND Palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction remains challenging. Although there are 2 established treatment options, ie, surgical gastrojejunostomy and endoscopic duodenal stent insertion, there is an ongoing search for a technique that would combine the safety and rapid effect of duodenal stent placement with the long-term efficacy and low reintervention rate of a surgical gastrojejunostomy. OBJECTIVE To investigate the safety and success rate of endoscopic creation of a gastroenteric anastomosis formed by magnetic compression and stent placement. DESIGN Prospective, multicenter cohort study. SETTING Four referral centers. PATIENTS The expected number of patients with symptomatic malignant gastric outlet obstruction to be included at the participating hospitals during a year was 40. Because of a serious adverse device event, the study was terminated after inclusion of 18 patients. INTERVENTION Creation of an endoscopic gastroenteric anastomosis by using the Cook Magnetic Anastomosis Device with transanastomotic deployment of a self-expandable stent. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Primary endpoints were safety and success rate associated with the creation of an endoscopic gastrojejunostomy by using a magnetic anastomotic device with transanastomotic deployment of a self-expandable stent. RESULTS Because of a serious adverse event, the study was terminated prematurely. A success rate of 66.7% (12 of 18 patients) was achieved; 1 serious adverse event (stent perforation) occurred leading to the death of the patient. Three patients (25%) experienced an adverse device effect (stent migration). LIMITATIONS Small sample size, lack of a control group. CONCLUSION Endoscopic creation of a gastroenteric anastomosis by magnetic compression is feasible and safe; however, the necessity of a stent led to serious morbidity and even mortality in this study. The current system can therefore not be recommended for clinical use.

Colon capsule endoscopy: Advantages, limitations and expectations. Which novelties?

Since the first reports almost ten years ago, wireless capsule endoscopy has gained new fields of application. Colon capsule endoscopy represents a new diagnostic technology for colonic exploration. Clinical trials have shown that colon capsule endoscopy is feasible, accurate and safe in patients suffering from colonic diseases and might be a valid alternative to conventional colonoscopy in selected cases such as patients refusing conventional colonoscopy or with contraindications to colonoscopy or when colonoscopy is incomplete. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding this new technique, few clinical and randomized controlled trials are to be found in the current literature, leading to heterogeneous or controversial results. Upcoming studies are needed to prove the substantial utility of colon capsule endoscopy for colon cancer screening, especially in a low prevalence of disease population, and for other indications such as inflammatory bowel disease. Possible perspectives are critically analysed and reported in this paper.

Unexplained iron deficiency anaemia: Is it worthwhile to perform capsule endoscopy?

BACKGROUND In around 30% of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) cases a definite diagnosis cannot be made. AIM To investigate the role of capsule endoscopy (CE) in detecting lesions in patients with unexplained IDA after a negative endoscopic, serologic and haematologic diagnostic work up and its possible role in influencing clinical outcome. METHODS 138 patients suffering from IDA were identified among 650 consecutive patients undergoing CE at our unit. RESULTS CE revealed the following positive findings in 91/138 patients: angiodysplasias in 51 patients; jejunal and/or ileal micro-ulcerations in 12; tumours/polyps in 9; erosive gastritis in 4; Crohns disease in 5; jejunal villous atrophy in 5; a solitary ileal ulcer in 1 and active bleeding in the last 4 patients. Follow up data were available for 80/91 patients (87.9%). In 15 out of 46 patients with angiodysplasias IDA spontaneously resolved without any treatment; 9 patients required iron supplementation; 10 patients healed after lanreotide administration; APC was performed in 9 out of 46 patients and 3 patients underwent regular blood transfusion without any success on IDA. 10 out of the 12 patients with small bowel micro-ulcers spontaneously recovered from IDA whilst 2 patients after iron supplementation. All 9 patients affected by tumours/polyps were surgically addressed. In all erosive gastritis cases, patients recovered from IDA after PPI and Helicobacter pylori eradication. Four patients with Crohns disease diagnosis restored to health with medical therapy. One out of the 4 patients with jejunal villous atrophy and the sole patient with a solitary ileal ulcer spontaneously healed. In 1 out of 3 patients with active bleeding IDA resolved without further treatment after blood transfusion whilst 2 patients were referred for surgical treatment. At follow up, complete resolution of IDA was achieved in 96.25%. CONCLUSIONS Small bowel investigation is a matter of great importance in IDA patients after negative upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Video capsule endoscopy in small-bowel tumours: A single centre experience

Objective. Early diagnosis of small-bowel tumours is crucial for curative surgery. Although videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) has improved the diagnosis of small-bowel diseases, there are few data about the role of this examination in small-bowel malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of VCE in small-bowel malignancies. Material and methods. From March 2001 to July 2006, 380 patients were studied by VCE in our centre. Data on 13 consecutive patients (3.4%) affected by small-bowel malignancy were retrospectively assessed from a prospectively collected database. Indications for VCE were: obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in 9 patients (70%), abdominal pain, coeliac disease, long-lasting fever and hepatic metastasis in the other 4 patients, respectively, (7.5%). Before VCE, patients had undergone 65 procedures, including oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, push-enteroscopy, small-bowel radiographies, abdominal CT scanning, nuclear medicine bleeding-scan, positron emission tomography and octreoscan. Results. VCE detected jejunal polyps in 6 patients (46.2%), ulcerated stricture in 3 (23%), and erosions, stricture with ileal inflammation, submucosal nodule and active bleeding in 4 patients, respectively. The diagnosis was confirmed after surgery in 11 cases. One patient died of ischaemic myocardial infarction 3 days after VCE, before surgery. Histological examination showed lymphoma (n=3), small-bowel metastasis from colonic carcinoma (n=3), carcinoid tumour (n=3), gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) (n=2), metastatic melanoma (n=1) and primary small-bowel adenocarcinoma (n=1). VCE had an influence on the diagnosis or management of 10/13 patients. Conclusions. VCE is the diagnostic test with the highest yield for small-bowel malignancies, since it can detect small-bowel tumours that are often missed by traditional examinations.

Current status of device-assisted enteroscopy: Technical matters, indication, limits and complications

Enteroscopy, defined as direct visualization of the small bowel with the use of a fiberoptic or capsule endoscopy, has progressed considerably over the past several years. The need for endoscopic access to improve diagnosis and treatment of small bowel disease has led to the development of novel technologies one of which is non-invasive, the video capsule, and a type of invasive technique, the device-assisted enteroscopy. In particular, the device-assisted enteroscopy consists then of three different types of instruments all able to allow, in skilled hands, to display partially or throughout its extension (if necessary) the small intestine. Newer devices, double balloon, single balloon and spiral endoscopy, are just entering clinical use. The aim of this article is to review recent advances in small bowel enteroscopy, focusing on indications, modifications to improve imaging and techniques, pitfalls, and clinical applications of the new instruments. With new technologies, the trials and tribulations of learning new endoscopic skills and determining their role in the diagnosis and treatment of small bowel disease come. Identification of small bowel lesions has dramatically improved. Studies are underway to determine the best strategy to apply new enteroscopy technologies for the diagnosis and management of small bowel disease, particularly obscure bleeding. Vascular malformations such as angiectasis and small bowel neoplasms as adenocarcinoma or gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Complete enteroscopy of the small bowel is now possible. However, because of the length of the small bowel, endoscopic examination and therapeutic maneuvers require significant skill, radiological assistance, the use of deep sedation with the assistance of the anesthetist. Prospective randomized studies are needed to guide diagnostic testing and therapy with these new endoscopic techniques.

Prognostic variables for the clinical success of flexible endoscopic septotomy of Zenker’s diverticulum

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Flexible endoscopy septotomy for Zenkers diverticulum (ZD) is an alternative to endostapling; however, long-term data are sparse and studies are heterogeneous. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical success of flexible endoscopy diverticuloscope-assisted septotomy according to all ZD-related symptoms and to identify potential prognostic variables. METHODS A prospective database of all patients with ZD undergoing septotomy and followed up for 24 months or longer was analyzed. Septotomy was conducted by using a diverticuloscope-assisted technique. Dysphagia, regurgitation, and respiratory symptoms (during the day and at night) were scored by their weekly frequency from 0 to 3 when on a solid food diet. Clinical success (asymptomatic state) was defined as a maximum of 2 symptoms with a score of 1 (once per week). Prognostic variables of clinical success included age, sex, pretreatment total symptom score, pre- and posttreatment ZD size, and septotomy length. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to calculate the crude and adjusted hazard ratio (HR). RESULTS Septotomy was attempted and achieved in a single session in 89 patients. Clinical success at the intention-to-treat analysis was 69%, 64%, and 46% at 6, 24, and 48 months, respectively. Adverse events occurred in 3 patients: perforation in 2 (2%) and postprocedural bleeding in 1 (1%). Independent variables for failure at 6 months were a septotomy length ≤25 mm (HR 6.34) and pretreatment ZD size ≥50 mm (HR 11.08), whereas at 48 months, they were septotomy length ≤25 (HR 2.20) and posttreatment ZD size ≥10 mm (HR 2.03). Success rates for ZD ranging in size from 30 mm to 49 mm with a septotomy >25 mm were 100% and 71% at 6 months and 48 months, respectively. CONCLUSION Flexible endoscopic septotomy for ZD is feasible and safe. Treatment success correlates with the length of the septotomy and the size of ZD, which should ultimately determine the appropriate approach.

Increased diagnostic yield of small bowel tumors with PillCam: the role of capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Italian single-center experience.

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare tumors, accounting for 1-3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies; they are, however, the most common gastric and small bowel mesenchymal tumors. The length and relative inaccessibility of the small bowel have long constrained the diagnosis of GISTs mainly presenting with chronic or intermittent bleeding as the sole clinical manifestation. AIM To report on the prevalence of small bowel GISTs in a prospectively recorded series of patients undergoing capsule endoscopy (CE). PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 2001 and 2007 five hundred patients were referred to our endoscopy unit for small bowel evaluation with capsule endoscopy. We retrospectively evaluated all charts. The main indications for CE were obscure-occult or obscure-overt bleeding. Two hundred eighty-nine patients underwent CE for either obscure-occult or obscure-overt bleeding and 211 for other indications. Patient outcome and care processes were measured by follow-up telephone interviews and chart review. Statistical computations were performed using Fishers exact test and Students t-test. RESULTS CE identified a small bowel tumor in 20 patients (4.0%) and 9 tumors turned out to be GISTs (45.0%). Traditional endoscopic and radiological imaging failed to detect the GIST in all these cases. In one case a small bowel GIST was diagnosed by angiography and CE proved false negative. Overall, CE was able to diagnose a small bowel GIST in 9 out of 10 cases. All patients underwent surgical treatment and showed normalized hemoglobin levels at follow-up. The main limitation of this study is the small number of cases. CONCLUSIONS CE is an effective and sensitive diagnostic device compared with conventional radiology and plays an important role in the algorithm for the diagnostic work-up of suspected small bowel tumors.

How Can We Compare Apples and Oranges

To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent article by May et al. ( 1 ) published online in your journal. Th is article deserves some comments. In their trial, the authors were intended to compare the performance of double-balloon vs. single-balloon enteroscopy technique. For this purpose they used a single-balloon enteroscope obtained by detaching the balloon from the tip of the conventional Fujinon instrument. In total, 50 examinations were carried out using the conventional Fujinon double balloon and 50 using the Fujinon “ single balloon. ” Th e authors compared instrument preparation time, complete enteroscopy rate, and the rate of therapeutic consequences based on diagnostic yield. Regarding the fi rst end point, data show a statistically signifi cant result in favor of Fujinon “ single balloon ” , whereas both the second and third above-mentioned end points were statistically signifi cant in favor of double-balloon enteroscopy. Many issues can be arisen. Study design is a critical aspect. First of all, studies usually are not aimed to show the best performance between different type of endoscopes. Th e trial was based on the P-type Fujinon instrument; of course it is doubtful whether the study achieved with the T-type instrument would have led to same results; nevertheless, we would like to emphasize on characteristics of the T-type (operative instruments) that are diff erent and perhaps more comparable to competitor Olympus instrument. Another point at issue relates to the “ diagnostic ” value of enteroscopy. Patients are supposed to be submitted to the more comfortable and the minimally invasive procedures for diagnosis; videocapsule endoscopy has been proven to be an optimal diagnostic and noninvasive tool for total enteroscopy. Furthermore, even Fujinon product (Fujinon, Inc., Saitama, Japan) ( 3 – 13 ) . Second point is, the authors discuss, that the results of the comparison would have been worse using the t-type Fujinon enteroscope, which is more comparable with the Olympus enteroscope (Olympus Optical Co., Tokyo, Japan). Th ere are only minor diff erences between the diff erent balloonassisted enteroscopies and probably one would not expect diff erent results when choosing diff erent products. In contrast, if the results would have been worse, the conclusion would be that the single-balloon enteroscopy using the Fujinon p-type has better results than any “ t-type ” enteroscope. Th ird point is, as the authors state, that the p-type enteroscope is only diagnostic. But it is not correct, that endoscopic therapeutic interventions cannot be performed with the p-type. All therapies can be performed with the exception of clip application and balloon dilation through the scope (but it can be performed under fl uoroscopic control through the overtube). All other interventions, such as injection, argon plasma coagulation, polypectomy, and foreign body extraction, can be carried out using the p-type. We only use the t-type for dilation of known Crohn ’ s stenoses and double-balloon enteroscopy ERCP; in all other indications / patients, we generally use the p-type. Regarding the last statement that the study mixes apples and oranges, this statement would have been true, if the comparison had been drawn using the p-type for double-balloon technique and the t-type for single-balloon technique . But for both techniques the p-type was used, and therefore there was no mix of apples and oranges. In conclusion, the double-balloon technique appears to be the gold standard of small bowel endoscopy and all future modifi cation of enteroscopy (as single or spiral enteroscopy) have to be composed with it to show their value .

Epidemiology and management of diverticular disease of the colon

The aim of this review is mainly to show the high prevalence of diverticulosis and the clinical relevance of uncomplicated and complicated diverticular disease worldwide. The prevalence of diverticular disease is directly related to the aging of the population and in western countries is diagnosed in approximately 50–65% of adult subjects. The often more frequent adoption of an incorrect dietary style, such as a low-fiber diet, and the progressive increase in the average age of western populations will increase the prevalence of this pathology and the economic burden for health systems even more so. Furthermore, the management of uncomplicated diverticular disease, segmental colitis associated to diverticula and diverticulitis, which represent the different manifestations of the symptomatic spectrum of colonic diverticulosis, are reported.

Endoscopic mucosal resection of non-ampullary sporadic duodenal adenomas: a retrospective analysis with long-term follow-up

Abstract Objective: We investigate the efficiency of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of non-ampullary sporadic duodenal adenomas (NASDA) in a retrospective analysis with long-term follow-up. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing EMR of NASDA between May 2002 and December 2016 were retrospectively identified from an electronic database. Endoscopic follow-up was scheduled after 3, 6 and 12 months for the first year, then yearly for up to five years. Results: EMR of 75 NASDA was performed in 68 patients (56% en-bloc, 44% piecemeal). Retroperitoneal perforations occurred in 3/68 (4.4%) patients, were treated by surgical (n = 2) or percutaneous (n = 1) drainage; delayed bleeding was reported in 13/75 (17.3%) resections and was successfully managed by endoscopy (n = 12) or radiologic embolization (n = 1). There was no procedure-related mortality. Follow-up was available in 61/68 patients (89.7%) after a median time of 59 months from resection. Residual and recurrent adenoma were diagnosed in 9 (14.5%) and 6 (10.9%) cases, respectively; all but one were successfully retreated endoscopically. Conclusions: EMR for NASDA is effective with a favorable long-term outcome. Local recurrences can be retreated endoscopically. A recall system, patient’s compliance to endoscopic follow-up are mandatory to detect recurrences and their prompt treatment.