Artur Nemeth

Second-generation colon capsule endoscopy compared with colonoscopy

BACKGROUND Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) represents a noninvasive technology that allows visualization of the colon without requiring sedation and air insufflation. A second-generation colon capsule endoscopy system (PillCam Colon 2) (CCE-2) was developed to increase sensitivity for colorectal polyp detection compared with the first-generation system. OBJECTIVE To assess the feasibility, accuracy, and safety of CCE-2 in a head-to-head comparison with colonoscopy. DESIGN AND SETTING Prospective, multicenter trial including 8 European sites. PATIENTS This study involved 117 patients (mean age 60 years). Data from 109 patients were analyzed. INTERVENTION CCE-2 was prospectively compared with conventional colonoscopy as the criterion standard for the detection of colorectal polyps that are ≥6 mm or masses in a cohort of patients at average or increased risk of colorectal neoplasia. Colonoscopy was independently performed within 10 hours after capsule ingestion or on the next day. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS CCE-2 sensitivity and specificity for detecting patients with polyps ≥6 mm and ≥10 mm were assessed. Capsule-positive but colonoscopy-negative cases were counted as false positive. Capsule excretion rate, level of bowel preparation, and rate of adverse events also were assessed. RESULTS Per-patient CCE-2 sensitivity for polyps ≥6 mm and ≥10 mm was 84% and 88%, with specificities of 64% and 95%, respectively. All 3 invasive carcinomas were detected by CCE-2. The capsule excretion rate was 88% within 10 hours. Overall colon cleanliness for CCE-2 was adequate in 81% of patients. LIMITATIONS Not unblinding the CCE-2 results at colonoscopy; heterogenous patient population; nonconsecutive patients. CONCLUSION In this European, multicenter study, CCE-2 appeared to have a high sensitivity for the detection of clinically relevant polypoid lesions, and it might be considered an adequate tool for colorectal imaging.

Small bowel capsule endoscopy in the management of established Crohn's disease: clinical impact, safety, and correlation with inflammatory biomarkers.

Background:Multiple studies have established the superior diagnostic accuracy of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) for the diagnosis of small bowel (SB) Crohns disease (CD). However, data on the clinical impact of VCE in patients with established CD are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the impact and safety of VCE on the clinical management of patients with established CD. Methods:A retrospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study. The study cohort included consecutive patients with established SB CD who underwent VCE in 4 tertiary referral centers (1 Canada, 1 Sweden, and 2 United Kingdom) from January 2008 to October 2013. Patients were excluded if VCE was performed as a part of the initial diagnostic workup. The presence of SB mucosal inflammation was quantified using the Lewis score. Inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin) were measured and correlated with the Lewis score. Results:The study included 187 patients. No SB inflammation was observed in 28.4%, mild-to-moderate inflammation in 26.6%, and moderate-to-severe inflammation in 45% of the patients (median Lewis score, 662; range, 0–6400). A change in management was recommended in 52.3% of the patients based on VCE findings. Elevated C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin, or the combination of both were poorly correlated with significant SB inflammation. SB capsule retention occurred in 4 patients (2.1%). Conclusions:VCE in patients with established CD is safe, and the results often have a significant clinical impact. VCE should not be limited to CD patients with positive inflammatory markers because their predictive value for significant SB inflammation is poor.

Use of patency capsule in patients with established Crohn’s disease

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is invaluable in the diagnosis of small-bowel pathology. Capsule retention is a major concern in patients with Crohns disease. The patency capsule was designed to evaluate small-bowel patency before VCE. However, the actual benefit of the patency capsule test in Crohns disease remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact of patency capsule use on the risk of video capsule retention in patients with established Crohns disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a retrospective, multicenter study of patients with established Crohns disease who underwent VCE for clinical need. The utilization strategy for the patency capsule was classified as selective (only in patients with obstructive symptoms, history of intestinal obstruction or surgery, or per treating physicians request) or nonselective (all patients with Crohns disease). The main outcome was video capsule retention in the entire cohort and within each utilization strategy. RESULTS A total of 406 patients who were referred for VCE were included in the study. VCE was performed in 132 /406 patients (32.5 %) without a prior patency capsule test. The patency capsule test was performed in 274 /406 patients (67.5 %) and was negative in 193 patients. Overall, VCE was performed in 343 patients and was retained in the small bowel in 8 (2.3 %). In this cohort, the risk of video capsule retention in the small bowel was 1.5 % without use of a prior patency capsule and 2.1 % after a negative patency test (P = 0.9). A total of 18 patients underwent VCE after a positive patency capsule test, with a retention rate of 11.1 % (P = 0.01). Patency capsule administration strategy (selective vs. nonselective) was not associated with the risk of video capsule retention. CONCLUSIONS Capsule retention is a rare event in patients with established Crohns disease undergoing VCE. The risk of video capsule retention was not reduced by the nonselective use of the patency capsule. Furthermore, VCE after a positive patency capsule test in patients with Crohns disease was associated with a high risk of video capsule retention.

Underwater endoscopic mucosal resection of large colorectal lesions

In this prospective study, 11 consecutive patients with neoplastic colorectal lesions (median size 20 mm, range 15 - 25 mm) underwent endoscopic polyp removal by underwater endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). Six lesions were removed en bloc and five lesions were removed by piecemeal resection. Pathological examination revealed seven R0 resections, and in four cases the pathology could not be determined. Two cases of procedure-related bleeding occurred but these were easily managed using hemostatic forceps and clip application. No perforations or delayed bleedings were observed. Underwater EMR is a relatively simple, safe, and useful method for the removal of large colorectal lesions.

Capsule endoscopy in young patients with iron deficiency anaemia and negative bidirectional gastrointestinal endoscopy

Background Recent data imply young patients (age ≤50 years) undergoing small-bowel (SB) capsule endoscopy (CE) for iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) show higher diagnostic yield (DY) for sinister pathology. We aimed to investigate DY of CE in a large cohort of young IDA patients, and evaluate factors predicting significant SB pathology. Materials and methods This was a retrospective, multicentre study (2010–2015) in consecutive, young patients (≤50 years) from 18 centres/12 countries, with negative bidirectional gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy undergoing SBCE for IDA. Exclusion criteria: previous/ongoing obscure-overt GI bleeding; age <19 or >50 years; comorbidities associated with IDA. Data retrieved: SBCE indications; prior investigations; medications; SBCE findings; final diagnosis. Clinical and laboratory data were analysed by multivariate logistic regression. Results Data on 389 young IDA patients were retrieved. In total, 169 (43.4%) were excluded due to incomplete clinical data; data from 220 (122F/98M; mean age 40.5 ± 8.6 years) patients were analysed. Some 71 patients had at least one clinically significant SBCE finding (DY: 32.3%). They were divided into two groups: neoplastic pathology (10/220; 4.5%), and non-neoplastic but clinically significant pathology (61/220; 27.7%). The most common significant but non-neoplastic pathologies were angioectasias (22/61) and Crohn’s disease (15/61). On multivariate analysis, weight loss and lower mean corpuscular volume(MCV) were associated with significant SB pathology (OR: 3.87; 95%CI: 1.3–11.3; p = 0.01; and OR: 0.96; 95%CI: 0.92–0.99; p = 0.03; respectively). Our model also demonstrates association between use of antiplatelets and significant SB pathology, although due to the small number of patients, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. Conclusion In IDA patients ≤50 years with negative bidirectional GI endoscopy, overall DY of SBCE for clinically significant findings was 32.3%. Some 5% of our cohort was diagnosed with SB neoplasia; lower MCV or weight loss were associated with higher DY for SB pathology.

Self-expanding metal stents in malignant colonic obstruction: experiences from Sweden

BackgroundAcute surgery in the management of malignant colonic obstruction is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The use of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) is an alternative method of decompressing colonic obstruction. SEMS may allow time to optimize the patient and to perform preoperative staging, converting acute surgery into elective. SEMS is also proposed as palliative treatment in patients with contraindications to open surgery. Aim: To review our experience of SEMS focusing on clinical outcome and complications. The method used was a review of 75 consecutive trials at SEMS on 71 patients based on stent-protocols and patient charts.FindingsSEMS was used for palliation in 64 (85%) cases and as a bridge to surgery in 11 (15%) cases. The majority of obstructions, 53 (71%) cases, were located in the recto-sigmoid. Technical success was achieved in 65 (87%) cases and clinical decompression was achieved in 60 (80%) cases. Reasons for technical failure were inability to cannulate the stricture in 5 (7%) cases and suboptimal SEMS placement in 3 (4%) cases. Complications included 4 (5%) procedure-related bowel perforations of which 2 (3%) patients died in junction to post operative complications. Three cases of bleeding after SEMS occurred, none of which needed invasive treatment. Five of the SEMS occluded. Two cases of stent erosion were diagnosed at the time of surgery. Average survival after palliative SEMS treatment was 6 months.ConclusionOur results correspond well to previously published data and we conclude that SEMS is a relatively safe and effective method of treating malignant colonic obstruction although the risk of SEMS-related perforations has to be taken into account.

Symptomatic retention of the patency capsule: a multicenter real life case series

Background and aims: The patency capsule is designed to evaluate the patency of the small bowel before administration of small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) in patients at high risk of retention. The utilization of a patency capsule may be associated with a risk of symptomatic retention, but very few cases have been reported to date. The aim of our study was to describe our experience with this rare complication of a patency capsule. Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective case series. The medical records of patients who underwent a patency capsule test were scanned and all cases of symptomatic retention were collected. Results: In total, 20 symptomatic cases of retention out of 1615 (1.2 %) patency capsule tests were identified; in one patient, the patency capsule was retained in the esophagus, in the rest, the capsule was detected in the small bowel resulting in abdominal pain or small-bowel obstruction. One patient (5 %) required surgery; all other patients resolved spontaneously or after corticosteroid therapy. Conclusions: Symptomatic patency capsule retention is a very rare complication with a favorable prognosis. It should be recognized but its use in patients with suspected small-bowel stenosis should not be discouraged.

KID Project: an internet-based digital video atlas of capsule endoscopy for research purposes

Background and aims  Capsule endoscopy (CE) has revolutionized small-bowel (SB) investigation. Computational methods can enhance diagnostic yield (DY); however, incorporating machine learning algorithms (MLAs) into CE reading is difficult as large amounts of image annotations are required for training. Current databases lack graphic annotations of pathologies and cannot be used. A novel database, KID, aims to provide a reference for research and development of medical decision support systems (MDSS) for CE. Methods  Open-source software was used for the KID database. Clinicians contribute anonymized, annotated CE images and videos. Graphic annotations are supported by an open-access annotation tool (Ratsnake). We detail an experiment based on the KID database, examining differences in SB lesion measurement between human readers and a MLA. The Jaccard Index (JI) was used to evaluate similarity between annotations by the MLA and human readers. Results  The MLA performed best in measuring lymphangiectasias with a JI of 81 ± 6 %. The other lesion types were: angioectasias (JI 64 ± 11 %), aphthae (JI 64 ± 8 %), chylous cysts (JI 70 ± 14 %), polypoid lesions (JI 75 ± 21 %), and ulcers (JI 56 ± 9 %). Conclusion  MLA can perform as well as human readers in the measurement of SB angioectasias in white light (WL). Automated lesion measurement is therefore feasible. KID is currently the only open-source CE database developed specifically to aid development of MDSS. Our experiment demonstrates this potential.

Macroscopic findings in collagenous colitis: A multi-center, retrospective, observational cohort study

Background Collagenous colitis (CC) is by definition a histological diagnosis. However, colonoscopy often reveals characteristic endoscopic findings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and type of endoscopic findings in patients diagnosed with CC in 4 participating centers. Methods This was a retrospective study; the databases of 2 university hospitals in Edinburgh (Scotland) and Malmö (Sweden), and 2 district general hospitals in Tomelloso (Spain) and Gateshead (England) were interrogated for patients diagnosed with CC between May 2008 and August 2013. Endoscopy reports and images were retrieved and reviewed; data on lesions, sedation, bowel preparation and endoscopist experience were abstracted. Categorical data are reported as mean±SD. Fischer’s exact, chi-square and t (unpaired) tests were used to compare datasets. A two-tailed P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results 607 patients (149 male, mean age 66.9±12.25 years) were diagnosed with CC. A total of 108/607 (17.8%) patients had one or more suggestive endoscopy findings: i.e., mucosal erythema/edema, 91/607 (15%); linear colonic mucosal defects, 12/607 (2%); or mucosal scarring, 5/607 (0.82%). For colonic mucosa erythema, there was no difference in the odds of finding erythema with the use of different bowel preparation methods (P=0.997). For colonic mucosal defects there was some evidence (P=0.005) that patients colonoscoped by experienced endoscopists had 87% less odds of developing such defects. Moreover, there was evidence that analgesia reduced the odds of developing mucosal defects by 84%. Conclusion A significant minority of patients with CC have endoscopic findings in colonoscopy. The description of such findings appears to be related to the endoscopist’s experience.

Capsule retention related to small bowel capsule endoscopy: a large European single-center 10-year clinical experience

Background The most concerning complication of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is capsule retention (CR) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract although clinical outcome and management of patients with CR are still uncertain in a large single center material. Objectives The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate incidence, causes, risk factors, management and clinical outcomes of CR in a large single center between 2001 and 2011. Results 2401 consecutive small-bowel (SB) VCEs were performed. CR was detected in 25 cases (1%). CR in patients with suspected and known Crohn’s disease (CD) undergoing VCE occurred in 14/1370 (1%) including known CD 9/390 (2.3%) and suspected CD 5/980 (0.5%). CR in patients with obscure GI bleeding was observed in 11/816 (1.3%) cases. The SB was the most common site of CR with 17 cases followed by the esophagus (4 cases), colon (2 cases), and stomach (2 cases). Emergency endoscopic intervention (3 cases) and surgery (2 cases) was needed in 5 cases of CR. Elective capsule removal was performed by surgery in 6 cases and endoscopically in 8 cases. Three retained capsules dislodged after steroid treatment and another 3 cases of CR resolved without any intervention. Conclusion This large clinical material demonstrates that CR is a rare complication with a favorable clinical outcome. Most patients with CR can be electively managed with non-surgical intervention.