Lucille Quénéhervé

Tethered capsule endomicroscopy: from bench to bedside at a primary care practice

Abstract. Due to the relatively high cost and inconvenience of upper endoscopic biopsy and the rising incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma, there is currently a need for an improved method for screening for Barrett’s esophagus. Ideally, such a test would be applied in the primary care setting and patients referred to endoscopy if the result is suspicious for Barrett’s. Tethered capsule endomicroscopy (TCE) is a recently developed technology that rapidly acquires microscopic images of the entire esophagus in unsedated subjects. Here, we present our first experience with clinical translation and feasibility of TCE in a primary care practice. The acceptance of the TCE device by the primary care clinical staff and patients shows the potential of this device to be useful as a screening tool for a broader population.

Endoscopic management of an esophagopericardial fistula after radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation

A case is reported of a 76-year-old man with a past history of atrial fibrillation. A radiofrequency ablation procedure was suggested following several failed cardioversion attempts. However, an esophagopericardial fistula complicated the procedure. This life-threatening complication was successfully managed using both the placement of a covered esophageal stent and surgical pericardial and mediastinal drainage. In fact, no persisting fistula could be detected when the esophageal stent was removed seven weeks later. Atrioesophageal and esophagopericardial fistulas are two of the most severe complications associated with cardiological radiofrequency ablation procedures. They are responsible for majority of the deaths associated with this procedure. Despite the extremely high morbimortality associated with cardiothoracic surgery in such conditions, this treatment is the gold-standard for the management of such complications. This case report emphasizes the importance and efficacy of the endoscopic approach as part of a multidisciplinary management approach to this serious adverse event following radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Comparative analysis of ESD versus EMR in a large European series of non-ampullary superficial duodenal tumors

Background and study aims  The choice of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) in non-ampullary superficial duodenal tumors (NASDTs) is challenging and the benefits of ESD remain unclear. The aim was to comparatively analyze the feasibility, outcomes and safety of these techniques in these lesions. Patients and methods  This is an observational and retrospective study. All consecutive patients presenting with NASDTs who underwent EMR or ESD between 2005 and 2017 were included. The following main outcomes were comparatively evaluated: en-bloc and complete (R0) resection rates, and local recurrence. Secondary outcomes were perforation and delayed bleeding. Results  One hundred sixty-six tumors in 150 patients (age: 66 years, range: 31 – 83, 42.7 % males) were resected by ESD (n = 37) or EMR (n = 129) and included. The median procedure time (81 vs. 50 min, P  = 0.007) and tumor size (25 vs. 20 mm, P  = 0.01) were higher in the ESD group. The global malignancy rate was 50.3 %. There were no differences in en-bloc resection (29.7 % vs. 44.2 %, P  = 0.115), complete resection (19.4 % vs. 35.5 %, P  = 0.069), and local recurrence (14.7 % vs. 16.7 %, P  = 0.788) rates. Tumor size was associated with recurrence (28 vs. 20 mm, P  = 0.008), with a median follow-up of 6.5 months. Focal recurrence (n = 22, 13.3 %) was treated endoscopically in 86.4 %. En-bloc resection in the ESD group was comparable in large ( ≥ 20 mm) and small lesions (27.6 % vs. 37.5 %, P  = 0.587), while this outcome decreased significantly in large lesions resected by EMR (17.4 % vs. 75 %, P  < 0.001). Nine perforations were confirmed in 6 lesions (16.2 %) resected by ESD and 3 (2.3 %) by EMR ( P  = 0.001). Endoscopic therapy was successful in all but 1 patient (88.9 %) presenting with a delayed perforation. Conclusions  ESD may be an alternative to EMR and surgery in selected NASDTs, such as large duodenal tumors where EMR achieves low en-bloc resection rates and the local recurrence may be higher. However, this technique may have a higher risk of perforations.

ESD versus EMR in non-ampullary superficial duodenal tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and study aims  Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been developed as an option for treatment of esophageal, gastric and colorectal lesions. However, there is no consensus on the role of ESD in duodenal tumors. Methods  This systematic review and meta-analysis compared ESD and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) in sporadic non-ampullary superficial duodenal tumors (NASDTs), including local experience. We conducted a search in PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane library up to August 2017 to identify studies that compared both techniques reporting at least one main outcome (en-bloc/complete resection, local recurrence). Pooled outcomes were calculated under fixed and random-effect models. Subgroup analyses were conducted. Results  A total of 753 patients presenting with 784 NASDTs (242 ESD, 542 EMR) in 14 studies were included. Tumor size (MD: 5.88, [CI95 %: 2.15, 9.62], P  = 0.002, I 2  = 79 %) and procedure time (MD: 65.65, [CI95 %: 40.39, 90.92], P  < 0.00001, I 2  = 88 %) were greater in the ESD group. En-bloc resection rate was significantly higher in Asian studies (OR: 2.16 [CI95 %: 1.15, 4.08], P  = 0.02, I 2 : 46 %). ESD provided a higher complete resection rate (OR: 1.63 [I95 %: 1.06, 2.50], P  = 0.03, I 2 : 59 %), but there was no risk difference in the risk of local recurrence (RD: – 0.03 [CI95 %: – 0.07, 0.01], P  = 0.15, I 2 : 0 %) or delayed bleeding. ESD was associated with an increased number of intraoperative perforations [RD: 0.12 (CI95 %: 0.04, 0.20), P  = 0.002, I 2 : 56 %] and emergency surgery for delayed perforations. The inclusion of eligible studies was limited to retrospective series with inequalities in comparative groups. Conclusions  Duodenal ESD for NASDTs may achieve higher en-bloc and complete resections at the expense of a greater perforation rate compared to EMR. The impact on local recurrence remains uncertain.

Optimizing the villi visualization by tethered capsule OCT endomicroscopy for comprehensive imaging of human duodenum (Conference Presentation)

Celiac disease (CD) affects around 1% of the global population and can cause serious long-term symptoms including malnutrition, fatigue, and diarrhea, amongst others. Despite this, it is often left undiagnosed. Currently, a tissue diagnosis of CD is made by random endoscopic biopsy of the duodenum to confirm the existence of microscopic morphologic alterations in the intestinal mucosa. However, duodenal endoscopic biopsy is problematic because the morphological changes can be focal and endoscopic biopsy is plagued by sampling error. Additionally, tissue artifacts can also an issue because cuts in the transverse plane can make duodenal villi appear artifactually shortened and can bias the assessment of intraepithelial inflammation. Moreover, endoscopic biopsy is costly and poorly tolerated as the patient needs to be sedated to perform the procedure. Our lab has previously developed technology termed tethered capsule OCT endomicroscopy (TCE) to overcome these diagnostic limitations of endoscopy. TCE involves swallowing an optomechanically-engineered pill that generates 3D images of the GI tract as it traverses the lumen of the organ via peristalsis, assisted by gravity. In several patients we have demonstrated TCE imaging of duodenal villi, however the current TCE device design is not optimal for CD diagnosis as the villi compress when in contact with the smooth capsule’s wall. In this work, we present methods for structuring the outer surface of the capsule to improve the visualization of the villi height and crypt depth. Preliminary results in humans suggest that new TCE capsule enables better visualization of villous architecture, making it possibly to comprehensively scan the entire duodenum to obtain a more accurate tissue diagnosis of CD.

Development of a porcine model for assessment of mucosal repair following endoscopic resection of the lower gastrointestinal tract

Background and aims  Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is widely performed for the treatment of colorectal polyps. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms of mucosal repair, including in situations at high risk of post-polypectomy bleeding, remain largely unknown. The objective of our study was to develop a porcine model of EMR in the lower gastrointestinal tract to monitor mucosal wound healing over time. Methods  Under general anesthesia, five large wounds were created in the lower gastrointestinal tract at different times, i. e. at day 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14, by multiband EMR, in each of the six pigs in the study. A colorectal resection was performed at day 14 and the animal euthanized. Repeated endoscopic and endomicroscopic examination, and histological analysis were performed. Results  No complications occurred and all animals reached the study end point. The endoscopic aspect of wound healing evolved into different phases with first a fibrin deposit covering the wounds which then gave way to granulomatous tissue. The size of the wound regressed significantly as early as day 3. Re-epithelialization of the wound started from day 7, and neo-mucosal crypts appeared from day 10. The endomicroscopic analysis described a ‘ground glass appearance’ from day 3 and irregular crypts from day 10, which was consistent with histological data. Good agreement between macroscopic, endomicroscopic, and histological parameters of mucosal wound healing was observed in vivo. Conclusion  This study demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of an experimental in vivo porcine model of lower gastrointestinal endoscopic resections to monitor tissue repair. This model might be helpful to document pharmacological approaches for preventing complications of endoscopic procedures performed in humans.