Marcelo Averbach

Rectal endoscopic ultrasound with a radial probe in the assessment of rectovaginal endometriosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accuracy of rectal endoscopic ultrasound and to evaluate endometriosis in the rectovaginal septum, rectum, and sigmoid walls. DESIGN Validation of diagnostic test (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). SETTING Tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS Thirty-two consecutive women clinically suspected of having rectovaginal septum endometriosis without previous surgical treatment. INTERVENTION Colonoscopy, transrectal ultrasound, and rectal endoscopic ultrasound, followed by laparoscopy or laparotomy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The disease was classified according to 1996 standards of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Images obtained by colonoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and surgery and histologic findings were compared. In 6 patients endometriosis infiltrated bowel muscularis wall, in 20 it infiltrated rectovaginal septum, and in the remaining 6 there was no evidence of lesions. In all women in whom infiltration of the intestinal wall was suspected, rectal endoscopic ultrasound and colonoscopy confirmed the lesions (sensitivity 100%, specificity 67%). CONCLUSION Endoscopic ultrasound was useful in preoperative assessment of women with endometriosis.

Endometriosis Lesions That Compromise the Rectum Deeper Than the Inner Muscularis Layer Have More Than 40% of the Circumference of the Rectum Affected by the Disease

STUDY OBJECTIVE To estimate the relationship between the depth of lesions of rectal endometriosis and the percentage of the circumference of the bowel segment affected by the disease. DESIGN A prospective pathologic analysis of 45 surgical specimens of bowel endometriosis obtained by laparoscopic segmental resection of the rectosigmoid (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). SETTING Tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS forty-five patients were submitted to a segmental resection of the rectum due to endometriosis between July 2004 and September 2006. INTERVENTIONS Morphometric aspects of endometriotic lesions were analyzed, such as size and thickness of the lesion, deepest layer of bowel affected by lesion, and percentage of circumference of bowel affected by endometriosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Results showed that in lesions that reached the submucous layer of the bowel, the circumference affected was 31.6% greater than in lesions that reached only the outer muscular layer, whereas in lesions that reached the mucous layer, the circumference affected was 52.5% greater than in those that reached the outer muscular layer of the bowel. In addition, 89.3% of lesions with an affected circumference greater than 40% were those affecting the submucous or mucous layers of the bowel. These results suggest that when a lesion reaches these 2 deepest layers of the rectosigmoid, risk increases that the circumference affected will be greater than 40% (relative risk = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0-2.3; p = .03). CONCLUSION In endometriotic lesions affecting the rectosigmoid beyond the inner muscular layer of the bowel wall, more than 40% of the circumference of the rectosigmoid is affected by the disease, confirming the recommendation of segmental resection of the bowel for this form of the disease.

Transvaginal ultrasound for diagnosis of deeply infiltrating endometriosis

Deeply infiltrating endometriosis is the clinical form of the disease that is generally associated with conditions of more intense pain and may require more complex surgical management, consequently resulting in greater risks to the patient. In recent years, various investigators have confirmed the usefulness of methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transrectal ultrasound and transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) for the diagnosis of deep endometriotic lesions. The objectives of the present study are to describe the method used to perform TVUS for the detection of deeply infiltrating endometriosis, and to discuss the clinical benefits that the data obtained may offer clinicians providing care for patients suspected of having this type of endometriosis.

Laparoscopic treatment of intestinal intussusception in the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: case report and review of the literature.

The hamartomatous polyps of Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS) can cause repeated episodes of rectal bleeding and intestinal subocclusion. Laparoscopic treatment of intussusception is rarely reported and must be considered for this clinical condition. We described a 35-year-old male with PJS who presented with rectal bleeding and abdominal pain. One duodenal polyp and two others in the jejunum, which caused intussusception, were visualized on preoperative investigation. Polyps were identified by laparoscopy and removed extracorporeally through enterotomies. All lesions were hamartomas. The patient was discharged on the third postoperative day and has been asymptomatic for more than 2 years. Laparoscopy allows an adequate access to explore and treat small bowel polyps and avoid the classic laparotomy.

Endometriose de septo retovaginal: doença de diagnóstico e tratamento específicos

BACKGROUND: The involvement of the rectovaginal septum, of rectum and sigmoid by endometriosis leads to intense symptoms as dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia, tenesmus and hematochezia in young and middle aged women during periods. The diagnosis can be made by tipycal history and vaginal examination, rectal examination, barium enema, proctoscopy and so on. The indications of operation include severe clinic symptoms and failed conservative therapy. The treatment of choice for this type of endometriosis is the surgical resection of affected tissue, in order to relieve patient symptoms, and avoid disease progression. The correct assessment as to the presence and extension of the endometriosis-affected sites such as the rectum, uterosacral ligaments and rectovaginal septum is extremely important to provide better results with the surgical treatment of endometriosis. AIM: To describe the main aspects related to rectovaginal septum endometriosis and offer the general surgeon some information about this enigmatic disease. CONCLUSION: Rectovaginal septum endometriosis is a frequent disease, with specific diagnosis and treatment.BACKGROUND The involvement of the rectovaginal septum, of rectum and sigmoid by endometriosis leads to intense symptoms as dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia, tenesmus and hematochezia in young and middle aged women during periods. The diagnosis can be made by tipycal history and vaginal examination, rectal examination, barium enema, proctoscopy and so on. The indications of operation include severe clinic symptoms and failed conservative therapy. The treatment of choice for this type of endometriosis is the surgical resection of affected tissue, in order to relieve patient symptoms, and avoid disease progression. The correct assessment as to the presence and extension of the endometriosis-affected sites such as the rectum, uterosacral ligaments and rectovaginal septum is extremely important to provide better results with the surgical treatment of endometriosis. AIM To describe the main aspects related to rectovaginal septum endometriosis and offer the general surgeon some information about this enigmatic disease. CONCLUSION Rectovaginal septum endometriosis is a frequent disease, with specific diagnosis and treatment.

Magnifying colonoscopy: interobserver agreement in the assessment of colonic pit patterns and its correlation with histopathological findings

Background and study aimsMagnifying colonoscopy (MC) is recognized as an aid to the differential diagnosis between neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions. This study evaluated interobserver agreement of experienced endoscopists in the assessment of colonic pit patterns through the Kudo’s classification and correlated morphological aspects with histopathological findings.Materials and methodsA total of 213 magnification chromoendoscopic pictures of colonic lesions were collected from 161 consecutive patients and presented to three independent observers who expressed opinion about predominant pit pattern. All lesions were excised and sent for histopathological study.ResultsKappa statistics showed that the general agreement index with respect to the aspects of the pits was good among the three observers (0.561). Regarding prediction of histopathology according to the pit pattern diagnosis, overall accuracy was 84%, sensitivity was 91.4%, specificity was 67.2%, positive predictive value was 86.6%, and negative predictive value was 79.3%.ConclusionAlthough the interobserver reproducibility of the colonic pit pattern is good for experienced endoscopists, MC must not be used to replace the histopathological analysis, since it does not differentiate with the necessary safety neoplastic from nonneoplastic lesions.

Robotic rectosigmoidectomy: pioneer case report in Brazil. Current scene in colorectal robotic surgery

Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is believed to be technically and oncologically feasible. Robotic surgery is an attractive mode in performing minimally-invasive surgery once it has several advantages if compared to standard laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this paper is to report the first known case of colorectal resection surgery using the robotic assisted surgical device in Brazil. A 35-year-old woman with deep infiltrating endometriosis with rectal involvement was referred for colorectal resection using da Vinci surgical system. The authors also reviewed the most current series and discussed not only the safety and feasibility but also the real benefits of robotic colorectal surgery.

Endometriosis at several sites, cyclic bowel symptoms, and the likelihood of the appendix being affected

In patients with endometriosis of the appendix, other sites are use to be affected by the disease, mainly bladder, rectosigmoid and retrocervical endometriosis. When these characteristics are present or if patients have more than three sites affected by endometriosis, the surgeon should evaluate the appendix carefully.

Cytomegaloviral colitis in HIV positive patients: endoscopic findings

BACKGROUND Diarrhea in seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patients is one of the most important and disabling symptoms, and often decreases their quality of life. Cytomegalovirus colitis is among the principal causes of this symptom and colonoscopy is the gold standard examination to diagnose it. AIM To define the main endoscopic findings in seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patients with cytomegalovirus colitis. METHODS Two hundred and forty-three colonoscopies were performed in 200 seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patients with diarrhea associated or not to abdominal pain or gastrointestinal bleeding, over 10-year period, whom 51 patients were diagnosed with cytomegalovirus colitis. Full length colonoscopy with ileum intubation was always tried and multiple biopsies of all segments examined, including endoscopically normal segments, were attempted. All diagnoses were confirmed by histologic and immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS Total colonoscopy was possible in 98.03% and ileum intubation in 88.23% of these cytomegalovirus colitis patients. At colonoscopy, a heterogeneous ulcerative pattern was presented in 72.54%, an inflammatory process of the mucosa in 21.56% and 5.88% of the patients mucosa was endoscopically normal. CONCLUSION Full length colonoscopy with ileum intubation and multiples biopsies of all segments, even when they are endoscopically normal, have always to be attempted in cases of seropositive human immunodeficiency virus patient with diarrhea.

Use of a homemade nylon loop for the prevention of postpolypectomy bleeding of large pedunculated polyps.

To avoid bleeding after colonoscopic polypectomy, several procedures are being used. We describe a new method that consists of a homemade nylon loop that is applied and tied to the stalk of the pedunculated polyp and after which a conventional polypectomy is done. We have used this method in 15 patients and no complication was observed. The procedure is simple; the loop may be opened to large diameters to make it easier to use for large polyps. It has a low cost and seems to be safe and effective to prevent bleeding after endoscopic polypectomy.