Moshe Nadler

Endoscopic ultrasound staging of rectal cancer: Diagnostic value before and following chemoradiation

Background:  Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been shown to be a reliable tool for staging rectal cancer. Nevertheless, the accuracy of EUS after chemoradiation remains unclear; therefore the purpose of the present paper was to compare the accuracy of EUS staging for rectal cancer before and following chemoradiation.

Second capsule endoscopy for patients with severe iron deficiency anemia.

BACKGROUND Patients with iron deficiency anemia are subjected to multiple endoscopic and radiologic examinations of the GI tract. If negative, some of the examinations are repeated, occasionally with positive findings. The diagnostic yield of a second capsule endoscopy in such patients is unknown. The aim of the current study was to assess the diagnostic yield of a second capsule endoscopy in patients with significant iron deficiency anemia and a previous negative evaluation. METHODS Twenty patients with iron deficiency anemia (Hb < 10 g/dL) were enrolled. All had at least one normal evaluation of the GI tract, including capsule endoscopy. A second capsule endoscopy examination was offered to all patients. RESULTS The time between the first and the second capsule endoscopy ranged from 2 months to 1 year. Depending on the nature of an abnormality and its relevance to blood loss, the findings were classified as positive, suspicious, clinically irrelevant, or negative. In 7 patients, the second capsule endoscopy disclosed findings that were classified as either positive or suspicious findings, including arteriovenous malformations (2), flat polypoid lesion (1), edematous inflamed mucosa (1), erosions (1), and hemorrhagic gastritis (1). Lesions were located in the small intestine (5), the stomach (1), and the cecum (1). Based on the findings of the second capsule endoscopy, therapy was changed in two patients (10%). CONCLUSIONS A second capsule endoscopy should be considered for patients with severe iron deficiency anemia and negative initial evaluation.

The utility of capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease based on patient's symptoms.

Background and Goals Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) enables visualization of the entire small bowel and can identify lesions that may go undetected by conventional endoscopy and radiography. In this study, we assessed whether patients selection based on symptoms may increase the yield of VCE in the diagnosis of Crohns disease (CD). Study Findings of 125 consecutive patients referred for VCE in whom CD may be suspected, were analyzed. Indications for VCE included iron-deficiency anemia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a combination of symptoms. Capsule endoscopy (CE) results were defined positive if 4 or more obvious clear ulcers, erosions, or a region with clear exudate and mucosal hyperemia and edema were identified. Results One hundred twelve patients were included in the final analysis. Mean age of patients was 44±22 years and median follow-up 36±15 months. Findings on CE were considered compatible with a diagnosis of CD in 7 patients (6%). In general, CE yielded a diagnosis of CD in a very small portion of the patients (0% to 4%), except in patients undergoing the test for a combination of abdominal pain and diarrhea. In this group, findings suggestive of inflammatory bowel disease were encountered in one-third of the patients (P=0.002). Conclusions The greatest yield of CE in diagnosing CD is achieved in young patients who present with symptoms of abdominal pain plus diarrhea.