Diagnosis of small-bowel ischemic necrosis by capsule endoscopy

Clinical Features of Ischemic Enteritis Diagnosed by Double-Balloon Endoscopy

INTRODUCTION

Ischemic enteritis (IE) is a relatively rare small bowel disease that is diagnosed via double-balloon endoscopy (DBE), although the lack of established diagnostic criteria can make it difficult to confirm the diagnosis. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, endoscopic imaging features, and treatments for IE at our center. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively searched the DBE database (1,521 patients) at Nagoya University Hospital for patients with IE and collected data regarding endoscopic findings, clinical background, and histological findings. The cases were categorized according to whether they involved transient or stenotic IE.

RESULTS

The DBE database included 24 patients (14 men) with IE. Transient IE was identified in 9 patients, and stenotic IE was identified in 15. Half of the patients had a history of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease. A granular structure at the ulcer base was the most frequently observed DBE finding at the stenotic site. Enterography using the contrast medium revealed that transient IE had a similar stenotic lesion length, relative to stenotic IE, although stenotic IE had a significantly higher stenosis ratio (81% vs. 63%, P=0.033). Small bowel enteroclysis revealed the "lead pipe" sign (11 patients), thumbprinting (3 patients), and the serrated lumen sign (1 patient). Only 1 patient with stenotic IE experienced recurrence after conservative treatment.

CONCLUSION

During DBE, IE was characterized by cannular stenosis with extended and variable ulceration types, which spread over the edge of the stenosis, and a granular appearance at the ulcer base. These findings may help guide the diagnosis of IE.

Stenotic Ischemic Enteritis with Concomitant Hepatic Portal Venous Gas and Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis

A 69-year-old man was admitted to a hospital with complaints of abdominal pain. Computed tomography showed hepatic portal venous gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis. Conservative treatment was effective; however, after discharge, he developed complaints of vomiting. Fluoroscopic enteroclysis revealed a stricture in the jejunum necessitating admission to our hospital. Transoral balloon-assisted enteroscopy showed a circumferential ulcer with a stricture. The stricture was surgically resected, and a histopathological examination was consistent with ischemic enteritis. Stenotic ischemic enteritis should be considered among the differential diagnoses in a patient presenting with hepatic portal venous gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis showing small intestinal obstruction.

Acute extensive ischemic enteritis in a young man diagnosed with wireless capsule endoscopy: a case report

Ischemic enteritis is caused by either the interruption or significant reduction of arterial inflow to the small intestine. Risk factors are old age, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. It is very rare in young patients. We experienced a 21-year-old man with recurrent acute ischemic enteritis who was diagnosed with capsule endoscopy. He had previously taken medications for pulmonary hypertension and obstruction of both carotid arteries, and about 20 months earlier, he had been admitted due to hematochezia. Two sessions of angiography did not reveal the cause of hematochezia. At that time, capsule endoscopy showed mucosal edema and erythema in the terminal ileum, suggesting healed ischemic enteritis. The patient was admitted again due to hematochezia. Abdominal computed tomography showed focal celiac trunk stenosis and diffuse wall thickening of the small intestine, suggesting ischemic enteritis. Capsule endoscopy showed multiple active ulcers and severe hemorrhage with exudate, extending from the proximal jejunum to the terminal ileum. Using capsule endoscopy, the patient was diagnosed with acute extensive ischemic enteritis. Because endoscopic images of ischemic enteritis have rarely been reported, we report a case of a 21-year-old man who was diagnosed acute extensive ischemic enteritis with capsule endoscopy.

Symptomatic mesenteric atherosclerotic disease-lessons learned from the diagnostic workup

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to analyze the diagnostic workup in patients referred for endovascular mesenteric revascularization for symptomatic mesenteric atherosclerotic disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Fifty-five patients were identified between 2006 and 2011. Median follow-up time was 24 months.

RESULTS

Median age was 71 years, 67 % were women. Forty patients had acute on chronic mesenteric ischemia, eight had acute mesenteric ischemia, and seven had chronic mesenteric ischemia. Other manifestations of atherosclerotic disease were present in 71 %. Body mass index (BMI) <20 kg/m(2) was found in 37 %. Endoscopy diagnosed duodenitis (38 %; 13/34) and colitis in the right colon (57 %;12/21). All ulcers tested for Helicobacter pylori were negative (n = 17). Patients received proton pump inhibitor, antibiotic, and cortisone therapy during diagnostic workup in 73, 42, and 29 % of the cases, respectively. Previous hospitalization for the same complaints had occurred in 78 %. CT angiography showed occlusion (n = 30) and high-grade stenosis (n = 25) of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). Forty-eight patients were treated with stenting of the SMA. The BMI increased in both women (p = 0.001) and men (p = 0.03) after endovascular therapy. The in-hospital mortality rate was 18 %.

CONCLUSION

Patients with abdominal pain, known atherosclerotic disease, right-sided colitis or H. pylori-negative duodenitis should undergo CT angiography immediately to be able to identify symptomatic mesenteric atherosclerotic disease.

Real-time in vivo imaging of early mucosal changes during ischemia-reperfusion in human jejunum

Background and study aims

Small intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) is a frequent, potentially life threatening phenomenon. There is a lack of non-invasive diagnostic modalities. For many intestinal diseases, visualizing the intestinal mucosa using endoscopy is gold standard. However, limited knowledge exists on small intestinal IR-induced, early mucosal changes. The aims of this study were to investigate endoscopic changes in human jejunum exposed to IR, and to study concordance between endoscopic appearance and histology.

Patients and methods

In 23 patients a part of jejunum, to be removed for surgical reasons, was isolated and selectively exposed to ischemia with 0, 30 or 120 minutes of reperfusion. In 3 patients, a videocapsule was inserted in the isolated segment before exposure to IR, to visualize the mucosa. Endoscopic view at several time points was related to histology (Heamatoxylin & Eosin) obtained from 20 patients.

Results

Ischemia was characterized by loss of villous structure, mucosal whitening and appearance of punctate lesions. This was related to appearance of subepithelial spaces and breaches in the epithelial lining in the histological view. Early during reperfusion, the lumen filled with IR-damaged, shed cells and VCE showed mucosal erosions, hemorrhage and intraluminal debris. At 60 minutes of reperfusion, the only remaining signs of IR were loss of villous structure and small erosions, indicating rapid mucosal healing.

Conclusions

This study shows a unique, real-time in vivo endoscopic view of early mucosal changes during IR of the human small intestine. Future studies should evaluate its usefulness in diagnosis of patients suspected of IR.

Small bowel capsule endoscopy in 2007: indications, risks and limitations

Capsule endoscopy has revoluzionized the study of the small bowel by providing a reliable method to evaluate, endoscopically, the entire small bowel. In the last six years several papers have been published exploring the possible role of this examination in different clinical conditions. At the present time capsule endoscopy is generally recommended as a third examination, after negative bidirectional endoscopy, in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. A growing body of evidence suggests also an important role for this examination in other clinical conditions such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, small bowel polyposis syndromes or small bowel tumors. The main complication of this examination is the retention of the device at the site of a previously unknown small bowel stricture. However there are also some other open issues mainly due to technical limitations of this tool (which is not driven from remote control, is unable to take biopsies, to insufflate air, to suck fluids or debris and sometimes to correctly size and locate lesions). The recently developed double balloon enteroscope, owing to its capability to explore a large part of the small bowel and to take targeted biopsies, although being invasive and time consuming, can overcome some limitations of capsule endoscopy. At the present time, in the majority of clinical conditions (i.e. obscure GI bleeding), the winning strategy seems to be to couple these two techniques to explore the small bowel in a painless, safe and complete way (with capsule endoscopy) and to define and treat the lesions identified (with double balloon enteroscopy).

Small bowel capsule endoscopy in 2007: indications, risks and limitations

Capsule endoscopy has revoluzionized the study of the small bowel by providing a reliable method to evaluate, endoscopically, the entire small bowel. In the last six years several papers have been published exploring the possible role of this examination in different clinical conditions. At the present time capsule endoscopy is generally recommended as a third examination, after negative bidirectional endoscopy, in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. A growing body of evidence suggests also an important role for this examination in other clinical conditions such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, small bowel polyposis syndromes or small bowel tumors. The main complication of this examination is the retention of the device at the site of a previously unknown small bowel stricture. However there are also some other open issues mainly due to technical limitations of this tool (which is not driven from remote control, is unable to take biopsies, to insufflate air, to suck fluids or debris and sometimes to correctly size and locate lesions). The recently developed double balloon enteroscope, owing to its capability to explore a large part of the small bowel and to take targeted biopsies, although being invasive and time consuming, can overcome some limitations of capsule endoscopy. At the present time, in the majority of clinical conditions (i.e. obscure GI bleeding), the winning strategy seems to be to couple these two techniques to explore the small bowel in a painless, safe and complete way (with capsule endoscopy) and to define and treat the lesions identified (with double balloon enteroscopy).