Implementation of a Timed Barium Esophagram Protocol for Assessment of Esophageal Function in Children

EDS-related Feeding Difficulties: Preventing the Placement of a Surgical Feeding Tube

Feeding difficulties due to functional gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (i.e., nausea, pain, and bloating) are well described in patients with hypermobile-type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. These symptoms are particularly difficult to treat when there is comorbid dysautonomia, usually manifesting as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Here, we describe a successful trial of multidisciplinary rehabilitative interventions to avoid placement of a surgical feeding tube in such a patient. Main components of intervention were intensive pelvic floor physiotherapy and biofeedback, occupational therapy focused on coping with feeding-related symptoms, psychology support, and medications targeting histamine blockade and enhancing intestinal motility.

Imaging characteristics of esophageal cancer in multi-slice spiral CT and barium meal radiography and their early diagnostic value

BACKGROUND

To explore the imaging characteristics of esophageal cancer in multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) and barium meal radiography and to analyze the value of the two examinations alone or in combination for cancer staging diagnosis.

METHODS

The clinical data of 87 patients with esophageal cancer admitted to our hospital from June 2018 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different examination methods, they were divided into a barium meal group (n=28 cases, X-ray barium meal radiography), an MSCT group (n=29 cases, MSCT examination), and a combined group (n=30 cases, barium meal + MSCT). The imaging characteristics from the barium meal radiography and MSCT alone versus their combined results were compared with the pathological examination results to analyze their accuracy in diagnosing esophageal cancer staging.

RESULTS

Of the 87 cases, the esophageal cancer lesion sites were as follows: 23 cervical cases, 20 upper thoracic cases, 21 middle thoracic cases, and 23 lower thoracic cases. The X-ray barium meal examination of esophageal mucosa showed irregular filling of the esophagus. The esophageal wall was stiff or jagged, the lumen was narrow, and it was difficult for the barium to pass, the mucosa was discontinuous. The CT scan showed irregular thickening of the esophageal wall, eccentric and concentric stenosis of the esophageal cavity, and the upper part of the esophagus showed different degrees of expansion. The trachea and bronchi were invaded, deformed, and displaced under compression. The diagnostic staging results of the barium meal group and MSCT group were inconsistent with the pathological results (Kappa =0.105, 0.112; P>0.05). The diagnostic staging results of the combined group were in good agreement with the pathological results (Kappa =0.769). In addition, the accuracy of the combined group in the diagnosis of stage III-IV esophageal cancer among the three groups was significantly higher than that of the barium meal group and MSCT group alone (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

MSCT and barium meal radiography clearly display the imaging features of esophageal cancer and can provide reliable imaging evidence for preoperative diagnosis; the combination of both measures can effectively improve the accuracy of early diagnosis for esophageal cancer.

Esophageal Dysphagia in Children: State of the Art and Proposal for a Symptom-Based Diagnostic Approach

Pediatric esophageal dysphagia (PED) is an infrequent condition that can be determined by a large number of disorders. The etiologic diagnosis is challenging due to overlapping clinical phenotypes and to the absence of pediatric diagnostic guidelines. This review aims to summarize the most relevant causes of ED during childhood, highlight the clinical scenarios of PED presentation and discuss the indications of available diagnostic tools. Available information supports that PED should always be investigated as it can underlie life-threatening conditions (e.g., foreign body ingestion, mediastinal tumors), represent the complication of benign disorders (e.g., peptic stenosis) or constitute the manifestation of organic diseases (e.g., eosinophilic esophagitis, achalasia). Therefore, the diagnosis of functional PED should be made only after excluding mucosal, structural, or motility esophageal abnormalities. Several clinical features may contribute to the diagnosis of PED. Among the latter, we identified several clinical key elements, relevant complementary-symptoms and predisposing factors, and organized them in a multi-level, hierarchical, circle diagram able to guide the clinician through the diagnostic work-up of PED. The most appropriate investigational method(s) should be chosen based on the diagnostic hypothesis: esophagogastroduodenoscopy has highest diagnostic yield for mucosal disorders, barium swallow has greater sensitivity in detecting achalasia and structural abnormalities, chest CT/MR inform on the mediastinum, manometry is most sensitive in detecting motility disorders, while pH-MII measures gastroesophageal reflux. Further studies are needed to define the epidemiology of PED, determine the prevalence of individual underlying etiologies, and assess the diagnostic value of investigational methods as to develop a reliable diagnostic algorithm.