Computed tomography angiography in patients with active gastrointestinal bleeding

The Detective Value of Magnetically Controlled Robotic Capsule Endoscopy in Patients With Suspected Small Intestinal Disease

Objective: To explore the detective value of magnetically controlled robotic capsule endoscopy (MCRCE) in patients with suspected small intestinal disease.

Patients and Methods: In total, 1,802 patients with suspected small intestinal disease and negative gastroenteroscopy from Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital were examined with MCRCE, and the data were collected for further analysis.

Results: Among the 1,802 patients who were examined with MCRCE, 974 were diagnosed with small intestinal disease, reaching a positive detection rate of 54.1%. The five most common conditions that were detected include non-specific enteritis in 722 cases (40.1%), small intestinal ulcers in 87 cases (4.8%), abnormal small bowel evacuation in 45 cases (2.5%), small intestinal bleeding in 33 cases (1.8%), and small intestinal yellow spots in 31 cases (1.7%). The running time of the capsules in the small intestine ranged from 85–437 min, with an average of 210.24 ± 89.08 min. No complications, such as intestinal obstruction or capsule retention, were observed in all patients.

Conclusion: MCRCE is a safe and non-invasive endoscopic examination with a highly accurate detection rate for small intestinal diseases.

Massive Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to Jejunal Diverticula in a Community Hospital: A Case Report and Review of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options

Small bowel diverticula are rare and often asymptomatic. Severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding from jejunal diverticula is rarely reported and, therefore, should be considered a differential diagnosis in all cases of lower gastrointestinal bleeding with nonconclusive gastroscopy and colonoscopy. In this case report, we discuss a case of a 75-year-old male with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding from jejunal diverticula. Initial gastroscopy did not reveal the source of bleeding. Repeat upper endoscopy with a pediatric colonoscope identified jejunal diverticula as the likely source of bleeding. Angiography identified the site of extravasation, and successful angioembolization was done by interventional radiology.

Computed tomography versus lower endoscopy as initial diagnostic method for evaluating patients with hematochezia at emergency room

For acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB), lower gastrointestinal endoscopy is the preferred initial diagnostic test. However, it is difficult to perform urgently. Computed tomography (CT) is a convenient alternative.This study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of CT compared to lower endoscopy as an initial test for evaluating acute LGIB.The medical records of 382 patients who visited our emergency department with hematochezia between January 2012 and January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Of them, 112 underwent CT, 65 underwent colonoscopy, and 205 underwent sigmoidoscopy as an initial test. For each method, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated upon active bleeding site detection and LGIB etiology diagnosis.The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CT for active bleeding site detection were 85.7%, 100%, 100%, and 96.9%, respectively, while those for identifying the etiology of LGIB were 87.4%, 40.0%, 83.5, and 47.6%, respectively.CT was not inferior to lower endoscopy for active bleeding site detection. Early localization and the exclusion of active bleeding were possible with CT. Etiology was diagnosed with high sensitivity and PPV by CT. Thus, CT can be an alternative initial diagnostic tool for evaluating acute LGIB.

Vascular anomalies of the celiac trunk and implications in treatment of HCC with TACE. Description of a case and review of the literature

Knowledge of the vascular anatomy of the upper abdomen is important in the daily practice of surgeons specialized in the hepatobiliary and pancreatic area, and for general surgeons and radiologists, mainly those involved in interventional radiology. Since anatomical variants of the celiac axis and hepatic arteries are common, an accurate description of vascularization is required before procedures to avoid iatrogenic vascular changes.

We reported a case of a young male patient with HBV related cirrhosis, who came to our institution for the treatment of 2 HCC nodules. The preprocedural contrast-enhanced CT examination showed combined variations of celiac trunk, hepatic arteries, gastroduodenal artery, and right inferior phrenic artery. The careful pre- and intraprocedural evaluation of vascularization allowed us to perform transarterial chemoembolization of the 2 nodules without complications.

The incidence and developmental and clinical significance of this variation is discussed with a detailed review of the literature. Knowledge of such a case has important clinical significance in abdominal operations or invasive arterial procedures.

Computed tomography angiography study of variations of the celiac trunk and hepatic artery in 100 patients

Objective

To describe the main anatomical variations of the celiac trunk and the hepatic artery at their origins.

Materials and Methods

This was a prospective analysis of 100 consecutive computed tomography angiography studies of the abdomen performed during a one-year period. The findings were stratified according to classification systems devised by Sureka et al. and Michels.

Results

The celiac trunk was "normal" (i.e., the hepatogastrosplenic trunk and superior mesenteric artery originating separately from the abdominal aorta) in 43 patients. In our sample, we identified four types of variations of the celiac trunk. Regarding the hepatic artery, a normal anatomical pattern (i.e., the proper hepatic artery being a continuation of the common hepatic artery and bifurcating into the right and left hepatic arteries) was seen in 82 patients. We observed six types of variations of the hepatic artery.

Conclusion

We found rates of variations of the hepatic artery that are different from those reported in the literature. Our findings underscore the need for proper knowledge and awareness of these anatomical variations, which can facilitate their recognition and inform decisions regarding the planning of surgical procedures, in order to avoid iatrogenic intraoperative injuries, which could lead to complications.

A Novel Technique to Measure the Intensity of Abnormality on GI Bleeding Scans: Development, Initial Implementation, and Correlation With Conventional Angiography

PURPOSE

Develop a technique to quantify intensity of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) on Tc-labeled red blood cell (RBC) scintigraphy, correlate with angiography, and determine the tool's predictive value.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An IRB-approved, single institution database query of GI bleeding scans performed between January 2013 and December 2015. Reports from all studies and imaging from all positive studies were reviewed. A technique was developed for scan analysis, allowing for calculation of percent increase of activity in the region of interest (ROI, area of bleeding) and ROI in the aorta and liver (controls). Database query determined which patients underwent angiography, and which had positive angiograms. Median ROI percent increase in patients with positive scintigraphy and positive angiography was compared to those with positive scintigraphy and negative angiography.

RESULTS

Of 194 bleeding scans performed during the study period, 71 were positive for active LGIB, 37 had angiography, and 9 had active contrast extravasation. The new tool was used to analyze the 37 cases with positive nuclear scans sent for angiography. Median percent increase in ROI activity was 50% in those with positive scan and positive angiogram and 26.8% in those with positive scan but negative angiogram. Using ROI percent change quartiles, we observed a statistically significant association between percent increase in ROI activity from baseline and the probability of having a positive angiogram (Cochran-Armitage trend test, P = 0.01), such that there are no positive angiogram cases when ROI change was <20% and a majority of the positive angiogram cases (67%) in the highest quartile.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilization of processing protocol to determine percent increase in activity from baseline within ROI of active LGIB on scintigraphy has predictive value in determining which patients will not benefit from conventional angiography.