Pyloric stenosis associated Crohn's disease responding to adalimumab therapy

Case report and review of literature: IgG4-gastroduodenitis in upper GI Crohn's disease: two separate entities or just a marker of disease severity?

A 20-year-old man was presented with ulcerative gastritis and duodenitis complicated by pyloric stenosis. Helicobacter pylori infection was excluded, and the lesions did not respond to treatment with proton pump inhibitors. No other parts of the intestinal tract showed signs of inflammation. Histopathological review showed signs of chronic inflammation with granuloma formation. A tentative diagnosis of isolated upper gastrointestinal (UGI) Crohn's disease was performed. However, additional work-up revealed significantly positive IgG4 staining as well as elevated IgG4 serum levels. Since granulomatous disease is unlikely in IgG4-related disease, an eventual diagnosis of overlapping IgG4-related disease and Crohn's disease (CD) was performed. Treatment with systemic steroids and anti-TNF in combination with azathioprine led to rapid symptomatic improvement. In this article, we review the available literature on IgG4-related gastroduodenitis, granulomatous gastritis, and upper GI CD. We suggest the possibility that IgG4-infiltration may be a marker of severely active inflammatory bowel disease rather than a separate disease entity.

Duodenal Crohn's disease: Case report and systematic review

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, and Crohn's disease (CD), has a global impact. This review focuses on duodenal CD (DCD), a rare subtype affecting the duodenum. DCD's rarity and asymptomatic nature create diagnostic challenges, impacting prognosis and patient well-being. Delayed diagnosis can worsen DCD outcomes.

AIM

To report a rare case of DCD and to discuss the diagnostic challenges and its implications on prognosis.

METHODS

A systematic literature search, following the PRISMA statement, was conducted. Relevant studies were identified and analysed using specific Medical Subject Terms (MeSH) from PubMed/MEDLINE, American Journal of Gastroenterology, and the University of South Wales database. Data collection included information from radiology scans, endoscopy procedures, biopsies, and histopathology results.

RESULTS

The review considered 8 case reports and 1 observational study, involving 44 participants diagnosed with DCD, some of whom developed complications due to delayed diagnosis. Various diagnostic methods were employed, as there is no gold standard workup for DCD. Radiology scans [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and upper gastrointestinal X-ray], endoscopy procedures (colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy), biopsies, and clinical suspicions were utilized.

CONCLUSION

This review discusses DCD diagnosis challenges and the roles of CT, MRI, and fluoroscopy. It notes their limitations and compares findings with endoscopy and histopathology studies. Further research is needed to improve diagnosis, emphasizing scan interpretation, endoscopy procedures, and biopsies, especially in high-risk patients during routine endoscopy.

Gastric and Duodenal Fistulas in Crohn's Disease, a Surgical Challenge: Report of 5 Cases and a Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND Fistulas involving the stomach and duodenum in Crohn's disease are rare (occurring in less than 1% of patients). Here, we reviewed registers from 855 patients with Crohn's disease treated in our service from January 2007 to December 2020 and found 4 cases of duodenal fistula and 1 case of gastric fistula. CASE REPORT The fistula origin was in the ileocolic segment in all cases, and all of the patients underwent preoperative optimization with improvement of nutritional status and infection control. They then underwent surgical treatment with resection of the affected segment and duodenal or gastric closure with covering by an omental patch. One case of a duodenal fistula was complicated by duodenal dehiscence. This was treated surgically with duodenojejunostomy. Each of the other patients had an uneventful postoperative course. All patients were successfully cured of their gastroduodenal fistulas, and at the time of this publication, none of them died or had fistula recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Fistulas with the involvement of the stomach and duodenum in patients with Crohn's disease are almost always due to inflammation in the ileum, colon, or previous ileocolic anastomosis. Management of this situation is complex and often requires clinical and surgical assistance; preoperative optimization of the patient's general condition can improve the surgical results. The surgical approach is based on resection of the affected segment and gastric or duodenal closure with covering by an omental patch. Gastrojejunostomy or duodenojejunostomy can be performed in selected patients with larger defects and minor jejunal disease. To prevent recurrence, prophylactic therapy with anti-TNF agents and early endoscopic surveillance are also essential for successful treatment.

An Obscure Presence of Gastroduodenal Involvement in a Newly Diagnosed Ileocolic Crohn’s Disease Patient

Whereas typical Crohn’s disease is confined to the terminal ileum and presents with abdominal pain and diarrhea, gastroduodenal manifestations of Crohn’s disease are rare, with often asymptomatic patient presentations and inconclusive diagnostic testing. It is, however, a more severe form of Crohn’s disease and thus warrants treatment with steroids and biologics much earlier than its ileocolonic counterpart. We present the case of a young, otherwise healthy, male with newly diagnosed ileocolonic Crohn’s disease with concurrent gastroduodenal involvement that initially failed management with biologic agents. We discuss the clinical manifestations and often obscure pathology of gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease and highlight the necessity of performing a concurrent esophagogastroduodenoscopic evaluation on newly diagnosed ileocolonic Crohn’s disease to assess the presence of upper gastrointestinal involvement.

Pediatric Crohn's disease with severe morbidity manifested by gastric outlet obstruction: two cases report and review of the literature

Crohn’s disease (CD) presenting as gastric outlet obstruction is rare but serious clinical presentation of CD causing severe morbidity. However, there have been few case reports concerning this disorder in East Asian children and adolescents. The current case report describes 2 pediatric patients with CD who had had gastric outlet obstruction as an initial symptom of CD. Two pediatric patients developed postprandial vomiting, bloating, and unintentional weight loss. The upper endoscopy result indicated that there was pyloric obstruction with mucosal edema, inflammation and ulcers. The serologic test and colonoscopy results suggested CD. These patients were treated with infliximab, and endoscopic balloon dilation without surgery and showed remarkable improvement in obstructing symptoms with maintaining clinical and biochemical remission. This case report elucidates the benefits of early intervention using infliximab and endoscopic balloon dilation to improve gastric outlet obstruction and achieve baseline recovery in patients with upper gastrointestinal B2 phenotype of CD.

Pyloric stenosis as a manifestation of isolated gastric Crohn's disease responding to intralesional steroid injection and balloon dilation: a case report

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect the gut from mouth to anus. Gastroduodenal involvement is seen in less than 5% of all patients with Crohn's disease. Among those cases, isolated gastric Crohn's disease is even rarer. Although most patients with isolated gastric involvement have nonspecific complaints, very few of them do develop features of pyloric obstruction. There is a paucity of data on specific management of gastric Crohn's disease owing to its rarity and its frequent coexistence with colonic or ileal disease. We report a case of a patient who had pyloric stenosis as a manifestation of isolated gastric Crohn's disease responding to intralesional steroid injection and balloon dilation.

CASE PRESENTATION

A previously healthy woman presented with recurrent postprandial vomiting, epigastric discomfort, and unintentional weight loss over 6 months. She had no diarrhea or extraintestinal manifestations. Clinically, she was pale and dehydrated. Examination of systems was unremarkable except for mild epigastric tenderness. Her initial laboratory findings were normocytic normochromic anemia, high inflammatory markers, and hypokalemia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed an inflamed pyloric mucosa with features of pyloric obstruction. Furthermore, magnetic resonance enterography confirmed the pyloric stenosis. Histopathological examination of a biopsy from the pylorus revealed noncaseating granuloma with superficial ulceration. Tuberculosis and sarcoidosis were excluded by appropriate investigations, and a diagnosis of gastric Crohn's disease was made. Following the initial resuscitation, intralesional steroid injection and controlled radial expansion balloon dilation of the pylorus were carried out. The patient was commenced on azathioprine as a maintenance treatment, which led to a successful dilation and remarkable symptom improvement.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms of pyloric obstruction as a manifestation of isolated gastric Crohn's disease are extremely unusual in clinical practice, awareness of which would facilitate early appropriate investigations and treatment.

Crohn’s disease of esophagus, stomach and duodenum

Crohn’s disease with involvement of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum has a prevalence of 0.5% to 4% in symptomatic adult patients, but some studies have shown that these results may be underestimated, since upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is not performed routinely in the initial evaluation of the disease in adult patients, as it is in the pediatric population. In general, involvement of the upper gastrointestinal tract in Crohn’s disease occurs concomitantly with involvement of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The diagnosis depends on clinical, endoscopic, histological and radiological evaluation. The presence of aphthoid ulcers, longitudinal ulcers, bamboo-joint-like appearance, stenoses and fistulas are endoscopic findings suggestive of the disease, and it is important to exclude the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. The primary histological findings, which facilitate the diagnosis, are the presence of a chronic inflammatory process with a predominance of lymphoplasmacytic cells and active focal gastritis. The presence of epithelioid granuloma, although less frequent, is highly suggestive of the disease in the absence of chronic granulomatous disease. Treatment should include the use of proton pump inhibitors associated with corticosteroids, immunomodulators and biological therapy according to the severity of the disease.