The efficacy of endoscopic ultrasonography in local staging of rectal tumors

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The purpose of this study was to research the efficacy and reliability of endoscopic rectal ultrasonography in local staging (T and N stages) of rectal tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was carried out by the Department of Gastroenterology, İzmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, which is tertiary level. Thirty-one patients with adenocarcinoma were included in the study. The patients found operable according to computed tomography underwent preoperative local staging by endoscopic ultrasonography. Radial endoscopic ultrasonography and T and N stages were evaluated.

RESULTS

It was observed that endoscopic rectal ultrasonography had 80.6% accuracy, 93.4% sensitivity, and 96.5% specificity in T stage; 70% accuracy, 70% sensitivity, and 86% specificity in the detection of presence of lymph node; and 76% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, and 22% specificity in the detection of the nature of lymph node.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, it was observed that endoscopic rectal ultrasonography is an efficient and reliable method in the detection of local lymph node and the depth of invasion of rectal tumors (T staging), although it is not reliable enough to determine the characteristics of lymph nodes.

Does presence of common bile duct stones in patients with acute biliary pancreatitis affect the severity of illness or laboratory findings?

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To determine the effect of stone within the common bile duct, on the severity of acute biliary pancreatitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a prospective and cross sectional study which was conducted at a tertiary care hospital including 103 patients. Serum biochemical values and white blood cell counts at the first 12th and 72nd hours of presentation were evaluated. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of common bile duct stones which were diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Besides, the patients were classified as mild and severe acute pancreatitis according to the data provided by computed tomography (Balthazar scoring) and clinical assessment and blood samples.

RESULTS

Among the 103 patients with acute biliary patients, radial endoscopic ultrasonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed stones and/or sludge within the common bile duct or ampulla in 41 (39.8%) patients. There was not any persistent common bile duct stone in 62 (60.2%) patients. Severe pancreatitis developed in 9 (22%) of 41 patients who were determined to have stones by endoscopic ultrasonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and in 13 (21%) of 62 patients who were not. There was no difference in the incidence of progressing to severe acute biliary patients between patients with and without common bile duct stones (p=0.45).

CONCLUSION

Presence of common bile duct stones do not correlate with the severity of acute biliary pancreatitis.

Combined use of endosonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the same session

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasound in common bile duct stones is high. In this investigation, we evaluated the feasibility of endoscopic ultrasound preceding endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in the same session and the potential benefits in increasing the therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography ratio in the treatment of choledocholithiasis.

METHODS

One hundred and sixty-five consecutive patients who presented with elevated ALP and bilirubin levels and were referred for endoscopic retrograde cholangiography of biliary stones diagnosed with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography were evaluated. During the evaluation period (mean: 2 weeks), 50 patients with reductions in ALP and bilirubin by at least half relative to baseline values were enrolled into the study. Endoscopic ultrasound was performed prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Time spent to perform endoscopic ultrasound was noted. For the presence of common bile duct stone, we used retrograde cholangiography findings as the standard of reference.

RESULTS

Median endoscopic ultrasound time was 10.66 minutes (SD±1.52). Bile duct stones were revealed with retrograde cholangiography in 34 patients (68%). Sensitivity, specificity (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]), positive predictive value and negative predictive value of endoscopic ultrasound were calculated. In identifying common bile duct stones on endoscopic ultrasound, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were statistically determined as 91.2% (95% CI), 88.3% (95% CI), 91%, and 81.3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that in the presence of local experience and availability of endoscopic ultrasound, it is feasible to perform endoscopic ultrasound prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for detecting choledocholithiasis in suspected cases are high. Endoscopic ultrasound preceding endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in the same session has the potential to decrease diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and increase therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Need to perform magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in the presence of easily accessible endoscopic ultrasound should be questioned.

Evaluation of flow and structure abnormalities of splanchnic system veins in cirrhotic patients without portal hypertension

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate hemodynamic and anatomic alterations of the splanchnic venous system and the efficiency and safety of color Doppler radial endosonography in the assessment of cirrhotic patients by comparing Child A cirrhotic patients without portal hypertension findings versus a non-cirrhotic group.

METHODS

The study was carried out between January 2009 and February 2010; the study population was 38 cirrhotic patients without portal hypertension and 140 control patients.

RESULTS

Hepatopedal flow was monophasic in all the control patients; the flow pattern was chaotic and irregular in 8% of the cirrhotic patients; in the cirrhotic patients the portal vein diameter was increased and the flow velocity reduced; no differences in flow volume were observed between the two groups. Splenic vein diameter and flow velocity were normal. In the majority of the Child A cirrhotic patients without portal hypertension, no changes were seen in portal vein diameter or flow volume; in some patients no significant increase portal vein diameter was observed and showed the flow volumes were unchanged.

CONCLUSION

Radial Doppler endosonography may be efficient and safe for assessing the splanchnic system.

The relationship between chronic HCV infection and the level of plasma adiponectin

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Metabolic products (TNFalpha, adiponectin, resistin, etc.), which are effective in insulin sensitivity and in the regulation of inflammation, play an important role in the development of metabolic disorders and fatty liver disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of HCV infection alone on plasma adiponectin levels and insulin sensitivity when metabolic factors are minimized and to determine whether chronic HCV infection causes hepatosteatosis through its effect on these factors.

METHODS

This study was carried out between 2006-2007, at the Gastroenterology Clinic of Izmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, in 30 non-diabetic patients with chronic HCV infection and 30 healthy subjects as controls. BMI (<26 kg/m2), fasting plasma glucose level, and ultrasonography were normal in both groups. In the patient group, HCV RNA was > or =1.90 x 10(3) IU/ml, ALT and AST were two times normal, and histological fibrosis scores were 1-2 in liver biopsy. Serum adiponectin levels and HOMA-IR were compared.

RESULTS

Fasting blood glucose levels, body mass index and HOMA-IR of the two groups were similar and normal. The mean ALT value was significantly higher in the patient group [61.8 U/L vs 28.17 U/L (p<0.05)]. The mean viral load was determined as 5.6 x 10(5) IU/ml in the chronic HCV patient group. The mean plasma adiponectin concentrations were 71.07 microg/ml in chronic HCV patients and 82.07 microg/ml in the control group, and the difference was statistically insignificant (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In the absence of metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and hepatosteatosis, chronic HCV infection does not affect insulin sensitivity or adiponectin concentration.

Safety of biopsy in liver hemangiomas

Hemangiomas are the most common tumors of the liver. Almost all cases are easily detected by ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and erythrocyte-tagged technetium-99m scintigraphy. In case of inconclusive radiologic features and a history of malignancy or underlying liver disease, liver biopsy is indicated. Bleeding is the most feared complication of biopsy of hemangiomas due to its highly vascular structure. In our clinic, we biopsied seven patients with suspected masses and they were diagnosed histopathologically afterwards as having hemangiomas. We did not observe any complication including bleeding during or after the procedure. Although the case number is too small to reach a definite conclusion, we think that our report deserves attention in showing that concerns about bleeding during biopsy of hemangiomas may be overstated.

Adenocarcinoma of the ileocecal valve: report of a case

Tumors of the ileocecal valve are rarely mentioned, and are mostly defined radiologically. In this manuscript, we report a case of ileocecal valve adenocarcinoma diagnosed endoscopically. The case is a male patient, 78-years-old, with abdominal pain and weight loss in whom a mass was palpated in the lower right quadrant. Abdominal ultrasound examination followed by colonoscopy and pathological diagnosis revealed adenocarcinoma of the ileocecal valve confirmed by surgical diagnosis. We report this case because of its rarity and because there is no endoscopic image in the medical literature.

Comparison of cefotaxime and ofloxacin in treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Gold-standard treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis currently involves 3rd generation cephalosporins. To evaluate the efficacy of ofloxacin in this infection, we compared a combined therapy with intravenous and oral ofloxacin to intravenous cefotaxime.

METHODS

Thirty cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were assigned to receive either intravenous (1 g/12 h) cefotaxime for 7 days (n=17) or intravenous (200 mg/12 h) ofloxacin for 2 days followed by oral (200 mg/12 h) ofloxacin for 5 days (n=13). All cases had community-acquired spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

RESULTS

The infection resolution rate on the 7th day of therapy was 82.4% in the cefotaxime group and 92.3% in the ofloxacin group. Hospital survival rates were 82.4% and 100%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral ofloxacin after a short course of intravenous ofloxacin is effective in the treatment of uncomplicated spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. This regimen may allow physicians to treat these patients as outpatients as soon as their intravenous therapy is completed.

Is prolapse gastropathy a cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding?

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Prolapse gastropathy is a clinical syndrome involving the invagination of a part of the gastric mucosa into the lower esophagus resulting in well demarcated hemorrhagic mucosa and sometimes bleeding. The importance of this syndrome is that it has been reported as a cause of hematemesis. As this syndrome is considered to be seen in patients with retching and vomiting and to be one of the causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, this study was undertaken to evaluate its frequency and importance in our patients.

METHODS

The study groups comprised of 941 patients with hematemesis and 54 with recurrent retching and vomiting. Biopsies were obtained from the prolapsing mucosa when detected. Hematoxylin and eosin stained specimens were reviewed by an experienced histopathologist.

RESULTS

Prolapse gastropathy was detected in 20 patients (2%), of whom six (0.6%) were in the hematemesis group and 14 (25.9%) in the retching and vomiting group. The location of the lesion was the greater curvature in 10 patients (50%), lesser curvature in seven patients (35%) and anterior wall in three patients (15%). In all six cases from the hematemesis group, bleeding was not related to prolapse gastropathy because other causative lesions were identified. Histologic evaluation of the biopsies revealed acute inflammation, chronic inflammation and submucosal hemorrhage.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the results of this study, prolapse gastropathy is not a cause of hematemesis. Other causes should be identified when prolapse gastropathy is detected in a patient with hematemesis.

Colonoscopy without sedation

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In Turkey, colonoscopy is a procedure generally performed with intravenous sedation and analgesia. Most of the complications of colonoscopy are related to sedation. The aims of this study were to determine the percentage of patients who could successfully undergo nonsedated colonoscopy without sedation and to assess patient tolerance and acceptance.

METHODS

The study included 120 consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy by two endoscopists in our endoscopy unit. The procedure routinely began without sedation, which was later given (midazolam and hyoscine butylbromide) only if significant discomfort occurred. Parameters of blood pressure, oxygen saturation and heart rate were measured before and during colonoscopy. After the procedure patients were asked to rate their pain on a four point scale 1=no pain, 2=slight, 3=moderate, 4=severe and they were also asked if they would be willing to undergo colonoscopy again without sedation.

RESULTS

Eighty eight percent of all colonoscopies were completed without sedation. Mean PaO2 was 96.46 in nonsedated patients and 93.90 (significant p<0.05) in sedated patients. No difference was found between blood pressure and pulse rate of nonsedated and sedated patients. The mean pain score was 2.0 for the nonsedated patients and 3.8 (significant p<0.05) for the sedated patients. Eighty eight percent of patients stated that they would be willing to undergo colonoscopy without sedation again.

CONCLUSIONS

In experienced hands, colonoscopy without sedation can be completed successfully in most patients, without any complications and use of extra instrumentation.