Acute pancreatitis associated with peroral double-balloon enteroscopy： A case report

A 58-year-old Japanese man had tarry stool and severe anemia. Neither upper nor lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy showed any localized lesions. Thus, the source of his GI bleeding was suspected to be in the small intestine, and he underwent peroral double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) using EN-450T5 (Fujinon-Toshiba ES System Co., Tokyo, Japan). There were no lesions considered to be the source of GI bleeding. After the procedure, the patient began to experience abdominal pain. Laboratory tests revealed hyperamylasemia and abdominal computed tomography revealed an inflammation of the pancreas and the peripancreas. He was thus diagnosed to have acute pancreatitis. Conservative treatments resulted in both clinical and laboratory amelioration. He had no history of alcohol ingestion, gallstone disease or pancreatitis. Magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography demonstrated no structural alterations and no stones in the pancreatobiliary ductal system. As his abdominal pain started after the procedure, his acute pancreatitis was thus thought to have been related to the peroral DBE. This is the first reported case of acute pancreatitis probably associated with peroral DBE.     

Delayed relapse of Churg-Strauss syndrome manifesting as colon ulcers with mucosal granulomas: 3 cases

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is characterized by small vessel vasculitis and extravascular granulomas. The American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for CSS include asthma, eosinophili, and clinical manifestation of vasculitis. Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations occur in 30% of patients, but are inaugural in only 16%. They denote vasculitis of the stomach and small bowel wall, and consist in protean, nonspecific pain. GI involvement is of adverse prognostic significance in CSS. Ulcer formation in the GI tract mucosa is a rarer manifestation, usually discovered upon laparotomy or autopsy. We describe 3 new cases of colonic ulcers in CSS. Unusual features were diagnosis of the ulcers during a delayed relapse and presence of eosinophilic granulomas within the mucosa.     

Evaluation of deep small bowel involvement by double-balloon enteroscopy in Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVES: Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) enables inspection of deep small bowel, and total small bowel examination can be performed by either antegrade or retrograde DBE. The aim of this study was to evaluate ileal involvement, which cannot be achieved using conventional colonoscopy, by DBE in patients with Crohn's disease. METHODS: From December 2003 to September 2005, a total of 44 patients with Crohn's disease underwent 53 examinations using DBE. RESULTS: Forty patients with Crohn's disease, seven women and 33 men, underwent DBE, and the ileum was investigated in 38 patients. There were 25 cases of ileitis, 2 of colitis, and 13 of ileocolitis. Jejunal lesions were found in two and ileal lesions proximal to the terminal ileum were found in 24 patients with Crohn's disease. DBE was superior to radiological study to detect aphthae, erosions, and small ulcers in the ileum. Small bowel stricture was demonstrated in six and nine patients with DBE and small bowel barium study (SBBS), respectively. An additional mucosal finding was demonstrated in one of the eight patients who underwent wireless capsule endoscopy, and one patient had a capsule removed by DBE that had become lodged because of an ileal stricture. One ileal perforation because of overtube balloon pressure occurred in 53 examinations of patients with Crohn's disease (1.9%). CONCLUSION: DBE is useful to evaluate small bowel lesions in patients with Crohn's disease; however, special attention should be paid to mesenteric longitudinal ulcers during insertion and the overtube balloon should not be inflated if a clear intestinal view is not possible.     

Double-Balloon Endoscopy Depicts Diminutive Small Bowel Lesions in Gastrointestinal Lymphoma

The aim was to determine the prevalence of small bowel involvement in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma by double-balloon endoscopy (DBE). We examined 29 patients with primary GI lymphoma by oral and anal DBEs. Clinicopathologic features related to the prevalence of diminutive small bowel involvement and the clinical outcome were retrospectively investigated. Diminutive small bowel lesions were found in 14 patients. The prevalence of the lesions was not different between patients with primary small bowel lymphoma and those with primary extra-small bowel lymphoma (50% versus 47%, P = 0.6). However, clinical stage was more advanced in patients with the lesions than in those without (P < 0.05). The lesions were more frequently found in T-cell lymphoma (100%) and follicular lymphoma (77%) than in the other types of lymphoma (15%) (P < 0.05). Diminutive small intestinal lesions occur in patients with GI lymphoma, especially in those with follicular lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma. GI lymphomas of these histologic types are candidates for scrutiny by DBE.     

Acknowledgment

Abstract

Patients suffering from Behçet’s disease (BD) with intestinal involvement often have an atypical disease course. The disease in many patients does not fully meet the diagnostic criteria defined by the International Study Group for Behçet’s Disease, and instead such patients are diagnosed as having an incomplete type of BD according to the criteria of the BD Research Committee of Japan. The patient reported here developed uveitis and gangrene of the extremities as the initial symptoms and was treated with corticosteroid. After 16 years, the gangrene relapsed and multiple deep ulcers suddenly developed in the gastrointestinal tract, with oral ulcer and uveitis. The intestinal perforation was acute, progressive, severe, and extensive. With a diagnosis of incomplete BD with intestinal involvement, she was treated with high-dose glucocorticoid. However, uncontrollable gastrointestinal bleeding led to her death. Histopathological examination revealed that she suffered from intestinal and vascular BD, although gangrene of the extremities has rarely been reported as a manifestation of vascular BD. Thus, the disease course of this patient was characterized by the reappearance of peripheral gangrene after a long interval that preceded the devastating intestinal lesions.     

A case of Behçet’s disease with widespread perforating enteric ulcers preceded by a long history of peripheral gangrene

Patients suffering from Behçet’s disease (BD) with intestinal involvement often have an atypical disease course. The disease in many patients does not fully meet the diagnostic criteria defined by the International Study Group for Behçet’s Disease, and instead such patients are diagnosed as having an incomplete type of BD according to the criteria of the BD Research Committee of Japan. The patient reported here developed uveitis and gangrene of the extremities as the initial symptoms and was treated with corticosteroid. After 16 years, the gangrene relapsed and multiple deep ulcers suddenly developed in the gastrointestinal tract, with oral ulcer and uveitis. The intestinal perforation was acute, progressive, severe, and extensive. With a diagnosis of incomplete BD with intestinal involvement, she was treated with high-dose glucocorticoid. However, uncontrollable gastrointestinal bleeding led to her death. Histopathological examination revealed that she suffered from intestinal and vascular BD, although gangrene of the extremities has rarely been reported as a manifestation of vascular BD. Thus, the disease course of this patient was characterized by the reappearance of peripheral gangrene after a long interval that preceded the devastating intestinal lesions.     

Prevalence of mid-gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with acute overt gastrointestinal bleeding: multi-center experience with 1,044 consecutive patients

Background  Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) enable the detection of small intestinal lesions. Aim  To examine causes of acute overt gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and the prevalence of mid-GI bleeding, defined as small intestinal bleeding from the ampulla of Vater to the terminal ileum, in a multi-center experience in Japan in the VCE/DBE era. Methods  Data were collected retrospectively from consecutive patients with acute overt GI bleeding in ten participating hospitals. All patients were examined by esophagogastroduodenoscopy and/or colonoscopy. When the source of bleeding was not identified after these procedures, patients suspected to have mid-GI bleeding were referred to our hospital and VCE/DBE was performed to determine the source of bleeding. Results  Of the 1044 patients with acute overt GI bleeding, 524 (50.2%) patients were diagnosed with upper GI bleeding, 442 (42.3%) with lower GI bleeding, and 13 (1.2%) with mid-GI bleeding. Gastric ulcer was the most common cause of bleeding (20.4%). Among cases of mid-GI bleeding, ulcers were found in 4 (30.8%) patients, erosions in 3 (23.1%), angiodysplasia in 3 (23.1%), submucosal tumor in 2 (15.4%), and hemangioma in one (7.7%). Seven lesions were located in the jejunum, 5 in the ileum, and one in both the jejunum and ileum. Analysis of age-related cause showed that the prevalence of mid-GI bleeding among younger patients under 40 years of age was higher (5%) than in other age groups (1–2%). Conclusion  mid-GI bleeding is rare among Japanese patients with acute overt GI bleeding.     

Intestinal involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis diagnosed and followed up by double balloon enteroscopy

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a multisystemic disease of unknown etiology characterized by necrotizing vasculitis and granulomatous inflammation (1-3). The disease typically involves the upper airways, lungs and kidneys, and gastrointestinal involvement is uncommon. Described here is a 33-year-old man who presented at the hospital with abdominal pain. Colonoscopy revealed multiple ulcers, including round ulcers, throughout the large intestine. Small bowel ulcers were detected by double balloon enteroscopy (DBE). Further study confirmed that these ulcers were caused by gastrointestinal complications of WG. The patient was administered prednisolone and cyclophosphamide and remains in remission. This case indicates the importance of considering a gastrointestinal complication of WG as the potential cause of abdominal symptoms among WG patients as well as the use of DBE in detecting such a complication.     

Multiple colonic ulcers caused by Churg-Strauss syndrome in a 15-year-old girl

Churg–Strauss syndrome (CSS), or allergic granulomatous angiitis, is an uncommon vasculitic syndrome that is found mainly in middle-aged adults. We describe a 15-year-old girl with CSS, diagnosed by histological findings and characteristic clinical features. The patient experienced two episodes of catastrophic gastrointestinal vasculitis, resulting in resection of 150 cm of small intestine and right hemicolectomy. Colonoscopic examination showed multiple colonic ulcers with active bleeding. The clinical course of the patient was grave and refractory to the therapy of steroid and cytotoxic drugs. In the world literature only two patients with multiple colonic ulcers caused by CSS have been reported, and very rare cases of childhood-onset CSS have been published. We reviewed CSS in children and found that the prognosis was poorer than that in adults. Received: 4 December 2000 / Accepted: 9 March 2001     

Gastrointestinal involvement in insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus

Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction in diabetes mellitus has never been evaluated systematically in all parts of the digestive system in a group of diabetics. Therefore, we have evaluated the frequency, extent, and clinical significance of GI complications in 75 consecutive, male, insulin-requiring diabetics (46 with neuropathy). Nineteen percent of the 75 patients and 30% of those with neuropathy had one or more GI symptoms. Esophageal, gastric, gallbladder, and small intestinal functions were studied in 30 patients using radionuclide esophageal and gastric emptying, postprandial gallbladder emptying, and intestinal transit of lactulose. We divided them into three groups: (1) 10 without neuropathy, (2) 10 with peripheral neuropathy, and (3) 10 with autonomic and peripheral neuropathy. Twenty-five patients (83%) had abnormalities of at least one GI organ, and 57% had abnormalities of two. Nineteen of the 25 patients (76%) with GI involvement and 8 of 9 (89%) symptomatic diabetics had delayed esophageal emptying. Symptomatic diabetics had more diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, and autonomic dysfunction than asymptomatic diabetics and also had more widespread and more severe gastrointestinal involvement than asymptomatic diabetics. Therefore, our results indicate that in diabetics, (1) gastrointestinal motor abnormalities are common even though they are usually asymptomatic and (2) gastrointestinal dysfunction, especially in symptomatic diabetics, is often widespread and usually includes the esophagus.     

Comparison of double balloon enteroscopy and small bowel series for the evaluation of small bowel lesions]

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The role of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is still evolving. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic yield of DBE with that of small bowel series (SBS). METHODS: We enrolled patients with suspected small bowel disease consecutively, and performed both DBE and SBS in all patients. RESULTS: Eighteen patients (M:F=12:6, 14-82 years) were included. Indications for small bowel evaluation were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (10), abdominal pain (5), diarrhea (2) and abnormal CT finding (1). Of 10 obscure gastrointestinal bleeding patients, 6 showed the same findings in both studies. However, 4 showed negative findings in SBS while DBE detected erosions or ulcerations. Of 5 abdominal pain patients, 3 showed the same results in both studies. However, 2 demonstrated different results. One was suspected of early Crohn's disease in SBS, but proved to be normal in DBE, and the other was suspected of malignancy in SBS but was suspected of benign ulcers in DBE. Of 2 chronic diarrhea patients, one was diagnosed as Crohn's disease in both studies. The other was suspected of tuberculosis in SBS but diagnosed as lymphangiectasia by DBE with biopsy. One patient with jejunal wall thickening in CT proved to be normal in both DBE and SBS. There were no serious complications associated with DBE and SBS. CONCLUSIONS: DBE is better than SBS in terms of diagnostic accuracy. DBE may become an important method for the evaluation of small bowel diseases.     

Esophageal ulcer complicated by Reiter's syndrome. A case report.

A 40-year-old woman with Reiter's syndrome had low-grade fever, a psoriasislike eruption on feet and hands, and multiple esophageal ulcers. She had keratoderma blennorrhagica, aseptic vaginitis, and ileosacral arthritis, but no ocular lesions. The patient was HLA-B27 negative. Radiographic and endoscopic examinations of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract showed multiple round or irregularly shaped small ulcers in the middle and distal portion of the esophagus. One month later, all esophageal ulcers disappeared spontaneously. A case like this of Reiter's syndrome with esophageal involvement has not been reported before.     

Clinical Utility of Double-Balloon Enteroscopy for Small Intestinal Bleeding

Until the development of wireless capsule endoscopy (CE) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE), it was extremely difficult to examine the entire small intestine. To assess the usefulness of DBE for diagnosing suspected small intestinal bleeding, we retrospectively compared the diagnoses and treatments of cases before and after its introduction at one hospital. Between September 2003 and December 2005, 21 consecutive patients with suspected small intestinal bleeding underwent DBE at Tokai University Hospital (group A), and subsequently 2 were excluded from the study after being diagnosed with bleeding from a diverticulum and an angiodysplasia in the ascending colon, respectively. For comparison, inpatients who were negative for gastrointestinal bleeding on colonoscopy and gastroscopy between May 1998 and August 2003 were reviewed and 27 consecutive patients who had not undergone DBE were selected as the control group (group B). All patients had been diagnosed negative for a source of bleeding on more than one colonoscopy and gastroscopy. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender, history of blood transfusion, blood hemoglobin value on admission, or symptoms. The diagnostic yield of DBE in identifying the source of bleeding was 78.9%: six cases of small intestinal ulcers, five cases of angiodysplasia, two cases of hard submucosal tumor (SMT), one case of small pulsating SMT, and one case of small intestinal cancer. DBE was also used to successfully treat three cases of angiodysplasia with argon plasma coagulation. In the control group, conventional investigations, including enteroclysis, angiography, Meckel scan, scintigraphy with technetium-labeled red blood cells, and/or push enteroscopy, were performed in 88.9%, 29.6%, 29.6%, 55.6%, and 25.9%, respectively. The overall diagnostic yield of the conventional approaches was only 11.1% (P < 0.01), comprising a Meckel's diverticulum, a polyp, and an angiodysplasia. We conclude that DBE can be used to diagnose suspected small intestinal bleeding and to treat some cases, such as angiodysplasia.     

Double balloon enteroscopy in children:Diagnosis,treatment,and safety

AIM:To assess the feasibility and utility of double balloon enteroscopy(DBE)in the management of small bowel diseases in children. METHODS:Fourteen patients(10 males)with a median age of 12.9 years(range 8.1-16.7)underwent DBE; 5 for Peutz-Jeghers syndrome(PJ syndrome),2 for chronic abdominal pain,4 for obscure gastrointestinal (GI)bleeding,2 with angiomatous malformations(1 blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome)having persistent GI bleeding,and 1 with Cowden‘s syndrome with multiple polyps and previous intussusc...     

推进式双气囊电子小肠镜在小肠疾病诊断中的评估

目的 评价推进式双气囊电子小肠镜(double-balloon push enteroscopy，DBE)在小肠疾病诊断中的价值。方法 总结22例疑小肠疾病DBE检查的临床资料，上述患者均经胃镜、肠镜、X线钡餐、小肠钡剂灌肠和血管造影等检查未发现异常。结果 22例共行DBE检查26例次(15例次接受了口侧进镜，11例次接受了肛侧进镜)，每侧进镜术程平均80min。DBE检查共发现异常14例，检出率为63．6％。其中不明原因消化道出血10例，DBE检出病变6例；腹痛和(或)呕吐待查7例，DBE检出病变5例；慢性腹泻待查4例，DBE检出病变2例；不明原因不完全性肠梗阻1例，DBE检出病变1例。口侧进镜患者，术中多数出现恶心、消化液自口经外套管口溢出，偶尔出现一过性轻微腹痛；肛侧进镜患者无明显不适及反应，未出现出血、穿孔等并发症。结论 DBE作为一种新型小肠疾病检查手段，明显优于传统的检查方法，可重复直视操作下观察病灶，通过活检对病变进行定性检查，具有安全、可控性、直视和图像清晰等优点，在诊断小肠疾病方面更具有优越性。     

Predictors of double balloon endoscopy outcomes in the evaluation of gastrointestinal bleeding

AIM:To identify patients' characteristics associated with double balloon endoscopy(DBE)outcomes in investigation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding(OGIB).METHODS:Retrospective study performed at an academic tertiary referral center.Evaluated endpoints were clinical factors associated with no diagnostic yield or non-therapeutic intervention of DBE performed for OGIB evaluation.RESULTS:We included fifty-five DBE between August 2010 and April 2012.The mean age of the sample was 67 with 32 males(58.2%).Twenty-four DBE had no diagnostic yield and 30 DBE did not require therapy.Non-diagnostic yield was associated with performing two or more DBE studies in one day [odds ratio(OR):13.72,P=0.008],absence of blood transfusions within a year of the DBE(OR:7.16,P=0.03)and absence of ulcers or arteriovenous malformations(AVMs)on prior esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD)or colonoscopy(OR:19.30,P=0.033).Non-therapeutic DBE was associated with performing two or more DBE per day(OR:18.579,P=0.007),gastrointestinal bleeding episode within a week of the DBE(OR:11.48,P=0.003),fewer blood transfusion requirements prior to DBE(OR:4.55,P=0.036)and absence of ulcers or AVMs on prior EGD or colonoscopy(OR:8.47,P=0.027).CONCLUSION:Predictors of DBE yield and therapeutic intervention on DBE include blood transfusion requirements,previous endoscopic findings and possibly endoscopist fatigue.     

A pedunculated polyp-shaped small-bowel lymphangioma causing gastrointestinal bleeding and treated by double-balloon enteroscopy

We report a rare case of a small-bowel lymphangioma causing massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding that we successfully diagnosed and treated using double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE). An 81-year-old woman suffering from repeated GI bleeding of unknown origin underwent a capsule endoscopy at a previous hospital. She was suspected of having bleeding from the jejunum, and was referred to our department for diagnosis and treatment. An oral DBE revealed a 20 mm × 10 mm, regularly surfaced, white to yellowish, elongated, pedunculated jejunal polyp with small erosions at 10 cm distal to the ligament of Treiz. Since no other source of bleeding was identified by endoscopy in the deep jejunum, an endoscopic polypectomy (EP) was performed for this lesion. A subsequent histopathological examination of the resected polyp showed clusters of lymphatic vessels with marked cystic dilatation in the submucosa and the deep layer of the lamina propria mucosae. These characteristics are consistent with the typical features of small-bowel lymphangioma with erosions. Although clipping hemostasis was performed during EP, re-bleeding occurred. Finally, a complete hemostasis was achieved by performing an additional argon plasma coagulation.     

A typical presentation of a rare cause of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

A 52-year-old white woman had suffered from intermittent gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding for one year. Upper GI endoscopy, colonoscopy and peroral doubleballoon enteroscopy (DBE) did not detect any bleeding sour ce, suggesting obscure GI bleeding. However, in video capsule endoscopy a jejunal ulceration without blee ding signs was suspected and this was endoscopically conf irmed by another peroral DBE. After transfusion of packed red blood cells, the patient was discharged from our hospital in good general condition.Two weeks later she was readmitted because of another episode of acute bleeding. Multi-detector row computed tomography with 3D reconstruction was performed revealing a jejunal tumor causing lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy with partial jejunal resection and end-to-end jejunostomy for reconstruction. Histological examination of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of a low risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Nine days after surgery the patient was discharged in good health. No signs of gastrointestinal rebleeding occurred in a followup of eight months. We herein describe the comp lex presentation and course of this patient with GIST and also review the current approach to treatm ent.     

EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorders misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) plays an etiological role in various diseases. EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) is usually observed in individuals with congenital or acquired immune deficiencies but was also recently reported in non-immunocompromised individuals. Two cases of immunocompetent patients with EBV-associated T-cell LPD of the small bowel and colon who were initially misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease (CD) are reported here. EBV-associated T-cell LPD with primary gastrointestinal tract involvement can manifest as multiple discrete ulcers of the small and/or large bowel that are similar to the lesions found in CD or intestinal tuberculosis. However, when patients have multiple intestinal ulcers that are not typical of CD or intestinal tuberculosis and the clinical course is unusual, clinicians should consider the possibility of EBV-associated LPD that involves the gastrointestinal tract because the treatment strategy and prognosis are completely different.