Efficacy and safety of endoscopic dilation of esophageal strictures in epidermolysis bullosa

BACKGROUND: Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare genetically determined disorder of the stratified squamous epithelium. Patients with the most severe forms develop scarring of the esophagus after ingestion of food. This results in dysphagia, which severely compromises the ability to eat. Maintenance of adequate nutritional intake is a central aim, but the most appropriate method is unknown. METHODS: The results of endoscopic through-the-scope balloon dilation under propofol anesthesia in 53 patients with epidermolysis bullosa and esophageal strictures are reported. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of patients had a single stricture (range 1 to 6 strictures), most often in the proximal esophagus (median 20 cm from incisors). A total of 182 dilations were performed (median two per patient) over a median follow-up period of 3.5 years. For all but 3 patients, there was an improvement in the dysphagia score. There was a mean increase in weight after the procedure of 2.9 kg: 95% CI[2.0, 3.8]; p<0.001, over a median 29 days. There was no significant post-procedure morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic balloon dilation is a safe and effective treatment for the esophageal strictures of epidermolysis bullosa. In the majority of patients, dilation relieves dysphagia and improves nutritional status.     

Efficacy of hydrostatic balloon dilatation of anastomotic Crohn's disease strictures

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the efficacy of hydrostatic balloon dilatation (HD) of anastomotic strictures of Crohn's disease and the impact of medical treatment on the duration of HD effects. METHODS: Sixteen patients with anastomotic stricture (average length: 4.7 cm) were treated by HD and followed-up for a median duration of 24 months. Immunosuppressive treatment was given when a second HD was necessary. RESULTS: HD failed in 3 patients (19%). Thirty-two HD are performed in the other 13 (1 HD: 6; 2 HD: 2; > 2 HD: 5). No severe complication was observed. Eight patients received immunosuppressive treatment started before the first HD in 4 cases or following the second HD in 4 cases. Based on actuarial analysis, clinical and surgical recurrence rates were 39% and 0% at 1 year and 73% and 12% at 2 years, respectively. Time between the first and the second HD were not statistically different (P=0.24) for HD performed with (11.5 +/- 8.8 months; range: 5-30) or without (8.0 +/- 6.9 months; range: 2-17) immunosuppressive treatment. CONCLUSION: HD delays the surgical timing for anastomotic Crohn's disease strictures. Medical treatment associated with HD does not seem to modify the duration of the clinical remission.     

Fecal marker levels as predictors of need for endoscopic balloon dilation in Crohn's disease patients with anastomotic strictures

AIM To evaluate the accuracy and best cut-off value of fecal calprotectin(FC) and fecal lactoferrin(FL) to predict disease recurrence in asymptomatic patients presenting with anastomotic strictures. METHODS This was a longitudinal single tertiary center study based on prospectively collected data(recorded in a clinical database created for this purpose) performed between March 2010 and November 2014. Crohn's disease(CD) patients with anastomotic stricture who submitted to postoperative endoscopic evaluation were included. Stools were collected on the day before bowel cleaning for FC and FL. Endoscopic balloon dilation(EBD) was performed if the patient presented an anastomotic stricture not traversed by the colonoscope, regardless of patients' symptoms. Successful dilation was defined as passage of the colonoscope through the dilated stricture into the neotermimal ileum.Postoperative recurrence was defined as a modified Rutgeerts score of ≥ i2 b. RESULTS In a total of 178 patients who underwent colonoscopy, 58 presented an anastomotic stricture, 86% were asymptomatic, and 48(54% male; median age of 46.5 years) were successfully dilated. Immediate success rate was 92% and no complications were recorded. FC and FL levels correlated significantly with endoscopic recurrence(P 0.001) with an optimal cut-off value of 90.85 μg/g(sensitivity of 95.5%, specificity of 69.2%, positive predictive value(PPV) of 72.4%, negative predictive value(NPV) of 94.7% and accuracy of 81%] for FC and of 5.6 μg/g(sensitivity of 77.3%, specificity of 69.2%, PPV of 68%, NPV of 78.4% and accuracy of 72.9%) for FL.CONCLUSION Fecal markers are good predictors of CD endoscopic recurrence in patients with asymptomatic anastomotic stricture. FC and FL may guide the need for EBD in this context.     

Safety and efficacy of endoscopic dilation for primary and anastomotic Crohn's disease strictures

BackgroundLiterature on endoscopic dilation of Crohn's disease (CD) strictures, especially for primary (non-anastomotic) strictures is limited.MethodsA historical cohort study was performed on patients who underwent endoscopic stricture dilations for CD in our IBD center. Primary endpoint was the efficacy of first endoscopic dilation in preventing the need for surgery in primary strictures compared to anastomotic strictures. Cox proportional hazards models using robust sandwich covariance matrix estimate were used to evaluate the need for surgery and any further endoscopic intervention.ResultsIn our study cohort (mean age 42.2 ± 13.1 years, 57% females, 16.4% current smokers, and median follow-up 1.8 years), 128 patients underwent a total of 430 endoscopic stricture dilations for 169 strictures (88 primary, 81 secondary). Forty-two patients (32.8%) required surgery in the follow-up period, with a mean interval period between first dilation and surgery of 33 months. There was no difference between primary or anastomotic strictures with respect to the need for surgery (34.1% vs. 29.6%, p = 0.53), redilation (59.1% vs. 58%, p = 0.89) or total interventions (surgery + redilations, 71.6% vs. 72.8%, p = 0.86). Multivariable analysis did not show any significant difference between patients who received and did not receive intralesional steroid injections, biologics or immunomodulators with respect to the need for repeat intervention or surgery.ConclusionEfficacy and safety of endoscopic dilation are similar between primary and anastomotic CD strictures. Intralesional steroid injection or use of biologics did not decrease the need for re-intervention or surgery for either primary or anastomotic strictures.     

Long-term results of endoscopic balloon dilatation of lower gastrointestinal tract strictures in Crohn''s disease:A prospective study

AIM: To examine the long-term results of endoscopic treatment in a prospective study conducted over a period of 10 years, 1997 to January 2007.METHODS: A total of 25 patients (20 female and five male: aged 18-75 years), with at least one symptom of stricture not passable with the standard colonoscope and with a confirmed scarred Crohn's stricture of the lower gastrointestinal tract, were included in the study.The main symptom was abdominal pain. The endoscopic balloon dilatation was performed with an 18 mm balloon under endoscopic and radiological control.RESULTS: Eleven strictures were located in the colon, 13 at the anastomosis after ileocecal resection,three at the Bauhin valve and four in the ileum. Four patients had two strictures and one patient had three strictures. Of the 31 strictures, in 30 was balloon dilatation successful in a single endoscopic session, so that eventually the strictures could be passed easily with the standard colonoscope. In one patient with a long stricture of the ileum involving the Bauhin valve and an additional stricture of the ileum which were 15 cm apart, sufficient dilatation was not possible. This patient therefore required surgery. Improvement of abdominal symptoms was achieved in all cases which had technically successful balloon dilatation, although in one case perforation occurred after dilatation of a recurrent stricture. Available follow-up was in the range of 54-118 mo (mean of 81 mo). The relapse rate over this period was 46%, but 64% of relapsing strictures could be successfully dilated again. Only in four patients was surgery required during this follow-up period.CONCLUSION: We conclude from these initial results that endoscopic balloon dilatation, especially for short strictures in Crohn's disease, can be performed with reliable success. Perforation is a rare complication.It is our opinion that in the long-term, the relapse rate is probably higher than after surgery, but usually a second endoscopic treatment can be performed successfully, leading to a considerable success rate of the endoscopic procedure.     

Colonoscopic balloon dilation of Crohn's strictures: a review of long-term outcomes

OBJECTIVE: To study the long-term outcomes of patients who have had endoscopic balloon dilation of Crohn's strictures. DESIGN: Retrospective case-note review over a 16-year period. PATIENTS: Patients with a Crohn's stricture causing obstructive symptoms and who had at least 6 months' follow-up data or a surgical outcome following dilation were sought; 59 patients (124 dilations) were identified. INTERVENTION: Patients all underwent endoscopic balloon dilation. RESULTS: Strictures were anastomotic in 53 patients (111 dilations) and de novo in six patients (13 dilations). The median stricture length was 3.0 cm. Median follow-up time was 29.4 months. Out of the total group, 41% of patients achieved long-term clinical benefit following dilation and in 17% after only a single dilation. The median number of dilations per patient was one. A total of 35 (59%) patients required surgery for their stricture during follow-up. There were two (1.6%) perforations as a result of dilation, one in an anastomotic stricture (managed conservatively) and one in a de-novo stricture (requiring surgery). There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopic balloon dilation of Crohn's strictures can achieve long-term clinical benefit in many patients. Repeat dilations are justified in initial non-responders. In this series, the procedure appears safe with low morbidity.     

Efficacy and safety of low-pressured and short-time dilation in endoscopic papillary balloon dilation for bile duct stone removal

Background and Aim:  Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EPBD) has been advocated as an alternative therapy to endoscopic sphincterotomy for bile duct stones. However, studies have shown that EPBD may increase the risk for pancreatitis. Pancreatitis after EPBD is believed to be related to papillary damage after balloon dilation. We changed the dilation method to a theoretically less hazardous one. This modified dilation method was compared with the initial method.
Methods:  A total of 324 patients with bile duct stones underwent EPBD by the modified method between June 1999 and June 2003. Three hundred and twenty-four patients undergoing EPBD by the initial method served as a historical control group. The success rate of stone removal and the incidence of procedure-related pancreatitis were compared between the two groups. In the modified method, the balloon was inflated until disappearance of the balloon waist, and the pressure was then maintained for 15 s. In the initial method, the balloon was inflated at 8 atmospheres for 2 min.
Results:  Bile duct stones were successfully removed in 313 of 324 patients (96.6%) in the modified group and in 314 of 324 patients (96.9%) in the initial group (not significant). The incidence of postprocedure pancreatitis showed a lower tendency in the modified group (4.0%, 13/324) than in the initial group (7.4%, 24/324) ( P -value = 0.0626). The severity of pancreatitis was significantly reduced in the modified group.
Conclusion:  The modified method of EPBD is feasible for extraction of bile duct stones, and may potentially decrease the incidence of severe post-EPBD pancreatitis.     

Endoscopic balloon dilation of colonic and ileo-colonic Crohn's strictures: long-term results.

The long-term effects of endoscopic dilation of colonic or ileo-colonic Crohn's disease strictures were analyzed. In 18 patients with a Crohn's disease-related low gastrointestinal stricture, the stenosis was dilated using through-the-scope (TTS) balloon catheters. A dilation to a diameter of 18 mm was always attempted. Treatment was successfully carried out in 16 patients, and was followed by immediate symptomatic relief in 14 patients. Long-term success was observed in nine patients. There were no complications. Balloon catheter dilation of a colonic stricture or stricture of an ileo-colonic anastomosis was found to be safe and effective. This treatment modality can be an alternative to surgery in a selected group of patients.     

新型内镜扩张球囊在上消化道异物取出中作用研究

目的 探讨一种新型内镜扩张球囊取出上消化道异物的安全性并评估其疗效.方法 收集2018年7 月至2019年3 月收治于苏州大学附属第一医院经传统方法取出失败的10例上消化道异物患者的临床资料,其中食管异物8例,胃石2例,内镜扩张球囊辅助胃镜取出异物,观察操作成功率、异物取出所用时间、视野清晰度、黏膜损伤及并发症等情况....     

Prolonged avoidance of repeat surgery with endoscopic balloon dilatation of anastomotic strictures in Crohn's disease

Background and aimsThere is a high rate of stricturing post-operative recurrence in Crohn's disease (CD) particularly at sites of surgical anastomosis, and over 50% of these patients will require a repeat resection. Endoscopic dilatation of anastomotic strictures is an alternative to surgical resection in selected patients. We aimed to evaluate the safety and long term efficacy of endoscopic balloon dilatation of symptomatic anastomotic strictures in CD.MethodsRetrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained inflammatory bowel disease database of patients attending a single academic centre (n = 1244 patients with CD) who underwent dilatation.ResultsFifty-five dilatations were performed in 31 patients (mean age 43 ± SD 12, 47% female). Median follow‐up period was 46 months (IQR 14–62). Ninety percent of patients had successful initial dilatation and no complications occurred. Six (21%) avoided further dilatations or surgery in the follow-up period. Stricture recurrence was detected in 22 patients; 15 (54%) patients had repeat dilatations and seven (25%) went straight to surgery. Eight (28%) patients were managed with repeat dilatations of the stricture (median dilatations = 2 range 2–6) and seven (25%) required surgery despite repeat dilatations. Median time from first dilatation to repeat surgery was 14.5 months (IQR 3–28) and to repeat dilatation was 13.8 months (IQR 4–28). There was no difference in immunomodulator use, biologic use and smoking status between the groups requiring surgery versus dilatation only.ConclusionEndoscopic balloon dilatation of anastomotic strictures is safe and effective in providing symptomatic relief in CD patients. Forty-five percent of patients had a sustained response to single/serial balloon dilatation with avoidance of further surgical resection for a median interval of 46 months. Post-operative medical therapy and smoking status did not predict requirement for recurrent dilatation or surgery.     

Outpatient dilation of anastomotic strictures of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Anastomotic upper gastrointestinal strictures in 32 patients were dilated on an outpatient basis. Strictures had developed following resection-anastomosis of the esophagus in 27, total esophagectomy in two and total/partial gastrectomy in three patients. Patients with benign anastomotic strictures (group A; n = 21) presented within 6 (median 2) months of surgery while those with recurrent tumors at the site of anastomosis (group B; n = 11) presented 7 (median 14) months later. Dilation using Savary-Gilliard (n = 24), through the scope balloon (n = 2) and Eder Puestow (n = 1) dilators or a combination of these (n = 1) was possible in 20 (95%) patients in group A and 8 (73%) patients in group B. All the 28 patients had relief of dysphagia. Median duration of response after first dilation was 4.2 and 1.2 months in groups A and B respectively. Nature of previous surgery, length of the remaining stomach and recurrence of tumor at anastomosis appeared to affect the technique and outcome of dilation. Savary-Gilliard dilators can be used in a majority of patients except those with short stomachs where through the scope balloon dilators may be preferred.     

Efficacy and safety of hydrostatic balloon dilatation of ileocolonic Crohn's strictures: a prospective longterm analysis.

Preliminary reports have suggested that dilatation using hydrostatic through the scope balloons may be useful for the treatment of Crohn's strictures, A prospective longterm follow up (mean (SD) 33.6 (11.2) months) was carried out in 55 Crohn's patients with 59 ileocolonic strictures submitted to 78 dilatation procedures. Hydrostatic balloons were used (Rigiflator, Microvasive) with a diameter of 18 mm on inflation. As soon as the balloons became available dilatation up to a diameter of 20 and 25 mm was attempted. The dilatations were performed under general anaesthesia using propofol (Diprivan). The patients were kept for one night in the hospital after dilatation. Seventy (90%) procedures were technically successful and passage of the stricture with a 13.6 mm diameter colonoscope was possible after 73% of the dilatations. Complications occurred in six patients (11%; 8% of procedures), including sealed perforations (n = 2), retroperitoneal perforations (n = 2), and intraperitoneal perforations (n = 2). Two of the patients were treated surgically with a one stage resection of the stricture and recovered uneventfully. Four patients were treated conservatively with intravenous fluids and antibiotics. There was no mortality. Dilatation completely relieved obstructive symptoms in 20 patients after one procedure, in another 14 patients after two (n = 13) or three (n = 1) dilatations. Total longterm success rate was 34 of 55 patients (62%). Nineteen patients (38%) were operated on because of persistent obstructive symptoms. The data show that endoscopic dilatation using the through the scope hydrostatic balloon system relieves obstructive symptoms resulting from ileocolonic Crohn's strictures. The procedure, however, carries a definite risk of perforation.     

Oral and upper gastrointestinal Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is a heterogeneous, inflammatory condition that can affect any location of the gastrointestinal tract. Proximal gastrointestinal involvement occurs in 0.5–16% of patients, and it is usually diagnosed after recognition of intestinal disease. Symptoms are often mild and nonspecific; however, upper gastrointestinal disease predicts a more severe Crohn's phenotype with a greater frequency of complications such as obstruction and perforation. Gastroscopy and biopsy is the most sensitive diagnostic investigation. There is a paucity of data examining the treatment of this condition. Management principles are similar to those for intestinal disease, commencing with topical therapy where appropriate, progressing to systemic therapy such as glucocorticoids, 5‐aminosalicylic acid, immunomodulators, and biologics. Acid suppression therapy has symptomatic but no anti‐inflammatory benefit for gastroduodenal and esophageal involvement. Surgical intervention with bypass, strictureplasty, or less frequently, endoscopic balloon dilation may be required for complications or failed medical therapy.     

Long-term results of endoscopic balloon dilatation of lower gastrointestinal tract strictures in Crohn＇s disease： A prospective study

AIM： To examine the long-term results of endoscopic treatment in a prospective study conducted over a period of 10 years, 1997 to January 2007.
METHODS： A total of 25 patients （20 female and five male： aged 18-75 years）, with at least one symptom of stricture not passable with the standard colonoscope and with a confirmed scarred Crohn＇s stricture of the lower gastrointestinal tract, were included in the study. The main symptom was abdominal pain. The endoscopic balloon dilatation was performed with an 18 mm balloon under endoscopic and radiological control.
RESULTS： Eleven strictures were located in the colon, 13 at the anastomosis after ileocecal resection, three at the Bauhin valve and four in the ileum. Four patients had two strictures and one patient had three strictures. Of the 31 strictures, in 30 was balloon dilatation successful in a single endoscopic session, so that eventually the strictures could be passed easily with the standard colonoscope. In one patient with a long stricture of the ileum involving the Bauhin valve and an additional stricture of the ileum which were 15 cm apart, sufficient dilatation was not possible. This patient therefore required surgery. Improvement of abdominal symptoms was achieved in all cases which had technically successful balloon dilatation, although in one case perforation occurred after dilatation of a recurrent stricture. Available follow-up was in the range of 54-118 mo （mean of 81 mo）. The relapse rate over this period was 46%, but 64% of relapsing strictures could be successfully dilated again. Only in four patients was surgery required during this follow-up period.
CONCLUSION： We conclude from these initial results that endoscopic balloon dilatation, especially for short strictures in Crohn＇s disease, can be performed with reliable success. Perforation is a rare complication. It is our opinion that in the long-term, the relapse rate is probably higher than after surgery, but usually a second endoscopic treatment can be performed successfully, leading to a considerable success rate of the endoscopic procedure.