Progression of flat low-grade dysplasia to advanced neoplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Long-standing ulcerative colitis has long been recognized as a risk factor for colorectal cancer, but there is still no universal consensus on the optimal management of ulcerative colitis patients with low-grade dysplasia in flat mucosa. Some authorities favor prompt colectomy, whereas others recommend continued surveillance. The purpose of our study was to determine the frequency with which flat low-grade dysplasia in ulcerative colitis progresses to advanced neoplasia (high-grade dysplasia or colorectal cancer) and whether specific variables could predict such progression. METHODS: We reviewed the medical histories, colonoscopic findings, and surgical and pathology reports of 46 patients with ulcerative colitis diagnosed with flat low-grade dysplasia on a surveillance colonoscopy. The rates of neoplastic progression, as well as the frequency of advanced neoplasia, were tabulated. We correlated progression with several clinical and colonoscopic variables: the number of biopsy samples positive for flat low-grade dysplasia, the duration and anatomic extent of disease, patient age, and medication use. RESULTS: Among these 46 patients, there were 7 cases of colorectal cancer, 5 of which were stage II or higher. Unexpected advanced neoplasia occurred in 4 of 17 (23.5%) patients who underwent colectomy for flat low-grade dysplasia. On an actuarial basis, the rate of neoplastic progression was 53% at 5 years. No clinical features predicted progression to advanced neoplasia. Cancers, including 2 at advanced stages, developed despite frequent follow-up surveillance examinations. CONCLUSIONS: A finding of flat low-grade dysplasia during ulcerative colitis surveillance is a strong predictor of progression to advanced neoplasia. Early colectomy should be recommended for such patients.     

Surveillance issues in inflammatory bowel disease: ulcerative colitis

This review article on the surveillance of patients with ulcerative colitis provides an overview of the criteria for evaluating screening and surveillance programs and applies the criteria to the available evidence to determine the effectiveness of the surveillance of patients with ulcerative colitis. We examine the clinical outcomes associated with surveillance, the additional clinical time required to confirm the diagnosis of dysplasia and cancer, compliance with surveillance and follow-up, and the effectiveness of the individual components of a surveillance program, including colonoscopy and pathologist's interpretation. The disability associated with colectomy is considered, as are the cost and acceptability of surveillance programs. Patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis are at risk for developing colorectal cancer. Recommended surveillance colonoscopy should be supported. New endoscopic and histopathologic techniques to improve the identification of high-risk patients may enhance the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of surveillance practices.     

Colorectal neoplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis

PURPOSE: Most patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis also have ulcerative colitis. It has been suggested that in the presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis the risk of colorectal dysplasia and carcinoma is greater than in patients with ulcerative colitis alone. METHODS: In a retrospective study, we evaluated the possibility of colorectal cancer or dysplasia in 35 consecutive patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis seen at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1979 and 1991. RESULTS: Thirteen of the 35 patients (37 percent) with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis had colorectal neoplasia (5 with adenocarcinoma and 8 with dysplasia). In the 27 patients undergoing colonoscopic biopsy surveillance, the cumulative incidence at 28 years of colorectal cancer was 18.5 percent and for colorectal dysplasia it was 29.6 percent. The high incidence of colorectal cancer was less than the rate of colorectal cancer in patients with extensive colitis of childhood onset without primary sclerosing cholangitis (35 percent), but the rate of colorectal cancer and dysplasia (48.1 percent) is similar to the highest rates of cancer noted in the comparison group. Because patients had subtle, quiescent colitis, a short time from diagnosis of ulcerative colitis to diagnosis of colorectal neoplasia was noted (mean, 12.2±9 years; less than 8 years in 5/13 (38.5 percent) patients). CONCLUSION: Ulcerative colitis patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis appear to have a high frequency of colorectal cancer but a rate lower than expected in patients with extensive quiescent ulcerative colitis of childhood onset alone. However, exact conclusions are complicated by the high incidence of colorectal dysplasia found, which portends malignant transformation. Because of the subtle nature of colitis, the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis is often delayed, and surveillance programs should start as soon as ulcerative colitis is diagnosed.     

How gastroenterologists screen for colonic cancer in ulcerative colitis: an analysis of performance

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the colorectal cancer surveillance practices of British gastroenterologists for patients with ulcerative colitis. METHODS: A questionnaire that investigated aspects of surveillance in patients with ulcerative colitis was mailed to all consultant gastroenterologists in the U.K. (n = 413). RESULTS: Three hundred forty-one questionnaires were returned (response rate 83%). Ninety-four percent of consultants practice cancer surveillance in ulcerative colitis, with 35% maintaining a registry of patients in surveillance programs. All gastroenterologists perform surveillance in patients with pancolitis, 24% in those with left-sided colitis and 2% in patients with proctitis. The mean duration of disease before surveillance is commenced is 9.2 years for pancolitis and 12.4 years for left-sided colitis (p < 0.0001). Only 4% of gastroenterologists routinely offer patients with disease of more than 10 years' duration a prophylactic colectomy. Colonoscopies are conducted by an accredited gastroenterologist in 65% of cases and biopsies are reviewed by specialists in gastrointestinal pathology in 45%. When histology reveals low-grade dysplasia only 4% advise colectomy and when high-grade dysplasia is found 53% recommend colectomy. Sixteen percent of gastroenterologists were unaware of the significance of a dysplasia associated lesion or mass. CONCLUSION: The majority of gastroenterologists practice surveillance on a disorganized basis. There is inconsistency in the management of patients with dysplasia and education of gastroenterologists is needed.     

Precancerous lesions in inflammatory bowel disease

Reduction of mortality from colorectal cancer is a prime goal in the clinical management of patients with extensive, longstanding ulcerative colitis and colonic Crohn's disease. The cornerstone of current cancer prevention efforts is endoscopic surveillance for colorectal dysplasia, or intraepithelial neoplasia, the direct histological precursor of cancer. A diagnosis of dysplasia provides a reliable indicator of heightened cancer risk and an end-point for colonoscopic surveillance allowing most patients to undergo prophylactic colectomy before the development of incurable cancer. This article reviews the classification, pathological criteria and clinical implications of colorectal dysplasia, current recommendations for the performance of surveillance colonoscopy, recent technical advances in colonoscopic imaging to enhance the detection of dysplasia, and a summary of the molecular genetic events implicated in its development.     

A major predictor of cancer following ileorectal anastomosis

Fifty patients with ulcerative colitis managed by colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis had rectal biopsies performed in the period 1967 to 1972. Follow-up information was available on all patients. Thirty-nine patients were reviewed and rectal biopsies performed in the 1980 to 1982 period. Three patients had developed rectal cancer in the period 1975 to 1980, and two rectal cancers were detected in the 1980 to 1982 follow-up period. All cancers occurred in patients with a diagnosis of moderate or severe dysplasia in biopsy specimens from the 1969 to 1972 period. The probability of developing rectal cancer after a diagnosis of moderate or severe dysplasia in this series reached 42 per cent at nine years from diagnosis.     

Motion - colonoscopic surveillance is more cost effective than colectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis: arguments against the motion.

There are insufficient data upon which to base recommendations about surveillance colonoscopy and prophylactic colectomy for the prevention of colorectal cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis. Case series, analyses of intermediate results and extrapolations from other patient groups do not constitute reliable evidence. Available studies are susceptible to several biases: the 'healthy worker' effect, surveillance bias and selection bias. Patients who are enrolled in surveillance programs are more likely to be thoroughly evaluated beforehand, are more likely to be given a diagnosis of dysplasia or neoplasm even when asymptomatic and are more likely to comply with medical treatment, including maintenance anti-inflammatory medication. Comparisons of the rates of neoplasia or death between surveyed and nonsurveyed patients are, therefore, of questionable validity. Prophylactic colectomy, unlike surveillance colonoscopy, prevents death from colorectal cancer. Moreover, it is difficult to keep patients in surveillance programs, and those who withdraw from programs appear to be at high risk of developing cancer. Prophylactic colectomy should be strongly considered for patients with dysplasia, sclerosing cholangitis, longstanding pancolitis (especially if it began early in life) or a positive family history of colorectal cancer. This procedure is underused in clinical practice and is a good alternative to colonoscopic surveillance in high risk patients.     

Ulcerative colitis with inflammatory polyposis in a teenage boy:A case report

Ulcerative colitis in addition to inflammatory polyposis is common.The benign sequel of ulcerative colitis can sometimes mimic colorectal carcinoma.This report describes a rare case of inflammatory polyposis with hundreds of inflammatory polyps in ulcerative colitiswhich was not easy to distinguish from other polyposis syndromes.A 16-year-old Chinese male suffering from ulcerative colitis for 6 mo underwent colonoscopy,and hundreds of polyps were observed in the sigmoid,causing colonic stenosis.The polyps were restricted to the sigmoid.Although rectal inflammation was detected,no polyps were found in the rectum.A diagnosis of inflammatory polyposis and ulcerative colitis was made.The patient underwent total colectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis.The patient recovered well and was discharged on postoperative day 8.Endoscopic surveillance after surgery is crucial as ulcerative colitis with polyposis is a risk factor for colorectal cancer.Recognition of polyposis requires clinical,endoscopic and histopathologic correlation,and helps with chemoprophylaxis of colorectal cancer,as the drugs used postoperatively for colorectal cancer,ulcerative colitis and polyposis are different.     

The Long-Term Results of Partial Resection of the Large Bowel for Intestinal Carcinomas Complicating Ulcerative Colitis

On long-term follow-up of 9 patients who had colonic or rectal carcinoma in association with ulcerative colitis treated by limited resection or colectomy and ileo-rectal anastomosis, 3 were found to have subsequently developed a further primary carcinoma in the remaining colon or rectum. It is strongly recommended, therefore, that cases of intestinal carcinoma complicating ulcerative colitis should always be managed by complete proctocolectomy and ileostomy rather than by more limited surgery.     

Survival and Incidence of Colorectal Cancer in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis in Funen County Diagnosed between 1973 and 1993

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the death rate and the risk of developing colorectal cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis in Funen County. Methods: The medical records of 801 patients with ulcerative colitis diagnosed in 1973-93 in Funen County were scrutinized with regard to colectomy, survival, and colorectal cancer, and in 1998 a follow-up was carried out. Results: The patients were managed at nine different hospitals: one university hospital, one central hospital, and seven smaller hospitals. The mean age at diagnosis was 41 years, and the mean duration of disease was 10.11 years. Sixty-one per cent of the patients were classified as having proctosigmoiditis, 21% as having left-sided colitis, and 18% as having pancolitis. In 127 patients who underwent proctocolectomy during the study period lethal complications occurred in 8 cases: 5 of 110 in Odense University hospital and 3 of 17 in the other hospitals. One hundred and twenty patients in the cohort died during the period of observation, nine of them of colitis-related causes. There was a slightly increased risk of early death in the cohort after 15 years of disease. Six colorectal cancers were found, whereas four were expected, giving a standard incidence ratio of 1.665. The cumulative cancer risk after 20 years' disease duration was 5.3% in the observed group, contrasting with an expected rate of 0.49%, and 10.1% after 25 years. Conclusion: In this cohort of ulcerative colitis patients the mortality and the risk of developing colorectal cancer were slightly higher than expected compared with the background population.     

Proximal colorectal dysplasia or cancer in ulcerative colitis. The impact of primary sclerosing cholangitis and sulfasalazine

PURPOSE: Known risk factors for the development of colorectal dysplasia or cancer in ulcerative colitis are total colonic involvement and long duration of the disease. It has recently been suggested that presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis is another independent risk factor—especially for proximal colorectal dysplasia or cancer—and that treatment with sulfasalazine might reduce the frequency of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis; the present study was undertaken to shed light on the validity of these theories. METHODS: A total of 143 patients with ulcerative colitis underwent regular colonoscopies and multiple biopsies in a 20-year surveillance program for studies of long-standing total ulcerative colitis. Fifty-one of the patients developed colorectal dysplasia or cancer. Patient records were scrutinized retrospectively for information of presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis, site of the colorectal malignancy, and results of sulfasalazine treatment. RESULTS: Nineteen of the patients had primary sclerosing cholangitis; these ran a significantly higher risk of developing colorectal dysplasia or cancer than patients with ulcerative colitis only. All colorectal cancers (n=3) and 75 percent of all colorectal dysplasias or cancers among patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis were located in the proximal part of the colon, whereas 36 percent were found in that same region among the patients with ulcerative colitis without primary sclerosing cholangitis (P=0.02). Sulfasalazine treatment showed no significant protective effect on the development of colorectal dysplasia or cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis. CONCLUSION: The risk evaluation, as assessed by multivariate analysis, shows that primary sclerosing cholangitis proves to be an additional and independent risk factor for the development of colorectal dysplasia or cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis—particularly in the proximal part of the colon. The findings do not support the theory that sulfasalazine treatment exerts a protective effect against colorectal dysplasia or cancer.     

Dysplasia in inflammatory bowel diseases

In both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the secondary prevention of colorectal cancer basically relies on the histological detection of dysplasia. In inflammatory bowel diseases, dysplasia identifies the subgroup of patients eligible for stricter surveillance (or prophylactic colectomy).In clinical practice, a number of issues may influence the benefits of clinico-pathological surveillance for inflammatory bowel disease patients with dysplasia, including: sampling errors, inconsistent biopsy assessments, patients’ compliance with follow-up requirements, and how heath care is organized. Even in such a multifaceted context, it has been demonstrated that dysplasia surveillance is effective in reducing colorectal cancer-related mortality and morbidity.This paper focuses on current issues concerning the histological assessment of inflammatory bowel disease-associated dysplastic lesions.     

Survival and incidence of colorectal cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis in Funen county diagnosed between 1973 and 1993

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the death rate and the risk of developing colorectal cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis in Funen County. METHODS: The medical records of 801 patients with ulcerative colitis diagnosed in 1973-93 in Funen County were scrutinized with regard to colectomy, survival, and colorectal cancer, and in 1998 a follow-up was carried out. RESULTS: The patients were managed at nine different hospitals: one university hospital, one central hospital, and seven smaller hospitals. The mean age at diagnosis was 41 years, and the mean duration of disease was 10.11 years. Sixty-one per cent of the patients were classified as having proctosigmoiditis, 21% as having left-sided colitis, and 18% as having pancolitis. In 127 patients who underwent proctocolectomy during the study period lethal complications occurred in 8 cases: 5 of 110 in Odense University hospital and 3 of 17 in the other hospitals. One hundred and twenty patients in the cohort died during the period of observation, nine of them of colitis-related causes. There was a slightly increased risk of early death in the cohort after 15 years of disease. Six colorectal cancers were found, whereas four were expected, giving a standard incidence ratio of 1.665. The cumulative cancer risk after 20 years' disease duration was 5.3% in the observed group, contrasting with an expected rate of 0.49%, and 10.1% after 25 years. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of ulcerative colitis patients the mortality and the risk of developing colorectal cancer were slightly higher than expected compared with the background population.     

Proximal colorectal dysplasia or cancer in ulcerative colitis. The impact of primary sclerosing cholangitis and sulfasalazine: results from a 20-year surveillance study.

PURPOSE: Known risk factors for the development of colorectal dysplasia or cancer in ulcerative colitis are total colonic involvement and long duration of the disease. It has recently been suggested that presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis is another independent risk factor-especially for proximal colorectal dysplasia or cancer-and that treatment with sulfasalazine might reduce the frequency of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis; the present study was undertaken to shed light on the validity of these theories. METHODS: A total of 143 patients with ulcerative colitis underwent regular colonoscopies and multiple biopsies in a 20-year surveillance program for studies of long-standing total ulcerative colitis. Fifty-one of the patients developed colorectal dysplasia or cancer. Patient records were scrutinized retrospectively for information of presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis, site of the colorectal malignancy, and results of sulfasalazine treatment. RESULTS: Nineteen of the patients had primary sclerosing cholangitis; these ran a significantly higher risk of developing colorectal dysplasia or cancer than patients with ulcerative colitis only. All colorectal cancers (n = 3) and 75 percent of all colorectal dysplasias or cancers among patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis were located in the proximal part of the colon, whereas 36 percent were found in that same region among the patients with ulcerative colitis without primary sclerosing cholangitis (P = 0.02). Sulfasalazine treatment showed no significant protective effect on the development of colorectal dysplasia or cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis. CONCLUSION: The risk evaluation, as assessed by multivariate analysis, shows that primary sclerosing cholangitis proves to be an additional and independent risk factor for the development of colorectal dysplasia or cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis-particularly in the proximal part of the colon. The findings do not support the theory that sulfasalazine treatment exerts a protective effect against colorectal dysplasia or cancer.     

Dysplasia and cancer complicating strictures in ulcerative colitis

Previous studies have found a widely variable prevalence of dysplasia and cancer in colonic strictures in patients with ulcerative colitis. Consequently, therapeutic recommendations are conflicting. To better assess the prevalence, we reviewed the clinical and pathological findings in all 27 patients with ulcerative colitis complicated by stricture who were entered into our Inflammatory Bowel Disease Registry. A true stricture was defined as a persistant localized narrowing of the colon found on air-contrast barium enema or on colonoscopy. Upon careful review, 12 of 27 patients were found to have transient colonic spasm, not a stricture, and were excluded. The remaining 15 patients with true strictures represented 3.2% of all ulcerative colitis patients in the registry. Strictures were identified at 13.3± 9.9 years following the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Eleven patients had multiple strictures that were principally located in the left colon. Of the 15 patients, 11 had dysplasia and two had cancer found on colonoscopic biopsy. Ultimately, six patients had carcinoma found at colonoscopy or colectomy (three modified Dukes' stage A, one stage B, and two stage D). All cancers were at the site of a stricture. These findings indicate that a true colonic stricture in ulcerative colitis is frequently associated with dysplasia and cancer, which can be diagnosed with colonoscopic biopsy. A stricture should be considered a strong risk factor for cancer, requiring intensive colonscopic surveillance. If dysplasia is discovered, or if the stricture cannot be adequately biopsied, consideration should be given to total colectomy.Research supported by the David and Reva Logan Gastrointestinal Clinical Research Center and the Gastrointestinal Research Foundation Junior Board.     

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease and cancer

Colorectal cancer represents the major cause for excess morbidity and mortality by malignant disease in ulcerative colitis as well as in Crohn's disease. The risk for ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer is increased at least 2-fold compared to the normal population and colorectal cancer is observed in 5.5-13.5% of all patients with ulcerative colitis and 0.4-0.8% of patients with Crohn's disease. Established risk factors include long duration of the disease, large extent of the disease, low activity of the disease, young age at onset, presence of complicating primary sclerosing cholangitis or stenotic disease and possibly lack of adequate surveillance, inadequate pharmacological therapy, folate deficiency and non-smoking. Crohn's disease is associated with an increased risk of colorectal carcinoma in patients with long-standing disease, strictures and fistulae under the condition that the colon is involved, tumors of the small intestine may occur occasionally. Extracolonic malignancies are rare, with the exception of biliary tract cancer. Ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer typically can occur in the entire colon, is often multifocal and of undifferentiated histology. Stage distribution and prognosis of ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer appears to be similar to that of sporadic colorectal cancer with an overall survival of about 40% (15-65%) after 5 years with tumor stage at diagnosis being the most important predictive parameter for survival. Tumor markers helpful for the diagnosis of sporadic colorectal cancer fail to differentiate between inflammatory response and malignant transformation. In contrast the histologic evidence of dysplasia was shown to be a strong indicator of underlying carcinoma or developing malignant transformation. The presence of a surface projection termed dysplasia associated lesion or mass is highly indicative of underlying or associated cancer. While the routinely performed search for dysplasia is hampered by high interobserver variation the demonstration of DNA-aneuploidy or genetic changes which may confirm the ongoing malignant transformation has not yet become clinical routine. The genetic alterations found in ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer involve many of the same targets found in sporadic colorectal tumors and include multiple sites of allelic deletion, microsatellite instabilities, and mutations of APC, p53, Ki-ras as well as MSH2 and other genes. The progression of dysplasia to carcinoma is generally accompanied by an accumulation of these mutations and the similarities in the biology of colorectal cancer associated with ulcerative colitis and sporadic colorectal cancer appear to outweigh their difference. In regard to the management of dysplasia and cancer, the role of surveillance programs for the early detection of ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer at a curable stage is still under debate. Although these programs failed at tumor prevention and lethal carcinomas are still found inadvertently in patients under surveillance, the majority of surveillance programs could reduce mortality by detecting more cancers at a still curable stage. Current recommendations for surveillance include, therefore, biennial colonoscopy with extensive biopsies after 8-10 years of total colitis or after 15-20 years of left-sided colitis. In the presence of cancer or unequivocal high-grade dysplasia and/or dysplasia associated lesion or mass proctocolectomy is considered adequate. The evidence of low-grade dysplasia should be confirmed before proctocolectomy is considered.     

Diagnosis and management of dysplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease of the colon

To minimize the possibility of developing lethal colorectal cancer (CRC) in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's colitis, patients are usually enrolled in a program of dysplasia surveillance. The success of a surveillance program depends on the identification of patients with dysplasia and timely referral for colectomy. While a number of issues might stand in the way of a surveillance system achieving its maximal effect (less than ideal agreement in the interpretation of biopsy specimens, sampling error by endoscopists, delays in referral to surgery, and patient drop-out among others), circumstantial evidence supports the concept that colonoscopic dysplasia surveillance is an effective means of reducing CRC mortality and morbidity while minimizing the application of colectomy for cancer prevention. This review critically appraises key issues in the diagnosis and management of dysplasia in UC and Crohn's disease as well as adjunct efforts to prevent CRC in inflammatory bowel disease.     

Colorectal carcinoma in patients with ulcerative colitis and recent colonoscopy.

Longstanding ulcerative colitis, particularly pancolitis, is associated with an increased risk of colorectal neoplasia. For this reason surveillance colonoscopy at regular intervals has been recommended to identify early cancers or high grade dysplasia. Three cases are described of patients with ulcerative colitis of greater than 10 years duration who presented with colorectal carcinoma within three years of colonoscopy.     

Surgical Management of Ulcerative Colitis in the Presence of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

INTRODUCTION: The surgical management of ulcerative colitis in the patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis is controversial. METHODS: This study was designed as a retrospective chart review of all patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis who were surgically treated for ulcerative colitis. RESULTS: Sixteen patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis were identified. The indication for ulcerative colitis surgery was dysplasia in 7 patients (44 percent), cancer in 2 (13 percent), intractability in 4 (25 percent), and unknown in 1. Final colon pathology demonstrated cancer in three patients and dysplasia in four. Two patients had biliary cancer discovered at the time of orthotopic liver transplantation. Thirteen patients were known to have primary sclerosing cholangitis when they underwent surgery for ulcerative colitis; two patients with severe primary sclerosing cholangitis underwent simultaneous orthotopic liver transplantation/total abdominal colectomy and did well with subsequent ileal pouch reconstruction. Two patients had orthotopic liver transplantation first and then ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (1 patient) or total abdominal colectomy (1 patient) and did well. Seven patients had well-controlled primary sclerosing cholangitis on medication and underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis or total abdominal proctocolectomy without significant hepatic compromise. One patient with moderate primary sclerosing cholangitis underwent ileorectal anastomosis and had severe liver failure postoperatively but survived. Another patient with worsening primary sclerosing cholangitis after total abdominal colectomy has since developed persistent bleeding from peristomal varices. CONCLUSIONS: The overall cancer/premalignant lesion rate was high (50 percent in this study) in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis. Complications associated with the surgical management of ulcerative colitis are largely dictated by the degree of liver disease present at the time of surgery. Patients with significant primary sclerosing cholangitis that requires colectomy can undergo simultaneous orthotopic liver transplantation/total abdominal colectomy and then be candidates for subsequent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis reconstruction once liver function has improved. Patients with well-controlled primary sclerosing cholangitis can undergo ileal pouch-anal anastomosis surgery safely.     

Adherence to surveillance guidelines for dysplasia and colorectal carcinoma in ulcerative and Crohn''s colitis patients in the Netherlands

AIM: To study adherence to the widely accepted surveillance guidelines for patients with long-standing colitis in the Netherlands. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all 244 gastroenterologists in the Netherlands. RESULTS: The response rate was 63%. Of all gastroenterologists, 95% performed endoscopic surveillance in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and 65% in patients with Crohn's colitis. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) guidelines were followed by 27%, while 27% and 46% followed their local hospital protocol or no specific protocol, respectively. The surveillance was correctly initiated in cases of pancolitis by 53%, and in cases of left-sided colitis by 44% of the gastroenterologists. Although guidelines recommend 4 biopsies every 10 cm, less than 30 biopsies per colonoscopy were taken by 73% of the responders. Only 31%, 68% and 58% of the gastroenterologists referred patients for colectomy when low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or Dysplasia Associated Lesion or Mass (DALM) was present, respectively. CONCLUSION: Most Dutch gastroenterologists perform endoscopic surveillance without following international recommended guidelines. This practice potentially leads to a decreased sensitivity for dysplasia, rendering screening for colorectal cancer in this population highly ineffective.