Light and sound- emerging imaging techniques for inflammatory bowel disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are known to have a high demand of recurrent evaluation for therapy and disease activity. Further, the risk of developing cancer during the disease progression is increasing from year to year. New, mostly non-radiant, quick to perform and quantitative methods are challenging, conventional endoscopy with biopsy as gold standard. Especially, new physical imaging approaches utilizing light and sound waves have facilitated the development of advanced functional and molecular modalities. Besides these advantages they hold the promise to predict personalized therapeutic responses and to spare frequent invasive procedures. Within this article we highlight their potential for initial diagnosis, assessment of disease activity and surveillance of cancer development in established techniques and recent advances such as wide-view full-spectrum endoscopy, chromoendoscopy, autofluorescence endoscopy, endocytoscopy, confocal laser endoscopy, multiphoton endoscopy, molecular imaging endoscopy, B-mode and Doppler ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, ultrasound molecular imaging, and elastography.     

胶囊内镜和CT仿真内镜诊断小肠疾病的对照研究

目的评价胶囊内镜和cT仿真内镜（CTVE）在小肠病变诊断方面的临床应用价值。方法回顾性总结3l例临床怀疑小肠疾病行胶囊内镜和CTVE检查患者的临床资料,参照最终诊断结果（手术病例以病理诊断为金标准,非手术病例依据后续检查及随访结果给出最终诊断）统计胶囊内镜、CTVE以及二者联合的诊断阳性率并行对比分析。结果最终诊断阳性26例,包括小肠肿瘤性病变16例、非肿瘤性病变10例,阴性5例。胶囊内镜诊断阳性24例,包括小肠肿瘤性病变14例（其中2例定位不准确,7例不能定性）和非肿瘤性病变10例;CTVE诊断阳性17例,包括小肠肿瘤性病变14例（其中1例定位不准确,4例不能定性）和非肿瘤性病变3例;胶囊内镜联合CTVE诊断阳性26例,包括小肠肿瘤性病变16例、非肿瘤性病变10例。对于小肠肿瘤性病变,胶囊内镜和CTVE诊断阳性率相同,均为87．5％（14／16）;而在总体诊断阳性率方面,胶囊内镜为77．4％（24／31）,CTVE为54．8％（17／31）,胶囊内镜联合CT仿真内镜为83．9％（26／31）,二者联合总体诊断阳性率明显高于CTVE（P=0．004）,但与胶囊内镜比较差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,胶囊内镜与CTVE比较差异也无统计学意义（P=0．065）。结论胶囊内镜和CTVE均有助于小肠疾病的诊断,胶囊内镜在诊断小肠非肿瘤性病变方面更有优势,而CTVE在判断小肠肿瘤性病变的位置和结构方面优于胶囊内镜,二者联合使用可进一步提高检出小肠疾病的能力。     

Techniques and efficacy of flexible endoscopic therapy of Zenker’s diverticulum

Zenker’s diverticulum(ZD) is an abnormal hypopharyngeal pouch often presenting with dysphagia. Treatment is often sought with invasive surgical management of the diverticulum being the only mode of definitive therapy.Primarily done by an open transcervical approach in the past, nowadays treatment is usually provided by otolaryngologists using a less invasive trans-oral technique with a rigid endoscope. When first described, this method grew into acceptance quickly due to its similar efficacy and vastly improved safety profile compared to the open transcervical approach. However, the main limitation with this approach is that it may not be suitable for all patients. Nonetheless, progress in the field of natural orifice endoscopic surgery over the last 10-20 years has led to the increase in utilization of the flexible endoscope in the treatment of ZD. Primarily performed by interventional gastroenterologists, this approach overcomes the prior limitation of its surgical counterpart and allows adequate visualization of the diverticulum independent of the patient’s body habitus. Additionally, it may be performed without the use of general anesthesia and in an outpatient setting, thus further increasing the utility of this modality, especially in elderly patients with other comorbidities. Today, results in more than 600 patients have been described in various published case series using different techniques and devices demonstrating a high percentage of clinical symptom resolution with low rates of adverse events. In this article, we present our experience with flexible endoscopic therapy of Zenker’s diverticulum and highlight the endoscopic technique, outcomes and adverse events related to this minimally invasive modality.     

Surface pattern classification by enhanced-magnification endoscopy for identifying early gastric cancers

BACKGROUND: The correlation between fine surface patterns of gastric mucosal lesions and early gastric cancer is not sufficiently clear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of surface pattern classification by enhanced-magnification endoscopy (EME) for identifying early gastric cancers. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: All procedures were performed at Mie University Hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 380 consecutive patients who underwent EGD by using magnification endoscopy. Among these subjects were found 250 newly detected lesions suspected of being gastric cancer. METHODS: Conventional magnification endoscopy (CME), magnification chromoendoscopy (MCE), and EME were performed, and surface patterns of lesions were classified into 5 types: type I, small round pits of uniform size and shape; type II, slit-like pits; type III, gyrus and villous patterns; type IV, irregular arrangement and size; and type V, destructive pattern. Biopsy specimens were obtained from all lesions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Correlation between surface pattern classification by EME and histopathologic findings of early gastric cancer. RESULTS: Surface patterns were evident by CME/MCE in only 66.4% (166/250) of lesions but in 100% (250/250) of lesions by EME. Classification by EME was as follows: type I, 52 lesions; type II, 12; type III, 146; type IV, 32; and type V, 8. By histopathologic examination, 16 early gastric cancers were detected between type IV or V lesions. Thus, classification of types IV-V strongly correlated with the presence of gastric cancer (sensitivity 100%, specificity 89.7%). LIMITATIONS: Single-center study. CONCLUSIONS: Surface pattern classification by EME may be useful for identifying early gastric cancers.     

Influence of the site of a duodenal ulcer on its subsequent course

The aim of this study was to determine if the site of a duodenal ulcer influences its subsequent course. Three hundred and eighteen duodenal ulcer patients diagnosed by endoscopy in Sydney were studied. The ulcer was situated on the anterior wall of the bulb in 49% and the posterior wall of the bulb in 23%. These patients were followed up until symptoms recurred or for 1–2 years. The risk of symptom recurrence was unaffected by the site of the index ulcer, occurring in 129 of 157 patients with anterior wall ulcer (82%), 56 of 72 patients with posterior wall ulcers (78%), and 27 of 32 patients with anterior and posterior wall ulcers (84%). Sixty-four patients were endoscoped within 1 month of recurrence of ulcer-like symptoms and active ulcer craters were demonstrated in 49 (77%).     

How to apply modern scientific and technological advances to the practice of clinical gastroenterology in Vietnam

There are some differences between the spectrum of gastroenterological diseases in Vietnam compared with those of more developed countries. These may be due to different living standards, quality of nutrition, and different infection rates of intestinal parasites and hepatotropic viruses. Gastric carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are leading malignancies, while colorectal cancer is less frequent. Bile duct stones often have Ascaris eggs in the centre, and they prevail in incidence over gallbladder stones. The majority of digestive cancers are detected at a very late stage. The Vietnamese Association of Gastroenterology aims to contribute to the development of modern gastroenterology (GE) in Vietnam, to study and apply recent advances in imaging technology, such as fibre-optic diagnostic and therapeutical endoscopy, ultrasonography, laparoscopic surgery etc. and to do further work in molecular biology. For this purpose, besides our self-reliance, we need, and ask for, support and assistance from the Japanese Society of GE (JSGE), the Asian Pacific Association of GE (APAGE) and the Organisation Mondiale de GE (OMEGE). At the same time, we suggest a choice be made among the different technologies, bearing in mind their cost-effectiveness, and to give preference to measures for the primary prevention and early detection of the diseases. Japanese experience in the early detection of gastric cancer and HCC, and in the Percutaneous Ethanol Injection Therapy (PEIT) for treatment of HCC, are highly appreciated. We recommend also a judicious and scientific combination of traditional medicine and modern technology in the research and the struggle against digestive diseases.     

Role of wireless capsule endoscopy in the follow-up of inflammatory bowel disease

The introduction of wireless capsule endoscopy in 2000 has revolutionized our ability to visualize parts of the small bowel mucosa classically unreached by the conventional endoscope, and since the recent introduction of colon capsule endoscopy, a promising alternative method has been available for the evaluation of large bowel mucosa. The advantages of wireless capsule endoscopy include its non-invasive character and its ability to visualize proximal and distal parts of the intestine, while important disadvantages include the procedure’s inability of tissue sampling and significant incompletion rate. Its greatest limitation is the prohibited use in cases of known or suspected stenosis of the intestinal lumen due to high risk of retention. Wireless capsule endoscopy plays an important role in the early recognition of recurrence, on Crohn’s disease patients who have undergone ileocolonic resection for the treatment of Crohn’s disease complications, and in patients’ management and therapeutic strategy planning, before obvious clinical and laboratory relapse. Although capsule endoscopy cannot replace traditional endoscopy, it offers valuable information on the evaluation of intestinal disease and has a significant impact on disease reclassification of patients with a previous diagnosis of ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease unclassified/indeterminate colitis. Moreover, it may serve as an effective alternative where colonoscopy is contraindicated and in cases with incomplete colonoscopy studies. The use of patency capsule maximizes safety and is advocated in cases of suspected small or large bowel stenosis.     

Absence of transmission of hepatitis B by fibreoptic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

A prospective survey on all patients undergoing fibreoptic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy during a 3 month period was conducted to determine the risk of transmission of hepatitis B. Four hundred and sixty-eight patients underwent 637 endoscopy examinations in 47 endoscopy sessions. Of these, 15% were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), 58.9% anti-HBs/anti-HBc-positive and 26.1% negative for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers on entry into the study. One hundred and eleven patients with no HBV markers underwent endoscopy during the same sessions as 69 HBsAg-positive patients. Forty of these patients were endoscoped subsequent to HBeAg-positive patients on at least one occasion. None of the HBV-negative patients seroconverted to HBsAg or anti-HBs/anti-HBc at the end of 6 months. It was demonstrated that with a standard cleaning procedure there was no evidence of endoscopic transmission of HBV infection even in an endemic area.     

冷激光联合胆道镜治疗胆道术后残余结石效果分析

目的探讨冷激光联合胆道镜在胆道术后残余结石治疗中的应用价值。方法回顾性分析2015年1月-2016年6月南京军区福州总医院收治的79例胆道术后残余结石患者的临床资料,所有患者均在术后6周行冷激光联合胆道镜治疗,观察治愈率及并发症情况。结果 79例患者均碎石成功,治愈率100%。68例未出现术后并发症;7例术后出现腹胀、腹痛、腹泻,观察后自行缓解;4例术后出现畏冷、寒颤,对症治疗后症状好转。均未出现胆管损伤、胆道穿孔、胆漏、胆道出血等严重并发症。结论冷激光联合胆道镜治疗胆道术后残余结石效果好、安全性高、可重复性强,值得临床推广。