Prospective study of the clinical impact of EUS

BACKGROUND: Studies on the clinical impact of EUS are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of EUS on the management plans by referring doctors and patient outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing EUS between August 2002 and June 2004 were prospectively studied. Referring doctors were given a pre-EUS questionnaire that asked about provisional diagnosis and management plan. A post-EUS questionnaire was sent 6 weeks after the procedure. RESULTS: A total of 330 patients were examined, and completed questionnaires were received in 70%. EUS-guided FNA was performed in 69 (30%) patients. EUS resulted in a change in diagnosis and management in 26% and 48% of cases, respectively. Thirty-nine of the latter patients (33%) avoided unnecessary surgery. In 50% of cases, additional investigations were avoided. Doctors reported EUS as very or moderately useful in 210 patients (91%). Doctors of 223 patients (97%) reported that they would use EUS again. CONCLUSIONS: The use of EUS had a significant clinical impact on patients. EUS resulted in a change of diagnosis in a fourth of patients and a change in management in half of patients studied.     

EUS联合ERCP在梗阻型轻症急性胆源性胰腺炎中应用及对细胞因子和淀粉酶的影响

目的观察超声内镜(EUS)联合十二指肠镜逆行性胆胰管造影(ERCP)对梗阻型轻症急性胆源性胰腺炎患者的治疗效果及对细胞因子、淀粉酶的影响。方法梗阻型轻症急性胆源性胰腺炎患者90例,随机分为对照组(n=45)和观察组(n=45)。对照组采用开腹手术治疗,观察组采用EUS联合ERCP治疗。观察两组治疗前、后肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)-α、白细胞介素(IL)-2、白细胞IL-6、IL-8、IL-10及淀粉酶水平变化。结果观察组治疗后腹痛缓解时间、尿淀粉酶恢复正常时间、血淀粉酶恢复正常时间及住院时间、显著短于对照组(P<0.05);观察组治疗后TNF-α、IL-2、IL-6及IL-8水平低于对照组(P<0.05);观察组术后并发症发生率(8.89%),显著低于对照组(20.00%,P<0.05)。结论梗阻型轻症急性胆源性胰腺炎患者采用EUS联合ERCP治疗效果理想。     

Relation between the risk of gallstone pancreatitis and characteristics of gallstone in Korea

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pancreatitis is a serious complication of patients with gallstones. However, risk factors of gallstone pancreatitis were unpredictable until recently. In Korea, characteristics of gallstones are different from Western countries. The present study was designed to determine differences in the risk of gallstone pancreatitis and characteristics of gallstones in Korean patients. METHODOLOGY: Clinical data were collected on patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The physical characteristics of gallstones recovered at surgery were also recorded. Patients with gallstone pancreatitis were compared with patients who had uncomplicated biliary pain. RESULTS: In a logistic regression model, acute gallstone pancreatitis was associated with a stone diameter of less than 5 mm (odds ratio: 3.3695; P = 0.0352) and with stone number of more than 20 (odds ratio: 3.8686; P = 0.0361). No other variable, including pigment stone, age, and sex, remained statistically significant in the adjusted analysis (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with at least 1 gallstone smaller than 5 mm in diameter and stone number more than 20 each have a more than 3-fold increased risk of presenting with acute gallstone pancreatitis. The composition of gallstones, especially pigment stones, was not an important risk factor in gallstone pancreatitis in Korean patients with stones having a different composition than those from Western countries.     

EUS findings in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune pancreatitis is an increasingly recognized benign condition with a presentation similar to pancreatic neoplasia but responds to corticosteroid therapy. Clinical features, ERCP, and CT findings have been described. This study assessed the EUS and EUS-guided FNA features of proven autoimmune pancreatitis. METHODS: The diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis was based on examination of surgical resection specimens or typical clinical findings (elevated immunoglobulin G level, no evidence of malignancy, characteristic non-EUS imaging studies, and clinical improvement, especially in response to treatment with a corticosteroid). RESULTS: Presenting manifestations in 14 patients included obstructive jaundice, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Ten patients underwent surgery (including exploratory surgery). Six were successfully treated with corticosteroid. EUS revealed diffuse hypoechoic pancreatic enlargement (8/14) or a focal irregular hypoechoic mass (6/14). Features of chronic pancreatitis were not noted. EUS-guided FNA of the pancreas was suggestive of chronic inflammatory pancreatitis in 9 of 12 patients. Celiac and peripancreatic lymphadenopathy (up to 3 cm in diameter) was present in 6 patients. EUS-guided FNA of lymph nodes (3/4) did not reveal evidence of malignancy. Vascular involvement was noted in 3 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The EUS features of autoimmune pancreatitis are easily mistaken for malignancy. However, a diffusely hypoechoic, enlarged pancreas, together with chronic inflammatory cells in aspirated cytologic specimens, is supportive of the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis. When combined with clinical data, EUS and EUS-guided FNA may support a diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis, may warrant a trial of corticosteroid, and thereby may prevent unnecessary surgery.     

Prospective assessment of the diagnostic utility of esophageal brushings in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis

Patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) undergo multiple endoscopies with biopsy for both diagnosis and assessment of treatment response, which is inconvenient and costly. Brush cytology has been examined in Barrett's esophagus to reduce the need for repeated endoscopic biopsies. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the ability of brush cytology to detect mucosal eosinophilia in patients with EoE. This prospective study included adults with untreated and treated esophageal eosinophilia undergoing endoscopy at a tertiary care center. Patients received paired brushings and biopsies at the proximal and distal esophagus. A blinded pathologist quantified the number of eosinophils and epithelial cells per high‐power field (hpf) on the cytology slides. The ratio of eosinophils/epithelial cells was used to normalize the cytology specimens for density of cells collected. The main outcome measures were sensitivity and specificity of brush cytology, and correlation between cytology and histology. Twenty‐eight patients enrolled. The average age of the cohort was 37.7 ± 10.4 years; 75% of subjects were male. The sensitivity of cytology was 67–69% at the proximal esophagus and 70–72% at the distal esophagus. The specificity was 61–67% proximally and 70–75% distally. Histology was not significantly correlated with the max ratio of eosinophils/epithelial cells per hpf or the absolute number of eosinophils on cytology slides. Cytology using esophageal brushing has limited sensitivity and specificity for the detection of esophageal mucosal eosinophilia. The presence of exudates on endoscopy increased the detection of eosinophilia, which could make cytology useful in pediatric EoE, which often has a more exudative presentation. Diagnostic yield may improve with alternative acquisition techniques or the incorporation of eosinophil degranulation proteins.     

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography and contrast enhanced EUS in groove pancreatitis

We report for the first time the findings on endoscopic ultrasound elastrography and contrast enhanced EUS in a patient with groove pancreatitis.     

Quantitative diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis using EUS elastography

Journal of Gastroenterology - It is difficult to diagnose chronic pancreatitis (CP) objectively because of a lack of standard diagnostic criteria. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has been used to...     

EUS in the evaluation of pancreatic cystic lesions

BACKGROUND: The differential diagnosis in pancreatic cystic lesions is often difficult despite the availability of various modern imaging modalities. This study assessed the role of EUS in the following: (1) discrimination of pseudocysts from pancreatic cystic tumors, (2) differential diagnosis between serous cystadenoma and mucinous cystic tumor, and (3) prediction of accompanying malignancy in intraductal papillary mucinous tumor. METHODS: EUS findings in 75 patients with pancreatic cystic lesions (58 cystic tumors, 17 pseudocysts) were evaluated. In the comparison of pseudocysts and cystic tumors, the latter included intraductal papillary mucinous tumor, mucinous cystic tumors, and serous cystadenomas, but not solid-pseudopapillary tumors. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, pseudocysts exhibited echogenic debris and parenchymal changes more often than cystic tumors did (respectively, 29% vs. 6%, p < 0.05; and 65% vs. 4%, p < 0.001). In contrast, septa and mural nodules were found more frequently in cystic tumors than pseudocysts (respectively, 69% vs. 12%, p < 0.001; 56% vs. 12%, p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that parenchymal changes (odds ratio [OR] = 83.59; p < 0.01); septa (OR = 30.75; p < 0.05); and mural nodules (OR = 21.38; p < 0.05) were independent predictors of differentiation between pseudocysts and cystic tumors. Serous cystadenoma exhibited diverse EUS features, as well as a honeycomb appearance. Mural nodules were found more often in mucinous cystic tumors than in serous cystadenomas (p < 0.05). There were no factors that predicted malignancy in intraductal papillary mucinous tumor. CONCLUSIONS: EUS is a useful complementary imaging method for differentiation of pancreatic cystic lesions.     

胆石性胰腺炎的一种简易临床分型法

目的 探讨胆石性胰腺炎合理的临床分型方法,以更好地指导临床选择治疗方案.方法 依据胰腺炎的病情严重程度和胆管有无梗阻,将273例胆石性胰腺炎分成4个临床类型:非梗阻性轻型(Ⅰ型)、梗阻性轻型(Ⅱ型)、梗阻性重型(Ⅲ)、非梗阻性重型(Ⅳ型);再依据胆总管内是否存在结石,将每一类型分成a、b两个亚型.然后对临床分型结果、治疗方法、预后进行分析.结果 Ⅰa型34例,Ⅰb型112例;Ⅱa型59例,Ⅱb型11例;Ⅲa型6例,Ⅲb型4例;Ⅳa型3例,Ⅳb型44例.全组总病死率为3.3%(9/273),Ⅰ型、Ⅱ型、Ⅲ型、Ⅳ型的病死率分别为0、0、10%(1/10)、17.0%(8/47),组间差别具有统计学意义(P<0.05).早期手术、传统非手术以及早期区域动脉灌注治疗Ⅳ型的病死率分别为30.8%(4/13)、25%(3/12)、4.5%(1/22),区域动脉灌注组病死率显著低于其他两组(P<0.05).结论 4型2分法是一种较为合理的胆石性胰腺炎临床分型法.以临床分型为依据细化胆石性胰腺炎治疗原则,可提高临床疗效.但在治疗过程中还需重视临床类型的转变.     

Predictive biomarkers for acute gallstone pancreatitis in the pediatric population

Background

Early biomarkers for diagnosis of gallstone pancreatitis (GP) in pediatrics have not been well studied. Reliably differentiating GP from other causes of acute pancreatitis (AP) would allow for early diagnosis and prompt management. We sought to assess biomarkers and clinical variables for early GP diagnosis from a prospectively-enrolled registry of pediatric patients presenting with first AP episode.