Sporadic adenomas in chronic ulcerative colitis

Presence of polyps with intraepithelial neoplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is associated with a very high risk of associated invasive carcinoma. Histologically, these lesions may not easily be differentiated from sporadic adenomas, which may occur in patients with UC. The treatment option for patients with polyps with intraepithelial neoplasia includes, at least in some centres, total colectomy which contrasts to polypectomy for patients with sporadic adenomas. Until recently, adenomatous polyps were not diagnosed in patients with UC because of the inability to differentiate adequately between UC-associated dysplastic polyps and adenomas. Multiple attempts have been made over the years to differentiate between UC-associated polyps with intraepithelial neoplasia and sporadic adenomas in patients with UC to ensure adequate treatment and follow-up for the correct diagnosis. These studies include morphologic, immunohistochemical and genetic analysis of lesions considered to be representative for each entity.     

Novel endoscopic activity index is useful for choosing treatment in severe active ulcerative colitis patients

Aim  

Clinical symptoms are the most important factors used by physicians to evaluate the severity and extent of ulcerative colitis (UC). In this context, colonoscopy is also a useful diagnostic tool. We have recently developed an endoscopic activity index (EAI) to assess the severity of UC. Here, we assess the correlations among the EAI, other endoscopic indices, and clinical scores. The usefulness of the EAI for choosing treatment options, such as intravenous corticosteroid or cyclosporine A (CsA), in severe UC patients was also evaluated.     

Advances in endoscopic imaging in ulcerative colitis

Modern strategies for the treatment of ulcerative colitis require more accurate tools for gastrointestinal imaging to better assess mucosal disease activity and long-term prognostic clinical outcomes. Recent advances in gastrointestinal luminal endoscopy are radically changing the role of endoscopy in every-day clinical practice and research trials. Advanced endoscopic imaging techniques including high-definition endoscopes, optical magnification endoscopy, and various chromoendoscopy techniques have remarkably improved endoscopic assessment of ulcerative colitis. More recently, optical biopsy techniques with either endocytoscopy or confocal laser endomicroscopy have shown great potential in predicting several histological changes in real time during ongoing endoscopy. Here, we review current applications of advanced endoscopic imaging techniques in ulcerative colitis and present the most promising upcoming headways in this field.     

Diagnosis of ulcerative colitis in endoscopic biopsies

Accurate diagnosis of "colitis", and hence the appropriate therapy, can be a big problem. Routine microscopy of endoscopic biopsies remains very important. Yet a biopsy diagnosis may also be difficult, and its accuracy depends upon the criteria used. The major parameters for the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis are reviewed.     

Dysplasia and carcinoma in longstanding ulcerative colitis: an endoscopic and histological surveillance programme.

From 1976 to 1989 a total of 66 patients with longstanding ulcerative colitis were entered in a colonoscopic surveillance programme in order to detect dysplasia. Thirty patients had extensive or total ulcerative colitis and 36 left sided colitis. The median duration of the disease at the end of the follow up was 15.0 years. Altogether 182 colonoscopies (2.8 per patient), each involving approximately 20 biopsies from different sites of the colon, were performed. In the total or extensive colitis group, five patients had low grade and one patient had high grade dysplasia. In the left sided colitis group, three patients had low grade dysplasia. In three patients low grade dysplasia was detected in a macroscopic lesion or mass of colonic mucosa. Sixty per cent of the dysplasia specimens were from the right colon. The incidence of dysplasia was higher in patients with extensive colitis and increased with the duration of the disease. None of the patients have so far developed colorectal carcinoma. Our results indicate that a colonoscopic surveillance programme is a safe alternative to prophylactic colectomy in longstanding ulcerative colitis.     

Advanced endoscopic imaging for dysplasia surveillance in ulcerative colitis

The ECG QT interval measures the length of ventricular systole. Its prolongation is essentially caused by a delayed repolarization phase, and is associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death in several congenital and acquired conditions. Abnormalities in cardiac electrophysiology are well documented in patients with liver cirrhosis, and the prolonged QT interval has emerged as the electrophysiological hallmark of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. This article will focus on: first, the epidemiology of QT interval prolongation in cirrhosis; second, the potential molecular mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of this electrophysiological abnormality and the putative role of circulating cardiotoxins; third, its prognostic meaning; and fourth, its clinical relevance, in terms of the association between the presence of a long QT interval and the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias in cirrhotic patients treated with drugs known to increase the QT length or exposed to stressful conditions, such as liver transplantation, gastrointestinal bleeding and shock.     

Recent advances in the endoscopic assessment of ulcerative colitis

Endoscopic assessment of the severity and extent of inflammation as well as the presence of neoplastic lesions is integral to the management of ulcerative colitis (UC). Numerous scoring systems to assess endoscopic severity indicate that a perfect scoring system is still lacking. Many of the scoring systems were designed in the era of standard-definition white-light endoscopy. The resolution and details provided by the new-generation endoscopes and high-definition equipment of both mucosal pattern and vascular pattern mandates a fresh look at endoscopic scoring in UC. In this context, we describe some of the scoring systems recently designed using novel endoscopic techniques. Current definitions of mucosal healing do not completely reflect histologic healing but this gap is being closed rapidly by novel endoscopic techniques with high-definition images that can be optically and digitally enhanced. The best technique to detect dysplasia in UC is still widely debated. New endoscopic resection techniques may now be able to limit the number of colectomies that need to be performed in the presence of dysplasia owing to improvement in performing local resection.     

内镜超声在溃疡性结肠炎诊断中的价值初步研究

目的 探讨内镜超声检查(EUS)和白光内镜、放大内镜在判断溃疡性结肠炎(UC)严重程度中的一致性和互补性.方法 确诊的125例UC患者经白光内镜和EUS检查,其中51例行放大内镜检查.根据白光内镜黏膜形态、放大内镜腺开口进行分级,比较各分级下内镜超声测得的肠壁总厚度.结果 白光内镜下判断UC炎症程度:重度16例、中度46例、轻度44例、缓解期19例,EUS测得肠壁总厚度分别为(5.903±1.551 )mm、(4.673±1.235 )mm、( 3.756±1.322) mm、(3.464±0.970) mm,除轻度与缓解期比较差异无统计学意义外,其他组别两两比较,差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).放大内镜下根据UC炎症程度分为,绒毛状结构(9例)、典型珊瑚礁状结构(9例)、重度珊瑚礁状结构(8例)、规则腺开口(13例)、上皮微小缺损(6例)、小黄色斑(6例),肠壁总厚度分别为(5.701 ±0.941) mm、(5.518±0.581) mm、(5.181±0.751)mm、(3.763±0.659) mm、( 3.587±0.461) mm和(2.505±0.330 )mm,除上皮微小缺损与规则腺开口、典型与重度珊瑚礁状结构和绒毛状结构之间比较,差异无统计学意义外,其他组别两两比较,差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).超声内镜评估黏膜深度,小黄色斑(6/6)、规则腺开口(10/13)多位于黏膜层,而重度珊瑚礁状结构(8/8)病变均浸润至固有肌层.结论 EUS对判断UC炎症程度及浸润深度和白光内镜、放大内镜具有一定的一致性,可达到辅助或替代放大内镜判断效果.     

Sporadic duodenal adenoma is associated with colorectal neoplasia

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the association between colorectal neoplasia and sporadic duodenal adenoma. METHODS: A retrospective case control study was conducted using the databases of two major teaching hospitals in Western Australia. The frequency of colorectal neoplasia in patients with sporadic duodenal adenomas was compared with that in a control group of patients presenting for endoscopies. The frequency of colorectal cancer in duodenal adenoma patients was also compared with the population incidence. RESULTS: Of 56 sporadic duodenal adenoma patients, 34 (61%) had been colonoscoped. When comparing the findings between patients with sporadic duodenal adenoma and an endoscoped control group, all colorectal neoplasias were significantly more common in the duodenal adenoma group (56% v 33%; odds ratio (OR) 2.4 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.1-5.4)). Although finding either advanced colorectal adenoma or cancer was also more common in duodenal adenoma patients (38% v 19%; OR 2.3 (95% CI 1.0-5.2)), as was finding colorectal cancer alone (21% v 8%; OR 3.0 (95% CI 1.0-9.1)), the results were not statistically significant. However, the incidence of colorectal cancer was much greater in duodenal adenoma patients than in the population (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sporadic duodenal adenoma has a clinically important association with colorectal neoplasia. Thus patients with duodenal adenomas should undergo colonoscopy to detect colorectal neoplasia.