Use of a double balloon enteroscope facilitates caecal intubation after incomplete colonoscopy with a standard colonoscope

BACKGROUND: Caecal intubation is a necessary step in the complete endoscopic evaluation of the colon. Studies have estimated that experienced colonoscopists may fail to reach the caecum in up to 10% of cases. AIMS: To evaluate the utility of the double balloon enteroscope used for complete examination of the colon in patients with incomplete standard colonoscopy. PATIENTS: Twenty consecutive patients with incomplete colonoscopies within the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. Mean age of 66 years (S.D.+/-12 years, range 46-84), 16 men. METHODS: Prospective single-centre case series on the caecal intubation rate using standard double balloon enteroscope technique in patients with previous incomplete conventional colonoscopy. RESULTS: Use of the standard double balloon enteroscope technique permitted complete colonoscopy to be achieved in 95% of the patients (19/20). Seven patients (35%) had significant pathology beyond the extent of the prior incomplete colonoscopy. We performed endoscopic mucosal resection, polypectomy or biopsy. The mean time to reach the caecum was 28 min (S.D.+/-20 min, range 6-90 min). The sedation was similar to conventional colonoscopy. No complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The double balloon enteroscope technology and technique can be used to complete examination of the colon in patients who were referred because of incomplete standard colonoscopy.     

Unusual fistulae between the rectum and the lower urinary tract: simple techniques for diagnosis

This paper presents two unusual fistulae between the rectum and the lower urinary tract in adults, one a posttraumatic fistula following dilatation of a sigmoid colon stricture and the other a congenital anomaly. In both cases a contrast enema was negative; in one case a voiding cystourethrogram was negative. The fistula was demonstrated in case 1 by repeating the enema and having the patient raise his intraabdominal pressure, and in case 2 by having the patient hold while attempting to pass flatus during a cystogram, which demonstrated gas bubbles entering the bladder.     

Development of a monoclonal antibody specific for beta/A4 amyloid in Alzheimer's disease brain for application to in vivo imaging of amyloid angiopathy.

We evaluated the efficacy of murine monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) targeted to beta/A4 amyloid for development of procedures for the in vivo identification of amyloid angiopathy (AA) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mabs to beta/A4 amyloid were prepared and screened for effectiveness in visualizing AA and senile plaques in postmortem AD brain sections. They were assessed again after enzymatic cleavage to produce Fab fragments and after labeling with 99mTc using a diamide dimercaptide ligand system. Modified and radiolabeled Fab fragments retained activity and specificity towards amyloid-laden blood vessels and senile plaques. A highly specific murine Mab, 10H3, was identified and characterized that fulfills criteria necessary for the development of a diagnostic imaging agent. Expansion and adaptation of these strategies may provide the methods and materials for the noninvasive analysis of AA in living patients, and permit assessment of the contribution of AA to the clinical and pathological features of AD.     

AIDS--the Baragwanath experience. Part II. HIV infection in pregnancy and childhood.

By the end of 1990, 51 symptomatic children with perinatally acquired HIV infection had been admitted to Baragwanath Hospital. Of 42 children who were followed up for at least 3 months, 15 (35.7%) died and 16 (38.1%) were lost to follow-up. The case fatality rate for these children lies between 35.7% and 73.8%. Most children became symptomatic before the age of 6 months and presenting features seen in over 70% of cases included lymphadenopathy, failure to thrive and hepatomegaly. Surviving children had recurrent admissions to hospital, predominantly for respiratory distress. Many had bacterial pneumonias. Cardiac involvement (cardiomyopathy and cor pulmonale), recurrent serious bacterial infections and neurodevelopmental abnormalities were common. Our experience confirms that vertically acquired HIV infection has a relatively short incubation period and progresses rapidly with cardiorespiratory symptoms predominating. Five HIV seroprevalence studies have been conducted in pregnant women attending Baragwanath Hospital and the Soweto clinics since 1988. The calculated doubling time is between 7 and 21 months. At the end of 1990 the HIV seroprevalence rate in pregnant women was 0.82% (95% confidence limits 0.44-1.19%).     

Utilization and clinical manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected children presenting to a pediatric emergency department

A retrospective review was conducted of 22 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected children under 13 years of age presenting to an inner city pediatric emergency department to determine their clinical manifestations of disease and utilization of emergency department services. When compared with a population of 78 normal children, the infected children were more likely to present with cough, difficulty in breathing, and lethargy. Pneumonia, diarrhea, and dehydration were more common diagnoses in the infected children, who were more likely to be admitted, had more invasive procedures, and required more professional staff to provide care. There was no significant difference in the frequency of visits (visits/month of age) when comparing the two groups. As expected, the infected children presented with problems associated with pediatric HIV-1 infection. Our results suggest that HIV-1-infected children require an increased level of care in the emergency department and subsequent admission to the hospital. These children did not visit the emergency department more frequently than the controls. This may be the result of an active outpatient HIV clinic in our hospital, which is available to both scheduled and unscheduled patients.     

Uroscopy in the 21st century: high-field NMR spectroscopy

From the experiments described, it can be seen that there are different research approaches that can be taken and these are summarized in Table 1. Whereas much scientific research is principally hypothesis led, there remains, nevertheless, an important place for exploratory research. High resolution NMR can measure, directly and simultaneously, a wide range of endogenous metabolites in biological fluids and has the unique capability of providing structural information on the metabolites detected. It has proved to be a powerful research tool with which to study inherited metabolic diseases, renal disease, drug metabolism, and toxicity, and can be used to monitor the effects of drug therapy. For instance, by using a library of experimental toxins one can map the metabolic profile of site-specific nephron injury. With this approach in man one could eventually take an unknown disease such as Balkan nephropathy and predict the initial site of tubular injury, the mode of injury and therefore the kind of toxin capable of producing that injury. NMR spectroscopic techniques are still advancing rapidly, with ever increasing sensitivity and sophistication of NMR pulse sequences to enhance structural elucidation in complex mixtures. Given the advances in directly coupled HPLC-NMR and even HPLC-NMR-mass spectroscopy it is likely that these technologies in conjunction with pattern recognition will make major contribution to our understanding of renal processes and provide new diagnostic insights in the 21st century.