Randomized controlled trial comparing outcomes of video capsule endoscopy with push enteroscopy in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Optimal management of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate diagnostic yields and downstream clinical outcomes comparing video capsule endoscopy (VCE) with push enteroscopy (PE). METHODS: Patients with OGIB and negative esophagogastroduodenoscopies and colonoscopies were randomly assigned to VCE or PE and followed for 12 months. End points included diagnostic yield, acute or chronic bleeding, health resource utilization and crossovers. RESULTS: Data from 79 patients were analyzed (VCE n=40; PE n=39; 82.3% overt OGIB). VCE had greater diagnostic yield (72.5% versus 48.7%; P<0.05), especially in the distal small bowel (58% versus 13%; P<0.01). More VCE-identified lesions were rated possible or certain causes of bleeding (79.3% versus 35.0%; P<0.05). During follow-up, there were no differences in the rates of ongoing bleeding (acute [40.0% versus 38.5%; P not significant], chronic [32.5% versus 45.6%; P not significant]), nor in health resource utilization. Fewer VCE-first patients crossed over due to ongoing bleeding (22.5% versus 48.7%; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A VCE-first approach had a significant diagnostic advantage over PE-first in patients with OGIB, especially with regard to detecting small bowel lesions, affecting clinical certainty and subsequent further small bowel investigations, with no subsequent differences in bleeding or resource utilization outcomes in follow-up. These findings question the clinical relevance of many of the discovered endoscopic lesions or the ability to treat most of these effectively over time. Improved prognostication of both patient characteristics and endoscopic lesion appearance with regard to bleeding behaviour, coupled with the impact of therapeutic deep enteroscopy, is now required using adapted, high-quality study methodologies.

IgG4-related sclerosing disease of the small bowel presenting as necrotizing mesenteric arteritis and a solitary jejunal ulcer.

Since first described in the mid 1990s, there has been burgeoning literature on IgG4-related sclerosing disease. The number of sites that may be involved is ever increasing, with the pancreas, salivary glands, and lymph nodes being the most commonly affected organs. There are no well-documented cases arising in the gastrointestinal tract. In this report, we present the first case to our knowledge of IgG4-related sclerosing disease involving the small bowel with a distinctly unusual clinicopathologic presentation. A previously well 46-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of intermittent abdominal pain with recent worsening due to small bowel obstruction. Following imaging, which showed jejunitis with surrounding mesenteric inflammatory changes, she proceeded to a segmental small bowel resection. The resected jejunum revealed an isolated, stenosing chronic ulcer associated with a necrotizing mesenteric arteritis. A transmural inflammatory infiltrate rich in IgG4 plasma cells was seen in the wall of the bowel and mesenteric artery. Abundant IgG4 interfollicular plasma cells were also identified in a mesenteric lymph node. The serum IgG4 level was elevated at >800 mg/dL (reference range 8 to 140 mg/dL). Although phlebitis is an almost constant feature of this disease, arteritis is not described other than in the lung and aorta. In this report, we also discuss the diagnostic pitfalls and the differential diagnoses that should be considered when this condition arises in the gastrointestinal tract.

A cohort study of missed and new cancers after esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about missed rates of upper gastrointestinal cancer (UGC) in Western populations, with most data originating from Japanese centers quoting high missed rates of 23.5-25.8%. The objective of this study was to better define missed rates of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and the natural history of UGC in a Western population that underwent an initial EGD without cancer, but were subsequently diagnosed with a UGC. Our hypothesis was that a normal EGD rarely misses the detection of UGC. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. A prospectively maintained electronic database was used to identify all patients who underwent EGD between 1990 and 2004 at the study institution. Patients in this cohort who were diagnosed with UGC before 2006 were identified through the Western Australian Cancer Registry. We defined missed cancers as those diagnosed within 1 year of EGD, possible missed cancers as those diagnosed 1-3 years after EGD, and new cancers as those diagnosed more than 3 years after EGD. This study had no interventions and was conducted at a tertiary referral center. The main outcome measurement included UGC. RESULTS: Of the 28,064 EGDs performed, UGC was diagnosed subsequent to the procedure in 116 cases (0.41%). There were 29 missed cancers, 26 possible missed cancers, and 75 new cancers. Of the missed cancers, 11 were esophageal, 15 were gastric, and 3 were duodenal. In 69% (n=20) of the missed cancers, an abnormality was described at the site of malignancy. In 59% (n=17) of the missed cancers, the indication for EGD was an alarm symptom of dysphagia or suspected blood loss. In an univariate analysis, the presence of an alarm symptom was related to missed cancers, whereas operator experience, trainee participation, and usage of newer equipment were not. One of the main limitations of this study is that it was a retrospective review. CONCLUSIONS: UGC is rare after normal EGD, confirming the high accuracy of EGD. Institutional approval was granted for the conduct of this study.

Informed consent in direct access colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although direct access colonoscopy is a common practice, some consider the level of informed consent as inadequate, and therefore a medico-legal concern. The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of informed consent from a patient perspective in a direct access colonoscopy service. METHODS: All patients having outpatient colonoscopy from May 2003 to February 2004 at a direct access colonoscopy service were considered for inclusion into the study. Information was obtained from patients by structured questionnaire administered either at the time of discharge from the day ward or mailed to their homes. RESULTS: Information was obtained from 346 direct access colonoscopy patients (172 male, 159 female; 226 >or= 50 years, 103 < 50 years), 80% of whom were referred by their family doctor. Colonoscopy was done for investigation of symptoms in 220 patients, and for screening and surveillance in 115 patients, with an indication not specified in 11 patients. The majority of patients were either very satisfied (70.5%) or satisfied (25.1%) with the consent process, with no demographic characteristics found to predict dissatisfaction. Thirty-seven patients expressed a preference to have seen a gastroenterologist prior to colonoscopy, and four of these patients reported the consent process to be unsatisfactory. Seventy (20.2%) patients reported that the most useful information about colonoscopy was received after they had completed bowel preparation. CONCLUSION: No demographic characteristics were found to predict the small fraction of patients dissatisfied with the informed consent process. Further medico-legal risk reduction may be facilitated by enhancing the provision of information prior to bowel preparation.