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BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Isolated small bowel Crohn's disease (SBCD) is reported to have a worse prognosis compared to other CD phenotypes. The aim of this study was to understand the correlation between Isolated SBCD and ileocolonic disease with blood and faecal biomarkers and also to identify differences in outcome and management between the two phenotypes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with ileocolonic or isolated small bowel Crohn's Disease (SBCD) were identified from an existing capsule endoscopy (CE) database. Harvey Bradshaw Index (HBI), biomarkers: c-reactive protein (CRP) and faecal calprotectin (FC), Lewis score and findings on CE and subsequent follow up data were collected. SPSS was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: In total 248 patients were included in the study. Patients were split into two groups- Isolated SBCD with 178 patient (median age 44 years (IQR 31-56); 41.5 % male) and Ileocolonic Crohn's with 70 patients (median age 31 years (IQR 22.7-49); 31.5 % male). A new diagnosis of SBCD was made in 38.7 % (n = 96), whilst 60.0 % (n = 144) had established CD. Patients with ileocolonic disease had a higher HBI in comparison to isolated SBCD [HBI = 7 (IQR 5-10) vs HBI = 6(IQR 4-9); P = 0.04 ]. There was no significant difference in the FC levels between isolated SBCD and ileocolonic disease [136ug/g (IQR 53.8-363.3) vs 171ug/g (IQR 68.5-485.5); p = 0.98]. In isolated SBCD group, 30.3 % (n = 54) CE showed proximal disease, 96 % (n = 171) showed distal disease and 26.4 % (n = 47) showed extensive disease. SBCE was superior to MRI at diagnosing proximal SBCD (P < 0.01). On multivariate logistic regression, we did not identify any predictors of disease severity defined as Lewis score > 790. Following SBCE, 68.5 % (n = 170) of the total patients had a management change. This included commencement or dose escalation of corticosteroids in 123 (49.5 %) patients, azathioprine in 80 (33.3 %) patients, methotrexate in 22 (9.1 %) patients and biological therapy in 110 (44.3 %) patients. HBI predicted a change in management (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CE is an important modality for the diagnosis of active SBCD. It also helps guide treatment in patients identified with active disease.
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BACKGROUND: As acceptance of artificial intelligence [AI] platforms increases, more patients will consider these tools as sources of information. The ChatGPT architecture utilizes a neural network to process natural language, thus generating responses based on the context of input text. The accuracy and completeness of ChatGPT3.5 in the context of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] remains unclear. METHODS: In this prospective study, 38 questions worded by IBD patients were inputted into ChatGPT3.5. The following topics were covered: [1] Crohn's disease [CD], ulcerative colitis [UC], and malignancy; [2] maternal medicine; [3] infection and vaccination; and [4] complementary medicine. Responses given by ChatGPT were assessed for accuracy [1-completely incorrect to 5-completely correct] and completeness [3-point Likert scale; range 1-incomplete to 3-complete] by 14 expert gastroenterologists, in comparison with relevant ECCO guidelines. RESULTS: In terms of accuracy, most replies [84.2%] had a median score of ≥4 (interquartile range [IQR]: 2) and a mean score of 3.87 [SD: ±0.6]. For completeness, 34.2% of the replies had a median score of 3 and 55.3% had a median score of between 2 and <3. Overall, the mean rating was 2.24 [SD: ±0.4, median: 2, IQR: 1]. Though groups 3 and 4 had a higher mean for both accuracy and completeness, there was no significant scoring variation between the four question groups [Kruskal-Wallis test p > 0.05]. However, statistical analysis for the different individual questions revealed a significant difference for both accuracy [pâ <â 0.001] and completeness [pâ <â 0.001]. The questions which rated the highest for both accuracy and completeness were related to smoking, while the lowest rating was related to screening for malignancy and vaccinations especially in the context of immunosuppression and family planning. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to demonstrate the capability of an AI-based system to provide accurate and comprehensive answers to real-world patient queries in IBD. AI systems may serve as a useful adjunct for patients, in addition to standard of care in clinics and validated patient information resources. However, responses in specialist areas may deviate from evidence-based guidance and the replies need to give more firm advice.
Subject(s)
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases , Humans , Prospective Studies , Artificial Intelligence , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Vaccination/standards , Complementary Therapies/methods , Colitis, Ulcerative , Crohn Disease , Natural Language Processing , Female , Patient Education as Topic/methods , NeoplasmsABSTRACT
Coeliac disease (CeD) is an immunological disease triggered by the consumption of gluten contained in food in individuals with a genetic predisposition. Diagnosis is based on the presence of small bowel mucosal atrophy and circulating autoantibodies (anti-type 2 transglutaminase antibodies). After diagnosis, patients follow a strict, life-long gluten-free diet. Although the criteria for diagnosis of this disease are well defined, the monitoring phase has been studied less and there is a lack of specific guidelines for this phase. To develop a set of clinical guidelines for CeD monitoring, we followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Statements and recommendations with the level of evidence were developed and approved by the working group, which comprised gastroenterologists, pathologists, dieticians and biostatisticians. The proposed guidelines, endorsed by the North American and European coeliac disease scientific societies, make recommendations for best practices in monitoring patients with CeD based on the available evidence. The evidence level is low for many topics, suggesting that further research in specific aspects of CeD would be valuable. In conclusion, the present guidelines support clinicians in improving CeD treatment and follow-up and highlight novel issues that should be considered in future studies.
Subject(s)
Celiac Disease , Gastroenterologists , Adult , Humans , Celiac Disease/diagnosis , Autoantibodies , Diet, Gluten-Free , Genetic Predisposition to DiseaseABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The management of patients with recurrent anaemia and small bowel angioectasia (SBA) is costly and challenging. AIMS/METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we examined the clinical and cost implication of a combination therapy of Somatostatin analogues (SA) and endoscopic ablation, endoscopic therapy alone, and conservative management. RESULTS: Median number of bleeding episodes reduced from 3.5 (IQR 4) in the year before, to 1 (IQR 2) in the year after starting combination therapy with SA (p = 0.002). There were no differences in number of bed days (13.7 vs. 15.3, p = 0.66) and cost (£10,835 vs £11,653, p = 0.73) in the year before and after starting combination therapy. There was a trend towards a reduction in median number of blood transfusions episodes (17 vs 5, p = 0.07) and therapeutic endoscopies (1 vs. 0, p = 0.05) after starting SA. In patients suitable for endoscopic therapy alone, time spent in hospital was reduced (-3.5 days, p = 0.004), but bleeding episodes, transfusions and cost of treatment were not different. Patients requiring a combination therapy were significantly more co-morbid with a mean (± sd) Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) of 7.1 (± 2.7). Higher CCI (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-3.9) and presence of chronic renal failure (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.4-12.4) predicted escalation to combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS: SAs may be a useful adjunct to endoscopic therapy for transfusion dependent comorbid patients. In the first year they reduce bleeding episodes. Cost in the 1-year before and after adding on SA are no different suggesting additional clinical benefit can be gained without additional cost.
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage , Vascular Diseases , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/therapy , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/surgery , Intestine, Small , Dilatation, PathologicABSTRACT
Coeliac disease is a common autoimmune disorder induced by ingesting gluten, the protein component of wheat, barley, and rye. It is estimated that one-in-hundred people worldwide have coeliac disease, of whom the majority remain undiagnosed. Coeliac disease is characterized by a wide range of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms but can also present asymptomatically. Diagnosing coeliac disease depends on the concordance of clinical, serological and histopathological data. However, the diagnosis can be challenging and frequently overlooked. Undiagnosed coeliac disease is associated with an increased risk of complications and detrimental effects on quality of life. Early diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease are necessary to reduce the risk of long-term complications.
Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases , Celiac Disease , Humans , Celiac Disease/complications , Celiac Disease/diagnosis , Celiac Disease/therapy , Quality of Life , Triticum , Glutens/adverse effects , Diet, Gluten-FreeABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The investigation of small bowel (SB) intussusception is variable, reflecting the lack of existing standards. The aim of this study was to understand the role of small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) to investigate this pathology. METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective multi-centre study. Patients with intussusception on SBCE and those where SBCE was carried out due to findings of intussusception on radiological investigations were included. Relevant information was collected. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients (median age 39+/-SD19.1 years, IQR 30) were included. Radiological investigations were carried out in 71 patients (74.7%) prior to SBCE with intussusception being present in 60 patients on radiological investigations (84.5%). Thirty patients (42.2%) had intussusception on radiological investigations followed by a normal SBCE. Ten patients (14.1%) had findings of intussusception on radiological investigations, a normal SBCE and repeat radiological investigations that were also normal. Abnormal findings were noted on SBCE that could explain intussusception on imaging in (16 patients) 22.5% of patients. Five patients (5.3%) underwent radiological investigations and SBCE to investigate coeliac disease and intussusception. None had associated malignancy. Four patients (4.2%) underwent SBCE to investigate familial polyposis syndromes and went on to SB enteroscopy and surgery accordingly. Most patients (n = 14; 14.8%) with intussusception on initial SBCE (without prior radiological imaging) had suspected SB bleeding (n = 10, 10.5%). Four patients (4.2%) had additional findings of a mass on CT scan and went on to have surgery. CONCLUSION: SBCE should be used to complement radiology when investigating intussusception. It is a safe non-invasive test that will minimise unnecessary surgery. Additional radiological investigations following a negative SBCE in cases of intussusception noted on initial radiological investigations are unlikely to yield positive findings. Radiological investigations following intussusception noted on SBCE in case of patients presenting with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, may yield additional findings.
Subject(s)
Capsule Endoscopy , Celiac Disease , Intussusception , Adult , Humans , Algorithms , Capsule Endoscopy/methods , Celiac Disease/pathology , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/diagnostic imaging , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology , Intestine, Small/diagnostic imaging , Intestine, Small/pathology , Intussusception/diagnostic imaging , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Introduction: Conventional oral upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy can obe uncomfortable. By comparison, transnasal endoscopy (TNE) and magnet assisted capsule endoscopy (MACE) have superior tolerability. A cost comparison of competing upper GI endoscopic modalities have yet to be performed. Methods: We performed a cost comparison study of oral, TNE and MACE by a combination of activity-based costing and averaging of fixed costs over 24 481 upper GI endoscopies performed for dyspepsia over a 10-year period. Results: On average, 9.4 procedures were performed daily. TNE was cheapest at 125.90 per procedure, costing 30% less than oral endoscopy at 184.10 and threefold cheaper than MACE at 407.10. Flexible endoscope reprocessing cost 53.80. TNE was cheaper than oral endoscopy as sedation was not required. Oral endoscopies have a further rate of infectious complications, estimated to cost 16.20 per oral procedure in inpatient admissions. Oral and TNE equipment are more expensive to purchase and maintain than MACE costing 79 330 and 81 819, respectively compared with MACE at 15 420 per annum. However, capsule endoscopes cost significantly more per procedure at 369.00 than the consumables for flexible endoscopy (per oral 12.30, TNE 5.30). Conclusions: TNE cost less to perform than conventional per oral endoscopy. The cost of capsule endoscopes will need to be reduced significantly if routine use is to be expected.
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PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Our aim is to provide an overview of small bowel neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), clinical presentation, diagnosis algorithm and management options. We also highlight the latest evidence on management and suggest areas for future research. RECENT FINDINGS: Dodecanetetraacetic acid (DOTATATE) scan can detect NETs with an improved sensitivity than when compared with an Octreotide scan. It is complimentary to small bowel endoscopy that provides mucosal views and allows the delineation of small lesions undetectable on imaging. Surgical resection is the best management modality even in metastatic disease. Prognosis can be improved with the administration of somatostatin analogues and Evarolimus as second-line therapies. SUMMARY: NETs are heterogenous tumours affecting most commonly the distal small bowel as single or multiple lesions. Their secretary behaviour can lead to symptoms, most commonly diarrhoea and weight loss. Metastases to the liver are associated with carcinoid syndrome.
Subject(s)
Intestinal Neoplasms , Neuroendocrine Tumors , Humans , Neuroendocrine Tumors/diagnosis , Neuroendocrine Tumors/therapy , Octreotide/therapeutic use , Somatostatin/therapeutic use , Prognosis , Intestinal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Intestinal Neoplasms/therapy , Intestinal Neoplasms/complicationsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is an attractive method for diagnosing and objectively monitoring disease activity in celiac disease (CeD). Its use, facilitated by artificial intelligence- based tools, may allow computer-assisted interpretation of VCE studies, transforming a subjective test into a quantitative and reproducible measurement tool. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare objective CeD severity assessment as determined with VCE by expert human readers and a machine learning algorithm (MLA). METHODS: Patients ≥ 18 years with histologically proven CeD underwent VCE. Examination frames were scored by three readers from one center and the MLA, using a 4-point ordinal scale for assessing the severity of CeD enteropathy. After scoring, curves representing CeD severity across the entire small intestine (SI) and individual tertiles (proximal, mid, and distal) were fitted for each reader and the MLA. All comparisons used Krippendorff's alpha; values > 0.8 represent excellent to 'almost perfect' inter-reader agreement. RESULTS: VCEs from 63 patients were scored. Readers demonstrated strong inter-reader agreement on celiac villous damage (alpha=0.924), and mean value reader curves showed similarly excellent agreement with MLA curves (alpha=0.935). Average reader and MLA curves were comparable for mean and maximum values for the first SI tertile (alphas=0.932 and 0.867, respectively) and the mean value over the entire SI (alpha=0.945). CONCLUSION: A novel MLA demonstrated excellent agreement on whole SI imaging with three expert gastroenterologists. An ordinal scale permitted high inter-reader agreement, accurately and reliably replicated by the MLA. Interpreting VCEs using MLAs may allow automated diagnosis and disease burden assessment in CeD.
Subject(s)
Capsule Endoscopy , Celiac Disease , Humans , Celiac Disease/diagnostic imaging , Celiac Disease/pathology , Capsule Endoscopy/methods , Artificial Intelligence , Algorithms , Machine Learning , Patient AcuityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Meckel's diverticulum (MD) may remain silent or be associated with adverse events such as GI bleeding. The main aim of this study was to evaluate indicative small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) findings, and the secondary aim was to describe clinical presentation in patients with MD. METHODS: This retrospective European multicenter study included patients with MD undergoing SBCE from 2001 until July 2021. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients with a confirmed MD were included. Median age was 32 years with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 3:1. GI bleeding or iron-deficiency anemia was present in nearly all patients. Mean hemoglobin was 7.63 ± 1.8 g/dL with a transfusion requirement of 52.2%. Typical capsule endoscopy (CE) findings were double lumen (n = 49 [71%]), visible entrance into the MD (n = 49 [71%]), mucosal webs (n = 30 [43.5%]), and bulges (n = 19 [27.5%]). Two or more of these findings were seen in 48 patients (69.6%). Ulcers were detected in 52.2% of patients (n = 36). In 63.8% of patients (n = 44), a combination of double lumen and visible entrance into the MD was evident, additionally revealing ulcers in 39.1% (n = 27). Mean percent SB (small bowel) transit time for the first indicative image of MD was 57% of the total SB transit time. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of MD is rare and sometimes challenging, and a preoperative criterion standard does not exist. In SBCE, the most frequent findings were double-lumen sign and visible diverticular entrance, sometimes together with ulcers.
Subject(s)
Capsule Endoscopy , Meckel Diverticulum , Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Meckel Diverticulum/diagnosis , Meckel Diverticulum/diagnostic imaging , Capsule Endoscopy/methods , Retrospective Studies , Ulcer/complications , Abdomen , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/diagnosisABSTRACT
(1) Background: Villous atrophy is an indication for small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). However, SBCE findings are not described uniformly and atrophic features are sometimes not recognized; (2) Methods: The Delphi technique was employed to reach agreement among a panel of SBCE experts. The nomenclature and definitions of SBCE lesions suggesting the presence of atrophy were decided in a core group of 10 experts. Four images of each lesion were chosen from a large SBCE database and agreement on the correspondence between the picture and the definition was evaluated using the Delphi method in a broadened group of 36 experts. All images corresponded to histologically proven mucosal atrophy; (3) Results: Four types of atrophic lesions were identified: mosaicism, scalloping, folds reduction, and granular mucosa. The core group succeeded in reaching agreement on the nomenclature and the descriptions of these items. Consensus in matching the agreed definitions for the proposed set of images was met for mosaicism (88.9% in the first round), scalloping (97.2% in the first round), and folds reduction (94.4% in the first round), but granular mucosa failed to achieve consensus (75.0% in the third round); (4) Conclusions: Consensus among SBCE experts on atrophic lesions was met for the first time. Mosaicism, scalloping, and folds reduction are the most reliable signs, while the description of granular mucosa remains uncertain.
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PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The use of artificial intelligence in small bowel capsule endoscopy is expanding. This review focusses on the use of artificial intelligence for small bowel pathology compared with human data and developments to date. RECENT FINDINGS: The diagnosis and management of small bowel disease has been revolutionized with the advent of capsule endoscopy. Reading of capsule endoscopy videos however is time consuming with an average reading time of 40âmin. Furthermore, the fatigued human eye may miss subtle lesions including indiscreet mucosal bulges. In recent years, artificial intelligence has made significant progress in the field of medicine including gastroenterology. Machine learning has enabled feature extraction and in combination with deep neural networks, image classification has now materialized for routine endoscopy for the clinician. SUMMARY: Artificial intelligence is in built within the Navicam-Ankon capsule endoscopy reading system. This development will no doubt expand to other capsule endoscopy platforms and capsule endoscopies that are used to visualize other parts of the gastrointestinal tract as a standard. This wireless and patient friendly technique combined with rapid reading platforms with the help of artificial intelligence will become an attractive and viable choice to alter how patients are investigated in the future.
Subject(s)
Capsule Endoscopy , Gastroenterology , Intestinal Diseases , Artificial Intelligence , Capsule Endoscopy/methods , Humans , Intestinal Diseases/diagnosis , Intestine, Small/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal angiodysplasias are vascular malformations that often cause red blood cell transfusion-dependent anaemia. Several studies suggest that somatostatin analogues might decrease rebleeding rates, but the true effect size is unknown. We therefore aimed to investigate the efficacy of somatostatin analogues on red blood cell transfusion requirements of patients with gastrointestinal angiodysplasias and to identify subgroups that might benefit the most from somatostatin analogue therapy. METHODS: We did a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane on Jan 15, 2016, with an updated search on April 25, 2021. All published randomised controlled trials and cohort studies that reported on somatostatin analogue therapy in patients with gastrointestinal angiodysplasias were eligible for screening. We excluded studies without original patient data, single case reports, small case series (ie, <10 participants), studies in which patients had a specific aetiology of gastrointestinal angiodysplasias, and studies in which somatostatin analogue therapy was initiated simultaneously with other treatment modalities. Authors of eligible studies were invited to share individual patient data. Aggregated data was used if individual patient data were not provided. The primary outcome was the mean reduction in the number of red blood cell transfusions during somatostatin analogue therapy, compared with baseline, expressed as the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and absolute mean decrease. We defined patients as either good responders (≥50% reduction in the number of red blood cell transfusions) or poor responders (<50% reduction). A mixed-effects negative binomial regression was used to account for clustering of patients and skewness in data. This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), number CRD42020213985. FINDINGS: We identified 11 eligible studies (one randomised controlled trial and ten cohort studies) of moderate-to-high quality and obtained individual patient data from the authors of nine (82%) studies. The remaining two (18%) studies provided sufficient information in the published manuscript to extract individual patient data. In total, we analysed data from 212 patients. Somatostatin analogues reduced the number of red blood cell transfusions with an IRR of 0·18 (95% CI 0·14-0·24; p<0·0001) during a median treatment duration of 12 months (IQR 6·0-12·0) and follow-up period of 12 months (12·0-12·0), correlating with a mean absolute decrease in the number of red blood cell transfusions from 12·8 (95% CI 10·4-15·8) during baseline to 2·3 (1·9-2·9) during follow-up-ie, a reduction of 10·5 red blood cell transfusions (p<0·0001). 177 (83%) of 212 patients had a good response to somatostatin analogue therapy (defined as at least a 50% reduction in the number of red blood cell transfusions). Heterogeneity across studies was moderate (I2=53%; p=0·02). Location of gastrointestinal angiodysplasias in the stomach compared with angiodysplasias in the small bowel and colon (IRR interaction 1·92 [95% CI 1·13-3·26]; p=0·02) was associated with worse treatment response. Octreotide was associated with a better treatment response than lanreotide therapy (IRR interaction 2·13 [95% CI 1·12-4·04]; p=0·02). The certainty of evidence was high for the randomised controlled trial and low for the ten cohort studies. Adverse events occurred in 38 (18%) of 212 patients receiving somatostatin analogue therapy, with ten (5%) discontinuing this therapy because of adverse events. The most common adverse events were loose stools (seven [3%] of 212), cholelithiasis (five [2%]), flatulence (four [2%]), and administration site reactions (erythema, five [2%]). INTERPRETATION: Somatostatin analogue therapy is safe and effective in most patients with red blood cell transfusion-dependent bleeding due to gastrointestinal angiodysplasias. Somatostatin analogue therapy is more effective in patients with angiodysplasias located in the small bowel and colon, and octreotide therapy seems to be more effective than lanreotide therapy. FUNDING: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development and the Radboud University Medical Center.
Subject(s)
Angiodysplasia/drug therapy , Gastrointestinal Agents/therapeutic use , Gastrointestinal Diseases/drug therapy , Octreotide/therapeutic use , Peptides, Cyclic/therapeutic use , Somatostatin/analogs & derivatives , Angiodysplasia/complications , Erythrocyte Transfusion/statistics & numerical data , Gastrointestinal Diseases/complications , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/therapy , Humans , Somatostatin/therapeutic use , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Little is known about small-bowel (SB) capsule endoscopy (CE) in patients with a history of gastric surgery. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic yield (DY) of orally ingested SB-CE in patients with surgically altered gastric anatomy. METHODS: Twenty-four European centers retrospectively identified patients who had SB-CE after total or subtotal gastrectomy. The primary outcome was the DY of SB-CE (intermediate P1 to highly P2 relevant findings). Secondary outcomes were gastric and SB transit times, completion, cleanliness, and adverse event rates. RESULTS: Studied were 248 procedures from 243 patients (mean age, 62 years) with a history of partial gastrectomy (Billroth I, 13.1%; Billroth II, 34.6%), total gastrectomy (7.4%), Whipple procedure (12.8%), sleeve gastrectomy (7.2%), or gastric bypass surgery (24.7%). Obscure GI bleeding was the most frequent indication (85.1%). SB completion rate was 84.3%. One capsule retention in the SB was noted (adverse event rate, .4%). Median SB transit time was 286 minutes (interquartile range [235; 387]). Cleanliness was rated as adequate in 92.1% of procedures. After exclusion of abnormalities found at the upper anastomotic site, the DY was 43.6%, with inflammatory/ulcerated lesions observed more frequently (23.4%) than vascular lesions (21.0%). CONCLUSIONS: SB-CE seems to be feasible and safe in selected patients with a history of major gastric surgery and comes with a high DY. The spectrum of abnormal SB findings in these patients may be different from what is known from the literature in nonoperated patients.
Subject(s)
Capsule Endoscopy , Feasibility Studies , Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology , Humans , Intestine, Small , Middle Aged , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Systemic diseases can afflict the small bowel (SB) but be challenging to diagnose. In this review, we aim to provide a broad overview of these conditions and to summarise their management. RECENT FINDINGS: Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is an important modality to investigate pathology in the SB. SB imaging can be complementary to SBCE for mural and extramural involvement and detection of multiorgan involvement or lymphadenopathy. Device assisted enteroscopy provides a therapeutic arm, to SBCE enabling histology and therapeutics to be carried out. SUMMARY: SB endoscopy is essential in the diagnosis, management and monitoring of these multi-system conditions. Collaboration across SB centres to combine experience will help to improve the management of some of these rarer SB conditions.
Subject(s)
Capsule Endoscopy , Intestine, Small , HumansABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is an established modality in the diagnostic algorithm of small bowel (SB) pathology. Its use has expanded for investigation of upper and lower gastrointestinal diseases with similar prototypes. AREAS COVERED: This review covers the role and recent advances of CE, as a non-invasive investigative tool. EXPERT OPINION: The use of upper gastrointestinal CE is useful in patients who require surveillance for varices particularly in the current era of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also shown high accuracy in the detection of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients presenting with a suspicion of hemorrhage. Findings on CE help to guide further management by device-assisted enteroscopy. The data on colon CE suggest comparable diagnostic accuracy to colonoscopy for polyp detection; however, more evidence is required in the high-risk group. Crohn's CE has become an integral part of the management of patients with Crohn's disease offering a comparative assessment tool post escalation of therapy. Artificial intelligence within CE has demonstrated similar if not better diagnostic yield compared to the human with a significantly shorter reading time. Artificial intelligence is likely to be in-built within CE reading platforms over the next few years minimizing reporting time and human error.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Capsule Endoscopy , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosis , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/prevention & control , Capsule Endoscopy/instrumentation , Capsule Endoscopy/methods , Capsule Endoscopy/trends , Gastrointestinal Diseases/etiology , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is a lack of uniformity of reporting on features of celiac disease (CD) on small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). This makes determining extent of disease and comparison of severity of disease challenging. METHODS: De-identified SBCEs of 300 patients (78 CD [26%], 18 serology negative villous atrophy [6%], and 204 controls with normal duodenal histology [68%]) were included. Videos were reviewed by two experts. All patients had duodenal histology taken within 2 weeks of SBCE. The degree of agreement in CD features and extent of disease was then determined. The resulting score for each factor was used to determine overall severity of disease. RESULTS: There was substantial agreement in the kappa coefficient for the detection of CD features between reviewers (0.67). Agreement for extent of affected small bowel (SB) mucosa was high (0.97). On multiple regression analysis, several features of CD correlated with extent of affected SB mucosa for both reviewers. The odds ratios derived from this analysis were then used to score features of CD, enabling scores of severity to be calculated for each patient. The median overall scores for patients increased significantly according to the independent classification of severity by the capsule reviewers: mild (20, 0-79), moderate (45, 25-123), and severe (89, 65-130) (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The good correlation of CD scores between expert reviewers confirms the validity of features of CD on SBCE. An objective score of CD features in the SB is useful in the follow up of patients with CD and serology negative villous atrophy.
Subject(s)
Capsule Endoscopy/methods , Celiac Disease/diagnosis , Celiac Disease/pathology , Intestinal Mucosa/pathology , Intestine, Small/pathology , Atrophy/pathology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) can be complementary to histological assessment of celiac disease (CD) and serology negative villous atrophy (SNVA). Determining the severity of disease on SBCE using statistical machine learning methods can be useful in the follow up of patients. SBCE can play an additional role in differentiating between CD and SNVA. De-identified SBCEs of patients with CD and SNVA were included. Probabilistic analysis of features on SBCE were used to predict severity of duodenal histology and to distinguish between CD and SNVA. Patients with higher Marsh scores were more likely to have a positive SBCE and a continuous distribution of macroscopic features of disease than those with lower Marsh scores. The same pattern was also true for patients with CD when compared to patients with SNVA. The validation accuracy when predicting the severity of Marsh scores and when distinguishing between CD and SNVA was 69.1% in both cases. When the proportions of each SBCE class group within the dataset were included in the classification model, to distinguish between the two pathologies, the validation accuracy increased to 75.3%. The findings of this work suggest that by using features of CD and SNVA on SBCE, predictions can be made of the type of pathology and the severity of disease.