Course of Disease in Patients with Microscopic Colitis: A European Prospective Incident Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The disease course of microscopic colitis [MC] is considered chronic but benign. However, this assumption is based on mainly retrospective studies, reporting on incomplete follow-up of selective cohorts. Systematic, prospective and unbiased data to inform patients and healthcare professionals on the expected course of the disease and real-life response to therapy are warranted. METHODS: A prospective, pan-European, multi-centre, web-based registry was established. Incident cases of MC were included. Data on patient characteristics, symptoms, treatment and quality of life were systematically registered at baseline and during real-time follow-up. Four disease course phenotypes were discriminated and described. RESULTS: Among 381 cases with complete 1-year follow-up, 49% had a chronic active or relapsing disease course, 40% achieved sustained remission after treatment and 11% had a quiescent course. In general, symptoms and quality of life improved after 3 months of follow-up. A relapsing or chronic active disease course was associated with significantly more symptoms and impaired quality of life after 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: A minority of MC patients follow a quiescent disease course with spontaneous clinical improvement, whereas the majority suffer a chronic active or relapsing disease course during the first year after diagnosis, with persisting symptoms accompanied by a significantly impaired quality of life.

Endoscopic full thickness resection in the colo-rectum: outcomes from the UK Registry.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic full-thickness resection (eFTR) of the colon using the full-thickness resection device (FTRD) is a novel method for removing lesions involving, or tethered to, deeper layers of the colonic wall. The UK FTRD Registry collected data from multiple centres performing this procedure. We describe the technical feasibility, safety and early outcomes of this technique in the UK. METHODS: Data were collected and analysed on 68 patients who underwent eFTR at 11 UK centres from April 2015 to June 2019. Outcome measures were technical success, procedural time, specimen size, R0 resection, endoscopic clearance, and adverse events. Reported technical difficulties were collated. RESULTS: Indications for eFTR included non-lifting polyps (29 cases), T1 tumour resection (13), subepithelial tumour (9), and polyps at the appendix base or diverticulum (17). Target lesion resection was achieved in 60/68 (88.2%). Median specimen size was 21.7 mm (10-35 mm). Histologically confirmed R0 resection was achieved in 43/56 (76.8%) with full-thickness resection in 52/56 (92.9%). Technical difficulties occurred in 17/68 (25%) and complications in 3/68 (5.9%) patients. CONCLUSION: eFTR is a useful technique with a high success rate in treating lesions not previously amenable to endoscopic therapy. Whilst technical difficulties may arise, complication rates are low and outcomes are acceptable, making eFTR a viable alternative to surgery for some specific lesions.

Role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in the Monitoring of Inflammatory Activity in Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (F-FDG PET) has recently attracted interest for the measurement of disease activity in Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to assess the utility of FDG-PET as a marker of progression of inflammatory activity and its response to treatment in patients with CD. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with active CD were recruited prospectively to undergo FDG-PET scanning at 2 time points. All 22 index scans were used to assess sensitivity and specificity against a reference standard magnetic resonance imaging measure. Correlations with clinicopathological markers of severity (Harvey-Bradshaw Index, C-reactive protein, and calprotectin) were also performed. Of note, 17/22 patients participated in the longitudinal component and underwent scanning before and 12 weeks after the initiation of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy. Patients were subcategorized on the basis of a clinically significant response, and responsiveness of the PET measures was assessed using previously described indices. Of note, 5/22 patients took part in the test-retest component of the study and underwent scanning twice within a target interval of 1 week, to assess the reproducibility of the PET measures. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of F-FDG PET were 88% and 70%, respectively. Standardized uptake value (SUV)-related PET measures correlated significantly both with C-reactive protein and Harvey-Bradshaw Index in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. (G)SUVMAX and (G)SUVMEAN demonstrated favorable responsiveness and reliability characteristics (responsiveness ratio of Guyatt >0.80 and % variability <20%) compared with volume-dependent FDG-PET measures. A proportion of the FDG signal (10%-30%) was found to originate from the lumen of diseased segments. CONCLUSIONS: F-FDG PET may be useful for longitudinal monitoring of inflammatory activity in CD.

The safety and utility of prophylactic pancreatic duct stents in the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis: an analysis of practice in a single UK tertiary referral center.

BACKGROUND: The use of temporary prophylactic pancreatic duct (PD) stents in the prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis in high-risk patients has been shown to be effective in multiple trials. However, there are limited data on the clinical implications of PD stents and their impact on practice outside of the trial setting. METHODS: The utility of prophylactic pancreatic stenting was evaluated in a retrospective analysis of 1,000 consecutive ERCPs performed in a single tertiary referral pancreatobiliary center over a 24-month period, based upon a predetermined protocol to identify patients at high risk of postprocedure pancreatitis. RESULTS: One thousand procedures performed in 688 patients were studied. Sixty-one patients were considered for stent placement and stents were successfully placed in 58 cases. The overall rate of post-ERCP pancreatitis in our study population was 3.6%. The rate of pancreatitis in the stented patients was considered high at 22.4%, but the majority (69%) were classified as mild and there were no reported severe episodes. This compares to pancreatitis in the nonstented group, in whom the majority (73.9%) experienced either moderate or severe episodes. CONCLUSION: A strategy of prophylactic PD stents in this study has eliminated severe post-ERCP pancreatitis in high-risk patients. However, the high pancreatitis rate in stented patients may represent the cost to achieve this, while stent type and size employed are likely contributing factors. To maximize the benefits of PD stenting, there is a need to identify and treat all those considered at high risk.

Survey on the use of adalimumab as maintenance therapy in Crohn's disease in England and Ireland.

INTRODUCTION: Adalimumab is effective in inducing and maintaining response/remission in patients with Crohn's disease either naive to biological therapies or after secondary failure of infliximab. AIM: To present the first 'real-life' survey data from England and Ireland on the use of adalimumab. METHOD: A retrospective audit conducted through a web-based questionnaire in England/Ireland. RESULTS: We analysed data on 61 patients (35 female, 26 male) with a median age of 33 years (range 17-71 years) and an average follow-up of 8 months. The maximal maintenance dose was 40 mg every other week in 84% of patients, 40 mg weekly in 13% and 80 mg weekly in 3%. Maintenance adalimumab achieved remission in 57% of patients. The ongoing response rate was 83.6%. An additional 8% had a secondary loss of response after an average of 8.4 months (range 2-17). Adverse effects were observed in 23% of patients: of which there was local pain in 29%, infection in 36%, headaches in 14%, leucopenia (on azathioprine) in 7%, a painful rash in 7% and serum-sickness-type reaction in 7%. Adverse events led to discontinuation in two patients. CONCLUSION: This English/Irish audit shows an acceptable response/remission and safety profile of adalimumab in the treatment of Crohn's disease. In contrast to earlier data from Scotland, dose escalation was only observed in 16% of patients. The majority of responders were steroid-free at follow-up.