Factors related to difficult self-expandable metallic stent placement for malignant colonic obstruction: A post-hoc analysis of a multicenter study across Japan.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Colorectal cancer patients often present with large bowel obstruction. Elective placement of a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) can relieve obstruction, but can be challenging. Previous studies have compared cases by outcomes only, but the present study investigated successful cases only to identify factors related to prolonged and difficult SEMS placement in patients with malignant colonic obstruction. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of a multicenter clinical trial conducted between March 2012 and October 2013 at 46 facilities across Japan (UMIN000007953) was carried out; 511 patients who required SEMS placement for acute colorectal obstruction or symptomatic stricture secondary to malignant neoplasm were enrolled. Technical success rates and procedure times were recorded. Clinical and interventional parameters were investigated for their potential effect on procedure time by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Technical success rate of SEMS placement was 98%. Median procedure time was 30 (range, 4-170) min. In 27% of patients, procedure time exceeded 45 min, indicating technically difficult placement. Multivariate analyses showed significant associations between technically difficult placement and a ColoRectal Obstruction Scoring System (CROSS) score of 0 before SEMS placement (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; P < 0.05), tumor site in the right colon (OR, 2.5; P < 0.0001), stricture length ≥5 cm (OR, 2.2; P < 0.001), peritoneal carcinomatosis (OR, 1.7; P < 0.05), and multiple SEMS placement (OR, 8.0; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Clinicians must anticipate technical challenges in cases with peritoneal carcinomatosis, a CROSS score of 0, or expansive strictures; such cases require experienced clinicians to carry out SEMS placement.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection of early colorectal neoplasms with a monopolar scissor-type knife: short- to long-term outcomes.

Background and study aims Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for colorectal neoplasms remains challenging because of technical issues imposed by the complex anatomical features of the large intestine. We evaluated the feasibility, and the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of ESD for early colorectal neoplasms performed using the Stag-beetle Knife Jr. (SB Knife Jr.) Patients and methods We retrospectively assessed 228 patients who underwent ESD for 247 colorectal lesions with the SB Knife Jr. Clinicopathological characteristics of the neoplasms, complications, and various short- and long-term outcomes were evaluated. Results Mean tumor size was 34.3 mm and median procedure time was 76 minutes. The SB Knife Jr. achieved 98.4 % en bloc resection, 93.9 % complete resection, and 85.4 % curative resection. No perforations occurred during the procedure, and a delayed bleeding rate of 2.4 % was observed. Long-term outcomes were favorable with no distant recurrence, 1.1 % local recurrence, a 5-year overall survival rate of 94.1 % and 5-year tumor-specific survival rate of 98.6 % in patients with cancer. Conclusions ESD using the SB Knife Jr. is technically efficient and safe in treating early colorectal neoplasms and is associated with favorable short- and long-term outcomes.

A case of ileus due to radiation enteritis 19 years after radiotherapy.

A 73-year-old female visited our hospital complaining of nausea and epigastric pain because of ileus. She had a history of two laparotomy procedures in her youth, interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C, and radiation therapy for uterine cervical cancer 19 years ago. Transanal double-balloon enteroscopy demonstrated annular stenosis with ulceration of the anal side of the dilated small intestine. Therefore, surgical resection was performed, and late radiation enteritis was diagnosed on histopathological examination. We report a case of ileus due to radiation enteritis 19 years after radiotherapy.

[A case of primary epiploic appendagitis of the sigmoid colon diagnosed by abdominal CT and managed conservatively].

A 40-year-old man presented to our department with left lower abdominal pain. Laboratory test showed slight leukocytosis and moderately elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed a typical fat density lesion adjacent to the sigmoid colon. The diagnosis of primary epiploic appendagitis of the sigmoid colon was established, and the patient was managed conservatively. Primary epiploic appendagitis is a self-limiting illness, and diagnosed by characteristic radiographic findings. Inaccurate diagnosis can lead to unnecessary treatments including surgical intervention. When we encounter a case of acute abdomen, we should consider the possibility of this disease to make accurate diagnosis and give proper treatment.

Predicting the clinical response to cytapheresis in steroid-refractory or -dependent ulcerative colitis using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of transabdominal ultrasound (US), including contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), in predicting the response to cytapheresis therapy in patients with steroid-refractory or -dependent ulcerative colitis (UC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 2005 and June 2008, 26 consecutive patients with steroid-refractory or -dependent UC were treated with granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP) or leukocytapheresis (LCAP) at our institute. The clinical activity of UC was evaluated by patients' C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and clinical activity index (CAI) scores. All patients were evaluated by grey-scale US, power Doppler US (PDUS), and CEUS. In CEUS, the color signal patterns were classified as 1 of 2 patterns. In pattern 1, color signals were partially detected in the bowel wall (excluding muscularis propria, the outer thin layer of the bowel wall), whereas in pattern 2, color signals were detected in the entire bowel wall (excluding muscularis propria). Differences between remission or clinical response (group R) and no response (group N) were ascertained for clinical features, clinical activities, and US findings. RESULTS: Differences between the two groups were not considered significant for the clinical features, clinical activities, and grey-scale US and PDUS findings. Using CEUS, 4 patients in group R showed pattern 2 (21%), while in group N, all patients showed this pattern, indicating a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: CEUS findings may be helpful in predicting the clinical response to cytapheresis for steroid-refractory or -dependent UC.

Diaqua-(1,4,7,10,13-penta-oxacyclo-penta-deca-ne)iron(II) bis-(µ-cis-1,2-dicyano-1,2-ethyl-enedithiol-ato)bis-[(cis-1,2-dicyano-1,2-ethyl-enedithiol-ato)ferrate(III)] 1,4,7,10,13-penta-oxacyclo-penta-decane disolvate.

The title compound, [Fe(C(10)H(20)O(5))(H(2)O)(2)][Fe(2)(C(4)N(2)S(2))(4)]·2C(10)H(20)O(5), consists of an [Fe(II)(15-crown-5)(H(2)O)(2)](2+) cation, sandwiched between and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonded by two additional 15-crown-5 ether mol-ecules and two independent [Fe(III)(mnt)(2)](-) anions, where 15-crown-5 ether denotes 1,4,7,10,13-penta-oxacyclo-penta-decane and mnt denotes cis-1,2-dicyano-1,2-ethyl-enedithiol-ate. Each independent [Fe(III)(mnt)(2)](-) unit forms a centrosymmetric dimer supported by two inter-monomer Fe(III)-S bonds [Fe-S = 2.4715 (9) and 2.4452 (9) Å]. In the crystal structure, the dimers form one-dimensional π-π stacks along the a axis, with an inter-planar separation of 3.38 (6) Å.

Bis(triethyl-ammonium) bis-(µ-pyrazine-2,3-dithiol-ato)bis-(pyrazine-2,3-dithio-lato)diferrate(III) methanol disolvate.

In the title compound, (C(6)H(16)N)(2)[Fe(2)(C(4)H(2)N(2)S(2))(4)]·2CH(4)O, the [Fe(III)(pdt)(2)](-) anion (pdt is pyrazine-2,3-dithiol-ate) forms a centrosymmetric dimer supported by two Fe(III)-S bonds [Fe-S = 2.4787 (4) Å]. In the crystal structure, dimers form a one-dimensional stack along the b axis via π-π stacking inter-actions, the inter-planar separation between adjacent dimers being 3.51 (2) Å. The methanol solvent mol-ecule is involved in two hydrogen bonds in which the hydroxyl group acts as a hydrogen-bond donor to the N atom of a pdt ligand and the O atom acts as an acceptor for the NH group of the triethyl-ammonium cation.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection for early esophageal neoplasms using the stag beetle knife.

AIM: To determine short- and long-term outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using the stag beetle (SB) knife, a scissor-shaped device. METHODS: Seventy consecutive patients with 96 early esophageal neoplasms, who underwent ESD using a SB knife at Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Japan, between April 2010 and August 2016, were retrospectively evaluated. Clinicopathological characteristics of lesions and procedural adverse events were assessed. Therapeutic success was evaluated on the basis of en bloc, histologically complete, and curative or non-curative resection rates. Overall and tumor-specific survival, local or distant recurrence, and 3- and 5-year cumulative overall metachronous cancer rates were also assessed. RESULTS: Eligible patients had dysplasia/intraepithelial neoplasia (22%) or early cancers (squamous cell carcinoma, 78%). The median procedural time was 60 min and on average, the lesions measured 24 mm in diameter, yielding 33-mm tissue defects. The en bloc resection rate was 100%, with 95% and 81% of dissections deemed histologically complete and curative, respectively. All procedures were completed without accidental incisions/perforations or delayed bleeding. During follow-up (mean, 35 ± 23 mo), no local recurrences or metastases were observed. The 3- and 5-year survival rates were 83% and 70%, respectively, with corresponding rates of 85% and 75% for curative resections and 74% and 49% for non-curative resections. The 3- and 5-year cumulative rates of metachronous cancer in the patients with curative resections were 14% and 26%, respectively. CONCLUSION: ESD procedures using the SB knife are feasible, safe, and effective for treating early esophageal neoplasms, yielding favorable short- and long-term outcomes.

Gastric and enteric anisakiasis successfully treated with Gastrografin therapy: A case report.

We report a case of a 59-year-old woman who was diagnosed with gastric and small intestinal anisakiasis, which was successfully treated with endoscopic extraction and Gastrografin therapy. She was admitted to our hospital with epigastric pain and vomiting one day after eating raw fish. She exhibited tenderness in the epigastrium without obvious rebound tenderness or guarding. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated segmental edema of the intestinal wall with proximal dilatation and a small number of ascites. Because enteric anisakiasis was suspected based on the patient's history of recent raw fish consumption and abdominal CT, we performed gastroscopy and confirmed that nine Anisakis larvae were attached to the gastric mucosa. All of the Anisakis larvae were extracted via endoscopy, and the patient was diagnosed with gastric and enteric anisakiasis. Additionally, in the hospital, we performed ileography twice using Gastrografin, which led to shortened hospital stay. Based on the clinical results of this case, we suggest that Gastrografin therapy is a safe, convenient, and useful method to extract enteric Anisakis larvae.

Impact of endoscopic stent insertion on detection of viable circulating tumor cells from obstructive colorectal cancer.

The placement of a self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) in obstructive colorectal cancer (OCRC) is acknowledged to be a safe and effective procedure for the relief of obstruction. However, there is concern that shear forces acting on the tumor during stent expansion may release cancer cells into the circulation, resulting in a poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether colonic stent insertion increases viable circulating tumor cells (v-CTCs). A telomerase-specific replication-selective adenovirus-expressing GFP (TelomeScanF35) detection system was used to detect v-CTCs in 8 OCRC patients with a SEMS before and after stent insertion and after surgical resection. In 7 patients, a SEMS was inserted as a bridge to surgery (BTS), and in one patient, a SEMS was inserted for palliation. Surgical resection (R0) was performed in 7 patients. Four patients had no v-CTCs before SEMS placement, two of four measurable patients had an increased number of v-CTCs after SEMS placement (1-3 v-CTCs), and one of two patients with increased v-CTCs developed distant lymphatic metastasis despite curative resection. Four patients had v-CTCs (1-19 cells) before SEMS placement, and two of these four patients had an increase in the number of v-CTCs (20-21 cells) after SEMS placement, while one of the four patients died early with distant metastasis. The present study demonstrated that endoscopic stent insertion for OCRC may result in tumor cell dissemination into the peripheral circulation and may induce distant metastases.

Safety and efficacy of self-expandable metallic stents in malignant small bowel obstructions.

In this report, we present 3 cases of malignant small bowel obstruction, treated with palliative care using endoscopic self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement, with the aim to identify the safety and efficacy of this procedure. Baseline patient characteristics, procedure methods, procedure time, technical and clinical success rates, complications, and patient outcomes were obtained. All 3 patients had pancreatic cancer with small bowel strictures. One patient received the SEMS using colonoscopy, while the other 2 patients received SEMS placement via double balloon endoscopy using the through-the-overtube technique. The median procedure time was 104 min. The technical and clinical success rates were 100%. Post-treatment, obstructive symptoms in all patients improved, and a low-residue diet could be tolerated. All stents remained within the patients until their deaths. The median overall survival time (stent patency time) was 76 d. SEMS placement is safe and effective as a palliative treatment for malignant small bowel obstruction.

Usefulness of EUS with double-balloon enteroscopy for diagnosis of small-bowel diseases.

BACKGROUND: Until recently, EUS of the small bowel has been performed only in limited regions because of difficulties in endoscopically approaching the small bowel. Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) now permits investigation of the entire small bowel. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of EUS with DBE for diagnosis of small-bowel diseases. DESIGN: Pilot study. SETTING: All patients were examined at Hiroshima University Hospital. PATIENTS: EUS with DBE was performed in 20 consecutively analyzed patients (14 men, 6 women; mean age, 47.6 +/- 3.8 years). DBE was performed to investigate obscure GI bleeding (n = 12), small-bowel diseases suggested by other modalities (n = 7), recurring ileus (n = 1), or follow-up (n = 1). INTERVENTIONS: Endoscopic biopsies were performed as clinically indicated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: EUS image quality for various types of small-bowel diseases and comparison with abdominal US. RESULT: Protruding lesions were detected in 7 examinations, ulcerative lesions in 7, and no abnormalities in 7. EUS could be performed in 20 of 21 examinations. These images were adequately detailed evaluations and with more detail than US images in 16 examinations. LIMITATION: Small nonblinded study. CONCLUSIONS: EUS with DBE offers high-resolution cross-sections of small-bowel lesions and may contribute to the diagnosis of small-bowel diseases.