Pushing the boundaries: circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection in distal duodenum.

Video 1Pushing the boundaries: circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection in distal duodenum (7.58 seconds).

Giant Sigmoidal Lipoma Protruding Through Anal Canal and Causing Sigmoido-rectal Intussusception.

Intussusception is a rare condition in adulthood and there exists an underlying pathological lesion in most cases. Colorectal lipoma is the second most common benign tumour of the colon. Although commonly asymptomatic, it can present with intussusception. We, herein, report a case of a 79-year female with a yellowish mass with irregular surface prolapsing through the anal canal. In computed tomography (CT), sigmoido-rectal intussusception plus a lesion with the regular borders originating from the distal sigmoid colon protruding through the anal canal were observed. We resected the lesion with a transanal approach, following which the intussusception resolved spontaneously. Histopathological examination had reported lipoma. Transanal resection is a safe and efficient method of the treatment in distal colorectal lipomas presenting with intussusception. Key Words: Colorectal lipoma, Sigmoido-rectal intussusception, Transanal resection.

Impact of intestinal ultrasound with a portable system in the management of Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is a valid cross-sectional imaging technique for the evaluation of Crohn's disease (CD). With advancements in technology, portable ultrasound systems are becoming widely available, and the inevitable change to their use by non-radiologist clinicians would be a valuable contribution to improving patient care. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic yield of IUS examination performed by a gastroenterologist with a portable system as an adjunct imaging modality in the routine care of CD patients. METHODS: A total of 117 CD patients were assessed by IUS imaging. Pre- and post-IUS clinical-management decisions were recorded. The primary outcome was to evaluate the change in the patients' clinical-management decision following the IUS examination. The diagnostic accuracy was compared against the reference decision reached via a multidisiplinary meeting after the evaluation of all patient-related data. The endoscopic disease activity was determined using the simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD). RESULTS: The initial clinical-management decision was changed in 47 patients (40.2%) after the IUS examination (P = 0.001). The accuracy of patient-management decisions improved from 63.2% to 90.6% in comparison to reference decisions (P < 0.001). After IUS examination, a further 13 cases (11.1%) were identified for urgent surgical/interventional procedures. The accuracy of colonoscopic (SES-CD ≥3) assessment was shown to be comparable to that of IUS (94% vs 91%). The sensitivity for disease presence was 95% with colonoscopy and 94% with the IUS assessment. CONCLUSION: IUS examination with the use of a portable ultrasonography system significantly improves clinical-management decisions. With further supporting data, this practice would possibly become a requirement for CD management.

Significance of MRI in Bouveret's Syndrome.

Impaction of a big gallstone in the duodenum, after migration through a bilioduodenal fistula, causing gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is known as Bouveret's syndrome. In computed tomography (CT), pneumobilia and calcified bile stone in duodenal bulb leading to GOO is typical for diagnosis. Most of the cases presented to date are diagnosed with CT and their imaging features were discussed. On the other hand, there are very few published researches about the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of Bouveret's syndrome. In this paper, a case of Bouveret's syndrome diagnosed with MRI is discussed in the view of the present literature. KEY WORDS: Bouveret's syndrome, Cholecystoduodenal fistula, Gastric outlet obstruction, Gallstone ileus, MRI.

Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Amniotic Fluid May Cause Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

Objectives: Limited data are available from recent trials involving pregnant women to guide Helicobacter pylori infection diagnosis. There are no data about the presence of H. pylori in the amniotic fluid as well. Furthermore, the relation between amniotic fluid H. pylori and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) has not been characterized yet. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study conducted after obtaining approval from the Ethics Committee. Pregnant women undergoing amniocentesis were enrolled in the study. The stool antigen test assessed the presence of H. pylori in amniotic fluid. A perinatologist independently performed an amniocentesis. The obtained amniotic liquid was sent to the laboratory to evaluate H. pylori infection by stool H. pylori antigen assay. We determined the rate of H. pylori in amniotic fluid and assessed relations between H. pylori infection and pregnancy outcome, including HG. Results: Between May and September 2017, we enrolled 48 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis to detect possible fetal malformations. Patients were divided into two groups regarding the HG status. There were significant differences between the groups in terms of H. pylori infection presence. Among them, 28 (58.3%) were found to have a positive H. pylori test in their amniotic fluid. The rate of HG was significantly higher (71.4%) in patients who tested positive for H. pylori in amniocentesis than the H. pylori-negative group (20%), (p<0.001). Conclusions: The study's main new finding is that presence of H. pylori in the amniotic fluid is possible. Our data suggest that H. pylori-infected amniotic fluid is associated with the experience of past HG. The current study may have important implications for HG detection and help identify patients who would benefit from future preventive strategies.

Can MR Enterography and Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Predict Disease Activity Assessed by Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease?

PURPOSE: Monitoring Crohn's disease (CD) activity has a crucial importance, especially for evaluating treatment efficacy. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) or their combination may represent potential non-invasive tools for this purpose. This study aimed to examine DWI and MRE for their potential to differentiate between different grades of ileocolonic CD activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 54 adult patients with a diagnosis of CD who underwent ileocolonoscopy and MRE including the DWI sequence. The severity of CD inflammation was categorized by Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) as inactive, mild, moderate and severe. In addition, following conventional MRE and DWI parameters were examined: bowel wall thickness, mural T2 hyperintensity, contrast enhancement, DWI signal intensity, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. RESULTS: In patients with moderate to severe disease based on SES-CD, T2 hyperintensity score [1.68 ± 0.77 (1-3) vs. 2.19 ± 0.69 (1-3); p = 0.013] and mean DWI score [2.42 ± 0.58 (1-3) vs. 2.04 ± 0.69 (1-3); p = 0.037 ] were higher and mean ADC values [1.5 ± 0.4 (0.9-2.5) vs. 1.2 ± 0.3 (0.6-1.8)] were lower compared to patients with inactive to mild CD. ADC had a moderate diagnostic accuracy in predicting moderate to severe disease (AUC = 0.729, 95% CI = 0.591-0.841, p = 0.001), with a cut-off value of ≤1.47 × 10-3 mm2/sec yielded 88.5% (23/26) sensitivity, 57.1% (16/28) specificity. CONCLUSION: DWI, ADC and T2 signal appear to differentiate moderate to severe CD from inactive to mildly active CD, based on SES-CD evaluation and may be useful in monitoring disease activity, particularly when evaluating treatment response.

Effects of subjective sleep quality on the quality of life in patients with chronic anorectal disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the subjective sleep quality in patients with anorectal disorder, to determine the factors associated with subjective sleep quality, and to explore the relationship between subjective sleep quality and quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted between April 8, 2015 and April 12, 2016. The research population consisted of 284 patients who attended the general surgery outpatient clinics of Konya Military Hospital and were subsequently diagnosed with one of the four most common anorectal disorders (hemorrhoidal disease, anal fissure, anorectal abscess/fistula, and sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease). Data were collected from 114 patients who volunteered to participate in the study. After establishment of the diagnosis based on proctological anamnesis and physical examination, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Short-Form Health Survey, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory were administered to the patients, along with a questionnaire on sociodemographic data, via a face-to-face interview technique. RESULTS: Ninety-six (84.2%) patients had poor sleep quality, whereas 18 (15.8%) patients had good sleep quality. Among the patients with poor sleep quality, 16 were diagnosed with anorectal abscess and fistula (100.0%), 40 with hemorrhoidal disease (90.9%), 16 with sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease (80.0%), and 24 with anal fissure (70.6%). Overall, all patients with poor sleep quality (n=96) had low scores in all subcomponents of the quality of life scale. CONCLUSION: The sleep quality in patients with chronic anorectal disorder is significantly impaired, thus negatively affecting quality of life. Therefore, improvement in quality of life by improving sleep quality should be one of the main objectives in treating chronic anorectal disorders.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Approach to Complicated Recurrent Pilonidal Sinus.

Pilonidal sinus is considered as a simple and frequently occurring disease localized at the sacrococcygeal area. However, at the intergluteal region, it can often turn into a chronic and complicated disease. In some cases, it can fistulize up to the gluteal region and appear at the secondary orifices. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are becoming widespread in recent years due to the increased experience and development of new instruments. Limited excision of the pilonidal sinus tract can be a better treatment option compared with large excisions in terms of recovery time and patient's comfort. This case study reports the single-phase surgical treatment of complicated and recurrent pilonidal sinus localized at the gluteal area, with minimal tissue loss and inflammation.

Thyroid involvement in ankylosing spondylitis and relationship of thyroid dysfunction with anti-TNF α treatment.

Association between rheumatological and autoimmune thyroid disorders has been demonstrated by many studies. However, a few data exist indicating the association between thyroid disorders and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In this study, the frequency of thyroid disorders in patients with AS and the impact of anti-TNF α therapy on this were investigated. Data of 108 patients (female/male (F/M) 27/81) were analyzed. Data on free T3, free T4, thyroid-stimulating hormone, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO), anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, and thyroid ultrasound were assessed retrospectively. 44 (F/M 15/29) patients were receiving anti-TNF α, while 64 (F/M 12/52) were receiving other drugs [(sulfasalazine, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs)]. Among those not receiving anti-TNF α therapy, TPO level was high in 23 patients (mean TPO value 86.69 ± 65.28 U/ml), while it was high only in nine receiving anti-TNF α (mean TPO 36.61 ± 14.02 U/ml) (p < 0.05). Investigating the data regarding gender in both populations, autoimmune thyroid disease frequency was found to be lower in the patient group receiving anti-TNF α treatment. Subclinical hyperthyroidism was discovered in three patients (one female two male), and subclinical hypothyroidism in two (two male). Thyroid nodule was detected in 29 patients. It was concluded that the frequency of thyroid autoimmune disease was higher in our study than that reported in the literature, and the frequency of thyroid disorder in patients with AS was lower in those receiving anti-TNF α compared to those not. This may arise from the role of TNF α on pathogenesis of thyroid disorders.