Snare Tip Soft Coagulation vs Argon Plasma Coagulation vs No Margin Treatment After Large Nonpedunculated Colorectal Polyp Resection: a Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Thermal treatment of the defect margin after endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of large nonpedunculated colorectal lesions reduces the recurrence rate. Both snare tip soft coagulation (STSC) and argon plasma coagulation (APC) have been used for thermal margin treatment, but there are few data directly comparing STSC with APC for this indication. METHODS: We performed a randomized 3-arm trial in 9 US centers comparing STSC with APC with no margin treatment (control) of defects after EMR of colorectal nonpedunculated lesions ≥15 mm. The primary end point was the presence of residual lesion at first follow-up. RESULTS: There were 384 patients and 414 lesions randomized, and 308 patients (80.2%) with 328 lesions completed ≥1 follow-up. The proportion of lesions with residual polyp at first follow-up was 4.6% with STSC, 9.3% with APC, and 21.4% with control subjects (no margin treatment). The odds of residual polyp at first follow-up were lower for STSC and APC when compared with control subjects (P = .001 and P = .01, respectively). The difference in odds was not significant between STSC and APC. STSC took less time to apply than APC (median, 3.35 vs 4.08 minutes; P = .019). Adverse event rates were low, with no difference between arms. CONCLUSIONS: In a randomized trial STSC and APC were each superior to no thermal margin treatment after EMR. STSC was faster to apply than APC. Because STSC also results in lower cost and plastic waste than APC (APC requires an additional device), our study supports STSC as the preferred thermal margin treatment after colorectal EMR. (Clinicaltrials.gov, Number NCT03654209.).

The Durability of EUS-Guided Chemoablation of Mucinous Pancreatic Cysts: A Long-Term Follow-Up of the CHARM trial.

Pancreatic cancer has known precursor lesions with potential to develop into malignancy over time. At least 20% of pancreatic cancer evolves from mucinous cystic neoplasms and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, which are often discovered incidentally.1,2 Current guidelines for the management of mucinous cystic neoplasms and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms include long-term surveillance, which is expensive and nontherapeutic, or surgical resection, which is associated with major risk and may not be an option for patients with significant concomitant illness.3.

Successful treatment of large cavity esophageal disruptions with transluminal washout and endoscopic vacuum therapy: a report of two cases.

Acute, high-grade esophageal perforation and postoperative leak after esophagogastrostomy are associated with high morbidity and mortality due to the development of mediastinitis and thoracic contamination. Endoscopic vacuum therapy has proven to be a feasible, safe therapy for management of esophageal wall defects, but with limited success. We describe a retrospective single-center analysis of two patients who underwent endoscopic vacuum therapy for significant esophageal disruptions with a median cross-sectional diameter of 10.7 cm. The technique involved the use of a standard upper video endoscope, nasogastric tube, and vacuum-assisted closure dressing kit, with endoscopic placement of a polyurethane sponge and nasogastric tube assembly into the mediastinal or thoracic cavity. Serial washout and debridement were performed prior to each sponge insertion. Data were collected on indication, size of the cavities, time to intervention, number of procedures, time to resolution, outcomes, and adverse events. Two patients underwent therapy with a mean age of 69.5. The median size of the collections via longest cross-sectional diameter was 10.7 cm. The average number of endoscopic vacuum therapy performed was six and average duration of therapy was 49 days. Complete resolution was achieved in both patients. One patient died 6 weeks later due to severe sepsis from aspiration pneumonia. Endoscopic washout and debridement followed by endoscopic vacuum therapy can be effective for large, even multiple, thoracic and mediastinal contaminations following esophageal perforation and gastroesopagheal anastomotic dehiscence and leaks in appropriately selected patients.

Efficacy and safety of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for treatment of Barrett's esophagus.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy as a primary or rescue treatment for BE, with and without dysplasia, or intramucosal adenocarcinoma (IMC). METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center study carried out in a tertiary care center including 45 patients with BE who was treatment-naïve or who had persistent intestinal metaplasia (IM), dysplasia, or IMC despite prior therapy. Barrett's mucosa was resected via EMR when clinically appropriate, then patients underwent cryotherapy until eradication or until deemed to have failed treatment. Surveillance biopsies were taken at standard intervals. RESULTS: From 2010 through 2014, 33 patients were studied regarding the efficacy of cryotherapy. Overall, 29 patients (88%) responded to cryotherapy, with 84% having complete regression of all dysplasia and cancer. Complete eradication of cancer and dysplasia was seen in 75% of subjects with IMC; the remaining two subjects did not respond to cryotherapy. Following cryotherapy, 15 patients with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) had 30% complete regression, 50% IM, and 7% low-grade dysplasia (LGD); one subject had persistent HGD. Complete eradication of dysplasia occurred in all 5 patients with LGD. In 5 patients with IM, complete regression occurred in 4, and IM persisted in one. In 136 cryotherapy sessions amongst 45 patients, adverse events included chest pain (1%), stricture (4%), and one gastrointestinal bleed in a patient on dual antiplatelet therapy who had previously undergone EMR. CONCLUSION: Cryotherapy is an efficacious and safe treatment modality for Barrett's esophagus with and without dysplasia or intramucosal adenocarcinoma.

The Safety and Efficacy of an Alcohol-Free Pancreatic Cyst Ablation Protocol.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided chemoablation with ethanol lavage followed by infusion of paclitaxel is effective for the treatment of mucinous pancreatic cysts. However, complications arise in 3%-10% of patients, presumably linked to the inflammatory effects of ethanol. We aimed to determine whether alcohol is required for effective pancreatic cyst ablation, if removing alcohol from the ablation process would improve complication rates, and whether a multi-agent chemotherapeutic cocktail could increase the rate of complete cyst resolution compared with findings reported from previous trials using alcohol followed by paclitaxel alone. METHODS: Between November 2011 and December 2016, we conducted a single-center, prospective, double-blind trial of 39 patients with mucinous-type pancreatic cysts. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups that underwent EUS-guided pancreatic cyst lavage with either 80% ethanol (control) or normal saline (alcohol-free group). Cysts in both groups were then infused with an admixture of paclitaxel and gemcitabine. Primary outcomes were the rates of complete ablation 12 months after the procedure, and rates of serious and minor adverse events within 30 days of the procedure. RESULTS: At 12 months, 67% of patients who underwent alcohol-free EUS-guided cyst chemoablation had complete ablation of cysts compared with 61% of patients in the control group. Serious adverse events occurred in 6% of patients in the control group vs none of the patients in the alcohol-free group. Minor adverse events occurred in 22% of patients in the control group and none of the patients in the alcohol-free group. The overall rate of complete ablation was 64%. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective, randomized, controlled trial, we found that alcohol is not required for effective EUS-guided pancreatic cyst ablation, and when alcohol is removed from the ablation process, there is a significant reduction in associated adverse events. A multi-agent chemotherapeutic ablation admixture did not appear to significantly improve rates of complete ablation compared with the current standard of alcohol lavage followed by paclitaxel alone. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01475331.

Endoscopic Management of Large (≥2 cm) Non-pedunculated Colorectal Polyps: Impact of Polyp Morphology on Outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Referrals for endoscopic management of large non-pedunculated (NP) colorectal polyps have increased as new techniques have emerged. The outcomes for referred large NP polyps based on the polyp morphology were investigated METHODS: A retrospective review of patients referred for large (≥20 mm) NP polyp management from January 2010 through June 2014 was completed. Polyp morphology was classified as either a NP polyp with depression (M1) or NP polyp with no depression (M0). Differences in treatment, histology, adverse events, outcomes at follow-up including residual disease, and need for surgical treatment were determined by morphology for all NP polyps ≥20 mm in size. RESULTS: One-hundred and sixty-nine M1 and 136 M0 polyps ≥20 mm were removed endoscopically during the review period. Mean size was 31.9 ± 11.0 mm in M1, and 26.8 ± 9.5 mm in M0 group (p < 0.0001). En bloc resection was possible in 18.3 % of M1 and 30.9 % of M0 lesions (p = 0.011) with endoscopic submucosal dissection used in 13 and 2.2 % of polyps, respectively (p < 0.0001). Residual polyp was found in 26.5 % (27/102) of M1 and 13.6 % (12/88) of M0 patients at surveillance colonoscopy (p = 0.029). On multivariate analysis, piecemeal resection and M1 morphology showed significant association with residual polyp (OR 4.23, 95 % CI 1.23-14.59, p = 0.022, and OR 2.15, 95 % CI 1.004-4.62, p = 0.049, respectively). CONCLUSION: Effective endoscopic management of large NP colorectal polyps, especially polyps without depression (M0), can be accomplished in the great majority of patients. Polyp morphology, particularly the presence or absence of depression, is a useful tool which influenced treatment, histology, and outcomes.

Is alcohol required for effective pancreatic cyst ablation? The prospective randomized CHARM trial pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: In this study, we aim to determine the safety and feasibility of an alcohol-free approach to pancreatic cyst ablation using a chemotherapeutic ablation cocktail. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded pilot study, 10 patients with known mucinous type pancreatic cysts underwent endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration and then lavage with either 80 % ethanol or normal saline. Both groups were then treated with a cocktail of paclitaxel and gemcitabine. Primary outcomes were reduction in cyst volume and rates of complications. RESULTS: At 6 months, patients randomized to the alcohol arm had an 89 % average volume reduction, with a 91 % reduction noted in the alcohol-free arm. Complete ablation was achieved in 67 % of patients in the alcohol-free arm at both 6 and 12 months, whereas the alcohol group recorded complete ablation rates of 50 % and 75 % at 6 and 12 months, respectively. One patient in the alcohol arm developed acute pancreatitis (20 %) with no adverse events in the alcohol-free arm. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed similar ablation rates between the alcohol ablation group and the alcohol-free arm and demonstrates the safety and feasibility of an alcohol-free ablation protocol. This pilot study suggests that alcohol may not be required for effective cyst ablation.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation of a large metastatic carcinoid tumor: success with a note of caution.

Endoscopic ultrasonography with fine needle infusion (EUS-FNI) of alcohol is the most reported method for EUS-guided tumor ablation. Several studies have reported successful EUS-guided ablation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. However, these tumors have been relatively small (< 3 cm). In this report, a 50-year-old man with a metastatic carcinoid tumor with a large porta hepatis mass was referred to our clinic for EUS-guided ethanol ablation. After two separate EUS-FNI ablations, there was a 36 % reduction in tumor size (9.0 × 11.4 cm to 6.7 × 9.8 cm) with associated tumor lysis syndrome. Chromogranin A levels decreased from 460 to 132 ng/mL. The patient reported complete resolution of abdominal pain within 2 weeks, but only mild improvement in flushing and diarrhea. In conclusion, large metastatic neuroendocrine tumors can be successfully treated with EUS-guided ethanol ablation. Evidence-based guidelines are needed with regard to the appropriate volume of ethanol injected in EUS-guided ablation to promote the efficacy and safety of this emerging procedure.

Endoscopic and radiographic evaluation of the small bowel in 2012.

Traditionally, the diagnosis of small bowel disorders has been challenging secondary to the small intestine's length, tortuosity, and anatomic location. Recent technologic advancements in the field of enteroscopy and radiographic imaging have facilitated a more thorough endoscopic evaluation of patients with small bowel disease ranging from obscure gastrointestinal bleeding to inflammatory bowel disease and small bowel tumors. Such developments have made it possible to avoid invasive surgical procedures in certain clinical scenarios where they were previously the gold standard. In this review, we report an update on the diagnostic and management approach to patients with small bowel disease, emphasizing the advantages and limitations of the latest modalities now available to primary care physicians and gastroenterologists for evaluating patients with presumed disease of the small intestine.

Multidisciplinary management of early and locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Clinical management of esophageal cancer is a multidisciplinary challenge. Diagnosis is associated with a high mortality and approximately 40% of patients have locally advanced disease at clinical presentation. Surgery remains one of the fundamental parts of treatment, but multimodal approaches including chemotherapy and radiation are associated with improved outcomes. This comprehensive review addresses the multidisciplinary management of early and locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Multiply recurrent episodes of gastric emphysema.

Introduction. Gastric emphysema can present both a diagnostic challenge and a life-threatening condition for patients and has only once been reported as being recurrent. Background. A 64-year-old male presented with chronic abdominal pain and was found to have gastric pneumatosis on CT scan. The patient was successfully managed conservatively. The cause was attributed to aberrant arterial anatomy and atherosclerosis along with hypotension. The patient has since had 3 episodes of recurrent gastric emphysema, all managed nonoperatively. Discussion. To our knowledge, this is the first case of both serial episodes of gastric pneumatosis and gastric mucosal ischemia as a precipitating factor for the development of gastric emphysema.

EUS-guided fine needle tissue acquisition by using high negative pressure suction for the evaluation of solid masses: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The capability of obtaining tissue samples for histologic examination during EUS has theoretical advantages over cytology alone. The objective was to evaluate the feasibility and the yield of EUS-guided FNA tissue acquisition (EUS-FNTA) by using high negative pressure suction. METHODS: The study design is a prospective, observational pilot study set at a tertiary referral center. Twenty-seven patients with a solid mass amenable to sampling with EUS were included in the study. FNA with a 22-gauge needle was used for a total of 5 passes. An additional pass with the same needle was performed by applying continuous high negative pressure suction using the Alliance II inflation system. The main outcome measurements were the rate of tissue acquisition and the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNTA. OBSERVATIONS: Tissue samples were obtained in 26 of the 27 patients (96%). Malignancy was detected in 20 of the 26 biopsy specimens obtained by FNTA and in 20 of the 27 FNA specimens. In 3 patients, EUS-FNTA failed to disclose malignancy, which in two of the patients was diagnosed by FNA. Conversely, EUS-FNTA diagnosed a recurrent malignant thymoma and a schwannoma in two FNA-negative patients. In 3 patients with both FNTA and FNA negative for malignancy, a definitive diagnosis could not be established. Overall, diagnostic accuracy was 76.9% for both EUS-FNTA and EUS-FNA. When combined, a correct diagnosis was achieved in 84.6% of the patients. Immunostaining of the retrieved tissue allowed characterization of the primary tumor in 5 cases and the diagnosis of a schwannoma and two neuroendocrine tumors. Limitations of the study were small sample size and a pilot study. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNTA has a high yield for the retrieval of core tissue samples. Further studies in which EUS-FNTA is performed before FNA and with variable number of passes are needed to better define its diagnostic role and performance characteristics.

Clinical impact of on-site cytopathology interpretation on endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-guided FNA) is becoming a preferred modality for diagnosing and staging GI and mediastinal malignancies. Although experts advocate on-site cytopathology assessment for tissue sample adequacy, there are few data to support this claim. Our goal was to determine whether on-site cytopathology interpretation improves the diagnostic yield of EUS-guided FNA. METHODS: EUS-guided FNA results from two university hospital centers were reviewed and compared. At center 1, where EUS-guided FNA was performed with a cytopathologist on site, the results of 108 consecutive patients were evaluated. At center 2, where a cytopathologist is unavailable, the results of 87 consecutive patients were reviewed. One endoscopist performed all procedures at both institutions. Cytologic diagnoses were categorized as positive or negative for malignancy, suspicious for malignancy, atypical/indeterminate, or unsatisfactory. The number of repeat procedures, needle passes, medication use, target site, age, and sex were compared between the two sites. RESULTS: Patients at center 2 were older (p = 0.04) and predominantly female (p = 0.03). Pancreas was the most common target site at center 2, whereas thoraco-abdominal nodes were the most common at center 1 (p = 0.0001). Patients at center 1 had a diagnosis of positive or negative for malignancy more frequently (p = 0.001) and were less likely to have an unsatisfactory specimen (p = 0.035) or repeat procedure, although the latter was not significant (p = 0.156). CONCLUSION: On-site cytopathology interpretation improves the diagnostic yield of EUS-guided FNA. EUS centers should allocate resources to cover for on-site cytopathology evaluation.

Endoscopic ultrasound.

Indications and the clinical utility of endosonography have evolved as new technology, such as linear array echoendoscopes and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration, has emerged. The most noteworthy of the EUS applications are for cancer staging; including rectal, pancreatic, lung, and esophageal malignancies. There is little doubt that EUS is a powerful tool for cancer imaging, but its clinical impact in patient care and management has yet to be validated in prospective outcome studies. Other imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET), dual-phased helical CT, and MR imaging technology will undoubtedly provide increasingly accurate diagnostic and staging information for gastrointestinal diseases. EUS imaging alone may assume a less significant role in relation to these noninvasive modalities in the future. EUS-guided FNA, as well as therapeutic EUS applications, will likely continue to expand in scope and play an important role in clinical medicine for many years to come.

Interventional endosonography.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become the most accurate imaging modality for locoregional cancer staging of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) capabilities have added a whole new level of accuracy in nodal staging with reported numbers in the 90% range for luminal and pancreaticobiliary disease. In addition, new non-GI applications are being evaluated like the role of EUS-FNA for non-small cell lung carcinoma and exploration of the posterior mediastinum. Furthermore, the same capabilities that allow for safe tissue sampling are being explored for interventional applications like EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis and fine-needle injection. The following review describes the current clinical status of EUS in GI oncology as well as future and novel indications and therapeutic strategies for this technology.