Comparison of surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis: ileal pouch-anal anastomosis versus Brooke ileostomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the operative risks, operative complications, and late outcome of two homogeneous groups of patients with chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) who underwent either Brooke ileostomy or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1970 and 1990, 72 patients with CUC and PSC underwent proctocolectomy with either Brooke ileostomy (group I; N = 32) or IPAA (group II; N = 40). Postoperative data included operative mortality, need for blood transfusion, general postoperative complications, liver-related complications, and proctocolectomy-related complications. RESULTS: Eight group I patients and nine group II patients had a total of 12 and 11 general complications, respectively. Liver-related complications were diagnosed in 16% and 10% of group I and group II patients, respectively. Proctocolectomy-specific complications occurred in 34% of group I and 20% of group II patients. The overall need for blood transfusion was 94% in group I and 47% in group II (P < 0.001). The cumulative probability of proctocolectomy-related complications at 5 years was 23% for group I and 64% for group II patients (P < 0.002). The difference, however, was primarily due to the high frequency of pouchitis after IPAA, estimated at 57% at 4 years. The cumulative 5-year risk of liver-related complications was 37% and 28% for group I and group II, respectively. Peristomal varices and bleeding occurred in eight group I patients but in none of group II. CONCLUSION: Because IPAA avoids bleeding problems, it is the surgical treatment of choice in patients with PSC and CUC.

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis as the first choice operation in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis: a ten-year experience.

BACKGROUND: The choice between ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) and ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) in the treatment of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis remains controversial. The aims of this study were to assess our 10-year experience with proctocolectomy, endoanal mucosectomy, construction of an ileal reservoir pouch, and IPAA in a series of 171 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis and to compare the functional results after IPAA with those after IRA. METHODS: Data from patients treated by IPAA at one institution were prospectively accumulated from October 1983 to October 1993. Medical records of 171 consecutive patients were studied regarding morbidity and functional results. These functional results were compared with those of a series of 23 patients who underwent IRA at the same institution. RESULTS: One patient (0.6%) died after operation. Sixty-two patients (36%) had concomitant colorectal carcinoma, 36 of which tumors were invasive (15 stage A, 13 stage B, and 8 stage C). Forty-six patients (27%) had at least one postoperative complication, with 14 patients requiring reoperation (8%). Twenty-six patients (15%) had obstruction. Seven patients (4%) had pelvic sepsis, and one had transient impotence (0.6%). Only two patients (1%) had a typical episode of pouchitis. The mean follow-up was 29 months (range, 3 to 100 months); 101 patients were monitored for more than 1 year. Little difference was noted between bowel function after IRA and that after IPAA. The mean daytime stool frequency after IPAA was 4.2 with 26% of patients having an average of 1 bowel movement at nighttime, compared with a stool frequency of 3.0 and 13% of patients having night evacuation after IRA. Daytime continence was normal for 98% of patients after IPAA and for all the patients after IRA. Nighttime continence was normal in 96% and 98% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and functional results after IPAA for familial adenomatous polyposis do not differ from those reported after IRA. For this reason and because of the risk of rectal cancer after ileorectal anastomosis, IPAA with endoanal mucosectomy is our first choice in the treatment of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.

Preoperative lymph node staging in rectal cancer: a difficult challenge.

The specimens of 59 rectal cancers that had been scanned by preoperative endorectal ultrasound (EUS) were analysed by the pathologist in order to draw a map of the pararectal lymph nodes that should be detected by preoperative staging. 389 lymph nodes (LNs) were detected in the mesorectum, close to the tumour. Malignant LNs were larger than the non invaded: 17% of the LNs less than 6 mm in diameter were invaded whereas 23% of the LNs 6 mm or more in diameter were free of metastatic invasion. The non invaded LNs displayed three main patterns: follicle, sinusoidal and mixed types. Metastatic LNs were partially (n = 25) or totally (n = 76) invaded by tumoural cells. Diffuse involvement includes 4 different patterns: cellular proliferation, fibrosis, necrosis and cyst formation. Accuracy of EUS evaluated by a "patient by patient" comparison was 61%, with a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 39%. However, a comparison "lymph node by lymph node" showed a detection rate of 21% of the lymph nodes of 3 mm and more. It is concluded that a low percentage of LNs are detected by EUS in our experience. Metastatic and non metastatic LNs exhibit a great variety of morphological features and it seems difficult to reliably correlate metastatic invasion with a specific endosonic appearance. LN size remains the most reliable parameter.

Complications and risk factors after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

OBJECTIVE: This study determined predictive factors for postoperative complications and outcome after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Patients with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis treated by colectomy and ileostomy are at high risk of troublesome bleeding from peristomal varices. METHODS: Postoperative complications and outcome were assessed in 40 patients with ulcerative colitis and sclerosing cholangitis who received an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis between January 1981 and February 1990. RESULTS: Immediate postoperative and remote ileoanal anastomosis-related complications were high but related directly to the severity of liver disease. No patient had perianastomotic anal bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with both ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis, ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is safe and is not associated with perianastomotic bleeding.

[Complications and risk factors of ileo-anal anastomosis with reservoir for ulcero-hemorrhagic rectocolitis associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis]. / Complications et facteurs de risque de l'anastomose iléo-anale avec réservoir pour rectocolite ulcéro-hémorragique associée à une cholangite sclérosante primitive.

The study determined predictive factors for postoperative complications and outcome after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Patients with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis treated by colectomy and ileostomy are at high risk of troublesome bleeding from peristomal varices. Postoperative complications and outcome were assessed in 40 patients with ulcerative colitis and sclerosing cholangitis who received in ileal pouch-anal anastomosis between January 1981 and February 1990. Immediate postoperative and remote ileoanal anastomosis-related complications were high but related directly to the severity of liver disease. No patient had perianastomotic and bleeding. In patients with both ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis, ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is safe and is not associated with perianastomotic bleeding.

[Comparison of functional results of ileorectal and ileo-anal anastomoses in familial adenomatous polyposis. Conversions of ileorectal anastomoses into ileo-anal anastomoses]. / Comparaison des résultats fonctionnels des anastomoses iléo-rectales et iléo-anales dans la polypose adénomateuse familiale. Les transformations d'anastomoses iléo-rectales en anastomoses iléo-anales.

The aim of this study was to compare the functional results of ileo-rectal anastomosis and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in a group of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis who had conversion of a ileorectostomy into a ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. In 2 cases (8.3 percent), the conversion was impossible because of abdominal desmoid tumors. For the remaining 21 patients, with more than 1 year follow-up, the number of bowel movements per 24 hours was 3.8 +/- 0.2 before and 4.6 +/- 0.3 after conversion. Daytime and nighttime continence and sensation of the need to defecate were unchanged. The number of patients having nocturnal bowel movements were higher after the pouch procedure (40 vs 10.5 percent). After ileorectostomy and after conversion, 89.5 and 80 percent of the patients had good functional results respectively. Ninety percent of the patients said that results were unchanged or improved after the conversion. In familial adenomatous polyposis the functional results of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis are similar to those of ileorectostomy but the first procedure eradicates the risk of rectal cancer. A conversion to ileal pouch-anal anastomosis should to be proposed to patients with ileorectostomy and at high risk for rectal cancer.

[Value of screening of familial adenomatous polyposis for the prevention of colorectal cancer]. / Intérêt du dépistage dans la prévention du cancer colorectal de la polypose adénomateuse familiale.

Familial adenomatous polyposis coli is a hereditary autosomal dominant disease which spontaneously and inevitably leads to degeneration of colorectal adenomas and requires preventive surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the age of colorectal degeneration and the need for a screening technique in family members. Between 1983 and 1989, 141 patients were treated for familial adenomatous polyposis in our surgical center. Mean age at surgery was 32 years and 64 patients (45.4 percent) had a colorectal carcinoma. Thirty had an in situ tumor (mean age: 30 years) and 34 had an invasive adenocarcinoma (mean age: 45 years), 7 of whom died of their cancer. No colonic cancer was found in patients younger than 20. Thirty-eight percent of the patients under 40 years of age, 73 percent of the patients older than 40 years and 81 percent of those older than 50 had an adenocarcinoma. Fifty percent of the patients with carcinoma were younger than 40 years and 7 percent were less than 25 years old. Seventy-one patients were symptomatic at the time of operation (mean age: 40 years), 32 (45 percent) had a colonic cancer. In 70 patients, familial adenomatous polyposis was detected by screening (mean age: 24) and 2.8 percent had a colonic carcinoma. We conclude that the age-related risk of developing colonic carcinoma requires prophylactic surgery in asymptomatic patients before 20 years of age, and that routine familial screening would be of some benefit.