Safety and efficacy of carbon dioxide insufflation during gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection.

AIM: To compare the safety and efficacy of carbon dioxide (CO2) and air insufflation during gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). METHODS: This study involved 116 patients who underwent gastric ESD between January and December 2009. After eliminating 29 patients who fit the exclusion criteria, 87 patients, without known pulmonary dysfunction, were randomized into the CO2 insufflation (n = 36) or air insufflation (n = 51) groups. Standard ESD was performed with a CO2 regulation unit (constant rate of 1.4 L/min) used for patients undergoing CO2 insufflation. Patients received diazepam for conscious sedation and pentazocine for analgesia. Transcutaneous CO2 tension (PtcCO2) was recorded 15 min before, during, and after ESD with insufflation. PtcCO2, the correlation between PtcCO2 and procedure time, and ESD-related complications were compared between the two groups. Arterial blood gases were analyzed after ESD in the first 30 patients (12 with CO2 and 18 with air insufflation) to assess the correlation between arterial blood CO2 partial pressure (PaCO2) and PtcCO2. RESULTS: There were no differences in respiratory functions, median sedative doses, or median procedure times between the groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference in post-ESD blood gas parameters, including PaCO2, between the CO2 and air groups (44.6 mmHg vs 45 mmHg). Both groups demonstrated median pH values of 7.36, and none of the patients exhibited acidemia. No significant differences were observed between the CO2 and air groups with respect to baseline PtcCO2 (39 mmHg vs 40 mmHg), peak PtcCO2 during ESD (52 mmHg vs 51 mmHg), or median PtcCO2 after ESD (50 mmHg vs 50 mmHg). There was a strong correlation between PaCO2 and PtcCO2 (r = 0.66; P < 0.001). The incidence of Mallory-Weiss tears was significantly lower with CO2 insufflation than with air insufflation (0% vs 15.6%, P = 0.013). CO2 insufflation did not cause any adverse events, such as CO2 narcosis or gas embolisms. CONCLUSION: CO2 insufflation during gastric ESD results in similar blood gas levels as air insufflation, and also reduces the incidence of Mallory-Weiss tears.

Safety of carbon dioxide insufflation during gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients with pulmonary dysfunction under conscious sedation.

BACKGROUND: Carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation is effective for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, its safety is unknown in patients with pulmonary dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the safety of CO2 insufflation during gastric ESD in patients with pulmonary dysfunction under conscious sedation. METHODS: We analyzed 322 consecutive patients undergoing ESD using CO2 insufflation (1.4 L/min) for gastric lesions. Pulmonary dysfunction was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1.0 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1.0%) <70% or vital capacity <80%. Transcutaneous partial pressure of CO2 (PtcCO2) was recorded before, during, and after ESD. RESULTS: In total, 127 patients (39%) had pulmonary dysfunction. There were no significant differences in baseline PtcCO2 before ESD, peak PtcCO2 during ESD, and median PtcCO2 after ESD between the pulmonary dysfunction group and normal group. There was a significant correlation between PtcCO2 elevation from baseline and ESD procedure time (r = 0.22, P < 0.05) only in the pulmonary dysfunction group. In patients with FEV1.0% <60%, the correlation was much stronger (r = 0.39, P < 0.05). Neither the complication incidences nor the hospital stay differed between the two groups. CO2 narcosis or gas embolism was not reported in either group. CONCLUSIONS: CO2 insufflation during gastric ESD in patients with pulmonary dysfunction under conscious sedation is safe with regard to complication risk and hospital stay. However, in patients with severe obstructive lung disease, especially in those with FEV1.0% <60%, longer procedure time may induce CO2 retention, thus requiring CO2 monitoring.

Risk factors for pyrexia after endoscopic submucosal dissection of gastric lesions.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is widely used in the resection of gastric tumors en bloc, however, complications such as pyrexia frequently occur following the procedure. The study aim was to elucidate the incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of post-ESD pyrexia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 471 consecutive patients with 485 gastric lesions resected by ESD between December 2005 and 2010. Pyrexia was defined as body temperature above 37.5 °C, regardless of its duration. Blood tests and chest radiography were performed three times before and after ESD. Chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT) was taken on postoperative day 1. RESULTS: Post-ESD pyrexia developed in 117 patients (24.8 %), including 40 patients with pneumonia as shown by computed tomography. The pyrexia was resolved in all the patients after 1 day (median; range, 1 - 36 days). A multivariate analysis identified age (P = 0.0029) and resection diameter (P = 0.0009) as risk factors for pyrexia in patients without pneumonia, and operation time (P = 0.0025) as a risk factor for pyrexia in patients with pneumonia. CONCLUSION: The patient would be at risk for post-ESD pyrexia if a large ESD is performed in the elderly. The longer operation time would raise the risk for pneumonia-associated fever.

Diagnosis of the jejunoileal lymphoma by double-balloon endoscopy.

AIM: To investigate the feasibility of double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) to detect jejunoileal lymphoma, compared with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). METHODS: Between March 2004 and January 2011, we histologically confirmed involvement of malignant lymphoma of the jejunoileum in 31 patients by DBE and biopsy. In 20 patients of them, we performed with FDG-PET. We retrospectively reviewed the records of these 20 patients. Their median age was 64 years (range 50-81). In the 20 patients, the pathological diagnosis of underlying non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) comprised follicular lymphoma (FL, n = 12), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL, n = 4), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, n = 2), enteropathy associated T cell lymphoma (ETL, n = 1) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL, n = 1). RESULTS: Ten cases showed accumulation by FDG-PET (50%). FDG-PET was positive in 3 of 12 FL cases (25%) while in 7 of 8 non-FL cases (88%, P < 0.05). Intestinal FL showed a significantly lower rate of positive FDG-PET, in comparison with other types of lymphoma. Cases with endoscopically elevated lesions (n = 10) showed positive FDG-PET in 2 (20%), but those with other type NHL did in 8 of 10 (80%, P < 0.05). When the cases having elevated type was compared with those not having elevated type lesion, the number of cases that showed accumulation of FDG was significantly smaller in the former than in the latter. CONCLUSION: In a significant proportion, small intestinal involvement cannot be pointed out by FDG-PET. Especially, FL is difficult to evaluate by FDG-PET but essentially requires DBE.

Clinical significance of jejunoileal involvement of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma detected by double-balloon enteroscopy.

Jejunoileal involvement of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is an important diagnostic factor in determining optimal treatment strategies. Here, we used double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) to detect jejunoileal involvement of NHL and studied its clinical significance in a series of patients with NHL. Adults aged between 18 and 85 years with infiltration of the stomach, duodenum, or colon confirmed by gastrointestinal endoscopy or colonoscopy, suspected jejunoileal involvement determined by CT or FDG-PET, or any other gastrointestinal symptoms, were eligible for inclusion in the study. Among 428 patients with histologically confirmed NHL between 2004 and 2011, 83 were eligible for DBE, but 20 patients were excluded due to rejection or poor clinical status. Thus, 63 underwent DBE. The 3-year overall survival rate was significantly lower in patients with (n = 33), than without (n = 30) jejunoileal involvement of NHL confirmed by DBE (49 vs. 92 %, p < 0.005). Four participants developed aspiration pneumonia, but recovered after treatment with antibiotics.

Combination of proton pump inhibitor and rebamipide, a free radical scavenger, promotes artificial ulcer healing after endoscopic submucosal dissection with dissection size >40 mm.

In our previous study, the healing effect of proton pump inhibitor plus rebamipide for endoscopic submucosal dissection-related artificial ulcer smaller than 40 mm showed statistical significance. However, such effect of the combination was not yet clear for ulcers with dissected diameter more than 40 mm. The aim of this present study was to resolve this problem under sufficient statistical power, with adequate sample size. We conducted a randomized controlled study. Either the proton pump inhibitor mono-therapy or the combination therapy was prescribed for 28 days after endoscopic submucosal dissection. Eighty-seven patients were eligible for outcome evaluation. Combination therapy was significantly superior to mono-therapy, 27.8% vs 0% reached healing stage (scar stage) in cases with ulcers of dissection diameter more than 40 mm. In conclusion, the combination therapy with rebamipide was favorable regimen in patients with larger artificial ulcer after endoscopic submucosal dissection.

[A bleeding ileal ulcer associated with Sweet's syndrome].

A 76-year-old woman was admitted to our institution because of high fever and erythema in the upper body with right back pain, and was given a diagnosis of Sweet's syndrome. She also had abdominal pain and developed hematochezia from the fourth hospitalization day. Double balloon enteroscopy detected multiple ulcers with a punched-out appearance at the terminal ileum. Endoscopic hemostasis of the ulcers was achieved using a hemoclip for treatment of a focal pulsating hemorrhage. After oral administration of prednisolone (PSL), both the ileal ulcer and erythema disappeared. The daily dosage of PSL was tapered. Since termination of PSL administration, there has been no recurrence of either Sweet's syndrome or ileal ulcer. We report a rare case of Sweet's syndrome complicated by bleeding ileal ulcers.

[A Japanese family with adult-onset familial Mediterranean fever and periodic episodes of high fever and abdominal pain].

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease. The patient was a 28-year-old Japanese man with attacks of fever and abdominal pain, which recurred at 1-to 3-month intervals. These symptoms usually improved spontaneously 1 week later. Physical examination showed tenderness in the right lateral abdomen. Routine laboratory tests demonstrated an increase in inflammatory reactions in the serum with leukocytosis. No abnormal findings were found on either chest, or abdominal CT scans, or endoscopic examinations of the upper or lower gastrointestinal tracts. Renal and hepatic function were within the normal limits, and no positive results were obtained for an anti-nuclear antibody. DNA analysis demonstrated a heterozygous mutation in the MEFV gene, the compound pyrin variant E148Q/M694I, leading to a diagnosis of FMF. His father had also had the same symptoms for 30 years, and was also heterozygous for the pyrin variant E148Q/M694I. They both responded dramatically to colchicine treatment and have remained in full remission until the time of writing.

Clinical trial: rebamipide promotes gastric ulcer healing by proton pump inhibitor after endoscopic submucosal dissection--a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is useful for treating gastric tumors. Several trials have shown the efficacy of 4 or 8 weeks of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) administration for post-ESD ulcers. However, if the size of the post-ESD ulcer is larger than predicted, PPI administration alone might not be sufficient for the ulcer to heal within 4 weeks. We examined the efficacy of a combination therapy of PPI and rebamipide, a mucosal-protective antiulcer drug, on the acceleration of post-ESD ulcer healing. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to either the PPI and rebamipide therapy or the PPI alone. Sixty-two consecutive patients with gastric tumors gave informed consent for enrolling in the study. In all cases, the estimated size of the post-ESD ulcer was larger than 20 mm. Oral administration of the drug was started on the 2nd day post-ESD and continued to the 28th day. RESULTS: All patients received the assigned pharmaceuticals and adhered well to the treatment regimen for 28 days. The endpoint ulcers reached S1 (scar stage) in 11/31 (36%) patients in the PPI-only group and in 21/31 (68%) in the combination group (P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of PPI plus rebamipide was more effective than the PPI alone for treating ulcers larger than 20 mm within 4 weeks after ESD.