[Endoscopy in geriatric patients: position paper of the working group geriatric gastroenterology]. / Endoskopie bei geriatrischen Patienten: Positionspapier der Arbeitsgruppe Geriatrische Gastroenterologie.

The relevance of endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic interventions is on a constant rise. However, specific aspects of the treatment of geriatric patients have only been tackled to a rather limited extent so far. The present contribution pinpoints illustratively the status quo on this issue and provides directions for further research which should be conducted in future studies supported by the working group on geriatric gastroenterology.

[The double pylorus - a rare endoscopic finding]. / Der Doppelpylorus - ein seltener endoskopischer Befund.

HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 58-year-old man was admitted for elucidation of a microcytic anemia diagnosed by his general practitioner (hemoglobin of 5,5 g/dl). He felt dizzy and unwell. The patient had for some time been regularly taking 1-2 tablets of diclofenac, a nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), for joint and gouty pain. He had occasionally noted small amounts of blood on his stool. The physical examination was unremarkable except for obesity, several swollen and painful joints, and a gouty right big toe with a tophus and small ulcer. INVESTIGATIONS: Coloscopy revealed extensive multiple aphthous ulcers throughout the colon (histologically diagnosed as NSAID colopathy). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy failed to identify a source of bleeding. But it also revealed a double pylorus, which was divided into two equal parts by a smooth, pencil-thick circular band, but fully patent and without inflammatory changes or scarring. TREATMENT AND COURSE: Several erythrocyte units were infused, which stabilized the patient's condition. There was no evidence of renewed bleeding. But subsequently he experienced severe joint pain, the CPR rising to 252.31 mg/dl. Administration of steroids, novaminsulfon and opioids, as well as uric acid lowering drugs gradually improved the joint pain and enabled physiotherapy to improve mobility and the patient was discharged home. CONCLUSION: Congenital abnormalities are rarely found during gastrointestinal endoscopy in adults. Very rare are duplications of the pyloric channel most of which are acquired by ulcer perforation. In general, congenital double pylorus is mainly a harmless incidental finding which needs no therapy, but it should be distinguished from acquired double pylorus. Endoscopists should be aware of this abnormality to avoid complications during side-view endoscopy.

[Lethal bleeding after accidental swallowing of a wooden meat skewer]. / Verblutungstod nach akzidentellem Verschlucken eines Holzspiesses.

Fistulas into the large vessels are a rare cause of intestinal bleeding. In some cases they are caused by transmural perforation after the accidental swallowing of a sharp foreign body like a bone or a fish bone. We report about a 79-year-old patient who had swallowed a fragment of a wooden meat skewer which induced a perforation of the oesophagus and aorta walls. The patient was admitted to the hospital with signs of severe gastrointestinal bleeding. The emergency endoscopic examination confirmed the cause of the bleeding, but the patient died during the intervention from haemorrhagic shock. The forensic autopsy confirmed the clinical suspicion of an aorto-oesophageal fistula.

[Buried bumper - a new method of non-surgical removal]. / Buried Bumper - ein neues Verfahren zur nichtoperativen Entfernung.

Buried bumper syndrome is a rare complication among patients with PEG for long-term feeding. Tight fixation of the external bumper causes pressure necrosis beneath the internal bumper. This leads to the internal bumper's penetration of the deeper gastric wall, where it is completely overgrown by gastric mucosa. A method is shown how the buried bumper can be removed without an operation. This method was used successfully in seven patients. The buried bumper syndrome can be avoided with careful precautions.

[Vasoconstrictive Therapies for Bleeding Esophageal Varices and their Mechanisms of Action]. / Wirkmechanismen der vasokonstriktiven Therapie der Osophagusvarizenblutung.

Variceal bleeding is one of the most dramatic complications in gastroenterology and has a high mortality rate. Early treatment with vasoactive drugs can save lives when skilled endoscopists are not immediately available. Vasoactive drugs like terlipressin, somatostatin or octreotide are not only indicated as first-choice emergency treatment, but they also increase the success rate of endoscopic treatments. Whereas the efficacy and mechanisms of action of terlipressin to arrest haemorrhage and to improve the disturbed cardiovascular situation of cirrhotic patients, including those with hepatorenal syndrome, are well documented, the efficacy and mechanisms of action of somatostatin and octreotide remain unclear and uncertain. On account of its vasoconstrictive effects on the dilated splanchnic blood vessels, terlipressin reduces blood flow into the portal vein and, thus, reduces portal venous pressure and blood flow through porto-systemic shunts. As a consequence, variceal bleeding is arrested, central and arterial hypovolaemia is corrected, and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system as well as the sympathetic nervous system is reduced, leading to lower intrahepatic and intrarenal resistance. The result is an improvement of organ perfusion - including perfusion of the kidneys and the liver - as well as an improvement of the hyperdynamic cardiovascular situation and a better survival rate. Whereas terlipressin has been shown to stimulate kidney function and to prolong survival time in patients with bleeding esophageal varices as well as those with hepatorenal syndrome, no such promising effects were observed with somatostatin or octreotide.

[Palliative laser therapy of colorectal cancer with sustained local tumor removal]. / Palliative Lasertherapie eines kolorektalen Karzinoms mit anhaltender lokaler Tumorfreiheit.

Laser photocoagulation is an established palliative therapeutic method in advanced colorectal cancer. In most cases tumor obstruction of the colonic lumen and symptoms like bleeding, secretion and diarrhoea can be improved or prevented. Even curative tumor therapy of some patients has been reported, particularly in cases with superficial growth of the tumor. We report about an elderly female patient with locally advanced invasive carcinoma of the rectosigmoidal junction. This tumor and a polypoid carcinoma of the sigmoid, possibly in combination with snare resection, were persistently removed by laser photocoagulation.

Motility disorders of the esophagus: diagnosis with barium-rice administration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of barium-rice administration for a standardized diagnosis of dysphagia and esophageal motility disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty healthy volunteers and 218 patients with various esophageal disorders (achalasia, scleroderma and other connective tissue diseases, neurologic diseases, esophagitis and others) were examined both by a conventional barium study and by a barium-rice study. The barium-rice meal consisted of barium sulfate and boiled rice, mixed half and half. The time required for esophageal clearance of one sip was measured. RESULTS: Normal esophageal transit time in healthy controls was between 5 and 15 s for both methods. In patients, the conventional barium study revealed a prolonged transit time in only 16.5% (36 of the 218 cases). The barium-rice study was abnormal in 51.8% (113 of 218 cases), independent of the underlying disease. The barium-rice study was pathological in 77 of those 182 patients (42.3%) who had normal barium transit time. In 24 patients the radiologic results was confirmed by endoscopy and manometric measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal motility abnormalities are detected by a barium-rice study with a high sensitivity. With this simple and low-cost method, quantitative and reproducible results can be obtained. Barium-rice administration is a suitable tool for screening and follow-up of patients with dysphagia and esophageal motility disorders.

[Motility disorders of the esophagus--their diagnosis with a rice-barium meal]. / Motilitätsstörungen des Osophagus--Diagnostik mit dem Reisbreischluck.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of a "barium-rice" study for diagnosis of dysphagia and oesophageal motility disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 203 patients with oesophageal motility disorders of various aetiologies were examined by both conventional barium study and a "barium-rice" study. During the latter, oesophageal clearance of a defined mixture of barium sulfate and boiled rice was measured. RESULTS: The conventional barium study revealed prolonged transit time in only 15.8% (32 of 203 cases), whereas barium-rice study was pathological in 50.8% (103 to 203 cases). In 71 of 171 patients (41.5%) with a normal barium study, barium-rice passage was prolonged. In 23 patients, radiological results were confirmed by manometric measurements. CONCLUSION: Oesophageal motility disorders are detected by a barium-rice study with high sensitivity independent of the underlying disease. The barium-rice study offers a simple diagnostic tool revealing quantitative and reliable results. The barium-rice study is a suitable method for screening and follow-up of patients with dysphagia and oesophageal motility disorders.

Pneumatoceles and pneumothoraces complicating staphylococcal pneumonia: treatment by synchronous independent lung ventilation.

A 54 year old man with a staphylococcal sepsis developed staphylococcal pneumonia complicated by multiple pneumatoceles and bilateral tension pneumothoraces caused by bronchopleural fistulae. Excessive enlargement of the right sided pneumatoceles and a tension pneumothorax not improved by drainage led to mediastinal shift and compression of the right lung. Reversal of the mediastinal shift and closure of the bronchopleural fistulae was achieved by assisted independent lung ventilation.

Percutaneous obliteration of the cystic duct with a holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser: results of in vitro and animal experiments.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using a holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser to permanently occlude the cystic duct in order to isolate the gallbladder from the biliary-enteric circulation and prevent gallstone formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the optimal laser parameters (power and pulsing rate) for cystic duct thermocoagulation, 20 freshly excised porcine gallbladders with intact cystic ducts underwent low-energy (0.075-0.085 J/pulse) or high-energy (0.20-0.25 J/pulse) thermocoagulation. Histopathologic examination was done to determine the extent of cystic duct injury. After in vitro experiments, percutaneous transcholecystic laser thermocoagulation of the cystic duct was performed on 23 anesthetized domestic pigs (four controls). Cholangiograms immediately after laser thermocoagulation were obtained to assess cystic duct occlusion. Animals were sacrificed for histopathologic correlation immediately after laser thermocoagulation (n = 4), 72 hr later (n = 4), and 6 weeks later (n = 15). RESULTS: In the in vitro studies, all 10 cystic ducts in the high-energy group were occluded, while only four in the low-energy group were occluded. At histology, all cases in both groups showed circumferential injury to the cystic duct wall without injury to the cystic artery or vein. In the in vitro experiments, the cystic duct was successfully cannulated in 21 (91%) of 23 animals. Cholangiography after thermocoagulation showed occlusion of the cystic duct in 16 (84%) of 19 cases. Immediately after laser thermocoagulation, the cystic duct mucosa was circumferentially destroyed, whereas after 72 hr necrosis of the cystic duct wall and periductal tissues had occurred. By 6 weeks, all pigs had complete cystic duct fibrosis without injury to the common bile duct. CONCLUSION: Holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser thermocoagulation of the cystic duct can be performed easily, results in immediate cystic duct occlusion, and leads to permanent fibrous ductal obliteration by 6 weeks.

[Decompression sickness as differential diagnosis in internal medicine emergency admissions]. / Dekompressionskrankheit als Differentialdiagnose in der internistischen Notaufnahme.

Two men (aged 37 years--patient 1, and 26 years--patient 2), both in good health, had dived as a sport to a depth of 40 and 45 m, respectively, reportedly keeping to the prescribed decompression times on their ascent. Patient 1 immediately developed shortness of breath and pain in the chest, later neurological deficits in both legs, as well as faecal and urinary incontinence. Examination 60 h later revealed paraparesis, increased leg proprioceptor reflexes and paraesthesia below the 10th thoracic vertebra, with abnormal posterior column function. After recompression (hyperbaric oxygenation, 6 treatment sessions of 4 h each over 8 days, as prescribed in US Navy Table No. 6) the signs improved and two months later there were no deficits. Patient 2 developed 30 min after a similar dive painful, doughy swellings and redness over the upper ventral half of the thorax and both upper arms. All signs and symptoms disappeared after recompression treatment (hyperbaric oxygenation for 3 h), begun 28 h after the dive. Previously elevated levels for haemoglobin (18.5 g/dl), haematocrit (0.56) and red blood corpuscles (5.98 x 10(6)/microliters) returned to normal. The described neurological abnormalities are typical for type II, redness and joint pains for type I decompression sickness.

[Computerized tomography analysis of gallstones: soon an essential diagnosis before nonsurgical gallstone therapy?]. / Computertomographische Analyse von Gallensteinen: Zukünftig unentbehrliche Diagnostik vor nichtoperativer Gallensteintherapie?

Successful application of non operative procedures for gallstone therapy are limited on cholesterol stones. Therefore reliable therapeutic analysis of stone components is mandatory for planning of an adequate therapy. Computed tomographic gallstone analysis is considered to improve selection of patients significantly. However, standardized conditions for investigation of patients are not yet established. It is suggested that computerized tomography should be performed using 4 mm slides, standardized position of patients and a phantom, which allows calibration of different CT-machines.

[The time requirement for endoscopic diagnosis and therapy: results of a multicenter study]. / Zeitbedarf für endoskopische Diagnostik und Therapie: Ergebnisse einer Multicenterstudie.

For evaluation of the time requirements for endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures data of 13,321 patients gathered from 155 endoscopic units were collected. Time requirements were calculated for preparation of the procedure, examination and after-care of patients and instruments. The data indicate, that time requirement is significantly influenced by the special procedure. Therefore, calculation of the time requirement of an individual unit needs exact consideration of the frequency of different procedures. Only cleaning of instruments by washing machines could be shown to reduce time requirement. Education of endoscopists was demonstrated to be time intensive. Age (exemption children) sex of patients and video-endoscopy did not effect duration of procedures.

[Therapy of choledocholithiasis using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and adjuvant surgical endoscopy]. / Therapie der Choledocholithiasis durch extrakorporale Stosswellenlithotripsie und adjuvante operative Endoskopie.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of extra- and intrahepatic bile duct stones is indicated after failure of conventional operative endoscopic procedures including mechanical lithotripsy. An overview of the current literature (12 centers, 568 patients) indicates that this novel procedure has attracted international acceptance. It was applied in elderly patients (means = 65 years) with solitary (37.5%) or multiple (62.5%) concrements. Clearance of the bile ducts was achieved in 71.6% after 1.3 to 3.0 lithotripsy sessions (1900-4000 shocks) if additional endoscopic sphincterotomy was performed. Without sphincterotomy 61% of patients were treated successfully. The most frequent side effects were macrohematuria (6.9%), hemobilia (6.2%) cholangitis (4.5%) and pancreatitis (1.3%). A lethality of 0-3.6% (means = 0.6%) was reported. The current results demonstrate that therapy of extra- and intrahepatic bile duct stones with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is effective, safe and provides high therapeutic comfort.

Investigation of the effect of duodenoscopy on sphincter of Oddi manometry.

To investigate whether endoscopy affects sphincter of Oddi (SO) manometry, three patients who had undergone previous cholecystectomy and had a T-tube in situ for drainage were studied. Manometry was performed using a perfused triple lumen manometry catheter (diameter 1.7 mm), which was advanced into the SO lumen through the T-tube. SO motility, baseline pressure, common bile duct pressure and duodenal pressure were monitored before and during endoscopy while the tip of the endoscope was in the mouth, esophagus (upper third, precardial), stomach and duodenum. Endoscopy and even a moderate insufflation of air necessary to pass the pylorus and inspect the papilla of Vater did not affect the parameters mentioned. Thus, ERCP manometry is a reliable method for evaluation of SO motility which is not affected by endoscopy. Duodenal pressure is a stable parameter and suitable for serving as reference pressure.