MRI defaecography in patients with faecal incontinence.

AIM: Faecal incontinence (FI) requires careful assessment of its aetiology to determine the most effective treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate MRI defaecography in FI and to compare it with clinical examination combined with rigid rectoscopy in assessing the pelvic floor in patients with FI. METHOD: Consecutive patients with FI referred over a 3-year period to our tertiary centre for MRI defaecography were retrospectively studied. MRI images of the pelvic floor were compared with clinical examination and anuscopy and rectoscopy. RESULTS: Seventy-four female patients [mean age 60.5 (30.0-81.0) years] were recruited. MRI defaecography showed conditions which often overlapped, including internal intussusception in 19 (25.7%) and pelvic floor descent in 24 (32.4%). There was average agreement between MRI and clinical examination for a significant anterior rectocoele (κ = 0.40) and poor agreement between MRI and anuscopy/rectoscopy for intra-rectal (κ = 0.06) and intra-anal intussusception (κ = 0.11). CONCLUSION: Other than for anterior rectocoele, there is poor correlation between MRI defaecography and clinical examination with rigid rectoscopy. MRI can detect a variety of abnormal static and dynamic pelvic disorders. This includes enterocoele, which could result in a modification of the surgical approach to intussusception and anterior rectocoele.

Severe dysphagia after laparoscopic fundoplication: usefulness of barium meal examination to identify causes other than tight fundoplication--a prospective study.

Background. The aim of this study was to determine the results of a barium meal examination after laparoscopic wrap in symptomatic patients (SPs) with no upper endoscopic anomalies and no increase in inferior esophageal sphincter pressure (SPs). Radiologic results were compared with results from patients with no symptoms (ASPs) and were compared with the surgical findings in patients who underwent reoperation. Methods. Twenty SPs were included 27 +/- 6 months after a total wrap (n = 13 Nissen procedures) or a posterior wrap (n = 7 Toupet procedures) performed in several hospitals in Haute Normandie. All patients had severe symptomatic dysphagia with epigastric pain (n = 18 patients) and/or marked weight loss (n = 16 patients). Control subjects were 31 consecutive ASPs within our center who were prospectively included 4 +/- 1 months after a Nissen (n = 6 patients) or a Toupet (n = 25 patients) procedure. A barium meal examination was performed in all patients and interpreted by 3 independent observers who knew that the patients had undergone a wrap but who did not know whether the patients had symptoms. Fifteen of the 20 SPs underwent a second operation. Results. Barium meal examination was more often abnormal in SPs than in ASPs (17/20 vs 4/31 patients; P <.001), whichever the type of wrap. Two abnormal radiologic results were observed in both groups: an esophageal barium level and an esogastric plication. Only a high barium level in the esophagus was more frequently observed in SPs than in ASPs (P <.05). Three radiologic results were specifically observed in SPs: a long cardial narrowing beginning above the wrap, a mediogastric plication, and a gastric volvulus. A comparison of radiologic anomalies and surgical findings showed that (1) a radiologic long cardial narrowing was explained by fibrotic stenosis of the muscular esophageal hiatus (n = 6 patients), (2) a mediogastric plication (n = 4 patients) was due to gastric volvulus (n = 3 patient) or to gastric wrap (n = 1 patient), and (3) results of volvulus (n = 5 patients) indicated a gastric volvulus. Additional surgical procedures resulted in the disappearance of symptoms in 13 of 15 patients. Conclusions. After laparoscopic fundoplication when upper endoscopy and esophageal manometry are normal, results of a barium meal examination can explain the cause of dysphagia in almost all patients. Three radiologic results were specific for SPs and indicated major morphologic disturbances that could not be treated by endoscopic dilation but that could be treated by additional surgical procedures.

[Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome with predominant digestive manifestations or eosinophilic gastroenteritis? Apropos of 2 cases]. / Syndrome hyperéosinophilique idiopathique à manifestations digestives prédominantes ou gastroentérite à éosinophiles? A propos de deux observations.

We report two cases of hypereosinophilic syndrome with predominant gastrointestinal signs, which could have been mistaken for eosinophilic gastroenteritis. In the first case, the patient presented with eosinophilic ascites; documentation of pulmonary involvement allowed to easily establish the diagnosis. In the second case, the patient presented with diarrhea and malabsorption; gastrointestinal and pancreatic involvement seemed isolated. Cases reported as eosinophilic gastroenteritis in the literature with polyvisceral involvement raise the possibility of hypereosinophilic syndrome. We suggest that diffuse eosinophilic gastroenteritis could in fact be an isolated manifestation of the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.