Cronkhite-Canada syndrome: report of six cases and review of literature.

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare nonfamilial polyposis syndrome characterized by epithelial disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract and skin. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and potential therapies for CCS. Six patients with CCS admitted from December 1992 to July 2008 to Peking Union Medical College Hospital were evaluated. All patients had clinical manifestation of nonhereditary gastrointestinal polyposis with diarrhea, skin hyperpigmentation, alopecia, and nail dystrophy. Fecal occult blood was positive in all six cases. Serum hemoglobin, potassium, calcium and protein were below the normal range in two cases. Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae and antinuclear antibodies were present in three cases. Multiple polyps were found in all patients by gastroscopy and colonoscopy, with only one in the esophagus. Histologically, there were hyperplastic polyps in five cases, tubular adenoma in three, and juvenile polyp in one with chronic inflammation and mucosal edema. Comprehensive treatment led by corticosteroids can result in partial remission of clinical symptoms, and long-term follow-up is necessary.

[The diagnosis of Crohn's disease of the small bowel: comparing CT enterography, capsule endoscopy, small-bowel follow through and ileocolonoscopy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of capsule endoscopy (CE), CT enterography (CTE), ileocolonoscopy and small bowel follow through (SBFT) for small bowel Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: Fifty-seven consecutive patients with CD underwent ileocolonoscopy, CTE, CE, and SBFT. It included the presence of the following symptoms and signs: abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea, fever and positive fecal occult blood test. The location and the characteristics of intestinal and extra-intestinal lesions detected by four techniques were compared. The proportions of patients with positive findings using each examination were compared. RESULTS: Of the 57 patients, 50 underwent ileocolonoscopy, terminal ileum lesion was found in 33 patients (66.00%), the remaining 17 (34.0%) were normal; among 34 patients who had CTE, 29 of small bowel lesion were found (85.29%); CE were performed in 27 patients, due to prolonged gastric transit one time, the capsule did not reach the cecum in one patient during battery lifetime. CE showed small bowel lesion in 26 patients (96.30%); SBFT was performed in 39 patients and 26 of small bowel lesion were detected (66.67%). CE had the highest diagnostic yield for CD and ileocolonoscopy had the lowest, and there were statistically significant difference among the 4 examinations (P = 0.006). The combined positive rates of two methods were: CE + CTE 92.86% (13/14), SBFT + CTE 90.91% (20/22), CE + ileocolonoscopy 95.65% (22/23), CE + SBFT 100% (17/17), ileocolonoscopy + CTE 89.66% (26/29), ileocolonoscopy + SBFT 77.78% (28/36), but there were no significant differences between each two examinations. CONCLUSION: CE, CTE have a higher yield in depicting mild to moderate finding of CD than SBFT. CE is better for assessing early mucosal disease, whereas CTE is better for detecting transmural and extraluminal abnormalities. Most important, CE plus CTE may depict nonobstructive CD of the small bowel when conventional techniques such as ileocolonoscopy or SBFT have negative or inconclusive finding. CE provides us explanations for the symptoms of patients, decision to follow up or therapy.

[Diagnostic value of CT enterography in patients with Crohn's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic value of CT enterography in patients with Crohn's disease. METHODS: Multi-detector CT enterography and small bowel follow-through were performed in 30 patients with Crohn's disease. The locations and characteristics of the intestinal and extra-intestinal lesions detected by both two techniques were compared. RESULTS: Skip lesions were diagnosed in 16 patients (53.3%) by CT enterography and in 9 patients (30%) by small bowel follow-through (P = 0.039). Mucosal changes were detected in 29 patients (96.7%) by CT enterography and in 18 patients (60%) by small bowel follow-through (P = 0.001). Among 11 patients whose small bowel follow-through did not show abnormal mucosal changes, 8 patients underwent endoscopy, which showed superficial ulcer with or without mucosal congestion and edema in 5 patients, mucosal congestion and edema in 2 patients, and mucosal erosion in 1 patient. CT enterography and small bowel follow-through consistently depicted fistula in 3 patients and had no significant difference in diagnosing intestinal stenosis. CT enterography also exclusively detected abdominal abscess in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: CT enterography is superior to small bowel follow-through in diagnosing the disease location and characteristics of Crohn's disease; furthermore, it can detect more extra-intestinal lesions. CT enterography has potential to replace small bowel follow-through as the imaging examination of choice for patients with Crohn's disease.

[Diagnostic and therapeutic values of capsule endoscopy in Crohn's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic and therapeutic values of the capsule endoscopy (CE) in Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: The clinical data of 14 patients diagnosed by CE were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical features, CE findings, and medical management were evaluated. RESULT: The severity of CD diagnosed by CE was consistent with the clinical features. CONCLUSION: The CE findings are important indicators in CD diagnosis and may facilitate clinical decision making.