Ulcerative colitis treatment : an insight into daily clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unpredictable. Factors associated with the need for different types of step-up therapy in UC patients failing on 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) or corticosteroids are understudied. AIMS: Describe step-up therapy in patients with UC the first year after failing on 5-ASA or corticosteroids. METHODS: A Belgian, multi-center, prospective, non-interventional observational study comprising adult UC patients failing on 5-ASA or corticosteroids and naïve to immunomodulators/ biologicals. During a 12 months follow-up, patient characteristics, demography, medical therapy, biomarkers, therapy adherence and quality of life (QoL) were assessed. RESULTS: After 1 year, 35% of the patients were on biological therapy. Use of anti-TNF differed depending on baseline treatment: corticosteroid-refractory patients (55.8%), 5-ASA refractory (20.0%), and corticosteroid-dependent (16.0%) patients (p<0.001). The decision to start a line of therapy was based on the Mayo combined severity but not on biomarkers like faecal calprotectin, haemoglobin, CRP, albumin, platelets, and number of extraintestinal manifestations. At year 1, 84.2% of the patients had only mild UC or remission and a significant improvement of fatigue (p=0.004) and IBDQ scores (p<0.001) were observed implying an improved QoL. CONCLUSION: Treatment step-up, based on clinical scores in immunomodulatory and anti-TNF naïve patients with UC, provides good clinical outcomes and QoL.

Transluminal removal of a giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus.

Giant fibrovascular polyps of the esophagus are rare benign tumors that originate at the hypopharynx or the upper third of the esophagus. Because of the indolent and benign nature they are mostly discovered when very large with symptoms like dysphagia or regurgitation of the polyp into the mouth which can cause asphyxia and dead. The removal of these polyps is obligatory. Although more than 100 cases of giant fibrovascular esophageal polyps have been described in literature so far, the approach for removal is not yet standard and needs a customized use of medical technology from different disciplines. We present the case of a 42 year old man in whom a giant polyp was removed transorally by a combination of instruments and materials from different disciplines (gastroenterological, surgical and laryngological).

Cheilitis granulomatosa and Crohn's disease : a case report.

In this case report we describe the evolution of Cheilitis granulomatosa (GC) in a young patient with Crohn's disease during treatment with anti-TNF-alfa therapy.

Terminal ileitis after kidney transplantation : Crohn's disease or other? Case reports and literature review.

The finding of a terminal ileitis after kidney transplantation can cause a diagnostic challenge. Because the development of Crohn's disease under immunosuppressive therapy is unlikely, this diagnosis should only be considered after exclusion of infectious disease and drug-related intestinal toxicity. Defining the underlying cause of terminal ileitis is often hampered by a shortage of specific diagnostic tests or their lack of sensitivity. We present three patients with terminal ileitis after kidney transplantation resulting from different etiologies. Subsequently, we describe the characteristics that can help to make the differential diagnosis.

Two jenuno-jenunal intussusceptions in a patient with coeliac disease.

We present a case of a 41-year-old woman with severe abdominal pain caused by two jejuno-jejunal intussusceptions. Further investigation showed coeliac disease as the underlying cause. The patient recovered rapidly on a gluten-free diet. So coeliac disease could be the underlying cause of idiopathic intussusception more often than previously thought and intussusception should be suspected in patients with known coeliac disease presenting with abdominal pain. (Acta gastro-enterol. belg., 2016, 79, 000-000).

How to handle esophageal metaplasia in 2014: a practical guide.

Metaplasia of the esophagus is a precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer with a poor prognosis and an increasing incidence. Guidelines for surveillance are proposed by all professional societies with small differences in timing. However, there is still no consensus on the definition of Barrett's esopaghus (only intestinal metaplasia or all subtypes). The goal of surveillance of esophageal metaplasia has evolved from early detection of cancer to early detection of pre-cancerous metaplasia to allow endoscopic therapy. The endoscopic therapy has the intention to stage, to cure, to prevent progression and to prevent metachronous lesions to develop. Firm indications for endoscopic therapy are high rade dysplasia and mEAC. The actual treatment is EMR/ESD for all visual abnormalities and areas of cancer on biopsies, followed by RFA for the remaining metaplasia. For low grade dysplasia (LGD), surveillance versus RFA is still under discussion. The main reason for this is the wide interobserver variability with large differences in evolution between confirmed and unconfirmed LGD. The endoscopic treatment allows complete remission of dysplasia in most cases and of metaplasia in the majority of cases, with low complication rates and acceptable morbidity (treatable stenosis). However, a median of 3 treatments is usually required to achieve remission, and recurrence is as high as 15% in the following 5 years. Strategies to reduce recurrence like chemotherapy or anti-reflux surgery need to be explored better and can actually not decrease or replace surveillance.

Distal intestinal obstruction in CF patients.

Distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS) - the incomplete of complete intestinal obstruction by intestinal contents in the terminal ileum and proximal colon- is frequently seen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Diagnosis is based on suggestive symptoms of abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant, a palpable mass on examination and signs of obstruction on plain radiography. Treatment consists of intensive laxative treatment with oral laxatives and enemas. Surgery only serves as the last resort for patients not responding to medical therapy, because of the well-known high rate of peri- and postoperative morbidity of surgery in CF patients. In this article we present 3 cases of DIOS, followed by a review of the relevant literature.

Crohn's disease presenting with acute pancreatitis.

Crohn's disease is often accompanied by extraintestinal inflammation. Acute pancreatitis can be a rare manifestation of Crohn's disease. The present report describes a patient who developed two episodes of pancreatitis before the diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Clinical and laboratory evaluation excluded other causes of pancreatitis, confirming a direct association of the pancreatitis with Crohn's disease. This case report supports the hypothesis that acute pancreatitis may precede the clinical manifestations and diagnosis of the underlying inflammatory bowel disease.

Resolving bile reflux by lanreotide in patients with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy.

Reflux into the esophagus after partial or total gastrectomy is a well known problem. Even a Roux-en-Y reconstruction is not always a definitive solution. Bile reflux might occur and cause disabling symptoms, unresponsive to the classic anti-acid or anti-reflux therapy. Endoscopy and a Tc-99m-BrIDA hepatobiliary (HIDA) scan can be used to make the diagnosis. Clinical studies have shown that lanreotide (somatuline), which strongly inhibits many gastro-intestinal hormones, reduces the bile salts outputs. We present a case of a patient with bile reflux after Roux-en-Y. After administration of lanreotide he had a good clinical improvement and mucosal healing on endoscopy. Lanreotide can be a good treatment option for bile reflux when classic treatment fails, but clinical trials with more patients will have to confirm this.

Primary antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori in Belgium.

The increasing antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori jeopardizes the efficiency of the classical eradication triple therapy. In this article we assessed the primary resistance rates of Helicobacter pylori to the commonly used antibiotics for eradication in the area of Brussels and determined prospectively, through a questionnaire, the possible risk factors for resistance. Gastric biopsies were taken for histology and culture in all adult patients in whom Helicobacter pylori was searched from February 2009 to April 2010 at the UZBrussel hospital. Clinical and demographic data were collected through a questionnaire. Histology was positive in 222 out of 507 patients tested (43.7%). Culture was successful in 189 patients with a positive histology (85.1%), 4 patients had a positive culture with a negative histology. Resistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, and amoxicillin was tested. Primary resistance rates were 13.3% for clarithromycin, 26.1% for metronidazole, 23.9% for ciprofloxacin, 0.8% for amoxicillin. Dual resistance to claritromycin and metronidazole was seen in 3.9%, triple resistance (claritromycin, metronidazole and ciprofloxacin) in 1.7% and resistance to the 4 antibiotics in 0.6% of patients. We conclude that there is a decreasing resistance for clarithromycin, metronidazole resistance is stable and rapidly increasing ciprofloxacin resistance. Resistance to any of the tested antibiotics was not associated with origin, age, gender, number of siblings, level of education or status (p > 0.05).

Prevalence of and risk factors for H. pylori infection in healthy children and young adults in Belgium anno 2010/2011.

OBJECTIVE: Estimation of prevalence and risk factors for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in children and young adults in Belgium. STUDY DESIGN: Five hundred and sixteen schoolchildren between 12 and 25 years old were tested for H. pylori infection using 13C-UBT in different regions in Belgium. A questionnaire was used to evaluate risk factors. RESULTS: Fifty six (11%) tested positive. In children born in Belgium, with parents from Belgium, 13 (3,2%) tested positive. In children born in a foreign country, 20 (60%) tested positive; if born in Belgium but 1 or 2 parents were from a foreign country, 15 (30%) tested positive. Differences were significant (p <0.001). In the multivariate analyses, significant risk factors were staying in a day nursery, a birthplace of child or father outside Belgium, and lower education levels of mother. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of Belgian asymptomatic children and young adults, the prevalence of H. pylori infection is 11%, ranging from 3,2% in Belgian born children with Belgian parents to 60% in children born in high prevalence countries from foreign parents. The most significant risk factor found in this study was origin.

Small bowel metastases from melanoma: does videocapsule provide additional information after FDG positron emission tomography?

Finding small bowel metastases of melanoma can be important because surgical removal of unique small bowel metastasis of melanoma could improve survival. In this study, we evaluated if capsule endoscopy provides additional information after Pet CT has been performed. In this series of 9 patients collected from 3 university centers, capsule endoscopy influenced the therapeutic decision (to perform or not a surgical segmental resection) in 2/9 patients. All metastatic lesions were found in the proximal bowel. Capsule identified jejunum metastases in one case while Pet CT was negative, and identified metastases while Pet CT result was not conclusive. In one case PET CT identified mesenteric metastases while capsule was negative. SBCE influenced therapeutic decision in 2/9 patients concerning the decision of performing small bowel resection or not. In 1 patient SBCE changed the stage of the disease without affecting medical therapeutic strategy. The prognosis of patients with positive PET and/or capsule findings is very limited (2/3 died within the year). In selected patients, capsule endoscopy can provide complementary information once PET CT has been performed.

Limitations of extensive TPMT genotyping in the management of azathioprine-induced myelosuppression in IBD patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: TPMT deficiency is associated with azathioprine (AZA)-induced myelosuppression (MS). However, in one previous study, only about » of MS episodes in Crohn's Disease patients under AZA can be attributed to TPMT deficiency. Recently, new TPMT mutations have been described and our aim is to investigate their clinical relevance before and after a first MS episode on thiopurine therapy. METHODS: Clinical data from 61 IBD patients having developed MS during AZA therapy were collected. Sequencing analysis was carried out on TPMT cDNA for the presence of all currently known mutations. RESULTS: Only TPMT *2, *3A and *3C mutations were found in this cohort. TPMT mutations were observed in 15 out of 61 patients (25%). Four out of 15 were homozygous for a TPMT mutation (low methylator, LM genotype) and 11 were heterozygous (intermediate methylator, IM genotype). Median delays of MS onset were 2, 2.75 and 6months in the LM, IM and HM (high methylator, wild type TPMT) groups, respectively. After the first MS episode, 36 patients resumed thiopurine treatment of which 13 experienced a second MS episode. This second episode was also rarely associated with TPMT mutations. CONCLUSIONS: One quarter of MS episodes during AZA were associated with TPMT deficient genotype. After a first leucopenia episode, thiopurine therapy may be resumed in a majority of patients independently of their TPMT genotype.

Daily cannabis use and the digestive tract: an underrecognized relationship.

A 33-year-old man presented with recurrent episodes of hyperemesis with symptom-free intervals since eight years. The diagnosis of cyclic vomiting syndrome due to longstanding and daily cannabis use was retained, after exclusion of any organic cause of vomiting. Although the patient was informed that the clinical response after cessation of smoking is proven to be spectacular, he continued the use of cannabis and kept on presenting with cyclic symptoms of hyperemesis.