Adrenal insufficiency is a contraindication for omalizumab therapy in mast cell activation disease: risk for serum sickness.

Omalizumab is an effective therapeutic humanized murine IgE antibody in many cases of primary systemic mast cell activation disease (MCAD). The present study should enable the clinician to recognize when treatment of MCAD with omalizumab is contraindicated because of the potential risk of severe serum sickness and to report our successful therapeutic strategy for such adverse event (AE). Our clinical observations, a review of the literature including the event reports in the FDA AE Reporting System, the European Medicines Agency Eudra-Vigilance databases (preferred search terms: omalizumab, Xolair®, and serum sickness) and information from the manufacturer's Novartis database were used. Omalizumab therapy may be more likely to cause serum sickness than previously thought. In patients with regular adrenal function, serum sickness can occur after 3 to 10 days which resolves after the antigen and circulating immune complexes are cleared. If the symptoms do not resolve within a week, injection of 20 to 40 mg of prednisolone on two consecutive days could be given. However, in MCAD patients whose adrenal cortical function is completely suppressed by exogenous glucocorticoid therapy, there is a high risk that serum sickness will be masked by the MCAD and evolve in a severe form with pronounced damage of organs and tissues, potentially leading to death. Therefore, before the application of the first omalizumab dose, it is important to ensure that the function of the adrenal cortex is not significantly limited so that any occurring type III allergy can be self-limiting.

Rosacea is associated with Helicobacter pylori: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a common skin disease characterized by facial erythema, telangiectasia, papules and pustules. Helicobacter pylori infection has been suggested to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of rosacea. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and meta-analyse the relationship between rosacea and infection with Helicobacter pylori. METHODS: A literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Data extraction and analyses were performed on descriptive data. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects models with DerSimonian-Laird methods were utilized to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs), with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Heterogeneity of results was assessed using I² statistics. RESULTS: A total of 454 articles were identified and 42 full-text articles were chosen for further review. Fourteen studies were included in the quantitative meta-analysis, comprising a total of 928 rosacea patients and 1527 controls. The overall association between Helicobacter pylori infection and rosacea was non-significant (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.00-2.84, P = 0.052), but analysis restricted to C-urea breath test showed a significant association (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.92-5.07, P < 0.0001). Effect of eradication treatment on rosacea symptoms was assessed in seven studies, but without significant effect (RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.98-1.67, P = 0.069). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis found weak associations between rosacea and Helicobacter pylori infection as well as an effect of Helicobacter pylori therapy on rosacea symptoms, albeit that these did not reach statistical significance. Whether a pathogenic link between the two conditions exists, or whether Helicobacter pylori infection represents a proxy for other factors remains unknown.

Rosacea and gastrointestinal disorders: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a common inflammatory facial skin condition. Recent genetic and epidemiological studies have suggested pathogenic links between rosacea and gastrointestinal disorders, but data are limited. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to investigate the association between rosacea and coeliac disease (CeD), Crohn disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), Helicobacter pylori infection (HPI), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), respectively. METHODS: We performed a nationwide cohort study. A total of 49 475 patients with rosacea and 4 312 213 general population controls were identified using nationwide administrative registers. We established the prevalence of the aforementioned disorders, and used Cox regression analysis to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) of the risk of new-onset CeD, CD, UC, HPI, SIBO and IBS, respectively, in patients with rosacea. RESULTS: The prevalence of CeD, CD, UC, HPI, SIBO and IBS, respectively, was higher among patients with rosacea when compared with the control subjects. Adjusted HRs revealed significant associations between rosacea and CeD (HR 1·46, 1·11-1·93), CD (HR 1·45, 1·19-1·77), UC (HR 1·19, 1·02-1·39), and IBS (HR 1·34, 1·19-1·50), respectively, but not HPI (HR 1·04, 0·96-1·13) or SIBO (HR 0·71, 0·18-1·86). CONCLUSIONS: Rosacea is associated with certain gastrointestinal diseases, but the possible pathogenic link is unknown. Gastrointestinal complaints in patients with rosacea should warrant clinical suspicion of disease.

Jaundice caused by a clinically undetectable T-cell lymphoma infiltrating the sphincter of Oddi.

Malignant lymphoma rarely presents with jaundice. We describe a patient who had a unique etiology for painless jaundice, dilated ducts, and a normal ampulla of Vater. A Whipple's procedure was performed for the suspicion of pancreatic cancer, and initial pathological review detected only mild focal chronic pancreatitis. Seven months later, the patient developed ascites, retroperitoneal mass, and splenomegaly caused by a T-cell lymphoma. Reevaluation of the Whipple's specimen revealed previously unrecognized microscopic infiltration and fibrosis of the sphincter of Oddi by atypical T-lymphocytes. Obstructive jaundice caused by a clinically undetectable primary duodenal T-cell lymphoma has not been previously reported and is contrasted with other causes of jaundice associated with malignant lymphoma and ampullary lesions.

Esophageal food bolus obstruction: evaluation of extraction and modified push techniques in 75 cases.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic extraction is the standard method of treating esophageal food bolus obstructions. The efficacy, efficiency, and safety of various techniques used over a 12-year period were evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-five procedures with soft food bolus obstruction were analyzed. If endoscopic extraction failed, or it was determined that alternative techniques would be effective, food was pushed into the stomach by: a) the endoscope tip, with or without a guide wire; or b) the wire-guided Savary dilators. The duration of the procedures included therapeutic Savary dilation (in 61 of 75 cases). RESULTS: Food bolus obstruction was associated with peptic strictures (69%), Schatzki's rings (19%), and tight fundoplications (3 %). No narrowing was seen in 9%. Extraction, scope push and Savary push methods were successful in seven of 16, 48 of 48, and 20 of 20 attempts, respectively. The mean duration, including stricture dilation (+/- 1 standard deviation), for the extraction, scope push and Savary push procedures were 32 (+/- 17), 18 (+/- 14) and 27 (+/- 15) mm, respectively. No cases of perforation, hemorrhage, oxygen desaturation, aspiration, or pneumonia occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Management of esophageal food bolus obstructions by modified push methods and esophageal dilation in the same session appears to be effective, efficient and safe. The methods employed should be individualized for each patient. Push methods require experience and judgment.

Transverse colon diverticulitis: successful nonoperative management in four patients. Report of four cases.

PURPOSE: Diverticulitis of the transverse colon is a rare disorder and is often confused with other conditions. Previously reported cases of transverse colon diverticulitis were diagnosed and treated by surgical exploration. Four cases are presented that were successfully managed with a nonsurgical approach. METHODS AND RESULTS: Review of the literature in English disclosed 31 cases of transverse colon diverticulitis. The clinical characteristics and management of these patients are reviewed and compared with the current series of patients. The utility of computerized tomography in the diagnosis of diverticulitis is discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Medical therapy with bowel rest and antibiotics is appropriate for transverse colon diverticulitis when free perforation and peritoneal signs are absent and the inflammation is contained, as shown by computerized tomography. Operative exploration should be reserved for patients with diffuse peritonitis or those where perforated colon cancer cannot be excluded.

Laparoscopic removal of an Angelchik prosthesis.

The use of Angelchik prosthetic rings for the surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease has been associated with frequent complications, including dysphagia and migration, erosion, or disruption of the ring. Although reports of the laparoscopic insertion of Angelchik rings have been published, there have been no descriptions of the laparoscopic removal of rings inserted at open laparotomy. Our group recently removed an Angelchik ring laparoscopically in an 80-year-old woman with progressive, refractory dysphagia and esophageal narrowing due to an Angelchik ring originally placed in 1981 via an upper midline incision at open operation. Upper endoscopy and dilatation had failed to provide symptom relief. An extensive adhesiolysis was performed laparoscopically, and the Angelchik ring was dissected free from the proximal stomach, diaphragm, and liver. The fibrous pseudocapsule enclosing the ring was divided, and the prosthesis was removed from around the esophagus and abdominal cavity. Intraoperative upper endoscopy confirmed resolution of the esophageal stricture. There were no intraoperative complications, and the patient was discharged home on the 3rd postoperative day tolerating a regular diet. Postoperatively, she experienced resolution of her dysphagia and complained only of mild reflux symptoms, which were easily controlled with famotidine and antireflux precautions. This case suggests that laparoscopic removal of Angelchik prosthetic rings is feasible for surgeons familiar with advanced laparoscopic procedures of the esophageal hiatus and should be considered for symptomatic patients, even if the ring was inserted via an open operation.

Colonic chicken skin mucosa: an endoscopic and histological abnormality adjacent to colonic neoplasms.

OBJECTIVES: We recently described an endoscopic finding of pale yellow-speckled mucosa adjacent to colonic neoplasms. This resembled the appearance of chicken skin and was named chicken skin mucosa (CSM). CSM differs from previously reported gastrointestinal xanthelasmas in that this entity always occurs in association with colonic neoplasms. The prevalence, endoscopic characteristics, clinical significance, and possible etiology were investigated. METHODS: Eight hundred fifty-two consecutive colonoscopies were prospectively evaluated for the presence of CSM associated with either cancer or adenomas > or = 1 cm. Electron microscopy and histopathology using hemotoxylin and eosin, mucicarmine, and oil red O stains were performed. Twelve consecutive colon cancer resection specimens were prospectively examined to determine the presence of histologic CSM. RESULTS: CSM was adjacent to eight of 10 distal colorectal cancers, one of four proximal colon cancers, 16 of 42 distal adenomas, and three of 44 proximal adenomas. Four of seven resected distal cancers demonstrated histological evidence of CSM. Biopsies of the CSM revealed that lipid-filled macrophages in the lamina propria were responsible for this endoscopic appearance. Electron microscopy showed that the surface epithelial cells had small intestine-like microvilli. CSM was not seen with other colonic conditions and was not associated with the laxative preparation. In four instances, identification of the CSM alerted the endoscopist to the presence of polyps in locations difficult to visualize. CONCLUSIONS: CSM is an endoscopic entity that occurs as a result of fat accumulation in macrophages in the lamina propria of the mucosa adjacent to colonic neoplasms. Small intestine-like microvilli were present in CSM and the pathophysiological implications remain to be elucidated.

Long-term safety of India ink tattoos in the colon.

BACKGROUND: When the India ink tattoo is used as a guide for follow-up examinations, the tattoo may remain in the colon for the remainder of that patient's life. This raises the question of the long-term safety of India ink tattoos. The long-term clinical and histologic consequences of the tattoo have not been studied in a large group of patients. METHODS: Biopsy specimens were taken from all tattoo marks encountered during postpolypectomy surveillance colonoscopy in 55 patients. Seventeen of these patients were followed serially with two biopsies in 16 patients and three biopsies in 1 patient. A total of 74 biopsy specimens were obtained from tattoos that had been placed an average of 36 months prior to biopsy (range 1.5 to 117 months). RESULTS: There were no clinical complications such as infection, fever, or abdominal pain in any of the 55 patients. There were no endoscopic abnormalities on or adjacent to the tattoos. There were no histologic changes seen at the tattoo sites in 48 patients, mild chronic inflammation in 6 patients, and hyperplastic change in 1 patient. There were no neoplastic changes of the mucosa overlying the tattoo. CONCLUSIONS: Small-volume India ink tattooing of the colon appears to remain endoscopically identifiable over a long term and to be safe based on histologic analysis of sequential biopsies.

Diffuse microscopic angiodysplasia--a previously unreported variant of angiodysplasia. Report of a case.

PURPOSE: The entity of diffuse microscopic angiodysplasia is described, and a patient with severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage because of this submucosal source of bleeding is reported. METHOD: Case records of a patient with severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage were reviewed, and histologic findings were compared with colonoscopic and operative findings. The patient received 51 units of packed red blood cells over 3.5 months and remained undiagnosed, despite an exhaustive evaluation, until autopsy. RESULTS: Ectatic veins, venules, and capillaries were present within the submucosa in virtually every section of the small and large intestine examined (79 of 86 sections). Histologic evidence of bleeding from these submucosal vessels was identified in three sites (colon, jejunum, and ileum). The absence of endoscopically visible lesions was explained by findings that vessels did not traverse the muscularis mucosa and that mucosal depth was normal. This case of diffuse microscopic angiodysplasia, therefore, represents a unique variant, because the vascular findings were so diffuse and the mucosa remained histologically and endoscopically uninvolved, despite severe bleeding. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal bleeding from angiodysplasia is generally assumed to arise from endoscopically recognizable vascular ectasia within the mucosa. Thus, this case helps provide an explanation for some cases in which occult or massive bleeding is assumed to be secondary to angiodysplasia, even when endoscopic verification is not possible. Recognition of this disease process may require segmental resection or deep biopsy of endoscopically normal intestine.

Endoscopic abnormalities of the anastomosis following resection of colonic neoplasm.

When 321 patients with resections for colonic neoplasms were prospectively evaluated for changes occurring at the anastomosis, eight different kinds were found (118 abnormalities seen in total). Inflammatory polyps, the most commonly observed abnormality (14.5%), may be misinterpreted as recurrent neoplasia by endoscopy. The majority of inflammatory polyps were discrete, 5- to 15-mm lesions, although diffuse nodularity was occasionally seen. Staples or sutures were visible at 11.3% of the anastomoses. Benign strictures, which developed in 7.1%, occurred primarily after left colonic resection with end-to-end anastomosis. Prominent vessels were occasionally seen at the anastomotic site (3.9%). Recurrent carcinoma at the anastomosis was found in 6 of 116 patients with Dukes B and C tumors (5.2%) and occurred 0.4 to 2.0 years after surgery (mean, 1.2 years). Recurrent carcinoma appeared as ulcerated submucosal lesions, bulky luminal masses, and polypoid lesions. In two patients, mucosal erythema, edema, and friability at the anastomosis were the only endoscopic evidence of underlying carcinoma.