Screening of esophageal varices by esophageal capsule endoscopy: results of a French multicenter prospective study

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: Esophageal video capsule endoscopy (ECE) is a new technique that allows examination of the esophagus using a noninvasive approach. The aim of this study was to compare ECE with esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for the diagnosis of esophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 330 patients with cirrhosis and with no known esophageal varices were prospectively enrolled. Patients underwent ECE first, followed by EGD (gold standard). The endoscopists who performed EGD were blind to the ECE result. Patient satisfaction was assessed using a visual analog scale (maximum score 100). RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were excluded from the analysis because they did not undergo any endoscopic examinations. Patients (mean age 56 years; 216 male) had mainly alcoholic (45 %) or viral (27 %) cirrhosis. The diagnostic indices of ECE to diagnose and correctly stage esophageal varices were: sensitivity 76 % and 64 %, specificity 91 % and 93 %, positive predictive value 88 % and 88 %, and negative predictive value 81 % and 78 %, respectively. ECE patient satisfaction scored significantly higher than EGD (87 ± 22 vs. 58 ± 35; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: ECE was well tolerated and safe in patients with liver cirrhosis and suspicion of portal hypertension. The sensitivity of ECE is not currently sufficient to replace EGD as a first exploration in these patients. However, due to its excellent specificity and positive predictive value, ECE may have a role in cases of refusal or contraindication to EGD. ECE might also improve compliance to endoscopic follow-up and aid important therapeutic decision making in the prophylaxis of bleeding. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT (ID RCB 2009-A00532-55) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00941421)

Efficacy and safety of infliximab induction therapy in Crohn's Disease in Central Europe - a Hungarian nationwide observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infliximab (IFX) has proven to be an effective addition to the therapeutic arsenal for refractory, fistulizing, and steroid dependent Crohn's disease (CD), with efficacy in the induction and maintenance of clinical remission of CD. Our objective in this study is to report the nationwide, multicenter experience with IFX induction therapy for CD in Hungary.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>During a 6-year-period, beginning in 2000, a total of 363 CD patients were treated with IFX as induction therapy (5 mg/kg IFX infusions given at week 0, 2 and 6) at eleven centers in Hungary in this observational study. Data analysis included patient demographics, important disease parameters and the outcome of IFX induction therapy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three hundred and sixty three patients (183 women and 180 men) were treated with IFX since 2000. Mean age was 33.5 ± 11.2 years and the mean duration of disease was 6.7 ± 6.1 years. The population included 114 patients (31.4%) with therapy-refractory CD, 195 patients (53.7%) with fistulas, 16 patients (4.4%) with both therapy-refractory CD and fistulas, and 26 patients (7.2%) with steroid dependent CD. Overall response rate was 86.2% (313/363). A higher response rate was observed in patients with shorter disease duration (p = 0.05, OR:0.54, 95%CI:0.29-0.99) and concomitant immunosuppressant therapy (p = 0.05, OR: 2.03, 95%CI:0.165-0.596). Concomitant steroid treatment did not enhance the efficacy of IFX induction therapy. Adverse events included 34 allergic reactions (9.4%), 17 delayed type hypersensitivity (4.7%), 16 infections (4.4%), and 3 malignancies (0.8%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>IFX was safe and effective treatment in this cohort of Hungarian CD patients. Based on our experience co-administration of immunosuppressant therapy is suggested in patients receiving IFX induction therapy. However, concomitant steroid treatment did not enhanced the efficacy of IFX induction therapy.</p

Laparoscopic resection of small bowel lipoma causing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

Small bowel lipomas are rare gastrointestinal benign neoplasms, whose signs and symptoms are often obscure. When symptoms are clinically present, one of the most common is usually gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. It is very difficult to make a precise preoperative diagnosis in the absence of evident signs. Definitive diagnosis can only be made through histopathological examination, after the surgical resection. We report a case of obscure and persistent GI bleeding in a 78-year-old woman. Through the combination of endoscopy and computed tomography (CT), it was possible to identify a small bowel lesion, being its direct cause. CT showed a certain fat component within the mass pinpointing the hypothesis of a lipoma. We then performed a laparoscopic resection of 21 cm of the middle jejunum, including the mass and an intussusception. The results of the subsequent histopathological examination of the resected specimen allowed us to conclude that the lesion was an intestinal lipoma. Surgical resection appears to be the most successful approach as good short-and longterm results are achieved. © 2011 Springer-Verlag

CAD-CAP: une base de données française à vocation internationale, pour le développement et la validation d'outils de diagnostic assisté par ordinateur en vidéocapsule endoscopique du grêle

International audienceThe Computer-Assisted Diagnosis for CAPsule Endoscopy (CAD-CAP) database is a large, multicentric, public database of small-bowel (SB) capsule endoscopy (CE) still frames and video sequences, that aims to serve the development of computer-assisted diagnosis tools, from the initial steps (machine learning) to the last preclinical steps (assessment and comparison of performances). The CAD-CAP database is endorsed and maintained by the Société Française d’Endoscopie Digestive (SFED), with the support of the Société Nationale Française de Gastroentérologie (SNFGE) and MS

Including Ratio of Platelets to Liver Stiffness Improves Accuracy of Screening for Esophageal Varices That Require Treatment

Background &amp; Aims: Based on platelets and liver stiffness measurements, the Baveno VI criteria (B6C), the expanded B6C (EB6C), and the ANTICIPATE score can be used to rule out varices needing treatment (VNT) in patients with compensated chronic liver disease. We aimed to improve these tests by including data on the ratio of platelets to liver stiffness. Methods: In a retrospective analysis of data from 10 study populations, collected from 2004 through 2018, we randomly assigned data from 2368 patients with chronic liver disease of different etiologies to a derivation population (n = 1579; 15.1% with VNT, 50.2% with viral hepatitis, 28.9% with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, 20.8% with alcohol-associated liver disease, with model for end-stage liver disease scores of 9.5 ± 3.0, and 93.0% with liver stiffness measurements ≥10 kPa) or a validation population (n = 789). Test results were compared with results from a sequential algorithm (VariScreen). VariScreen incorporated data on platelets or liver stiffness measurements and then the ratio of platelets to liver stiffness measurement, adjusted for etiology, patient sex, and international normalized ratio. Results: In the derivation population, endoscopies were spared for 23.9% of patients using the B6C (VNT missed in 2.9%), 24.3% of patients using the ANTICIPATE score (VNT missed in 4.6%), 34.5% of patients using VariScreen (VNT missed in 2.9%), and 41.9% of patients using the EB6C (VNT missed in 10.9%). Differences in spared endoscopy rates were significant (P ≤. 001), except for B6C vs ANTICIPATE and in missed VNT only for EB6C vs the others (P ≤. 009). VariScreen was the only safe test regardless of sex or etiology (missed VNT ≤5%). Moreover, VariScreen secured screening without missed VNT in patients with model for end-stage liver disease scores higher than 10. This overall strategy performed better than a selective strategy restricted to patients with compensated liver disease. Test performance and safety did not differ significantly among populations. Conclusions: In a retrospective study of data from 2368 patients with chronic liver disease, we found that the B6C are safe whereas the EB6C are unsafe, based on missed VNT. The VariScreen algorithm performed well in patients with chronic liver disease of any etiology or severity. It is the only test that safely rules out VNT and can be used in clinical practice

A Novel 8-Predictors Signature to Predict Complicated Disease Course in Pediatric-onset Crohn’s Disease: A Population-based Study

International audienceBackground The identification of patients at high risk of a disabling disease course would be invaluable in guiding initial therapy in Crohn’s disease (CD). Our objective was to evaluate a combination of clinical, serological, and genetic factors to predict complicated disease course in pediatric-onset CD. Methods Data for pediatric-onset CD patients, diagnosed before 17 years of age between 1988 and 2004 and followed more than 5 years, were extracted from the population-based EPIMAD registry. The main outcome was defined by the occurrence of complicated behavior (stricturing or penetrating) and/or intestinal resection within the 5 years following diagnosis. Lasso logistic regression models were used to build a predictive model based on clinical data at diagnosis, serological data (ASCA, pANCA, anti-OmpC, anti-Cbir1, anti-Fla2, anti-Flax), and 369 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms. Results In total, 156 children with an inflammatory (B1) disease at diagnosis were included. Among them, 35% (n = 54) progressed to a complicated behavior or an intestinal resection within the 5 years following diagnosis. The best predictive model (PREDICT-EPIMAD) included the location at diagnosis, pANCA, and 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms. This model showed good discrimination and good calibration, with an area under the curve of 0.80 after correction for optimism bias (sensitivity, 79%, specificity, 74%, positive predictive value, 61%, negative predictive value, 87%). Decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the model. Conclusions A combination of clinical, serotypic, and genotypic variables can predict disease progression in this population-based pediatric-onset CD cohort. Independent validation is needed before it can be used in clinical practice