Association of decreased perfusion of the ileoanal pouch mucosa with early postoperative pouchitis and local septic complications

Pouchitis: pathophysiology and management

Pouchitis is an acute or chronic inflammatory disease of the ileal reservoir. It is common after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, and treatment of chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis has proven challenging. Most cases of acute pouchitis evolve into chronic pouchitis. The aetiology of acute pouchitis is likely to be partly related to the gut microbiota, whereas the pathophysiology of chronic pouchitis involves abnormal interactions between genetic disposition, faecal stasis, the gut microbiota, dysregulated host immunity, surgical techniques, ischaemia and mesentery-related factors. Pouchoscopy with biopsy is the most valuable modality for diagnosis, disease monitoring, assessment of treatment response, dysplasia surveillance and delivery of endoscopic therapy. Triggering or risk factors, such as Clostridioides difficile infection and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, should be modified or eradicated. In terms of treatment, acute pouchitis usually responds to oral antibiotics, whereas chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis often requires induction and maintenance therapy with integrin, interleukin or tumour necrosis factor inhibitors. Chronic pouchitis with ischaemic features, fistulae or abscesses can be treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Feasibility of Novel Software-Based Perfusion Indicators for the Ileal J-Pouch-On the Path towards Objective and Quantifiable Intraoperative Perfusion Assessment with Indocyanine Green Near-Infrared Fluorescence

BACKGROUND

In restorative proctocolectomy with ileal J-pouch, perfusion assessment is vital to prevent complications such as anastomotic leak (AL). Indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence (ICG-NIRF) is gaining popularity, while its interpretation and relevance remain subjective. This study aimed to evaluate a standardized ICG-NIRF imaging protocol combined with a novel, software-based assessment to detect areas of impaired perfusion and a possible correlation with AL of the pouch.

METHODS

In this prospective study, patients undergoing ileal J-pouch for ulcerative colitis at an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) referral center were included. Intraoperatively, strictly standardized ICG-NIRF visualization was performed and video-recorded. Postoperatively, a specific software was utilized to determine the change in fluorescence intensity per second (i/s) for systematic regions of interest, generating perfusion-time curves and a pixel-to-pixel map. These were analysed in detail and correlated with clinical outcome (primary end point: AL within 30 days; clearly defined and screened for by pouchoscopy).

RESULTS

Four out of 18 included patients developed AL of the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). In the AL group, the perfusion curves on the area adjacent to the IPAA (pouch apex) displayed considerably lower ingress/inflow (median = 1.7; range = 8.5; interquartile-range = 3.8 i/s) and egress/outflow (median = -0.1; range = 0.7; interquartile-range = 0.5 i/s) values than in the non-AL group (ingress: median = 4.3; range = 10.3; interquartile-range = 4.0 i/s); egress: median = (-1.1); range = 3.9; interquartile range = 1.0 i/s). This was confirmed by further novel parameters of pouch perfusion (maximum ingress; maximum egress) and pixel-to-pixel analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study presents the feasibility of a novel methodology to precisely assess pouch perfusion with ICG-NIRF, identifying comparable, quantifiable, and objective parameters to potentially detect perfusion-associated complications in surgery in real-time.

Perfusion Visualization during Ileal J-Pouch Formation—A Proposal for the Standardization of Intraoperative Imaging with Indocyanine Green Near-Infrared Fluorescence and a Postoperative Follow-Up in IBD Surgery

Background: An anastomotic leak (AL) after a restorative proctocolectomy and an ileal J-pouch increases morbidity and the risk of pouch failure. Thus, a perfusion assessment during J-pouch formation is crucial. While indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence (ICG-NIRF) has shown potential to reduce ALs, its suitability in a restorative proctocolectomy remains unclear. We aimed to develop a standardized approach for investigating ICG-NIRF and ALs in pouch surgery. Methods: Patients undergoing a restorative proctocolectomy with an ileal J-pouch for ulcerative colitis at an IBD-referral-center were included in a prospective study in which an AL within 30 postoperative days was the primary outcome. Intraoperatively, standardized perfusion visualization with ICG-NIRF was performed and video recorded for postoperative analysis at three time points. Quantitative clinical and technical variables (secondary outcome) were correlated with the primary outcome by descriptive analysis and logistic regression. A novel definition and grading of AL of the J-pouch was applied. A postoperative pouchoscopy was routinely performed to screen for AL. Results: Intraoperative ICG-NIRF-visualization and its postoperative visual analysis in 25 patients did not indicate an AL. The anastomotic site after pouch formation appeared completely fluorescent with a strong fluorescence signal (category 2) in all cases of ALs (4 of 25). Anastomotic site was not changed. ICG-NIRF visualization was reproducible and standardized. Logistic regression identified a two-stage approach vs. a three-stage approach (Odds ratio (OR) = 20.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.37–580.18, p = 0.029) as a risk factor for ALs. Conclusion: We present a standardized, comparable approach of ICG-NIRF visualization in pouch surgery. Our data indicate that the visual interpretation of ICG-NIRF alone may not detect ALs of the pouch in all cases—quantifiable, objective methods of interpretation may be required in the future.

Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibition Mitigates Pouchitis

BACKGROUND

Pouchitis is the most common long-term complication after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC) or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which can eventually progress to pouch failure, necessitating permanent stoma construction. Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor prolyl hydroxylase-containing enzymes (PHD1, PHD2, and PHD3) are molecular oxygen sensors that control adaptive gene expression through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Emerging evidence supports PHDs as being therapeutic targets in intestinal inflammation. However, pharmacological inhibition of PHDs has not been validated as a treatment strategy in pouchitis.

METHODS

PHD1-3 mRNA and protein expression were analyzed in mucosal pouch and prepouch ileal patient biopsies. After establishment of a preclinical IPAA model in rats, the impact of the pan-PHD small-molecule inhibitor dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced pouchitis was studied. Clinical and molecular parameters were investigated.

RESULTS

PHD1, but not PHD2 or PHD3, was overexpressed in pouchitis in biopsies of patients with IPAA for UC but not FAP. In addition, PHD1 expression correlated with disease activity. DMOG treatment profoundly mitigated DSS-induced pouchitis in a rodent IPAA model. Mechanistically, DMOG restored intestinal epithelial barrier function by induction of tight junction proteins zona occludens-1 and claudin-1 and alleviation of intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis, thus attenuating pouch inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, these results establish a strong therapeutic rationale for targeting PHD1 with small-molecule inhibitors in pouchitis after IPAA for UC.

Review article: the pathogenesis of pouchitis

BACKGROUND

A total proctocolectomy followed by ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is a potentially curative surgery for ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis. About 5-35% of patients with ulcerative colitis and 0-11% of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis develop subsequent inflammation of the ileal pouch termed pouchitis.

AIM

To provide a comprehensive analysis of the research studying the possible pathogenesis of pouchitis. The goals were to identify promising areas of investigation, to help focus clinicians, researchers and patients on how to better understand and then potentially manage ileal pouchitis, and to provide avenues for future research investigations.

METHODS

This review examined manuscripts from 1981 to 2015 that discussed and/or proposed hypotheses with supportive evidence for the potential underlying pathogenic mechanism for pouchitis.

RESULTS

The pathogenesis of pouchitis is not definitively understood, but various hypotheses have been proposed, including (i) recurrence of ulcerative colitis, (ii) dysbiosis of the ileal pouch microbiota, (iii) deprivation of nutritional short-chain fatty acids, (iv) mucosal ischaemia and oxygen-free radical injury, (v) host genetic susceptibility and (vi) immune dysregulation. However, none of these alone are able to fully explain pouchitis pathogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

Pouchitis, similar to inflammatory bowel disease, is a complex disorder that is not caused by any one single factor. More likely, pouchitis occurs through a combination of both dysregulated host inflammatory mechanisms and interaction with luminal microbiota.

Common Inflammatory Disorders and Neoplasia of the Ileal Pouch: A Review of Histopathology

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the standard restorative procedure after proctocolectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who require colectomy. The ileal pouch is susceptible to a variety of insults including mechanical injury, ischemia, fecal stasis, and infectious agents. In addition, the development of recurrent and idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease and neoplasia may occur in the ileal pouch. Although clinical, endoscopic, and radiographic examination can diagnose many ileal pouch diseases, histologic examination plays an essential role in diagnosis and management, particularly in cases with antibiotic refractory chronic pouchitis and pouch neoplasia.

Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT-1) and differential expression of interferon-gamma and anti-inflammatory proteins in pelvic ileal pouches for ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis

Pouchitis after total rectocolectomy is the most common complication of ulcerative colitis (UC). The immunological mechanisms involved in the genesis of pouchitis are unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the inflammatory activity in normal ileal pouch mucosa by determining signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT-1) activation and cytokine expression in patients operated for UC and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Eighteen asymptomatic patients, who underwent total rectocolectomy and J pouch, were evaluated: nine with UC and nine with FAP. The activation of STAT-1 and cytokine expression were determined by immunoblot of total protein extracts from pouch mucosal biopsies. The absence of pouchitis was assessed by clinical, histological and endoscopic parameters, according to the Pouchitis Disease Activity Index. The patients were not receiving any medication. Analysis of variance (anova) and Tukey-Kramer's test were applied. The local ethical committee approved the study and informed consent was signed by all participants. STAT-1 activation was increased in UC when compared to FAP and controls (P < 0.05). Higher levels of interferon (IFN)-gamma expression were observed in UC patients when compared to the control group (P < 0.05), but were similar to FAP. In contrast, cytokine signalling (SOCS-3) and interleukin (IL)-10 expression were similar in all groups (P > 0.05). These findings could explain the higher susceptibility to this inflammatory complication in UC when compared to FAP. A tendency towards increased levels of IFN-gamma and STAT-1 in patients with UC, even without clinical and endoscopic evidence of pouchitis, was observed; studying inflammatory activity in asymptomatic ileal pouches may help understanding of the pathogenesis of pouchitis.

Asymmetric endoscopic inflammation of the ileal pouch: a sign of ischemic pouchitis?

BACKGROUND

Pouchitis is associated with dysbiosis and dysregulated mucosal immunity, although secondary pouchitis with special etiologic factors, such as ischemia, can occur. The aim was to describe a disease phenotype of the ileal pouch with an endoscopic appearance suggestive of ischemia.

METHODS

We identified consecutive patients with endoscopic asymmetric inflammation of the pouch (inflammation of side of the pouch with a completely normal other limb of the pouch one limb and a sharp demarcation along the staple suture line). Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch or antibiotic-responsive pouchitis, matched for duration of the pouch, served as controls. Histology slides of mucosal biopsies were re-reviewed independently by 2 blinded gastrointestinal pathologists. Demographic, clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and imaging characteristics were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Ten patients with "ischemic" pouchitis, 15 with CD of the pouch, and 15 with antibiotic-responsive pouchitis were studied. Pyloric gland metaplasia was observed only in the groups with CD of the pouch (23.1%) or antibiotic-responsive pouchitis (13.3%). Of patients with "ischemic" pouchitis, 80% had extracellular hemosiderin or hematoidin deposits (versus 30.8% those with CD of the pouch and 13.3% of those with pouchitis, P = 0.003). The majority of patients (80%) with "ischemic" pouchitis did not respond to conventional antibiotic therapy. It appeared that subsequent abdominal surgeries after pouch construction and a history of postoperative portal vein thrombi were associated with "ischemic" pouchitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic asymmetric inflammation of the pouch may represent an ischemia-associated pouchitis with characteristic clinical, radiographic, and histologic features. Its hemodynamic, cellular, and molecular basis of mechanism warrants further study.

Secondary pouchitis: those with identifiable etiopathogenetic or triggering factors

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the surgical treatment of choice for the majority of patients with medically refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) or UC with dysplasia, or familial adenomatous polyposis. Various forms of pouchitis frequently occur after surgery. In fact, pouchitis is the most frequent long-term complication of IPAA in patients with UC, with a cumulative prevalence of up to 50%. The etiology and pathogenesis of pouchitis are not entirely clear. It is generally believed that the initiation and development of the disease process of pouchitis is associated with dysbiosis of pouch reservoir, as evidenced by a favorable response to antibiotic therapy. However, the majority of the patients do not show identifiable etiopathogenetic or triggering factors, therefore being labeled to have idiopathic pouchitis. In contrast, a subgroup of patients, particularly those with antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, may have obvious triggering factors for disease flare-up and progression and may be considered to have secondary pouchitis. Therefore, pouchitis can be classified on the basis of etiology into idiopathic and secondary causes. Approximately 20-30% of patients who present with chronic pouchitis have secondary identifiable and triggering factors, including cytomegalovirus or Clostridium difficile infection, ischemia, concurrent immune-mediated disorders, radiation, collagen deposition, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Careful evaluation of these secondary causes of pouchitis that may contribute to resistance to antibiotics should be performed before the introduction of next-line medical therapy.

Pouchitis: lessons for inflammatory bowel disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

One of the significant limitations to the investigation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans is the impossibility of studying this condition from the beginning of the disease process to understand the individual contribution of the various microbiological and immunological components to its pathogenesis. Pouchitis can serve as a human model for IBD, as the time of the pouch creation is known, which allows to prospectively study the events that might eventually lead to the development of a form of intestinal inflammation (i.e., pouchitis) that mimics IBD.

RECENT FINDINGS

A considerable amount of progress has been made in the last few years on the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of pouchitis. Recent literature suggests that pouchitis may present a spectrum of disease processes, with a wide range of causes, risk factors, clinical phenotypes, disease courses, and prognoses. Genetic, microbiological, and immunological profiles in pouchitis were evaluated.

SUMMARY

Ileal pouch and pouchitis represent a valuable human model to study the evolution of bacterial communities and host-bacteria interactions in IBD by sequentially monitoring microbiological and immunological profile before, during, and after pouch construction and before and after development and treatment of pouchitis.

Functional outcome after restorative proctocolectomy in pigs: comparing a novel transverse ileal pouch to the J-pouch and straight ileoanal anastomosis

BACKGROUND

Restorative proctocolectomy followed by an ileoanal J-pouch procedure is the therapy of choice for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis and ulcerative colitis. After low anterior rectal resection, the authors have reported on a novel, less complex pouch configuration, a transverse coloplasty pouch. The aim of the present work was to apply this new design to the ileal pouch construction, to evaluate feasibility, and to measure functional results in comparison with the J-pouch and the straight ileoanal anastomosis using the pig as an animal model.

METHODS

Twenty-three pigs underwent restorative proctocolectomy followed by reconstruction with straight ileoanal anastomosis (IAA; n = 5), J-pouch (n = 7), and a transverse ileal pouch (TIP; n = 11). Pigs were followed for 6 days postoperatively. Peristaltic function was assessed by manometry proximal to the pouch, in the reservoir, and at the level of the ileoanal anastomosis. Functional outcome was monitored by semiquantitative assessment of the general condition of the animals, postoperative feeding habits, and stool frequency and consistency. A Fourier analysis was performed in order to compare peristalsis in the ileal reservoirs. The reservoir volume was measured in situ by triple contrast computed tomography scan with 3D reconstruction.

RESULTS

Seventeen animals survived for 1 week. There was no difference in the general condition or the feeding habits of the groups. A significant number of pigs with the TIP pouch (7/10) had semisolid or formed stools as opposed to liquid stools after J-pouch (6/6) and IAA (4/5; p = 0.01). TIP animals had a lower stool frequency (3.2 +/- 1.14 per day) on day 6 after the operation than pigs with J-pouch, 5.33 +/- 1,03, and IAA, 4.6 +/- 1.82 (p = 0.0036). The in situ volume of the pouches did not differ significantly. The Fourier analysis demonstrated a disruption of peristalsis by the J-pouch and the TIP reconstruction but not after IAA.

CONCLUSION

The function of ileoanal reservoirs after proctocolectomy may result from the disruption of properistaltic waves after pouch formation. The mechanism of peristalsis disruption is independent of the in situ volume of the pouch.

Pouchitis: an evolving clinical enigma--a review

While the overall incidence of pouchitis is low, extensive research continues at clinical and experimental levels in attempts to unravel its etiology. The ileal pouch and pouchitis together represent a unique in vivo opportunity to study mucosal adaptation and inflammation in depth. In the recent past, molecular data relating to pouchitis has significantly expanded. These data provide invaluable insight into intracellular and extracellular events that underpin mucosal adaptation and inflammation. Advances in classification, risk factor evaluation, and prevention have meant that a review of this data, as well as its relationship to our current understanding of pouchitis, is both timely and warranted. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize recent data in the context of the established literature.

Portal vein thrombi after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: its incidence and association with pouchitis

PURPOSE

Portal vein thrombi (PVT) have recently been linked to ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). We assessed the rate of PVT in patients who underwent IPAA and attempted to identify the associated features.

METHODS

We reviewed all patients who underwent IPAA at our hospital between 1997 and 2002, noting demographic, operative, and clinical data. Computed tomography (CT) scans were independently re-reviewed by two radiologists blinded to patient data. Scans were designated as positive, negative, or indeterminate for PVT.

RESULTS

A total of 112 patients underwent IPAA for ulcerative colitis, 28 (25%) of whom had a CT scan done within 8 weeks postoperatively. The indications for CT included prolonged ileus (32.1%), abdominal pain (28.6%), and fever (17.9%). On examining the CT scans, 39% were positive, 14% were indeterminate, and 46% were negative for PVT. There was no association between PVT and pelvic sepsis. Within a mean follow-up of 36.2 months, 15.4% patients without PVT had suffered pouchitis compared with 25% of those with indeterminate scans and 45.5% of those with PVT.

CONCLUSIONS

Portal vein thrombi are a common finding in the subset of patients who require a CT scan after IPAA. Patients who suffer PVT have a higher incidence of postoperative pouchitis. Thus a prospective evaluation of the risk of PVT and its association with pouchitis is warranted.

Pouchitis in Ulcerative Colitis: Correlation between Predictors from Colectomy Specimens and Clinico-Histological Features

Pouchitis after restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis is usually of ill-defined etiology and is encountered with sclerosing cholangitis, bacterial overgrowth, and ischemia. Recently, appendiceal involvement, ileitis, and fissures in the colectomy specimen have been associated with short- and long-term development of pouchitis. To corroborate these recent findings, the histology of 40 colectomies (70% males; mean age 46.3 years, age range 20-70 years; mean follow-up period 3.7 years, range 1-13 years) with yearly follow-up biopsies was correlated with pouchitis and clinical symptoms. Appendicitis, fissures, and ileitis were present in 47, 45 and 5% of the patients, respectively. Pouchitis in patients with appendicitis or with fissures was noted in 44 and 50% at first biopsy and in 70 and 58% during follow-up (p = NS). Of the patients without appendicitis or without fissures, 33 and 33% demonstrated pouchitis at the first biopsy and 30 and 55% during follow-up (p = NS). Clinico-histological correlation revealed normal/near-normal biopsies with the lowest clinical severity score in 77% and with the highest clinical score in 43% (p < 0.025). The histological findings of appendiceal involvement, fissuring ulcers, and ileitis in colectomies for ulcerative colitis do not correlate with the finding of pouchitis in early or late pouch biopsies. A high clinical suspicion score is frequently not correlated with significant inflammation of the pouch.

Randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of perioperative supplemental oxygen administration on the colorectal anastomosis

Background

Perioperative supplemental oxygen therapy may have beneficial effects on wound healing following colorectal surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of such therapy on colorectal anastomotic pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco2) gap.

Methods

Forty-five patients undergoing anterior resection for rectal or sigmoid cancer were randomized to receive 30 or 80 per cent perioperative oxygen. Administration was commenced after induction of anaesthesia and maintained for 6 h after surgery. Intragastric and anastomotic tonometric catheters were placed in each patient and intramucosal pH (pHi) was measured immediately after operation, and 6 and 24 h later. Gastric and anastomotic pHi and Pco2 gap in each group were compared.

Results

There was a significantly lower anastomotic pHi and wider Pco2 gap for gastric readings in the 30 per cent O2 group, both 30 min (pHi, P = 0·006; Pco2 gap, P = 0·006) and 6 h (pHi, P = 0·024; Pco2 gap, P = 0·036) after surgery. There were no differences 24 h after surgery while breathing room air (pHi, P = 0·131; Pco2 gap P = 0·139). No difference was found between gastric and anastomotic readings at any time point in the 80 per cent O2 group.

Conclusion

Perioperative administration of 80 per cent O2 both during surgery and for 6 hours afterwards is associated with an improvement in relative anastomotic hypoperfusion as assessed by the measurement of pHi and Pco2 gap.

Early prediction of anastomotic leak in colorectal cancer surgery by intramucosal pH

PURPOSE

Adequate oxygenation is necessary for anastomotic healing, and ischemia has been found to be one of the most important factors in anastomotic leakage. This study was designed to assess the value of early postoperative intramucosal pH measurements for the prediction of anastomotic leakage in patients with colorectal anastomosis.

METHODS

A prospective study of 90 patients with rectal or sigmoid cancer with primary anastomosis was conducted. In all patients intramucosal pH was determined by using tonometry at the anastomotic and gastric levels during the first 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. Seven other variables also were tested by univariate and multivariate analysis for any association with anastomotic leakage.

RESULTS

The rate of clinical anastomotic leakage was 6.6 percent. Multivariate analysis showed that only the intramucosal pH at the anastomosis was an independent factor for the development of anastomotic leakage. The risk of leakage was 22 times higher in patients with an anastomotic intramucosal pH < 7.28 in the first 24 hours after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Measurement of anastomotic intramucosal pH in the early postoperative period can more accurately predict the risk of anastomotic leakage and benefit those patients who would need additional measures to improve the viability of the anastomosis.

Surgical outcome in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis undergoing ileal pouch–anal anastomosis: A case-control study

BACKGROUND

The outcome of restorative proctocolectomy in the setting of chronic ulcerative colitis complicated by primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the surgical outcome, risk of dysplasia/cancer, morbidity/mortality, long-term results, and functional and quality of life results in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and PSC who underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and compare them in a case-matched study.

METHODS

Patients with PSC-associated IBD undergoing restorative proctocolectomy between 1983 and 2002 were included in the study. This study group was matched for age, gender, diagnosis, duration of disease, anastomosis technique, and proximal diversion to a cohort of IBD patients with no associated PSC who underwent restorative proctocolectomy during the same period of time. Postoperative morbidity, incidence of neoplasia/cancer in the resected specimen, pouchitis, pouch failure, long-term mortality, and 5-year survival rates were compared between the groups. The functional and quality of life records were prospectively collected and compared between the groups. For each group, matched Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was also conducted comparing 5-year survival between the 2 cohorts, matching for diagnosis, duration of disease, age, gender, anastomosis type, and proximal diversion.

RESULTS

Sixty-five patients with PSC and IBD underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis during the study period. Two hundred sixty IBD patients with no associated PSC who matched with the outlined criteria comprised the control group. The follow-up period was 68 +/- 50 months for the PSC group and 102 +/- 62 months for the control group. A higher incidence of cancer (14% vs 5%, P = .02) and dysplasia in the resected specimen (40% vs 7%, P < .001), an associated increased risk of postoperative pelvic sepsis (14% vs 5%, P = .02), and higher long-term mortality (35% vs 4%, P < .001) were found in the PSC group compared with control group with no associated PSC. The majority, 13 of 23 (57%), of the deaths in the PSC group were a result of liver disease. Five-year survival for the PSC group was significantly poorer than the 5-year survival for the control group with no associated PSC. No significant differences were found in functional and quality of life results between the groups in the short- and long-term follow-up periods.

CONCLUSIONS

PSC-associated IBD patients after restorative proctocolectomy have a higher risk of neoplasia/cancer in the resected specimen, postoperative pelvic sepsis, and higher long-term mortality. Functional and quality of life remains similar in IBD patients after restorative proctocolectomy with or without associated PSC in the follow-up. However, patients with IBD and PSC have a significantly poorer survival than patients with no associated PSC after restorative proctocolectomy.

Histologic predictors of pouchitis in patients with chronic ulcerative colitis

Inflammation of ileal reservoir mucosa ("pouchitis") is a common sequelae in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who have had a colectomy with ileal pouch anal-anastomosis (IPAA). Although several clinical, genetic, and laboratory parameters have been evaluated, reliable pathologic predictors for the development of pouchitis are lacking. The purpose of this case-control study was to determine whether there are any pathologic features in UC colectomy specimens that may help predict the subsequent development of pouchitis after an IPAA procedure. The study group consisted of 39 UC patients (male/female ratio: 21/18, mean age: 35 years), who had at least 1 episode of pouchitis after an IPAA procedure during the follow-up period (mean: 57 months, range: 12-121 months). There were 26 control patients (male/female ratio: 11/15, mean age: 37 years), all of whom also underwent a total colectomy and IPAA procedure for UC, but did not develop pouchitis during the follow-up period (mean: 78 months, range: 14-223 months). Routinely processed tissues from each colectomy specimen were evaluated for a variety of histologic features, such as extent of colitis, severity of colitis, extent of severe colitis, type and extent of ulceration, presence and severity of appendiceal inflammation, and the presence of active ileitis, and compared between the study and control patients. Pathologic features that were associated with the subsequent development of pouchitis included the presence of severe colitis that extended into the cecum (severe pancolitis), which was present in 7/39 (18%) pouchitis patients, but in none (0%) of the control patients (P = 0.03), early fissuring ulcers [9/39 (23%) pouchitis cases versus 1/26 (4%) controls (P = 0.04)], active inflammation of the appendix [20/32 (63%) pouchitis patients versus 7/19 (31%) controls (P = 0.03)], and appendiceal ulceration [13/32 (41%) pouchitis patients versus none (0%) of the controls (P = 0.002)]. No significant differences in patient gender or age, depth or extent of ulceration, or the presence or absence of "backwash ileitis" were identified between the 2 groups. In conclusion, there are several histologic features in colectomy specimens from UC patients who have undergone an IPAA procedure that may help predict the subsequent development of pouchitis. Of these features, appendiceal ulceration is highly associated with pouchitis.

Effects of thoracic epidural anaesthesia on intestinal microvascular perfusion in a rodent model of normotensive endotoxaemia

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether sympathetic blockade by means of thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA) increases intestinal perfusion during normotensive endotoxaemia.

DESIGN

A prospective, randomised and controlled animal study.

SETTING

Animal laboratory in a university hospital.

SUBJECTS

Sprague-Dawley male rats.

INTERVENTIONS

The rats were anaesthetised with urethane and ketamine, mechanically ventilated and haemodynamically monitored. Lidocaine or saline were infused continuously via thoracic epidural catheters followed by a continuous intravenous infusion of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (1.5 mg/kg per h). Densities of perfused and non-perfused capillaries (i.e., with and without erythrocyte perfusion, respectively) as well as erythrocyte velocity in both the mucosa and the muscularis of the terminal ileum were determined using intravital microscopy.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Measurements were performed at baseline, after 30 min of epidural infusion as well as after 60 and 120 min of lipopolysaccharide infusion. In animals receiving TEA, mean arterial pressure and heart rate were significantly reduced throughout the experiment. In the muscularis the endotoxaemia-induced increase in non-perfused capillaries was absent with epidural lidocaine (0 [0/0] versus 39 [36/137] cm(-1), median [25(th)/75(th) percentile]), whereas in the mucosa perfused capillary density declined to a greater extent than in controls (-47 [-53/-23]%) versus -19 [-34/+10]%, p<0.05). Erythrocyte velocity decreased with endotoxaemia and was not influenced by epidural lidocaine.

CONCLUSIONS

Microvascular perfusion data during endotoxaemia show a redistribution of blood flow towards the mucosa. TEA seems to impede this redistribution resulting in improved muscularis and worsened mucosal microvascular perfusion.

Pouchitis

Pouchitis is one of the commonest and most debilitating complications of a restorative proctocolectomy. The cause remains elusive, though a number of approaches have been shown to alleviate the condition. This review outlines current evidence relating to pouchitis, obtained from randomised and nonrandomised studies. Medline, the Bath Information Data Service (BIDS) and PubMed were searched using the keywords 'pouchitis' and 'inflammatory bowel disease'. In addition, articles were cross-referenced, and the abstracts of recent colorectal meetings studied.

Pouchitis in Children: Therapeutic Options

Pouchitis is an unfortunate common complication of the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis procedure, an otherwise very attractive surgical option in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). The fact that the same pouch in familial polyposis is hardly complicated by pouchitis suggests that the basic inflammatory process in UC might participate in the pathophysiology. We review the clinical features of pouchitis, the diagnostic approach, and the many therapeutic considerations, including more recent data on prebiotics and probiotics.

Surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Appropriate surgical management of Crohn disease is predicated on multiple variables, but stricturoplasty is generally reserved for small bowel disease, whereas resection is utilized in ileocolonic inflammation and favored for large bowel disease. Laparoscopic resection is becoming increasingly useful and justified for ileocolic resections, and segmental resection should be strongly considered for limited large bowel inflammation. Some centers are also using a laparoscopic approach for the surgical treatment of acute or chronic ulcerative colitis, although the benefits are less apparent. Proctocolectomy with ileostomy or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis returns the patient's quality of life to a level comparable to that enjoyed by the general population. Creation of a pouch is performed in most instances, but early complications may warrant pouch revision and later complications, such as pouchitis, can mandate pouch excision.