History of and current issues affecting surgery for pediatric ulcerative colitis

Novel prognostic biomarkers of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio

OBJECTIVES

Pouchitis is a major complication after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Although there have been many investigations of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in various diseases, its role in predicting the development of pouchitis remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of the NLR for predicting the development of pouchitis after IPAA in UC patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

UC patients who underwent IPAA at Osaka City University Hospital between May 2006 and March 2019 were included. The incidence of pouchitis was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Potential preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative predictors for pouchitis, including various demographic and clinical variables, were analyzed. The combined impact of the NLR and other known prognostic factors were investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).

RESULTS

Forty-nine patients with UC who underwent IPAA were included. The median follow-up period was 18.3 months (interquartile range: 10.7-47.2 months). Eighteen patients (36.7%) developed pouchitis. The incidence of pouchitis was 19.2%, 32.6%, and 45.9% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. NLR was significantly associated with the development of pouchitis in the univariate Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio (HR), 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.28; P = 0.03). The NLR cutoff value of 2.15 was predictive of the development of pouchitis according to receiver operating characteristic analysis (specificity: 67.7%, sensitivity: 72.2%). The incidence of pouchitis was significantly lower in the low NLR group than that in the high NLR group (P = 0.01, log-rank test). Cox regression analyses using IPTW also identified NLR as a prognostic factor for the development of pouchitis by statistically adjusting for background factors (HR, 3.60; 95% CI, 1.31-9.89; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

NLR may be a novel and useful indicator for predicting the development of pouchitis after IPAA in UC and should be introduced in clinical practice.

Early first episode of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for pediatric ulcerative colitis is a risk factor for development of chronic pouchitis

BACKGROUND

The predictive factors for chronic pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) remain unclear. This study evaluated the predictive factors for chronic pouchitis after IPAA in patients with pediatric UC.

METHODS

The data from 52 patients with pediatric-onset UC who underwent IPAA in Mie University Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The endoscopy surveillance was performed yearly or at the timing of the symptom. Chronic pouchitis was defined as antibiotic-dependent/-refractory and relapsing cases. Potential predictors of chronic pouchitis were analyzed.

RESULTS

During the first 5 years after IPAA, pouchitis was identified in 32.7%. Of these patients, 12 (70.6%) developed chronic pouchitis. The predictor of chronic pouchitis was a preoperative history of immunomodulator use before IPAA (p = 0.04). Life table analysis revealed that patients with chronic pouchitis tended to develop pouchitis earlier after IPAA than did patients without chronic pouchitis (p = 0.012). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the occurrence of pouchitis within 15 months after IPAA surgery predicted the development of chronic pouchitis (sensitivity, 92%; specificity, 80%).

CONCLUSION

In pediatric patients with UC, the predictive factors for chronic pouchitis are immunomodulator use and early occurrence of the first episode of pouchitis within 15 months after IPAA.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Predictors for Pouchitis After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis for Pediatric-Onset Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

The predictive factors for the development of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) have not been well investigated. The present study aimed to determine the predictive factors for the development of pouchitis after IPAA in the pediatric UC population.

METHODS

The data from 54 patients with pediatric-onset UC who underwent IPAA in Mie University Hospital between 2000 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. A modified pouchitis disease activity index of ≥5 was defined as pouchitis. Potential preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative predictors for pouchitis including various demographic and clinical variables were analyzed using Cox regression analysis, Students' t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Kaplan-Meier curves. The optimal cutoff value for continuous variables was determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

Pouchitis was identified in 17 (31.5%) patients within 5 y of follow-up. In multivariable analysis, the independent predictors for pouchitis were preoperative cumulative steroid dose of >10,000 mg (P = 0.0056) and >65% neutrophils just before IPAA (P = 0.032). Multivariate analysis revealed that the independent predictors of pouchitis were a total steroid dose of >10,000 mg (P = 0.0002) and a neutrophil percentage of >65% (P = 0.0078). No patient for whom both of these independent predictors were negative developed pouchitis, whereas >40% of patients who had one or both predictors developed pouchitis.

CONCLUSIONS

In pediatric patients with UC, the predictive factors for pouchitis development are a greater cumulative total dose of steroids and a greater percentage of neutrophils before IPAA.

Medical and Surgical Management of Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) describes a spectrum of idiopathic, lifelong, and progressive intestinal inflammatory conditions that includes Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and indeterminate colitis. A worldwide increase in the incidence of IBD has been observed. In comparison to adults, IBD occurring during childhood and adolescence has several unique clinical characteristics and surgical management issues. In this article, we provide an overview contrasting these important differences.

Feasibility of restorative proctocolectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis-associated lower rectal cancer: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Restorative proctocolectomy (RP) may improve quality of life in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC)-associated lower rectal cancer to a greater extent than total proctocolectomy. However, patients with UC-associated cancer often have flat mucosal lesions that make it extremely difficult to endoscopically delineate the tumor margins. Therefore, there is a potential risk of residual tumor and local recurrence after RP in patients with UC-associated lower rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of RP in patients with UC-associated cancer of the lower rectum.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified nine patients who had undergone RP for UC-associated lower rectal cancer at the Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital between January 2000 and December 2016. The incidence of flat mucosal cancer, distal margin status, and oncologic outcomes were evaluated in the nine patients.

RESULTS

Eight (89%) of the nine patients had flat mucosal cancer in the lower rectum. The median length of the distal margin was 22 mm (range 0-55 mm). No patient developed local or distant recurrence during follow-up. One patient had a positive distal margin. This patient underwent annual pouchoscopy, but had no local recurrence and died of pancreatic cancer 81 months after RP. The remaining eight patients were alive at the final observation. Five-year and 10-year overall survival rates in the nine patients were 100% and 66.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Patients with UC-associated lower rectal cancer often have lesions of the flat mucosal type. However, RP is feasible and not necessarily contraindicated in such patients.

Laparoscopic surgery for ulcerative colitis: a review of the literature

Despite the development of new therapies, including anti-TNF alpha antibodies and immunosuppressants, a substantial proportion of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) still require surgery. Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis is the standard surgical treatment of choice for UC. With the advent of laparoscopic techniques for colorectal surgery, ileal-pouch anal anastomosis has also been performed laparoscopically. This paper reviews the history and current trends in laparoscopic surgery for UC. The accumulation of experience and improvement of laparoscopic devices have shifted the paradigm of UC surgery towards laparoscopic surgery over the past decade. Although laparoscopic surgery requires a longer operation, it provides significantly better short and long-term outcomes. The short-term benefits of laparoscopic surgery over open surgery include shorter hospital stays and fasting times, as well as better cosmesis. The long-term benefits of laparoscopy include better fecundity in young females. Some surgeons favor laparoscopic surgery even for severe acute colitis. More efforts are being made to develop newer laparoscopic methods, such as reduced port surgery, including single incision laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery.

Functional outcomes and quality of life after restorative proctocolectomy in paediatric patients: a case-control study

Background. Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) has some peculiarities in paediatric ulcerative colitis (UC). Aims. The primary aim was to compare the bowel function of patients undergoing IPAA between those operated on in childhood and adulthood. The secondary aim was to compare the quality of life (QoL) and outcomes for children between medical and surgical therapies. Method. Children undergoing IPAA were compared with adult patients undergoing IPAA between 2007 and 2012. Function was assessed 1 year after ileostomy closure. Function and QoL of medically managed paediatric patients were compared with their surgical counterparts. Results. Twelve paediatric IPAA patients were compared with 24 adult ones. Acute presentation was common in the former, usually after failed biological treatment. Recurrent pouchitis was more frequent in children. Younger patients exhibited a trend toward better discrimination and continence. QoL was excellent in both groups. Twelve medically treated children were enrolled for secondary aim. Functioning was similar in IPAA- and medically managed children, but the former had a better QoL, confirmed by parents' perception. Conclusions. Similar function is achieved by IPAA in childhood or adulthood. IPAA may offer a better QoL compared to prolonged medical management. The beneficial effects of IPAA experienced by children were similarly observed by their parents.

Role of surgery in pediatric ulcerative colitis

Pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) has a more extensive and progressive clinical course than adult UC. Therefore, more aggressive initial therapies and more frequent surgical treatments are needed. The therapeutic goal is to gain clinical and laboratory control of the disease with minimal adverse effects while permitting the patient to function as normally as possible. Approximately 5-10 % of patients with UC require acute surgical intervention because of fulminant colitis refractory to medical therapy. Mucosal proctocolectomy with ileal J-pouch anal anastomosis is currently recommended as a standard curative surgical procedure for UC in both children and adults worldwide. This review will focus on the current issues regarding the surgical indications for pediatric UC, the technical details of procedures and results of most recent published series to take the most appropriate next step to improve the surgical outcomes and patients' quality of life.