Intestinal pseudo-obstruction due to small bowel α-actin deficiency in a child with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

A Rare Case of Chronic Small Bowel Pseudo-Obstruction

Chronic small bowel pseudo-obstruction is rare, and the disease process is poorly understood. Its clinical picture and radiographic findings can resemble mechanical small bowel obstruction and may lead to unnecessary surgery. We report a case of a 68-year-old man who presented acutely with severe abdominal distension and pain after a recent laparoscopic adhesiolysis. His abdominal CT scan revealed grossly distended small bowel with pneumatosis intestinalis and free intraperitoneal air, which led to an exploratory laparotomy. He had a history of having undergone numerous radiological and endoscopic investigations and multiple laparotomies/laparoscopic procedures but without a definitive diagnosis. Subsequent episodes of small bowel pseudo-obstruction occurred, and he developed intestinal failure. His care required the input of multiple healthcare professionals. He was ultimately referred to the National Intestinal Failure Unit for further assessment and management.

Small Bowel Dysmotility, Pseudoobstruction, and Functional Correlation with Histopathology: Lessons Learned

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Small bowel dysmotility is a broad heterogeneous term that encompasses a wide range of gastrointestinal disorders resulting from abnormal gut motility. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a severe, rare, and complex small bowel motility disorder at the extreme end of this spectrum. It is characterized by failure of the intestinal tract to propel contents, which results in signs and symptoms of bowel obstruction albeit in the absence of any obstructive lesion(s). In this article, we discuss up-to-date diagnostic techniques, management options, and histopathological findings in CIPO.

RECENT FINDINGS

We will emphasize the latest diagnostic methodologies and therapeutic options as well as enteric histopathologic abnormalities in patients with CIPO. CIPO continues to be a clinical challenge. Several novel pharmacological agents hold promise including gastrointestinal hormone agonists and prokinetics. Furthermore, histopathologic findings may help guide therapy and provide further prognostic significance. At present, nutritional support, symptom management, and avoidance of long-term complications are the mainstay of treatment in CIPO.

Autonomic and peripheral neuropathy with reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber density can be observed in patients with gastrointestinal dysmotility

Neuropathy should be considered as a possible etiological factor in patients with severe gastrointestinal symptoms, without signs of disease on routine investigations. Examinations of the autonomic and peripheral nervous systems may be helpful to select the patients who should be investigated with full-thickness intestinal biopsy, and to give appropriate care.

Paediatric Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction: Evidence and Consensus-based Recommendations From an ESPGHAN-Led Expert Group

OBJECTIVES

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstructive (CIPO) conditions are considered the most severe disorders of gut motility. They continue to present significant challenges in clinical care despite considerable recent progress in our understanding of pathophysiology, resulting in unacceptable levels of morbidity and mortality. Major contributors to the disappointing lack of progress in paediatric CIPO include a dearth of clarity and uniformity across all aspects of clinical care from definition and diagnosis to management. In order to assist medical care providers in identifying, evaluating, and managing children with CIPO, experts in this condition within the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition as well as selected external experts, were charged with the task of developing a uniform document of evidence- and consensus-based recommendations.

METHODS

Ten clinically relevant questions addressing terminology, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic topics were formulated. A systematic literature search was performed from inception to June 2017 using a number of established electronic databases as well as repositories. The approach of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was applied to evaluate outcome measures for the research questions. Levels of evidence and quality of evidence were assessed using the classification system of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (diagnosis) and the GRADE system (treatment). Each of the recommendations were discussed, finalized, and voted upon using the nominal voting technique to obtain consensus.

RESULTS

This evidence- and consensus-based position paper provides recommendations specifically for chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in infants and children. It proposes these be termed paediatric intestinal pseudo-obstructive (PIPO) disorders to distinguish them from adult onset CIPO. The manuscript provides guidance on the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of children with PIPO in an effort to standardise the quality of clinical care and improve short- and long-term outcomes. Key recommendations include the development of specific diagnostic criteria for PIPO, red flags to alert clinicians to the diagnosis and guidance on the use of available investigative modalities. The group advocates early collaboration with expert centres where structured diagnosis and management is guided by a multi-disciplinary team, and include targeted nutritional, medical, and surgical interventions as well as transition to adult services.

CONCLUSIONS

This document is intended to be used in daily practice from the time of first presentation and definitive diagnosis PIPO through to the complex management and treatment interventions such as intestinal transplantation. Significant challenges remain to be addressed through collaborative clinical and research interactions.

Identification and Treatment of New Inflammatory Triggers for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is evoked by conditions that may be associated with local and/or systemic inflammation. We present a case of long-standing CRPS in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in which prolonged remission was attained by directing therapy toward concomitant small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, obstructive sleep apnea, and potential increased microglia activity. We theorize that cytokine production produced by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and obstructive sleep apnea may act as stimuli for ongoing CRPS symptoms. CRPS may also benefit from the properties of low-dose naltrexone that blocks microglia Toll-like receptors and induces production of endorphins that regulate and reduce inflammation.

Gastrointestinal and nutritional issues in joint hypermobility syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hypermobility type

Gastrointestinal involvement is a well known complication of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDSs), mainly in form of abdominal emergencies due to intestinal/abdominal vessels rupture in vascular EDS. In the last decade, a growing number of works investigated the relationship between a wide spectrum of chronic gastrointestinal complaints and various EDS forms, among which the hypermobility type (a.k.a. joint hypermobility syndrome; JHS/EDS-HT) was the most studied. The emerging findings depict a major role for gastrointestinal involvement in the health status and, consequently, management of JHS/EDS-HT patients. Nevertheless, fragmentation of knowledge limits its impact on practice within the boundaries of highly specialized clinics. In this paper, literature review on gastrointestinal manifestations in JHS/EDS-HT was carried out and identified papers categorized as (i) case-control/cohort studies associating (apparently non-syndromic) joint hypermobility and gastrointestinal involvement, (ii) case-control/cohort studies associating JHS/EDS-HT and gastrointestinal involvement, (iii) case reports/series on various gastrointestinal complications in (presumed) JHS/EDS-HT, and (iv) studies reporting gastrointestinal features in heterogeneous EDS patients' cohorts. Gastrointestinal manifestations of JHS/EDS-HT were organized and discussed in two categories, including structural anomalies (i.e., abdominal/diaphragmatic hernias, internal organ/pelvic prolapses, intestinal intussusceptions) and functional features (i.e., dysphagia, gastro-esophageal reflux, dyspepsia, recurrent abdominal pain, constipation/diarrhea), with emphasis on practice and future implications. In the second part of this paper, a summary of possible nutritional interventions in JHS/EDS-HT was presented. Supplementation strategies were borrowed from data available for general population with minor modifications in the light of recent discoveries in the pathogenesis of selected JHS/EDS-HT features.