Crohn's disease of the esophagus with esophagobronchial fistula formation: a case report and review of the literature

Diagnosis and Classification of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Strictures

Intestinal strictures are a common complication in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Symptoms due to intestinal strictures range from mild bloating and/or abdominal discomfort to complete bowel obstruction. Careful selection of available medical, endoscopic, or surgical therapies is critical for optimizing patient outcomes and is dependent on the effective characterization of the stricture. This article will focus on the diagnosis and classification of IBD strictures.

Respiratory Tract Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease can manifest in many extraintestinal organ systems. The most frequently involved extraintestinal locations include the mucocutaneous, hepatobiliary, and ocular organ systems. The respiratory tract is less commonly involved and is therefore frequently overlooked. Consequently, it is believed that involvement of the respiratory tract in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is underreported. The pathogenesis is thought to be multifactorial, involving the common embryologic origin shared by the respiratory and luminal digestive tract, molecular mimicry, and immunologic interactions leading to immune-complex deposition in affected tissue. The spectrum of manifestations of the respiratory tract related to inflammatory bowel disease is broad. It not only includes direct involvement of the respiratory tract (ie, airways, interstitium, and pleura) but also can result as a consequence of systemic involvement such as in thromboembolic events. In addition, it may also be related to other conditions that affect the respiratory tract such as sarcoidosis and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Though some conditions related to respiratory tract involvement might be subclinical, others may have life-threatening consequences. It is critical to approach patients with suspected inflammatory bowel disease-related respiratory tract involvement in concert with pulmonology, infectious diseases, and any other pertinent experts, as treatments may require a multidisciplinary overlap of measures. Therefore, it is of paramount importance for the clinician to be aware of the array of respiratory tract manifestations of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, in addition to the possible spectrum of therapeutic measures.

[Rare inflammatory diseases of the esophagus]

Because of its high incidence gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is at the forefront of medical attention. On the other hand, vigilance for rare inflammatory diseases of the esophagus, such as herpes esophagitis, radiation-induced esophagitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, pseudodiverticulosis and Crohn's disease is low. Moreover, these entities are rarely distinguishable from GERD by clinical features alone. For all atypical and treatment refractory supposedly reflux diseases, the diagnosis should therefore be questioned and re-evaluated by endoscopy. When the macroscopic findings of esophagoscopy are ambiguous biopsies can be performed and histological examination then often leads to a definitive diagnosis. This is particularly important because the required treatment of rare forms of esophagitis often significantly differs from that of GERD.

Crohn’s disease of esophagus, stomach and duodenum

Crohn’s disease with involvement of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum has a prevalence of 0.5% to 4% in symptomatic adult patients, but some studies have shown that these results may be underestimated, since upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is not performed routinely in the initial evaluation of the disease in adult patients, as it is in the pediatric population. In general, involvement of the upper gastrointestinal tract in Crohn’s disease occurs concomitantly with involvement of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The diagnosis depends on clinical, endoscopic, histological and radiological evaluation. The presence of aphthoid ulcers, longitudinal ulcers, bamboo-joint-like appearance, stenoses and fistulas are endoscopic findings suggestive of the disease, and it is important to exclude the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. The primary histological findings, which facilitate the diagnosis, are the presence of a chronic inflammatory process with a predominance of lymphoplasmacytic cells and active focal gastritis. The presence of epithelioid granuloma, although less frequent, is highly suggestive of the disease in the absence of chronic granulomatous disease. Treatment should include the use of proton pump inhibitors associated with corticosteroids, immunomodulators and biological therapy according to the severity of the disease.

Esophagitis and its causes: Who is “guilty” when acid is found “not guilty”?

Esophagitis is mainly a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, one of the most common diseases affecting the upper digestive tract. However the esophageal mucosa can also be targeted by some infectious, systemic or chemical conditions. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease, characterized by eosinophilic infiltration in the mucosa. Esophageal localization of Crohn’s disease is not very common, but it should always be considered in patients with inflammatory bowel disease complaining of upper digestive tract symptoms. There are also forms of infectious esophagitis (e.g., Herpes simplex virus or Candida albicans) occurring in patients with a compromised immune system, either because of specific diseases or immunosuppressive therapies. Another kind of damage to esophageal mucosa is due to drug use (including oncologic chemotherapeutic regimens and radiotherapy) or caustic ingestion, usually of alkaline liquids, with colliquative necrosis and destruction of mucosa within a few seconds. Dysphagia is a predominant symptom in EoE, while infectious, drug-induced and caustic damages usually cause chest pain and odynophagia. Endoscopy can be useful for diagnosing esophagitis, although no specific pattern can be identified. In conclusion when a patient refers upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms and the diagnosis of gastro-esophageal reflux disease is not convincing we should always carefully investigate the patient’s clinical history to consider possibilities other than the gastric refluxate.

Oesophageal presentation of Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease (CD) is characterised by a transmural inflammatory process, which can affect any part of the digestive tract; however, CD with oesophageal presentation is rare. We report a case of a previously healthy young woman with symptoms of dysphagia, odynophagia, chest pain and weight loss, who presented oesophageal ulcers at upper endoscopy and whose histology revealed granulomatous oesophagitis. After complementary study, a mild ileocaecal involvement of CD was demonstrated. The patient became asymptomatic with proton pump inhibitor and a course of prednisolone. Mucosal healing was obtained after maintenance therapy with azathioprine. In the absence of extraoesophageal symptoms, oesophageal CD may be overlooked. CD must always be considered as differential diagnosis in the presence of oesophageal ulcers.

A Very Rare Cause of a Relapsing Para-Oesophageal Abscess

Oesophageal involvement in Crohn's disease (CD) is uncommon and most often accompanied by involvement of more distal parts. Its presentation is mostly non-specific, and therefore a diagnosis, especially in isolated oesophageal disease, is difficult. We present the case of a 42-year-old male patient who was referred to our gastroenterology department because of a para-oesophageal abscess. Under antibiotic treatment the abscess healed, but despite great diagnostic efforts, its aetiology remained unclear. Three years later the patient was hospitalized again because of an abscess at the same site. Endoscopy showed disseminated ulcerations of the lower oesophagus, raising suspicion of CD. After excluding other possible causes, we made the diagnosis of isolated CD of the oesophagus. We review the available literature on this topic and discuss the clinical presentation, symptoms, endoscopic findings, and histology as well as treatment of oesophageal CD.

Crohn's Disease of the Foregut

Crohn's disease of the foregut is more common than previously recognized, with up to 40% of patients with Crohn's disease in the distal intestine also having evidence of foregut disease. Esophageal disease is best managed medically with proton pump inhibition, steroids, thiopurines, methotrexate, and anti-tumor necrosis factor-α biologic medications. Esophageal strictures are dealt with using endoscopic dilation. Surgery is generally reserved of resistant strictures or esophageal fistulas. Patients with gastroduodenal disease more commonly come to surgery. The most commonly performed operations for gastroduodenal Crohn's disease are intestinal bypass or strictureplasty. The concomitant use of vagotomy remains controversial.

Crohn's Disease of the Esophagus: Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes in the Biologic Era

BACKGROUND

Esophageal Crohn's disease (CD) is challenging and often a disabling phenotype of disease. We aimed to report the clinical, endoscopic, histologic features, and treatment outcomes of esophageal patients with CD.

METHODS

Esophageal patients with CD evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, between January, 1998, and December, 2012, were identified.

RESULTS

Twenty-four cases of esophageal CD were identified. The median age of diagnosis was 23 years (range, 12-60). Twenty-one patients (88%) had extraesophageal CD and 8 patients (33%) had oral ulcers at the time of esophageal CD symptom onset. The majority of patients had esophageal-specific symptoms. Mid (29%) or distal (29%) esophagus was the most common site of involvement. Inflammatory esophageal CD (75%) was marked by superficial ulcerations (58%), erythema and/or erosions (50%), deep ulcerations (13%), and pseudopolyps (4%) on endoscopy. Four patients (17%) were found to have esophageal strictures and 2 patients (8%) had fistulizing disease. Chronic inflammation (83%) was seen on biopsy in the majority of cases with 5 patients having associated granulomas. In our series, inflammatory esophageal CD responded to prednisone, topical budesonide, or biologics. Stricturing esophageal CD was successfully treated with a combination of biologic therapy, immunomodulators, and serial dilations with/without steroid injections. Aggressive medical therapy with biologics and endoscopic therapy was used for fistulizing esophageal CD, however, was not universally effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Esophageal CD should be considered in all patients with CD with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Early recognition, diagnosis, and aggressive medical and/or endoscopic treatment are needed for successful outcomes.

Crohn's disease may be differentiated into 2 distinct biotypes based on the detection of bacterial genomic sequences and virulence genes within submucosal tissues

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether bacterial pathogens can be detected within the diseased submucosal tissues of patients with Crohn's disease by molecular techniques independent of cultural methods.

DESIGN

We designed a quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect 32 virulence genes and transposons within submucosal tissues of patients with Crohn's disease and controls and compared the microbiome of the submucosa with mucosal bacterial populations.

RESULTS

Within submucosal tissues, the bacterial invasion/adherence genes eaeA and invA were detected in 43% of patients (P=0.01 and 0.008 vs. mucosa and controls, respectively) and the Mycobacterium-specific IS900 and 251F genes detected in 50% of patients (P=0.03 vs. mucosa and controls). These findings were mutually exclusive: invasion/adhesion genes and Mycobacterium-associated transposons were not detected in the same patient. Metagenomic sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction results confirmed effective separation of the submucosal and mucosal microbiome and the existence of a submucosal bacterial population within diseased tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to examine the microbial populations of submucosal tissues during intestinal disease and provide evidence of a distinct submucosal microbiome and biotypes within Crohn's disease. These data suggests that Crohn's disease may not be a single disease, but a spectrum that can be divided into distinct biotypes based on the presence of invasion/adherence genes or Mycobacterium-associated transposons. If corroborated by larger population studies, these findings could revolutionize the diagnosis, management, and treatment of Crohn's disease by the identification of patient biotypes and the application of targeted chemotherapeutic treatments that go beyond supportive in nature.

Imaging techniques for assessment of inflammatory bowel disease: joint ECCO and ESGAR evidence-based consensus guidelines

The management of patients with IBD requires evaluation with objective tools, both at the time of diagnosis and throughout the course of the disease, to determine the location, extension, activity and severity of inflammatory lesions, as well as, the potential existence of complications. Whereas endoscopy is a well-established and uniformly performed diagnostic examination, the implementation of radiologic techniques for assessment of IBD is still heterogeneous; variations in technical aspects and the degrees of experience and preferences exist across countries in Europe. ECCO and ESGAR scientific societies jointly elaborated a consensus to establish standards for imaging in IBD using magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, ultrasonography, and including also other radiologic procedures such as conventional radiology or nuclear medicine examinations for different clinical situations that include general principles, upper GI tract, colon and rectum, perineum, liver and biliary tract, emergency situation, and the postoperative setting. The statements and general recommendations of this consensus are based on the highest level of evidence available, but significant gaps remain in certain areas such as the comparison of diagnostic accuracy between different techniques, the value for therapeutic monitoring, and the prognostic implications of particular findings.

Isolated Crohn's disease of the esophagus with esophago-mediastinal fistula formation

Isolated Crohn's disease of the esophagus is rare, and accurate diagnosis and treatment in its early course are difficult. Most cases are often found very late, when severe strictures or other complications have occurred. We report the case of a male 60-year-old patient with complaints of progressive dysphagia for more than two months and the sudden appearance of heartburn for seven consecutive days. Clinical examination revealed severe esophageal stricture with a suspected fistula and mediastinitis. The patient received a successful esophagectomy. The resected specimen and pathological results confirmed a deep linear ulcer, chronic and noncaseating granulomatous inflammation, as well as a circular stricture of the esophagus with fistula into the mediastinum due to isolated esophageal Crohn's disease.

Uncommon acquired fistulae involving the digestive system: summary of data

PURPOSE

Most gastrointestinal fistulae commonly occur following surgery. A minority is caused by a myriad of other etiologies and is termed by some as "uncommon fistulae". The aim of this study was to review these fistulae and their treatment.

METHODS

A literature review was carried out. Searches were conducted in Pubmed and related references reviewed.

RESULTS

Except for Crohn's disease and diverticulitis, "uncommon fistulae" are described in case reports or very small case series. Most of the patients were treated by surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The anatomic features of the fistula and the etiology usually dictate the approach. Most patients will eventually need surgery to resolve this pathology.