Narrow-Band Imaging Colonoscopy to Assess Mucosal Angiogenesis in Ulcerative Colitis

Submucosal Clustered Brownish Microvessels Based on NBI Endoscopy: A Characteristic of LPR

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) by using narrow band imaging (NBI) endoscopy.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective study.

SETTING

A large-volume practice with tertiary care providers.

METHODS

A total of 67 patients with suspected LPR who underwent 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring were included from June 2020 to March 2022. Manifestations of NBI endoscopy included submucosal clustered brownish microvessels (CBMs), spotted brownish microvessels, and no special microvessels; the latter 2 formed the non-CBM group. The manifestations of all patients and their changes were observed after 8 weeks of proton pump inhibitor and symptomatic treatment for patients with LPR, and symptomatic treatment for patients without LPR.

RESULTS

According to the results of 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring, the incidence of submucosal CBMs was significantly higher in patients with LPR (30 cases) than in those without LPR (37 cases, P < .001), particularly in the posterior cricoid area (P < .001). Besides Reflux Finding Score, the incidence of signs such as subglottic edema and vocal fold edema was significantly higher in the CBM group than the non-CBM group (P < .05). Finally, 22 patients with LPR (91.7%) and only 2 patients without LPR (28.6%) underwent a transformation from CBMs to spotted brownish microvessels after continuous medication for 8 weeks in the CBM group (χ² = 15.916, P < .001), while no significant change was observed in patients with or without LPR in the non-CBM group (P > .05).

CONCLUSION

Submucosal CBMs in the posterior cricoid area under NBI endoscopy may be a characteristic of LPR.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4

Predicting Histological Healing and Recurrence in Ulcerative Colitis by Assessing Mucosal Vascular Pattern Under Narrow-Band Imaging Endoscopy

This study investigated the predictive value of narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopic staging of different mucosal vascular patterns (MVPs) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) for histological healing or clinical recurrence of patients with UC. A total of 124 patients with UC in clinical remission attending the First Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical College were included in the study and underwent NBI colonoscopy. Inflammatory activity was assessed in the intestine using the Mayo endoscopic score (MES) and the MVP. Mucosal inflammation was histologically graded using the Nancy index (NI). The colons of 124 patients with UC were staged according to NBI endoscopic MVP staging criteria. The differences between NBI colonoscopy MVP typing and white light endoscopic MES in assessing histological healing (HH) were statistically significant (p < 0.001), and there was a moderate correlation between MES and the degree of HH (r = 0.471, p < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant correlation between the severity of mucosal activity determined by white light endoscopy (WLE) and MVP staging (r = 0.811, p < 0.001). The differences between NBI endoscopic MVP staging and white light endoscopic MES in assessing UC recurrence were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Spearman's correlation analysis showed a moderate correlation between NBI endoscopic MVP staging and clinical recurrence. NBI endoscopic MVP staging can predict HH and clinical recurrence status better than WLE.

Correlation of minimally invasive imaging techniques to assess intestinal mucosal perfusion with established markers of chronic inflammatory enteropathy in dogs

Background

Minimally invasive diagnostic imaging techniques to detect intestinal inflammation in dogs are lacking. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and endoscopic narrow band imaging‐like endoscopy (Storz Professional Image Enhancement System [SPIES]) might allow quantification of intestinal mucosal perfusion and microvessel density in chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE) of dogs.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Markers of mucosal perfusion as determined by CEUS and SPIES endoscopy are potentially useful diagnostic markers to help characterize CIE and correlate with histological inflammation type and severity.

Animals

Thirty client‐owned dogs diagnosed with CIE at a referral hospital were prospectively enrolled.

Materials and Methods

Data from CEUS, SPIES, and white light (WL) endoscopy were correlated with World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) endoscopy and histology scores and vessel density as determined by immunohistochemistry for von Willebrand factor (vWF). Automated linear modeling was used to determine predictors of endoscopic and histologic severity.

Results

Duodenal histology correlated with SPIES data (area percentage value, rho = 0.424, P = .04). White light endoscopy parameters correlated with SPIES parameters in the duodenum. Colonic histology correlated positively with CEUS, whereas colonic CEUS parameters correlated inversely with vWF expression. Several duodenal parameters combined predicted duodenal histology scores to a level of 73.4%. For the colon, 2 parameters contributed more than others to 73.1%.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance

Minimally invasive CEUS and SPIES appear feasible to assess intestinal perfusion in CIE. Use of SPIES endoscopy may be promising for assessing small intestinal inflammation, whereas CEUS could be used to assess colonic perfusion and inflammation. Both techniques need to be investigated further for their clinical utility.

Significance of Linked Color Imaging for Predicting the Risk of Clinical Relapse in Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with unknown etiology. Recently, mucosal healing has emerged as an important therapeutic endpoint in UC. Linked color imaging (LCI) is a novel endoscopic system that enhances the color differences of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Our previous study emphasized the redness and yellowness of the lesion using LCI observation, which was useful for the evaluation of histological mucosal activity in UC. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between LCI observation and clinical relapse rate in UC patients. We retrospectively analyzed UC patients who underwent total colonoscopy between August 2016 and October 2018 at our facility with Mayo endoscopic scores of 0 or 1. We assessed the correlation between orange-like color lesion (defined as LCI-scarlet color lesions) and clinical relapse rate (requiring additional treatment for UC) during the 1-year follow-up period. Fifty-eight patients (22 female, 36 male; median age at diagnosis, 47.2 (18–80) years) who underwent colonoscopy were analyzed. During the 1-year follow-up period, clinical relapse was observed in 12 patients (20.1%) among which ten patients (83.3%) had an LCI-scarlet color lesions recognized by LCI. By contrast, 29 patients (63%) had no LCI-scarlet color lesions in the clinical remission group (n = 46). There was a significant difference in LCI-scarlet color between the clinical relapse and remission groups, remaining significantly associated with clinical relapse. LCI findings, including an orange-like color lesion, have diagnostic implications for predicting the risk of clinical relapse in UC during the 1-year follow-up period.