Safety and efficacy of an enteroscopy-based approach in reducing the polyp burden in patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: experience from a tertiary referral center

Device-assisted enteroscopy in the surveillance of intestinal hamartomas in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

Background and study aims Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is an autosomal-dominant genetic disorder characterized by the formation of hamartomatous polyps in the gastrointestinal tract. These polyps result in significant morbidity due to adverse events (AEs) including intestinal obstruction, bleeding, and malignancy. The aim of this study was to describe the role of device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) in monitoring and prophylactic polypectomy within the small bowel. Patients and methods Electronic medical records were surveyed to identify all DAE procedures performed in patients with PJS at three US referral centers between January 1, 2007 and January 1, 2020. Individual charts were reviewed to collect and analyze specific data points. Primary end points included AEs associated with DAE-related polypectomy and the rate of laparotomy in PJS patients prior to, and following, index DAE. Secondary data points included patient characteristics, procedural details, and size/location/distribution of small bowel hamartomas. Results Twenty-three patients met our inclusion criteria. Of these, 18 (75%) had previously undergone small bowel surgery prior to index DAE. Between 2007 and 2020, 46 DAEs were performed in these patients with an average of one exam every 2.5 years. A total of 131 polypectomies were performed with an AE rate of 1.5%. None of our cohort required emergent surgery related to AEs of small bowel hamartomas over 336 years of aggregated follow-up. Conclusions Endoscopic management of small bowel polyps in patients with PJS using DAE is an effective strategy for prophylactic removal of hamartomas. DAE surveillance and endoscopic polypectomy is safe and may decrease the need for repeated laparotomy in patients with PJS.

Proposal of a Risk Scoring System to Facilitate the Treatment of Enteroenteric Intussusception in Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome

Background/Aims

Enteroenteric intussusception in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (EI-PJS) is traditionally treated by surgery. However, enteroscopic treatment is a minimally invasive approach worth attempting. We aimed to develop a risk scoring system to facilitate decision-making in the treatment of EI-PJS.

Methods

This was a single-center case-control study, including 80 patients diagnosed with PJS and coexisting intussusception between January 2015 and January 2021 in Air Force Medical Center. We performed logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors and allocated different points to each subcategory of risk factors; the total score of individuals ranged from 0 to 9 points. Then, we constructed a risk stratification system based on the possibility of requiring surgery: 0-3 points for "low-risk," 4-6 points for "moderate-risk," and 7-9 points for "high-risk."

Results

Sixty-one patients (76.25%) were successfully treated with enteroscopy. Sixteen patients (20.0%) failed enteroscopic treatment and subsequently underwent surgery, and three patients (3.75%) received surgery directly. Abdominal pain, the diameter of the responsible polyp, and the length of intussusception were independent risk factors for predicting the possibility of requiring surgery. According to the risk scoring system, the incidence rates of surgery were 4.44% in the low-risk tier, 30.43% in the moderate-risk tier, and 83.33% in the high-risk tier. From low- to high-risk tiers, the trend of increasing risk was significant (p<0.001).

Conclusions

We developed a risk scoring system based on abdominal pain, diameter of the responsible polyps, and length of intussusception. It can preoperatively stratify patients according to the risk of requiring surgery for EI-PJS to facilitate treatment decision-making.

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of small-bowel disorders: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline - Update 2022

MR1: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy as the first-line examination, before consideration of other endoscopic and radiological diagnostic tests for suspected small-bowel bleeding, given the excellent safety profile of capsule endoscopy, its patient tolerability, and its potential to visualize the entire small-bowel mucosa.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR2: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with overt suspected small-bowel bleeding as soon as possible after the bleeding episode, ideally within 48 hours, to maximize the diagnostic and subsequent therapeutic yield.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR3: ESGE does not recommend routine second-look endoscopy prior to small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected small-bowel bleeding or iron-deficiency anemia.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. MR4: ESGE recommends conservative management in those patients with suspected small-bowel bleeding and high quality negative small-bowel capsule endoscopy.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR5: ESGE recommends device-assisted enteroscopy to confirm and possibly treat lesions identified by small-bowel capsule endoscopy.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR6: ESGE recommends the performance of small-bowel capsule endoscopy as a first-line examination in patients with iron-deficiency anemia when small bowel evaluation is indicated.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR7: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected Crohn's disease and negative ileocolonoscopy findings as the initial diagnostic modality for investigating the small bowel, in the absence of obstructive symptoms or known bowel stenosis.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR8: ESGE recommends, in patients with unremarkable or nondiagnostic findings from dedicated small-bowel cross-sectional imaging, small-bowel capsule endoscopy as a subsequent investigation if deemed likely to influence patient management.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. MR9: ESGE recommends, in patients with established Crohn's disease, the use of a patency capsule before small-bowel capsule endoscopy to decrease the capsule retention rate.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR10: ESGE recommends device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) as an alternative to surgery for foreign bodies retained in the small bowel requiring retrieval in patients without acute intestinal obstruction.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR11: ESGE recommends DAE-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (DAE-ERCP) as a first-line endoscopic approach to treat pancreaticobiliary diseases in patients with surgically altered anatomy (except for Billroth II patients).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.

Feasibility and Safety of Endoscopic Ischemic Polypectomy and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (with Video)

OBJECTIVES

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary disease with a clinical features related to gastrointestinal (GI) hamartomatous polyposis, frequently observed in the small bowel. Balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) has made non-surgical treatment of GI polyps possible. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been performed but was associated with complications and difficulties. Recently, endoscopic ischemic polypectomy (EIP) has been developed and its usefulness reported. The study evaluated the feasibility and safety of EIP and the clinical outcomes of patients with PJS.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected data of consecutive patients with PJS between September 2009 and March 2021. Data regarding clinical characteristics, follow-up methods, endoscopic management, and complications were collected. EIP feasibility and safety were assessed.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients were included. The observation period was 70 months (range, 5-153). Of the 124 therapeutic endoscopy procedures performed, 68 used BAE. Of the 607 polyps treated, 329 polyps were located in the small bowel. EIP was able to treat a greater number of polyps per patient than EMR (P < 0.003), without any complications, carcinoma, or intussusception in the small bowel (P < 0.001). During the follow-up period, 3 patients developed GI cancer.

CONCLUSION

Long-term follow-up in patients with PJS showed that EIP was a feasible and safe technique.

Small bowel capsule endoscopy: where do we stand after 20 years of clinical use?

Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) was introduced into clinical practice almost 20 years ago and, nowadays, it is an essential tool for the study of the small bowel. SBCE allows a radiation-free examination of the entire mucosal surface of the small bowel with high-quality images, limited invasivity and a good safety profile. Nevertheless, the main limitation of SBCE is the lack of any possible direct therapeutic intervention. Indications for SBCE have evolved throughout the years, from "old" ones such as suspected small bowel bleeding (still the main indication for SBCE) to newer ones such as refractory celiac disease, hereditary polyposis syndromes and Crohn's disease. Thus, nowadays SBCE has a key role in the diagnostic algorithms in many conditions. Furthermore, the introduction in the SBCE field of cutting-edge technologies, as artificial intelligence systems, is likely to shorten the reading time making SBCE even more effective and easy to perform. Preliminary data are extremely promising and solid evidence is being gathered by current studies.