Combined surgical and endoscopic clearance of small-bowel polyps in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome with intermittent upper intestinal obstruction: A case report and review of the literature

RATIONALE

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is an autosomal dominant genetic syndrome characterized by a unique type of gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyp associated with oral and anal mucocutaneous pigmentations. Peutz-Jeghers polyps occur most numerously in the small intestine but frequently in the colon and stomach, only a few cases have been reported in the duodenum.

PATIENT CONCERN

A further family history survey discovered 10 out of 14 members of the family (in 4 generations) had mucocutaneous pigmentations, but many of them were living in rural areas where they had no access to specialized medical services, so none were checked with endoscopy for polyps of hamartoma.

DIAGNOSES

We report the case of a boy patient with mucocutaneous pigmentations over the lips, and a history of recurrent bouts of vomit and anemia over the preceding two years, no abdominal pain and mass. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed some small polyps in the stomach and multiple sessile polyps in the second part of the duodenum, but colonoscopy exam did not reveal any lesion.

INTERVENTIONS

A double polypectomy and duodenum segmentary resection with end-to-end anastomosis was performed. Histopathology of the resected duodenum polyps indicated it to be a typical hamartomatous polyp.

OUTCOMES

The child was under regular follow-up and recovered well.

LESSONS

In this case, the patient was characteristic with pigmentations on his lips and intermittent upper intestinal obstruction (due to mass duodenal polyps), there are no definitive guidelines for the treatment to duodenal PJS hamartomatous polyp, each case requires tailor-made management.

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: a study of long-term surgical morbidity and causes of mortality

Patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) require lifelong multidisciplinary care for gastrointestinal polyposis and increased risk of cancer. Their long-term morbidities and causes of mortality are unknown. Patients with a definitive diagnosis of PJS (n = 54) were retrospectively reviewed for disease course and outcome. Operative details, pathology and complications were noted for those treated surgically (n = 33). Median follow-up was 7.0 years (interquartile range: 2-20). Two malignancies were found intra-operatively (duodenal and rectal adenocarcinoma). In the long-term, 42% underwent additional operations; 1 patient developed short bowel syndrome, while another, chronic partial bowel obstruction and pain. Twenty-one additional cancers were treated in 19 patients: gynecologic (11), lung (3), and prostate (2) being the most common. 16 patients (30%) were deceased, at a median age of 51 years. The cause of death was unknown in 4 patients, but was due exclusively to malignancies in all other patients, most commonly due to metastatic gynecologic cancer (5). The overall survival of PJS patients was significantly shorter than the expected survival of an age-and gender-matched reference population (P < 0.001). Given the morbidities associated with repeated operations and the risk for cancer-related mortality in the long-term, efforts should focus on minimizing the need for surgical intervention and optimizing cancer detection, treatment and prevention.

Successful management of intussusception with total polyp clearance in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome using a combined endoscopic and surgical approach

Intussusception due to small intestinal polyps in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome represents a significant clinical challenge. Neither pure surgical nor endoscopic approaches alone are effective in the long-term management of this problem. We describe a combined approach using both surgery and small bowel endoscopy in the management of this condition, which resulted in both immediate and long-term success. Although not new, we believe this approach remains relevant despite recent technological advancements in this area.

Intussusception in the adult: an unsuspected case of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome with review of the literature

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is an uncommon genetic defect in the signal pathways of growth. The incidence has most recently been estimated to be in the range of 1 per 120,000 live births [1]. It is characterized by hamartomas throughout the gastrointestinal tract, mucocutaneous melanotic spots and increased predisposition to malignancy. The infrequent presentation of this syndrome in most practice combined with some less well-known diagnostic features may contribute to a misdiagnosis. Further, understanding of the genetic defect leading to the phenotypic syndrome and the future implications of this defect continue to evolve. Therefore we present a review in the setting of a case of misdiagnosed Peutz-Jeghers syndrome to portray illuminating features of the syndrome and review the literature.

Double-balloon enteroscopy reliably directs surgical intervention for patients with small intestinal bleeding

AIM: To evaluate preoperative double-balloon enteroscopy for determining bleeding lesions of small intestine, thus directing selective surgical intervention.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 56 patients who underwent double-balloon enteroscopy to localize intestinal bleeding prior to surgical intervention, and compared enteroscopic findings with those of intraoperation to determine the accuracy of enteroscopy in identifying and localizing the sites of small intestinal bleeding.

RESULTS: Double-balloon enteroscopy was performed in all 56 patients in a 30-mo period. A possible site of blood loss was identified in 54 (96%) patients. Enteroscopy provided accurate localization of the bleeding in 53 (95%) of 56 patients, but failed to disclose the cause of bleeding in 4 (7%). There was one case with negative intraoperative finding (2%). Resection of the affected bowel was carried out except one patient who experienced rebleeding after operation. Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) was most frequently diagnosed (55%).

CONCLUSION: Double-balloon enteroscopy is a safe, reliable modality for determining bleeding lesion of small intestine. This technique can be used to direct selective surgical intervention.

Intraoperative enteroscopy: ten years' experience at a single tertiary center

BACKGROUND AND METHODS

Intraoperative enteroscopy is an invasive technique for small bowel investigation. It enables us to investigate the entire small intestine and to treat pathological findings by endoscopic or surgical means at the same time. The investigation is invasive and that is why the proper indication is mandatory.

RESULTS

Forty-one intraoperative enteroscopies were performed at our center within a 10-year period. The procedure was diagnostic in 37/41 patients (90.2%); in 3 patients no pathology was found, and in 1 patient we found only previously diagnosed celiac disease. The investigation was therapeutic in 35/41 (85.4%) patients; 2 patients with small bowel ulcers did not require any intraoperative therapy. The pathological findings were arteriovenous malformations (found in 12 patients), small bowel NSAID-induced or Crohn's ulcers (8 patients)--ulcerations and arteriovenous malformations were simultaneously found in three patients; carcinoid of the small intestine (5 patients); Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (5 patients); bleeding polyps (2 gastrointestinal stromal tumors, 1 paraganglioma, and 1 lipoma--in 4 patients); Rendu-Osler-Weber disease (2 patients); multiple cavernous hemangiomas in blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (1 patient); Henoch-Schönlein purpura (1 patient); aortoenteral fistula (1 patient); and retrograde intussusception of Meckel's diverticulum (1 patient). In five patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, 6-22 hamartomas (median of 18 per session) were removed by means of endoscopic polypectomy during intraoperative enteroscopy. There were no major procedure-related complications in our series.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative enteroscopy is accepted as the ultimate diagnostic procedure for complete investigation of the small bowel. Despite the introduction of double-balloon enteroscopy into clinical practice, intraoperative enteroscopy will be reserved for those cases where double-balloon enteroscopy cannot be performed or fails to investigate the entire small intestine, especially to prevent excessive bowel resection.

Endoscopic resection of Peutz-Jeghers polyps throughout the small intestine at double-balloon enteroscopy without laparotomy

BACKGROUND

Small-bowel enteroscopy with the double-balloon method was developed to improve access to the small intestine. This study evaluated the usefulness of this method for the resection of small-intestinal Peutz-Jeghers polyps.

METHODS

Two patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome underwent nonsurgical double-balloon enteroscopic resection of polyps throughout the small intestine.

OBSERVATIONS

Multiple polyps in the jejunum were successfully resected via the oral route, as were the polyps in the ileum via the anal route. All 18 polyps (10-60 mm in size) were resected without subsequent bleeding or perforation. Histopathologically, 3 large polyps (>30 mm diameter) were hamartomas with adenomatous components.

CONCLUSIONS

Double-balloon enteroscopy was safe and useful for the diagnosis and the treatment of Peutz-Jeghers polyps throughout the small intestine. Double-balloon enteroscopic polypectomy might preclude complications of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, including intussusception, bleeding, and tumorogenesis, thereby obviating the need for multiple laparotomies.