Safety and utility of capsule endoscopy for infants and young children

Clinical application and feasibility of capsule endoscopy in children at a medical center in central Taiwan

BACKGROUND PURPOSE

Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a noninvasive examination for excellent visualization of small bowel mucosal lesions. We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of CE in pediatric patients.

METHODS

From April 2014 to December 2022, CE procedures performed in children younger than 18 years of age at Taichung Veteran General Hospital were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Among 136 procedures, the completion rate was 95.6% (n = 130), with a median age of 14 years old. Suspicion or evaluation of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) (41%) was the most common indication for CE. Other common indications of CE were chronic unexplained abdominal pain (35%) and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding or iron deficiency anemia (21%). No procedure-related complications occurred. The diagnosis of those patients with incomplete study were CD with small bowel stricture, graft-versus-host disease and duodenal ulcers. A total of 86 CE procedures showed positive findings, and the overall diagnostic yield rate was 63.2%. Small bowel ulcers (65.12%) were the most common findings. Overall, 26.5% of CE examinations resulted in a new diagnosis and 44.9% of CE exams led to a change in therapy. For patients with IBD, CE findings resulted in an even higher therapeutic change rate of 48.1%.

CONCLUSION

CE is a safe and feasible diagnostic method to study the small intestine in children, especially for IBD. Incomplete study could be an indicator of positive finding and can potentially be a guide to identify the site of possible strictures.

Guidelines for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases

In recent years, we have seen a considerable increase in the number of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases of unknown etiology, including both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Inflammatory bowel diseases can cause intestinal lesions throughout the gastrointestinal tract, necessitating gastrointestinal endoscopy for examining all relevant aspects, especially lesion characteristics, for differential diagnosis and histological diagnosis, to select the appropriate treatment options, determine treatment effectiveness, etc. Specific guidelines are necessary to ensure that endoscopy can be performed in a safe and more tailored and efficient manner, especially since gastrointestinal endoscopy, including enteroscopy, is a common procedure worldwide, including in Japan. Within this context, the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society has formulated the "Guidelines for the Endoscopic Diagnosis and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases" to provide detailed guidelines regarding esophagogastroduodenoscopy, enteroscopy, and colonoscopy procedures for definitive diagnosis, as well as determination of treatment effectiveness in clinical cases of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Pediatric Endoscopy in Asia Pacific: Report from the Asian Pan-Pacific Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition

Purpose

Pediatric gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy significantly contributes to the diagnosis and management of GI diseases in children. Global data on pediatric GI endoscopy in the Asia-Pacific region are limited. We aimed to report the findings of a regional survey on pediatric endoscopy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Methods

A questionnaire-based survey involving GI endoscopy centers in 13 Asia-Pacific countries (June to November 2021). The questionnaires included annual procedure volumes (from basic diagnostics to advanced therapeutic endoscopy), endoscopists, sedation procedures, and national training programs.

Results

A total of 162 GI endoscopy centers completed the survey. All centers performed basic endoscopies (esophagogastroduodenoscopy and ileocolonoscopy); however, 45.1% and 59.1% of the centers performed less than 50 esophagogastroduodenoscopies and ileocolonoscopies per year, respectively. Small bowel evaluation (capsule endoscopy or balloon-assisted enteroscopy) was performed in 59.3% of the centers. Foreign body removal, polypectomy, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy were performed in 89.5%, 85.8%, and 52.5% of centers, respectively. Endoscopic hemostatic interventions, which are life-saving procedures, included glue injection (30.9%), hemostasis of nonvariceal bleeding (65.4%), and endoscopic variceal ligation (70.4%). Pediatric GI endoscopy is performed not only by pediatric gastroenterologists but also by adult gastroenterologists in 21-50% of centers for many kinds of procedures. Sedation was provided by anesthesiologists in 65.4% of the centers. Most centers offer both adult and pediatric endoscopy training.

Conclusion

The study highlights regional disparities in pediatric GI endoscopy services. It emphasizes the need for expanded pediatric GI training and improved access to therapeutic endoscopy, particularly for life-saving procedures.

Capsule endoscopy: Do we still need it after 24 years of clinical use?

In this letter, we comment on a recent article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology by Xiao et al, where the authors aimed to use a deep learning model to automatically detect gastrointestinal lesions during capsule endoscopy (CE). CE was first presented in 2000 and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001. The indications of CE overlap with those of regular diagnostic endoscopy. However, in clinical practice, CE is usually used to detect lesions in areas inaccessible to standard endoscopies or in cases of bleeding that might be missed during conventional endoscopy. Since the emergence of CE, many physiological and technical challenges have been faced and addressed. In this letter, we summarize the current challenges and briefly mention the proposed methods to overcome these challenges to answer a central question: Do we still need CE?

From Severe Anemia to Intestinal Hemangiomatosis, a Bumpy Road-A Case Report and Literature Review

Gastrointestinal hemangiomas (GIH) are unusual vascular tumors found anywhere alongside the GI tract, the small bowel being the most common site. Diagnosis requires good clinical insight and modern imaging. This is a comprehensive review of the literature, starting from a new pediatric case diagnosed through exploratory laparotomy after complex imaging techniques failed. This research was conducted on published articles from the past 25 years. We identified seventeen original papers (two series of cases with three and two patients, respectively, and fifteen case reports). The female/male ratio was 1.5. The youngest patient was a 3-week-old boy, and the was oldest a 17-year-old girl. The most common localization was the jejunum (eight cases), followed by the ileum (four), colon (three), stomach (two), and rectum (one). Seven children had cavernous and four had capillary hemangiomas. Eight patients presented gastrointestinal bleeding, seven had refractory anemia, such as our index patient, three had recurrent abdominal pain, and two had bowel obstruction. Surgical assessment was successful in fifteen cases; three cases experienced great outcomes with oral propranolol, one child was treated successfully with sirolimus, and for one patient, endoscopic treatment was the best choice. The authors present the case of a female patient admitted to the Pediatrics Department of "Grigore Alexandrescu" Emergency Children's Hospital from 25 February to 28 March 2019 for severe anemia, refractory to oral iron treatment, and recurrent blood infusions. No clear bleeding cause had been found. Although very uncommon, intestinal hemangiomas can express puzzling, life-threatening symptoms. We should keep in mind this disorder in cases of unresponsive chronic anemia.

Age Is a Risk Factor for Gastroscopy-Assisted Capsule Endoscopy in Children

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors for the incidence of gastroscopy-assisted capsule endoscopy and the small bowel transit time in pediatric patients who underwent capsule endoscopy examination.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed to analyze the clinical data collected from pediatric patients who underwent capsule endoscopy examination.

RESULTS

A total of 239 pediatric patients were enrolled in this study. About 196 (82.0%) patients completed the entire small bowel capsule endoscopy examination, while 3 (1.3%) patients were subjected to capsule retention. Only age, not gender, height, body weight, body mass index, chief complaint, and intestinal preparation medications, has been identified as a risk factor for the incidence of gastroscopy-assisted capsule endoscopy (P < .05) by multivariate logistic regression. Further analysis showed that the small bowel transit time in the self-swallowed group was shorter than that in the gastroscopy-assisted group, while no significant difference was obtained in other factors, including intestinal preparation medications, metoclopramide, and lesions in the small intestine, which did not significantly affect small bowel transit time compared with the corresponding control group (P > .05).

CONCLUSION

A comprehensive assessment is required before performing capsule endoscopy, because age has been identified as a critical risk factor for the incidence of gastroscopy-assisted capsule endoscopy in pediatric patients.

Predictors of Small Bowel Transit Time for Capsule Endoscopy in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Purpose

The development of assistive devices has allowed for the performance of capsule endoscopy in children. Anticipating the capsule's transit time could affect the efficacy of the investigation and potentially minimize the fasting period. This study determined the predictors of small bowel transit time for small-bowel capsule endoscopy in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods

We retrospectively examined children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease who underwent capsule endoscopy by the age 18 at a Japanese tertiary care children's hospital. Small bowel transit time predictors were analyzed using multiple regression with explanatory variables.

Results

Overall, 92 patients, aged 1-17 years, with inflammatory bowel disease (63 Crohn's disease and 29 ulcerative colitis cases) were examined for factors affecting small bowel transit time. In the simple regression analysis, diagnosis, age, height, weight, serum albumin, general anesthesia, and small intestine lesions were significantly associated with small bowel transit time. In the multiple regression analyses, serum albumin (partial regression coefficient: -58.9, p=0.008), general anesthesia (partial regression coefficient: 127, p<0.001), and small intestine lesions (partial regression coefficient: 30.1, p=0.037) showed significant associations with small bowel transit time.

Conclusion

Hypoalbuminemia, the use of general anesthesia for endoscopic delivery of the capsule, and small intestine lesions appeared to be predictors of prolonged small bowel transit time in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Expecting the finishing time may improve examination with a fasting period reduction, which benefits both patients and caregivers.

Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome in Children and Adults

BACKGROUND

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare disease characterized by the presence of hamartomatous polyposis throughout the gastrointestinal tract, except for the esophagus, along with characteristic mucocutaneous pigmentation. It is caused by germline pathogenic variants of the STK11 gene, which exhibit an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Some patients with PJS develop gastrointestinal lesions in childhood and require continuous medical care until adulthood and sometimes have serious complications that significantly reduce their quality of life. Hamartomatous polyps in the small bowel may cause bleeding, intestinal obstruction, and intussusception. Novel diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures such as small-bowel capsule endoscopy and balloon-assisted enteroscopy have been developed in recent years.

SUMMARY

Under these circumstances, there is growing concern about the management of PJS in Japan, and there are no practice guidelines available. To address this situation, the guideline committee was organized by the Research Group on Rare and Intractable Diseases granted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare with specialists from multiple academic societies. The present clinical guidelines explain the principles in the diagnosis and management of PJS together with four clinical questions and corresponding recommendations based on a careful review of the evidence and involved incorporating the concept of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.

KEY MESSAGES

Herein, we present the English version of the clinical practice guidelines of PJS to promote seamless implementation of accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients with PJS.

The Role of Endoscopy in the Diagnosis and Management of Small Bowel Pathology in Children

Small bowel evaluation has been transformed by capsule endoscopy and advances in small bowel imaging, which provide reliable and noninvasive means for assessing the mucosal surface. Device-assisted enteroscopy has been critical for histopathological confirmation and endoscopic therapy for a wide range of small bowel pathology that conventional endoscopy cannot reach. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the indications, techniques, and clinical applications of capsule endoscopy; device-assisted enteroscopy; and imaging studies for small bowel evaluation in children.

Small-sized versus standard magnetic capsule endoscopy in adults: a two-center, double-blinded randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND : Certain patients experience difficulty swallowing a video capsule endoscopy (VCE) device owing to its relatively large size. The newly developed small-sized magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (MCE) device is the smallest VCE device ever reported. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the small-sized MCE device in terms of ingestion and examination efficacy. METHODS : Patients in two centers were prospectively enrolled and randomized to the small-sized or standard MCE groups. Differences in capsule ingestion difficulties, visualization of the gastrointestinal tract, and capsule transit times were compared. RESULTS : 96 patients were enrolled (48 in each group). In the small-sized MCE group, the mean (SD) difficulty score and time to swallow the capsule, and success rate for swallowing the capsule at the first attempt were 0.6 (1.0), 3.4 (1.3) seconds, and 89.6 %, which was significant better compared with the standard MCE group with 3.1 (1.7), 12.0 (14.3) seconds and 60.4 %, respectively (all P < 0.001). Visualization of the esophagus, stomach, and small bowel were comparable between the two groups. The small-sized MCE group had a significantly shorter gastric transit time (49.4 minutes vs. 66.2 minutes; P = 0.04) and longer small-bowel transit time (5.8 hours vs. 5.0 hours; P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS : The small-sized MCE device is feasible and safe for gastrointestinal examination, alleviating difficulties in capsule ingestion, improving gastric emptying under magnetic control, and prolonging the small-bowel transit time.

Small bowel endoscopy for children: Collaboration of capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy

Capsule endoscopy (CE) and balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) have become indispensable techniques for the diagnosis and management of small bowel disease in both adult and pediatric cases. However, relevant differences exist in the indications between these cohorts, with body weight and age having particular relevance in decisions for the latter. Both CE and BAE are designed for adult physique and they were not widely used among children. In addition, the types of small intestinal diseases differ between adults and children, and consequently, the indications also differ between them. This review focuses on the issues relevant to pediatric cases and describes the practical application of endoscopy in clinical practice. In conclusion, although there are age and weight restrictions, both CE and BAE are safe and useful devices for use in children, and their indications for use in children are likely to expand in the future.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Children: Clinical Features and Treatment Response

To characterize the population of children diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) based on breath test (BT), correlate symptomatology, and describe SIBO treatments and treatment efficacy.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients seen at Stanford Children's Health Gastroenterology Clinics from 2012 to 2018 who had a positive BT, defined by a rise in hydrogen by ≥20 ppm, a baseline hydrogen level ≥20 ppm, or a methane value ≥10 ppm. The main outcome was symptom resolution, defined as complete or partial improvement after a course of treatment. Absolute standardized differences and Chi-square tests were used to assess associations.

Results

From 98 children, 54 met inclusion and did not meet exclusion criteria (53.7% female). Lactulose substrate was used for 41 (75.9%) patients, whereas glucose was used for 13 (24.1%). Complete or partial resolution of symptoms was achieved in 13 of 16 (81.2%) patients who received probiotics with or without antibiotics versus 21 of 31 (67.7%) patients treated with antibiotics alone (P = 0.524). Metronidazole versus rifaximin versus other antibiotics showed no significant difference in symptom resolution (12 (63.2%), 13 (76.5%), 7 (77.8%), respectively, P = 0.601).

Conclusion

Seventy-two percent of patients experienced at least partial symptom relief after treatment. We did not find a strong correlation between specific symptoms and analyte elevation. There was no difference in effectiveness between metronidazole and rifaximin to treat SIBO symptoms. Further research needs to be done to determine effective treatments for SIBO in pediatrics.

In vitro models of gut digestion across childhood: current developments, challenges and future trends

The human digestion is a multi-step and multi-compartment process essential for human health, at the heart of many issues raised by academics, the medical world and industrials from the food, nutrition and pharma fields. In the first years of life, major dietary changes occur and are concomitant with an evolution of the whole child digestive tract anatomy and physiology, including colonization of gut microbiota. All these phenomena are influenced by child exposure to environmental compounds, such as drugs (especially antibiotics) and food pollutants, but also childhood infections. Due to obvious ethical, regulatory and technical limitations, in vivo approaches in animal and human are more and more restricted to favor complementary in vitro approaches. This review summarizes current knowledge on the evolution of child gut physiology from birth to 3 years old regarding physicochemical, mechanical and microbial parameters. Then, all the available in vitro models of the child digestive tract are described, ranging from the simplest static mono-compartmental systems to the most sophisticated dynamic and multi-compartmental models, and mimicking from the oral phase to the colon compartment. Lastly, we detail the main applications of child gut models in nutritional, pharmaceutical and microbiological studies and discuss the limitations and challenges facing this field of research.

Understanding the role of the gut in undernutrition: what can technology tell us?

Gut function remains largely underinvestigated in undernutrition, despite its critical role in essential nutrient digestion, absorption and assimilation. In areas of high enteropathogen burden, alterations in gut barrier function and subsequent inflammatory effects are observable but remain poorly characterised. Environmental enteropathy (EE)-a condition that affects both gut morphology and function and is characterised by blunted villi, inflammation and increased permeability-is thought to play a role in impaired linear growth (stunting) and severe acute malnutrition. However, the lack of tools to quantitatively characterise gut functional capacity has hampered both our understanding of gut pathogenesis in undernutrition and evaluation of gut-targeted therapies to accelerate nutritional recovery. Here we survey the technology landscape for potential solutions to improve assessment of gut function, focussing on devices that could be deployed at point-of-care in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We assess the potential for technological innovation to assess gut morphology, function, barrier integrity and immune response in undernutrition, and highlight the approaches that are currently most suitable for deployment and development. This article focuses on EE and undernutrition in LMICs, but many of these technologies may also become useful in monitoring of other gut pathologies.

Nationwide survey of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy in Japan

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The implementation rates of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy are increasing with advancements in the devices used and pediatricians' skills. As part of the Japan Pediatric Endoscopy Study Group, we aimed to investigate the rates of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy use and the associated adverse events through a nationwide survey.

METHODS

A questionnaire was sent to 630 institutions in Japan. The numbers of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy cases and adverse events occurring during endoscopy, from April 2011 to March 2016, were investigated.

RESULTS

Responses were obtained from 445 facilities. The total number of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopies was 37 447 and that of endoscopic examinations was 32 219 (86.0%), with esophagogastroduodenoscopy accounting for 18 484 cases; ileal colonoscopy, 11 936; endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, 389; wireless capsule endoscopy, 897; and balloon-assisted enteroscopy, 513. The number of endoscopic treatments was 5228, followed by balloon dilatation (1703), foreign body removal (989), and polypectomy (822); 201 adverse events (0.54%) occurred, 79 of which presented during endoscopic examination (0.25%). Eight serious perforations were noted in 0.0054% and 0.025% of those undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy, respectively. Overall, 122 adverse events (2.33%) occurred in association with endoscopic treatment. One case of cardiopulmonary arrest occurred because of accidental extubation. However, no deaths occurred.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic examinations had a slightly higher adverse event rate, because of an increase in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and small intestine enteroscopy, than that reported in previous studies, but the adverse event rate of endoscopic treatment did not increase.

Gastrointestinal endoscopy in children and adults: How do they differ?

Gastrointestinal endoscopy has grown dramatically over the past century, and with subsequent improvements in technology and anaesthesia, it has become a safe and useful tool for evaluation of GI pathology in children. There are substantial differences between paediatric and adult endoscopy beyond size, including: age-related patho-physiology and the different spectrum of diseases in children. Literature on endoscopic procedures in children is sparse but significant. The present review aims at describing the current knowledges on paediatric endoscopy practice and highlights the main areas of differences between paediatric and adult practice.

Clinical features of capsule endoscopy in 825 children: A single-center, retrospective cohort study

Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) can detect mucosal lesions in the intestine, especially in the small bowel.Our study aims to evaluate the applications of VCE for pediatric gastrointestinal diseases.In this retrospective study, we included all patients who underwent VCE between December 2012 and December 2018. Clinical information and VCE data were analyzed.Among 828 patients, the completion rate was 99.6% (n = 825), with an average age of 10.2 ± 3.3 years old. A total of 459 VCE procedures showed abnormalities, and the overall diagnostic yield was 55.6%. The most common indications for VCE were abdominal pain among 505 (61.2%) patients and hematochezia (10.1%) among 83. Among the positive results of VCE, small bowel ulcers accounted for the highest percentage (57.7%), of which 164 cases were diagnosed as inflammatory bowel disease. For obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, 12 cases were diagnosed as Meckel's diverticulum. In terms of the small bowel transit time of VCE, compared with the negative group [288 (216.5, 390.3) min] and the enteritis group [277 (192.5, 374.8) min], a longer transit time was needed in the small bowel ulcer group [332.5 (240, 451.5) min, P < .01]. There were no correlations of positive VCE findings with anemia, the white blood cell count, the C-reactive protein level or the small bowel transit time according to Spearman rank analysis.VCE is relatively well tolerated and safe in children and has great value for the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal pain, especially inflammatory bowel disease and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Challenging Field for Pediatric Gastroenterologists

With the increasing number of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), very early-onset IBD (VEO-IBD), defined as IBD that is diagnosed or that develops before 6 years of age, has become a field of innovation among pediatric gastroenterologists. Advances in genetic testing have enabled the diagnosis of IBD caused by gene mutations, also known as monogenic or Mendelian disorder-associated IBD (MD-IBD), with approximately 60 causative genes reported to date. The diagnosis of VEO-IBD requires endoscopic and histological evaluations. However, satisfactory small bowel imaging studies may not be feasible in this small population. Both genetic and immunological approaches are necessary for the diagnosis of MD-IBD, which can differ among countries according to the available resources. As a result of the use of targeted gene panels covered by the national health insurance and the nationwide research project investigating inborn errors of immunity, an efficient approach for the diagnosis of MD-IBD has been developed in Japan. Proper management of VEO-IBD by pediatric gastroenterologists constitutes a challenge. Some MD-IBDs can be curable by allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. With an understanding of the affected gene functions, targeted therapies are being developed. Social and psychological support systems for both children and their families should also be provided to improve their quality of life. Multidisciplinary team care would contribute to early diagnosis, proper therapeutic interventions, and improved quality of life in patients and their families.

Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Clinical Approach With a Focus on the Role of Genetics and Underlying Immune Deficiencies

Very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD) is defined as IBD presenting before 6 years of age. When compared with IBD diagnosed in older children, VEO-IBD has some distinct characteristics such as a higher likelihood of an underlying monogenic etiology or primary immune deficiency. In addition, patients with VEO-IBD have a higher incidence of inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBD-U) as compared with older-onset IBD. In some populations, VEO-IBD represents the age group with the fastest growing incidence of IBD. There are contradicting reports on whether VEO-IBD is more resistant to conventional medical interventions. There is a strong need for ongoing research in the field of VEO-IBD to provide optimized management of these complex patients. Here, we provide an approach to diagnosis and management of patients with VEO-IBD. These recommendations are based on expert opinion from members of the VEO-IBD Consortium (www.VEOIBD.org). We highlight the importance of monogenic etiologies, underlying immune deficiencies, and provide a comprehensive description of monogenic etiologies identified to date that are responsible for VEO-IBD.

Efficacy and safety of a capsule endoscope delivery device in children

OBJECTIVES

This multicenter, cross-sectional study aimed to elucidate the efficacy and safety of the AdvanCE capsule endoscope delivery device for children in Japan.

METHODS

The present study analyzed 183 cases of small bowel capsule endoscope (SBCE) insertion performed using the AdvanCE in 154 patients aged less than 18 years at participating institutions between 2013 and 2017. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify factors contributing to the completion rate for the entire small intestine examination, small intestine transit time, adverse events and technical issues.

RESULTS

The commonest reason for using the AdvanCE was the patient's inability to swallow the SBCE, which was attributed to young age. SBCE was successfully delivered into the stomach or duodenum in 180 cases and was placed in the duodenum in 90% patients. In 89% patients, the entire small intestine was completely examined, and in 63% patients, findings leading to a new diagnosis or involving changing or maintaining the treatment strategy were obtained. No severe adverse events were observed; however, mild adverse events were observed in 35% patients. No factors considerably contributed to the completion rate for the entire small intestine examination or small intestine transit time and onset of technical issues. The factors that contributed to mild adverse events included intravenous anesthesia, technical issue, and absence of prior insertion of a patency capsule using the AdvanCE.

CONCLUSION

The AdvanCE is well tolerated and effective for children.

Extremely young case of small bowel intussusception due to Peutz-Jeghers syndrome with nonsense mutation of STK11

Intussusception is a frequent and severe complication of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS). We herein present the case of a 3-year-old girl who experienced jejuno-jejunal intussusception due to PJS polyps. Despite no apparent family history of PJS, she had exhibited mucocutaneous pigmentation since infancy and recurrent abdominal pain and vomiting from 2 years of age. Segmental resection of the jejunum during emergency laparotomy for the intussusception revealed multiple hamartomatous polyps. Genetic analysis uncovered a germline nonsense mutation of c.247A>T in exon 1 of serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11). Biannual follow-up surveillance for polyps by esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, and small bowel capsule endoscopy is ongoing. Reports describing the clinical and genetic features of extremely young PJS with intussusceptions are rare, although a literature review of STK11 germline mutations revealed several other pediatric cases of complicating intussusception at ≤ 8 years old. Considering the recent advances in surveillance and treatment options for the small bowel, earlier management of symptomatic children with PJS may be warranted to avoid surgical emergency.

Applications of wireless capsule endoscopy in pediatric age: an update

The small bowel has often been considered the mysterious "black hole" of the gastrointestinal tract. With regards to this, the development of the wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) has represented a turning point. It is a non-invasive technique, enabling an excellent visualization of the small bowel (SB) mucosa without the use of radiation. The WCE was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001 for adults and in 2004 for children. The aim of the present review is to provide an update on indications, diagnostic yield, safety and limitations of WCE in children. Even though literature regarding the use of WCE in pediatric age is more limited than in adults, WCE is a useful and safe diagnostic tool for the exploration of the small bowel also in children. The indications for WCE are similar at any age, however the main indication in children is Crohn's disease (CD), while in the adults is the research of SB bleeding. The main limitation in pediatric age is the possibility for younger children to swallow the capsule. WCE in pediatric is a rapidly advancing technology and has the potential to further transform the evaluation and management of SB disease.

Magnetic-Guided Capsule Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Diseases in Minors

Objective

This study aimed at investigating the clinical value of magnetic-guided capsule endoscopy (MGCE) in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases in minors.

Methods

Eighty-four minor patients hospitalized in the pediatric department at Ruijin Hospital between June 2015 and January 2018 were enrolled for this study. Following bowel preparation, all patients underwent MGCE. The feasibility, safety, diagnostic yield, and sensitivity of MGCE were analyzed. Patients were followed up for more than 2 weeks.

Results

The main indications for MGCE in minors were Crohn's disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and abdominal pain. The main causes of gastric disease were gastric inflammatory hyperplasia, exudative gastritis, and polyps. The most common small bowel diseases in minors were Crohn's disease, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, and polyps. The diagnostic yield in the stomach and small intestine was 13.1% and 28.6%, respectively, and the sensitivity was 100% and 96.0%, respectively. No adverse events occurred.

Conclusion

MGCE is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated procedure with good sensitivity and has a potential clinic value for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases in minors.

Endoscopy in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Position Paper on Behalf of the Porto IBD Group of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Endoscopy is a central tool for the evaluation and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the last few decades, gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy has undergone significant technological developments including availability of pediatric-size equipment, enabling comprehensive investigation of the GI tract in children. Simultaneously, professional organization of GI experts have developed guidelines and training programs in pediatric GI endoscopy. This prompted the Porto Group on Pediatric IBD of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition to develop updated guidelines on the role of GI endoscopy in pediatric IBD, specifically taking into considerations of recent advances in the diagnosis, disease stratification, and novel therapeutic targets in these patients.

Video capsule endoscopy in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease: a single-center experience of 180 procedures

BACKGROUND

Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is a noninvasive method enabling excellent visualization of the small bowel (SB) mucosa. The aim of this study was to examine the impact and safety of VCE performed in children and adolescents with suspected or established Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS

A total of 180 VCE examinations in 169 consecutive patients conducted in 2003-14 in a single center were retrospectively analyzed. The median age was 13 years (range 3-17 years) and indications for VCE were suspected (125 cases, 69%) and established (55 cases, 31%) CD. VCE was performed with a PillCam SB (Given Imaging, Yokneam, Israel) VCE system with 8-12 h of registration without bowel preparation.

RESULTS

A total of 154 of 180 (86%) patients swallowed the capsule and 26 (14%) had the capsule endoscopically placed in the duodenum. Patency capsule examination was performed in 71 cases prior to VCE to exclude SB obstruction. VCE detected findings consistent with SB CD in 71 (40%) examinations and 17 (9%) procedures showed minor changes not diagnostic for CD. A total of 92 (51%) examinations displayed normal SB mucosa. The capsule did not reach the colon within the recording time in 30 (17%) procedures and were defined as incomplete examinations. A change in diagnosis or therapy was recommended in 56 (31%) patients based on VCE results. Capsule retention occurred in one patient.

CONCLUSIONS

VCE is a safe method in children with suspected or established CD. VCE often leads to a definitive diagnosis and has a significant impact on the clinical management of pediatric patients with CD.

Position paper: The potential role of optical biopsy in the study and diagnosis of environmental enteric dysfunction

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a disease of the small intestine affecting children and adults in low and middle income countries. Arising as a consequence of repeated infections, gut inflammation results in impaired intestinal absorptive and barrier function, leading to poor nutrient uptake and ultimately to stunting and other developmental limitations. Progress towards new biomarkers and interventions for EED is hampered by the practical and ethical difficulties of cross-validation with the gold standard of biopsy and histology. Optical biopsy techniques - which can provide minimally invasive or noninvasive alternatives to biopsy - could offer other routes to validation and could potentially be used as point-of-care tests among the general population. This Consensus Statement identifies and reviews the most promising candidate optical biopsy technologies for applications in EED, critically assesses them against criteria identified for successful deployment in developing world settings, and proposes further lines of enquiry. Importantly, many of the techniques discussed could also be adapted to monitor the impaired intestinal barrier in other settings such as IBD, autoimmune enteropathies, coeliac disease, graft-versus-host disease, small intestinal transplantation or critical care.

Radiographic measurement of intestinal length among children with short bowel syndrome: Retrospective determination remains problematic

PURPOSE

Small bowel length is the most reliable predictor of enteral independence in pediatric short bowel syndrome. Retrospectively measured bowel lengths on upper GI with small bowel follow-through (UGI/SBFT) were compared to operative measurements.

METHODS

A pediatric radiologist and surgical trainees blinded to operative measurements retrospectively analyzed UGI/SBFT studies using the digital radiography curved measurement tool. Children with SBS and severe intestinal failure (parenteral nutrition >90days) at a multidisciplinary intestinal failure program 2002-2015 were included. Data were expressed as median (Q1, Q3).

RESULTS

Thirty-six children aged 0.8 (0.4, 3.7) years were analyzed. Fifty-six percent had intestinal malrotation, and 58% had prior serial transverse enteroplasty. Studies were conducted within 10 (7, 20) days of surgery. Intraoperative bowel length was 90cm (45, 142), while UGI/SBFT measurement by radiologist was 45cm (28, 63), with a mean difference of 47cm (SD 58cm, p<0.001) and a mean percent error of 50%. Radiographic assessment underestimated intestinal length in 83% of patients.

CONCLUSION

Bowel length measured retrospectively from upper GI with small bowel follow-through studies usually underestimated intraoperative bowel length. The limits of agreement were too wide for this technique to be clinically useful. Operative measurement remains necessary to assess intestinal length and rehabilitation potential.

TYPE OF STUDY

Study of Diagnostic Test.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Comparing swallowing of capsule to endoscopic placement of capsule endoscopy in children

Background and Aim

Capsule endoscopy (CE) offers a method of directly visualizing areas of the small bowel not accessible by conventional endoscopy. Some children are unable to swallow the capsule requiring endoscopic placement under general anesthesia. The aim of the present study was to identify any differences between children requiring endoscopic placement and those able to swallow the capsule.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of consecutive CE in a tertiary pediatric center was conducted. Patient demographics, outcomes, and complications between the two groups were noted. Paired t-test comparing continuous variables and Fisher exact test for categorical data were used.

Results

A total of 104 CEs were performed in 88 patients, median age 12.8 (range: 1.6-18.5) years. Almost half, 49% (51/104), swallowed the capsule. Children requiring endoscopic placement were significantly younger (9.8 vs 14.2 years; P < 0.001), lighter (34.5 vs 54.9 kg; P < 0.0001), and had longer small intestinal transit time (308 vs 229 min; P < 0.0001). Positive findings were more likely in those who swallowed the capsule (50% vs 30%, P = 0.017), likely a reflection of the indications for procedure. Poor views were found in 30% (16/53) of patients in the endoscopic placement group due to iatrogenic bleeding from biopsies taken from concurrent procedures but did not affect outcome or subsequent patient management.

Conclusions

CE is safe and well tolerated in children. Children requiring endoscopic placement were significantly younger, lighter, had longer small intestine transit time, and less likely to have positive findings. Concurrent biopsies during capsule placement increase the likelihood of inadequate views but did not affect outcome or management.

Multiple gastric erosions diagnosed by means of capsule endoscopy in a dog

CASE DESCRIPTION A 6-year-old spayed female Golden Retriever was evaluated for a 2-week history of progressive hyporexia, signs of abdominal pain, and weight loss. CLINICAL FINDINGS Physical examination findings included mild signs of pain on palpation of the cranial part of the abdomen and a body condition score of 4 (scale, 1 to 9). A CBC revealed mild microcytosis and hypochromasia; results of serum biochemical analysis were within the respective reference ranges, and abdominal ultrasonography revealed no abnormalities. Capsule endoscopy was performed, and numerous gastric erosions and hemorrhages were detected, with rare dilated lacteals in the proximal aspect of the small intestine. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Treatment was initiated with omeprazole and sucralfate for 6 weeks, and the dog was transitioned to a novel protein diet. Capsule endoscopy was repeated at the end of the initial treatment course and revealed overall improvement, with a few small erosions remaining; medical treatment was continued for an additional 2 weeks. At last follow-up 9 months after treatment ended, the dog was clinically normal. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Capsule endoscopy was useful for initial detection and subsequent reevaluation of gastrointestinal lesions in this patient without a need for sedation or anesthesia. Information obtained in the follow-up evaluation was valuable in identifying a need to extend the duration of medical treatment.

NASPGHAN Capsule Endoscopy Clinical Report

Wireless capsule endoscopy (CE) was introduced in 2000 as a less invasive method to visualize the distal small bowel in adults. Because this technology has advanced it has been adapted for use in pediatric gastroenterology. Several studies have described its clinical use, utility, and various training methods but pediatric literature regarding CE is limited. This clinical report developed by the Endoscopic and Procedures Committee of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition outlines the current literature, and describes the recommended current role, use, training, and future areas of research for CE in pediatrics.

Guideline for wireless capsule endoscopy in children and adolescents: A consensus document by the SEGHNP (Spanish Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition) and the SEPD (Spanish Society for Digestive Diseases)

INTRODUCTION

Capsule Endoscopy (CE) in children has limitations based mainly on age. The objective of this consensus was reviewing the scientific evidence.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Some experts from the Spanish Society of Gastroenterology (SEPD) and Spanish Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (SEGHNP) were invited to answer different issues about CE in children. These sections were: a) Indications, contraindications and limitations; b) efficacy of CE in different clinical scenarios; c) CE performance; d) CE-related complications; e) Patency Capsule; and f) colon capsule endoscopy. They reviewed relevant questions on each topic.

RESULTS

The main indication is Crohn's disease (CD). There is no contraindication for the age and in the event that the patient not to swallow it, it should be administered under deep sedation with endoscopy and specific device. The CE is useful in CD, for the management of OGIB in children and in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (in this indication has the most effectiveness). The main complication is retention, which should be specially taken into account in cases of CD already diagnosed with malnutrition. A preparation regimen based on a low volume of polyethylene glycol (PEG) the day before plus simethicone on the same day is the best one in terms of cleanliness although does not improve the results of the CE procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

CE is safe and useful in children. Indications are similar to those of adults, the main one is CD to establish both a diagnosis and disease extension. Moreover, only few limitations are detected in children.

Giant polypoid gastric heterotopia in the small intestine in a boy: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Heterotopic gastric mucosa has been described at various locations of the body; however, the polyp composed of heterotopic gastric mucosa in the small intestine is rare.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 15-year-old boy visited us for investigation of recurrent episodes of melena. Capsule endoscopy (CE) revealed a polypoid tumor in the ileum, with an active nearby hemorrhage. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed a tumor in the right quadrant of the abdomen, with a diameter of about 18 × 14 mm.

DIAGNOSES

The patient was diagnosed with polypoid gastric heterotopia.

INTERVENTIONS

We performed an operation to resect the lesion.

OUTCOMES

The patient recovered smoothly after surgery and was discharged on postoperative day 7 and followed up for 3 months. He has not experienced gastrointestinal intestinal (GI) symptoms up to now.

LESSONS

Giant polypoid gastric heterotopia in the small intestine is extremely rare, which can express as an occasional finding with or without symptoms. Surgical resection is the preferred therapy when symptoms appear.

Contraindications for video capsule endoscopy

Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) has been applied in the last 15 years in an increasing field of applications. Although many contraindications have been put into perspective, some precautions still have to be considered. Known stenosis of the gastrointestinal tract is a clear contraindication for VCE unless surgery is already scheduled or at least has been considered as an optional treatment modality. In patients with a higher incidence of stenosis, as in an established diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, clinical signs of obstruction, prior radiation or surgical small bowel resection, a preceding test with the self-dissolving patency capsule can override this contraindication. Endoscopic placement of the capsule should be considered in patients with swallowing disorders to avoid aspiration. Esophageal or gastric motility disorders may require endoscopic capsule transport or application of prokinetics if the real-time viewer proofs delayed transit. In pregnant women, VCE should be restricted to urgent cases where diagnosis cannot be postponed after delivery, as data on safety are missing. There is theoretical and clinical evidence that patients with implanted cardiac devices such as a pacemaker, cardioverters or left heart assist devices, can safely undergo VCE in spite of still existing contraindication by manufacturers. Children from the age of 2 years have safely undergone VCE. Although video capsules are not proven safe with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), first single cases of patients incidentally undergoing MRI with an incorporated capsule have been reported, showing susceptibility artifacts but no signs of clinical harm.

Increased EHEC survival and virulence gene expression indicate an enhanced pathogenicity upon simulated pediatric gastrointestinal conditions

BACKGROUND

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are major foodborne pathogens that constitute a serious public health threat, mainly in young children. Shiga toxins (Stx) are the main virulence determinants of EHEC pathogenesis but adhesins like intimin (eae) and Long polar fimbriae (Lpf) also contribute to infection. The TNO GastroIntestinal Model (TIM) was used for a comparative study of EHEC O157:H7 survival and virulence under adult and child digestive conditions.

METHODS

Survival kinetics in the in vitro digestive tract were determined by plating while bacterial viability was assessed by flow cytometry analysis. Expression of stx, eae, and lpf genes was followed by reverse transcriptase-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Stx production was measured by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).

RESULTS

Upon gastrointestinal passage, a higher amount of viable cells was found in the simulated ileal effluents of children compared to that of adults (with 34 and 6% of viable cells, respectively). Expression levels of virulence genes were up to 125-fold higher in children. Stx was detected only in child ileal effluents.

CONCLUSION

Differences in digestive physicochemical parameters may partially explain why children are more susceptible to EHEC infection than adults. Such data are essential for a full understanding of EHEC pathogenesis and would help in designing novel therapeutic approaches.

Examining Small Intestinal Transit Time as a Function of Age: Is There Evidence to Support Age-Dependent Differences among Children?

The small intestine represents the region where the majority of drug and nutrient absorption transpires. Among adults, small intestinal transit kinetics is well delineated; however, the applicability of these values toward children remains unclear. This article serves to examine the relationship between age and mean small intestinal transit time (SITT) based on the available literature. In addition, the influence of alterations in intestinal transit time was explored among children using a model-based approach. Primary literature sources depicting SITT from children to adults were ascertained via the PubMed database. Data were limited to subjects without pathologies that could influence intestinal motility. Random-effect meta-regression models with between-study variability were employed to assess the influence of age on SITT. Three separate models with age as a linear or higher-order (i.e., second- and third-order polynomial) regressor were implemented to assess for the potential of both linear and curvilinear relationships. Examination of the influence of altered intestinal transit kinetics on the absorption of a sustained release theophylline preparation was explored among children between 8 and 14 years using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. Age was not found to be a significant modulator of small intestinal transit within either the linear or higher-order polynomial meta-regression models. PBPK simulations indicated a lack of influence of variations in SITT on the absorption of theophylline from the examined sustained release formulation in older children. Based on the current literature, there is no evidence to suggest that mean SITT differs between children and adults.

Single Cavernous Hemangioma of the Small Bowel Diagnosed by Using Capsule Endoscopy in a Child with Chronic Iron-Deficiency Anemia

Cavernous hemangiomas of the gastrointestinal tract are extremely rare. In particular, the diagnosis of small bowel hemangiomas is very difficult in children. A 13-year-old boy presented at the outpatient clinic with dizziness and fatigue. The patient was previously diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia at 3 years of age and had been treated with iron supplements continuously and pure red cell transfusion intermittently. Laboratory tests indicated that the patient currently had iron-deficiency anemia. There was no evidence of gross bleeding, such as hematemesis or bloody stool. Laboratory findings indicated no bleeding tendency. Gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy results were negative. To obtain a definitive diagnosis, the patient underwent capsule endoscopy. A purplish stalked mass was found in the jejunum, and the mass was excised successfully. We report of a 13-year-old boy who presented with severe and recurrent iron-deficiency anemia caused by a cavernous hemangioma in the small bowel without symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Wireless capsule endoscopy of the small intestine in children

Wireless capsule endoscopy (CE) for the diagnosis of small-bowel disease has been in clinical use for more than a decade, and is no longer an emerging technology, but rather one that has reached fruition. This noninvasive technology has been readily embraced by both physicians and patients. Used in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, for locating sources of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, and for assessing small-bowel polyp burden in polyposis syndromes as well as for less common indications, CE has transformed the diagnostic algorithms of small-bowel investigations. Although already in widespread use, the technology incorporated into the various CE platforms continues to improve and expand. Here, we briefly review the indications, limitations, and advances in video capsule technology, with an emphasis on its use in pediatrics.