Review of developments in colorectal surgery in New Zealand.
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Anus Neoplasms↗
Biomedical subjects
M W Thompson-Fawcett
Publications and source records attributed to M W Thompson-Fawcett.
Adenomatous polyps develop commonly in the ileal pouch of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of adenomatous polyps in the ileal pouch of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. METHOD: Forty-three patients who had an ileal pouch for familial adenomatous polyposis were invited to have a careful endoscopic examination of their pouch, including dye spraying. The number of polyps was recorded, and up to ten were biopsied. In addition, four random biopsy specimens were taken from the proximal and four from the distal pouch. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients with a median age of 36 (range, 14-63) years who had a pouch (5 Kock and 28 pelvic) for a median of 7 (range, 1-19) years accepted the invitation. Twenty-one patients (64 percent) had endoscopically identified polyps, the number of polyps ranging from 1 to 100 (median, 10) and varying in size from 1 to 3 mm. Fourteen patients (42 percent) had adenomatous polyps and 4 of these also had microadenomas on random biopsies. Nine of the 14 patients with adenomas also had lymphoid polyps. Seven patients had lymphoid polyps only and two of these patients had a microadenoma on random biopsy. Four of 12 patients with no visible polyps had microadenomas in their random biopsies. The presence of adenomatous polyps (Pearson's correlation; P < 0.01) increased with the age of the pouch. In total, 20 of 33 (60 percent) patients had adenomas and or microadenomas. CONCLUSION: Adenomatous polyps occur frequently in ileal pouches. These findings are of concern, and therefore, regular surveillance seems warranted until the natural history of these adenomatous polyps is determined.
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
Risk of dysplasia in long-term ileal pouches and pouches with chronic pouchitis.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recent reports have suggested the mucosa of an ileal reservoir could be at risk of neoplasia. Risk factors may include the age of the pouch, chronic pouchitis, and previous colonic neoplasia. This study examined a group of such patients to determine the risk of dysplasia. METHODS: From a cohort of 1221 patients with ileal pouches, 171 patients with possible risk factors were selected. Successful contact was made with 138 patients who were invited for endoscopy and multiple biopsies. Biopsy specimens were stained with H&E and p53, scored for inflammatory changes including villous atrophy, and analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: One hundred six patients took part and fell into 1 or more of the following clinical categories: chronic pouchitis (n = 34), pelvic pouch for > or =12 years (n = 42); Kock pouch for > or =14 years (n = 29), and neoplasia in colectomy specimen (n = 11). Thirty-three patients had severe villous atrophy. One patient of 106 (95% confidence interval, 0.9% +/- 1.6%) with a long-standing pouch had low-grade dysplasia that was multifocal. DNA analysis by flow cytometry showed aneuploidy in this patient and 2 others. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the development of dysplasia in ileal pouches performed for ulcerative colitis is probably a rare event within 15-20 years of pouch surgery.
Adult↗
Quality of life is excellent after a pelvic pouch for colitis-associated neoplasia.
PURPOSE: Despite high patient satisfaction with a pelvic pouch, patients experience some bowel dysfunction. Patients whose indication for surgery is neoplasia may have near-normal preoperative bowel function. We hypothesized that these patients would be less accepting of a poorer functional status after surgery, reflected in a poorer measure of quality of life. METHOD: Sixteen patients who had dysplasia or cancer as the primary indication for surgery were compared with a matched control group whose indication for surgery was failed medical therapy. Quality of life was assessed using one disease-specific instrument, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, two generic quality-of-life instruments, the Sickness Impact Profile and the Short Form 36, and two utility assessments. RESULTS: The groups were well matched with no significant differences in functional outcome. Quality-of-life scores were high in both groups and there were no significant differences in overall quality of life between the two groups using all five instruments. There was evidence of a response shift phenomenon in the failed medical therapy control group. CONCLUSION: Quality of life of patients who have a pelvic pouch for colitis-associated neoplasia is excellent and the same as that of patients who have a pouch for failure of medical therapy.
Carcinoma↗
Laparostomy for severe intra-abdominal infection complicating colorectal disease.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of laparostomy in the management of patients with severe intra-abdominal infection resulting from colorectal disease. METHODS: Seven patients, four with inflammatory bowel disease, two with colorectal carcinoma, and one with diverticular perforation, underwent laparostomy during a six-year period for postoperative, severe, intra-abdominal infection. RESULTS: The median age was 42 years, the mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 22.7, and the observed mortality was 28.6 percent (2/7 patients). In one patient the laparostomy was closed at 11 days; in all the others the wound was left to heal by granulation and contraction, and two of these later required reconstructive surgery. The median follow-up was three years and seven months. CONCLUSION: Laparostomy is an effective and practical method of managing patients with severe intra-abdominal infection as a result of colorectal disease.
APACHE↗
Aneuploidy and columnar cuff surveillance after stapled ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in ulcerative colitis.
PURPOSE: A stapled pouch-anal anastomosis without mucosectomy is widely used in restorative proctocolectomy. Uncertainty exists about the longer-term outcome of retaining a columnar cuff of epithelium in the anal canal and about the need for surveillance of the columnar cuff. The aim of this article was to assess the ability to obtain biopsies of the columnar cuff, to assess the risk of dysplasia, and to search for the presence of aneuploidy as an early of marker of dysplasia in nondysplastic epithelium. METHOD: A total of 457 biopsy specimens were taken during 203 examinations of 113 patients. All biopsy specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and examined by microscopy. One hundred thirty-two of these biopsy specimens from 67 patients were frozen and analyzed by flow cytometry for aneuploidy. RESULTS: Mean follow-up after pouch formation was 2.5 years, and the time after diagnosis of ulcerative colitis was 10.1 years. Successful columnar cuff biopsies were done on 93 percent of patients. There was no dysplasia. Two biopsy specimens from one patient had aneuploidy. CONCLUSION: To date, neoplastic change in the columnar cuff is rare. A selective policy of surveillance biopsies is recommended that includes patients greater than ten years after the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and patients with dysplasia or cancer in their proctocolectomy specimen, but long-term follow-up data are needed.
Anal Canal↗
"Cuffitis" and inflammatory changes in the columnar cuff, anal transitional zone, and ileal reservoir after stapled pouch-anal anastomosis.
PURPOSE: During the past eight to ten years most surgeons have adopted the double-stapled technique to accomplish the pouch-anal anastomosis in restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. Little attention has been focused on the functional implications of retaining a segment of diseased columnar mucosa in the upper anal canal. The aim of this study was to investigate clinically significant inflammation in the columnar cuff. METHOD: In all, 113 patients were studied and 715 biopsies were performed during a 2.5-year period. Biopsy specimens were taken from two or three sites, including the columnar cuff, ileal pouch, and anal transitional zone. Acute and chronic inflammation was scored for biopsy specimens from all three sites and compared with endoscopic assessment and pouch function. RESULTS: In the columnar cuff acute histologic inflammation was found in 13 percent of patients, and in 9 percent this was symptomatic during follow-up and was accompanied by evidence of endoscopic inflammation. Most patients had mild inflammation in the cuff that persisted over time. Inflammation in the pouch, pouch frequency, and anastomotic height were not related to columnar cuff inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Cuffitis is a cause of pouch dysfunction after a double-stapled restorative proctocolectomy. We propose a triad of diagnostic criteria, including symptoms and endoscopic and histologic inflammation.
Anal Canal↗
What patients think of day-surgery proctology.
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Adolescent↗
A new look at the anal transitional zone with reference to restorative proctocolectomy and the columnar cuff.
BACKGROUND: The anal transitional zone (ATZ) is of interest in relation to anorectal function and its fate during the operation of restorative proctocolectomy. There are only a few studies describing the anatomy of this structure. This study applied new techniques to quantify the ATZ in normal and inflammatory bowel disease states. METHODS: The epithelial linings of 28 anal canals were analysed by two techniques: whole-mount Alcian blue staining and a new method of creating a computer map of the histological findings based on longitudinal sections taken every 3 mm. The Alcian blue pictures and the histology maps were measured and compared using image analysis software. RESULTS: The ATZ usually commences just above the dentate line, which is situated a median of 1.05 cm above the lower border of the internal sphincter. The median length of the ATZ measured from computer maps of the histology was 0.45 cm. This was significantly smaller than the 0.73 cm obtained by the Alcian blue technique, which overestimates the length of the ATZ. The amount of columnar epithelium in the ATZ is very small. The median lowest point of columnar epithelium in the anal canal was 1.1 cm above the lower border of the internal sphincter. CONCLUSION: The ATZ is only half the length described previously. After double-stapled restorative proctocolectomy there is a 1.5-2.0-cm cuff of diseased columnar epithelium remaining in the upper anal canal above the ATZ. This is suitably termed the 'columnar cuff' and is an important consideration in long-term follow-up.
Anal Canal↗
Ileoanal reservoir dysfunction: a problem-solving approach.
BACKGROUND: Many technical difficulties of the ileoanal reservoir operation have been overcome, allowing acceptable morbidity in the hands of both the frequent and less frequent operator. However, a minority of patients have persistently unsatisfactory pouch function, which can be a difficult problem to manage. METHODS: A Medline search was carried out to identify relevant papers published from November 1996 to January 1978. For clinical information more emphasis was given to recent publications with larger numbers. Where appropriate, information from other sources and some local data were included. RESULTS: Most patients empty the pouch four to eight times a day with perfect continence and no urgency, and are considered to have acceptable function with which they are satisfied. Patients who have poor function beyond an easily treated episode of pouchitis require the expertise of a multidisciplinary team offering some understanding of the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the gastrointestinal tract in general and of the ileal reservoir in particular. A thorough and persistent approach to difficult cases is often rewarded with a good outcome, with the exception of problems arising from postoperative sepsis. The temptation to use pouchitis as a waste-basket diagnosis for poorly understood dysfunction should be avoided. Problems causing poor function may originate in the pouch (including pelvic sepsis), the pouch outlet, or the small bowel above the pouch, and these areas need to be considered in each case. CONCLUSION: To optimize the benefits of restorative pouch surgery, both patients and physicians need to understand aspects of fine tuning of pouch function, including diet, medication and lifestyle. In managing ileoanal reservoir dysfunction the temptation to procrastinate should be resisted; an approach that is systematic and sympathetic should be adopted.
Female↗
Anal transitional zone and columnar cuff in restorative proctocolectomy.
The popularity of double stapling the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis probably owes more to the technical ease it brings than to histological considerations or functional results. It is preservation of a 'columnar cuff' of mucosa, rather than the restricted site of the anal transitional zone, that should be the focus of research with respect to long-term risk of malignancy and inflammatory complications. If cancer is present in colon that has been removed for ulcerative colitis, there is a 25 per cent incidence of dysplasia in the columnar cuff in the short term. In other circumstances, those who are spared from carcinoma by colectomy are likely to have a similar risk of developing dysplastic change in the columnar cuff with longer follow-up. Double stapling the pouch-anal anastomosis and preserving the anal canal mucosa improves function, but long-term surveillance of the columnar cuff is then required, including biopsies.
Anal Canal↗