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Biomedical subjects

M S Bhutani

Publications and source records attributed to M S Bhutani.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Length of esophageal cancer and degree of luminal stenosis during upper endoscopy predict T stage by endoscopic ultrasound.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is considered to be the most accurate modality for T staging of esophageal cancer. This study attempted to determine whether endoscopic features such as the length and degree of luminal stenosis in esophageal cancer can predict the T stage on EUS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with newly diagnosed esophageal adenocarcinoma or squamous-cell carcinoma undergoing EUS prior to initiation of any treatment were included in the study. The length of the tumor was assessed prospectively during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) before EUS in 22 patients. Radial EUS was then performed in these patients. The other 13 patients had sufficient luminal stenosis to prevent complete advancement of the echo endoscope through the tumor. In these 13 patients, the length of the esophageal cancer was not examined, but the T and N stage up to the level of maximum advancement of the echo endoscope through the tumor were noted. RESULTS: All 13 patients with luminal stenosis had at least a T3 (n = 12) or T4 (n = 1) lesion up to the level of maximum advancement of the echo endoscope. Among the 22 patients in whom the length of the esophageal cancer was measured, the mean length in the 13 patients with a T1 or T2 lesion on EUS was 2.6 cm. The mean length in the nine patients with T3 esophageal cancer was 7.1 cm. The difference in the mean length of T1 or T2 lesions (2.6 cm) was significantly different ( P < 0.001) from the mean length of T3 lesions (7.1 cm). Using a clinical diagnostic testing approach, when > or = 5 cm length was used as a criteria for diagnosing T3 lesions, the sensitivity was 89 %, specificity 92 %, positive predictive value 89 %, and negative predictive value 92 %. There was also a suggestion of increased chances of lymph-node metastases with increasing length of esophageal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In esophageal carcinoma, endoscopic features such as the length of the cancer and the degree of luminal stenosis correlate with T staging on EUS. Esophageal cancers that are > or = 5 cm in length, or are sufficiently stenotic to prevent passage of an endoscope, are much more likely to be T3 or higher-stage lesions, while those that are < 5 cm in length have a greater chance (92 %) of being T1 or T2.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Cystic lymphangioma of the colon: endosonographic diagnosis with through-the-scope catheter miniprobe and determination of further management. Report of a case.

Lymphangioma of the colon is rare. There are several reports that endoscopic ultrasound is useful for diagnosis of colonic lymphangioma. We report a case of lymphangioma of colon diagnosed by catheter endosonography and review the literature on endoscopic ultrasound in cystic lymphangioma of the gastrointestinal tract. A 70-year-old female was found to have two submucosal lesions in the colon by colonoscopy. Endoscopic ultrasound revealed that these lesions were anechoic, multicystic, and confined to the submucosa, and the underlying muscularis propria was intact. These findings were consistent with cystic lymphangioma. If typical endosonographic images of an anechoic, septated lesion within colonic submucosa are obtained, further workup or treatment may not be necessary if the patient is asymptomatic.

Aged↗

The reliability of EUS for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis: interobserver agreement among experienced endosonographers.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive, low risk method of diagnosis for chronic pancreatitis (CP). The degree to which endosonographers agree on the features and diagnosis of CP is unknown. For EUS to be considered an accurate test for CP, there must be good interobserver agreement. METHODS: Forty-five pancreatic EUS examinations were videotaped by 3 experienced endosonographers. Examinations from 33 patients with suspected CP based on typical symptoms, as well as 12 control patients without suspected CP, were included. Eleven experienced endosonographers ("experts") who were blinded to clinical information independently evaluated all videotaped examinations for the presence of CP and the following 9 validated features of CP: echogenic foci, strands, lobularity, cysts, stones, duct dilatation, duct irregularity, hyperechoic duct margins, and visible side branches. The experts also ranked (most to least) which features they believed to be the most indicative of CP. Interobserver agreement was expressed as the kappa (kappa) statistic. RESULTS: There was moderately good overall agreement for the final diagnosis of CP (kappa = 0.45). Agreement was good for individual features of duct dilatation (kappa = 0.6) and lobularity (kappa = 0.51) but poor for the other 7 features (kappa < 0.4). The expert panel had consensus or near consensus agreement (greater than 90%) on 206 of 450 (46%) individual EUS features including 22 of 45 diagnoses of CP. Agreement on the final diagnosis of CP was moderately good for those trained in third tier fellowships (kappa = 0.42 +/- 0.03) and those with more than 1100 lifetime pancreatic EUS examinations (kappa = 0.46 +/- 0.05). The presence of stones was regarded as the most predictive feature of CP by all endosonographers, followed by visible side branches, cysts, lobularity, irregular main pancreatic duct, hyperechoic foci, hyperechoic strands, main pancreatic duct dilatation, and main duct hyperechoic margins. The most common diagnostic criterion for the diagnosis of CP was the total number of features (median 4 or greater, range 3 or greater to 5 or greater). CONCLUSIONS: EUS is a reliable method for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis with good interobserver agreement among experienced endosonographers. Agreement on the EUS diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis is comparable to other commonly used endoscopic procedures such as bleeding ulcer stigmata and computed tomography of the brain for stroke localization and better than the physical diagnosis of heart sounds.

Chronic Disease↗

Utility of an upper echoendoscope for endoscopic ultrasonography of malignant and benign conditions of the sigmoid/left colon and the rectum.

OBJECTIVE: The majority of data on colonic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) are limited to malignant lesions in the rectum and diseases of the anal sphincter. The forward-oblique-viewing upper echoendoscope has been mostly applied for staging rectal cancer. A front-viewing echocolonoscope is available but has not been widely used because of limited indications and the expense of buying another instrument. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the utility of a forward-oblique-viewing upper echoendoscope for EUS of malignant and benign lesions of the sigmoid/left colon and the rectum. METHODS: Thirty-two EUS exams were performed for a variety of indications in the rectum and the sigmoid/left colon. The patients were prepared for the exam in a manner similar to the performance of flexible sigmoidoscopy. Flexible sigmoidoscopy was performed in all cases before performing EUS. Surgical path data were reviewed in all cases if the patient had surgery after EUS. RESULTS: Twenty-six exams were done for staging of rectosigmoid carcinoma, follow-up after chemotherapy and/or radiation, or to look for recurrence after resection of colorectal cancer. Surgical pathology results were available in 20 patients. The accuracies of EUS were 85% for T staging and 80% for N staging. Six EUS exams were for benign causes, including evaluation for the presence of a perirectal abscess in two (no abscess found), to rule out rectal varices in one (EUS confirmed rectal varices), and evaluation of submucosal lesions. One patient subsequent to EUS imaging also underwent a linear EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration of a submucosal mass in the rectum with the fine-needle aspirate consistent with a myogenic tumor. CONCLUSIONS: The forward-oblique-viewing upper echoendoscope is a versatile instrument that can be applied for EUS imaging of malignant and benign indications not only in the rectum but also in the sigmoid/left colon.

Colon↗

Improved model for teaching interventional EUS.

BACKGROUND: A swine model was previously developed for teaching endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). The purpose of this study was to improve this model and develop a method for creating focal lesions for EUS imaging and intervention. METHODS: Experiments were performed in farm pigs (Sus scrofa) under general anesthesia. Under real-time EUS guidance attempts were made to create a submucosal lesion and a focal mediastinal lesion, to perform EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration of the pancreas, and to confirm the site of injection during "sham" EUS-guided celiac block. RESULTS: A hypoechoic, submucosal mass was created in the stomach, which was then imaged by EUS and punctured trans-gastrically. Injection of saline solution in the mediastinum created a pseudo-mediastinal lymph node. A needle was then advanced trans-esophageally into the mediastinum to mimic EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration of a mediastinal lymph node. Abdominal exploration of the pigs after euthanasia confirmed injection of the sham celiac block around the celiac ganglion. CONCLUSION: The swine model is not only useful for teaching normal EUS anatomy, but it may be a useful model for teaching EUS-guided intervention.

Animals↗

Stromal eosinophilia in colonic epithelial neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the frequency and intensity of eosinophilic infiltration (or tissue eosinophilia) in the stroma of colonic adenomas, hyperplastic polyps, and colorectal adenocarcinomas. Eosinophilic infiltration in various malignancies has been reported but has not been evaluated in benign colorectal adenomas and hyperplastic polyps. METHODS: We analyzed 488 colonic neoplasms: 176 tubular adenomas, 55 tubulovillous adenomas, 82 villous adenomas, 15 early carcinomas in polyps, 95 invasive adenocarcinomas, and 65 hyperplastic polyps for the presence of eosinophilic infiltration. The eosinophilic infiltration was graded as negative (< or =5%), mild to moderate (>5-40%), or marked (>40%), depending on the percentage of eosinophils relative to total inflammatory cells in the stroma. RESULTS: Mild to moderate eosinophilia was noted in 75% of all adenomas. The transitional zone in all cases of invasive adenocarcinoma (zone between normal tissue and adenocarcinoma) revealed a high percentage of tissue eosinophilia. There was a striking absence of TE in the stroma of invasive adenocarcinomas. Only 5% of hyperplastic polyps had any eosinophilic infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that, in the spectrum of colonic neoplasms, stromal eosinophilia is most prominent in adenomas and seems to decrease with progression through the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. The ramifications of this study may alter management plans and provide some prognostic information for clinical evaluation.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Endoscopic ultrasound in pancreatic diseases. Indications, limitations, and the future.

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a significant advance in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic disease. This article reviews the application of endosonography for detection of pancreatic masses, staging of pancreatic cancer, detection of pancreatic endocrine tumors, management of cystic pancreatic lesion, diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, and many other emerging indications. Indications and limitations of endosonography in pancreatic diseases are discussed. The exciting possibilities of EUS-guided intervention in pancreatic diseases and other futuristic indications are explored.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Improved technique for performing endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration of lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Trans-esophageal real-time endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) has emerged as an important technique for sampling perigastrointestinal lymph nodes. The purpose of this study was to compare the yield of EUS-guided FNA of mediastinal lymph nodes using different techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 2 cm mediastinal lymph node was dissected at autopsy. FNA was performed on this lymph node with a 21 gauge needle which is used clinically for EUS-guided FNA (GIP-Mediglobe). FNA of the lymph node was performed for 60 sec, while continuous or intermittent suction was applied with a 10 ml, 20 ml and 30 ml syringe. The pathologist was blinded to the technique used for FNA of the lymph node. The slides were examined and the results recorded independently by two pathologists who were blinded to each other's findings. A similar procedure was repeated in a 2 cm lymph node removed during another autopsy. RESULTS: Pathologic examination revealed metastatic transitional cell bladder carcinoma in the first lymph node, and metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma in the second lymph node. The cellularity and quality of FNA performed with the 10 ml syringe was better than with the 20 ml or 30 ml syringe. With the 10 ml syringe, continuous suction for one minute provided a better sample than intermittent suction. FNA with a 20 ml or 30 ml syringe was more cumbersome, as it required more physical force. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that continuous rather than intermittent suction with smaller syringes (5-10 ml) provides optimal cellularity in EUS-guided FNA of mediastinal lymph nodes and that use of larger (20-30 ml) syringes does not improve the rate of obtaining a diagnostic specimen.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Diagnosis of pancreas divisum by endoscopic ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: During pancreatobiliary imaging by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) at the authors' institution, it is customary to attempt to obtain the "stack sign", where the bile duct and the pancreatic duct can be seen to run in parallel through the pancreatic head. We suspected that such a view may not be attainable in patients with pancreas divisum because of the short ventral pancreatic duct. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the presence of pancreas divisum could be suspected on the basis of EUS findings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The stack sign is obtained by positioning the echo endoscope in the long scope position with the transducer in the duodenal bulb. The balloon is then inflated and advanced snugly into the apex of the bulb. From this position, the bile duct (closest to the transducer) and the pancreatic duct can be seen to run in parallel through the pancreatic head. We attempted to obtain a stack sign during EUS examinations of six patients with pancreas divisum. EUS was done in these patients to look for evidence of chronic pancreatitis and the pancreas divisum was confirmed by endoscopic retrograde pancreatography. An attempt to obtain the stack sign was also made in 30 patients who had EUS for pancreatobiliary indications but did not have pancreas divisum. RESULTS: In only two out of six patients with pancreas divisum (33 %) were we able to obtain a stack sign. This was significantly different from the rate of observation of a stack sign in 83.3 % (25/30) of patients who did not have pancreas divisum (P=0.04). Of the two patients with pancreas divisum in whom a stack sign was seen, the ventral duct was markedly dilated (6.6 mm) in one, and the other patient had an unusually large ventral pancreas. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of a stack sign during pancreatobiliary imaging by EUS may suggest the diagnosis of pancreas divisum.

Congenital Abnormalities↗

Endoscopic ultrasonography: changes of chronic pancreatitis in asymptomatic and symptomatic alcoholic patients.

Changes suggestive of chronic pancreatic damage by endoscopic ultrasonography were studied in 31 asymptomatic and symptomatic alcohol abusers. Fifteen additional patients who did not drink alcohol served as controls. Eighty-nine percent (17 of 19) of the alcohol abusers with chronic abdominal pain had chronic pancreatitis by endoscopic ultrasonography. Similarly, 58%, (7 of 12) asymptomatic alcoholic patients also had changes of chronic pancreatitis on endosonography. Endoscopic ultrasonography has thus detected changes suggestive of alcohol-induced chronic pancreatic damage in up to 58% of asymptomatic alcoholic persons and in 89% of alcoholic persons with pancreatic type pain.

Adult↗

Observation of thoracic duct morphology in portal hypertension by endoscopic ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic duct dilation has been demonstrated in portal hypertension and hepatic cirrhosis by lymphangiography and laparotomy and at autopsy. It is thought to be secondary to increased hepatic lymph flow and has been described in the absence of ascites or esophageal varices. The aim of the present study was to observe thoracic duct morphology by endoscopic ultrasound in various subsets of patients with portal hypertension and hepatic cirrhosis and also to validate existing radiologic/surgical data. METHODS: The thoracic duct of 33 patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension was studied by endoscopic ultrasound. Patients were divided into four groups: 1, patients with ascites and esophageal varices; 2, esophageal varices without ascites; 3, without esophageal varices or ascites; 4, extrahepatic portal hypertension due to pancreatic malignancy. The thoracic duct diameter was also measured in 14 control subjects (group 5). RESULTS: When the thoracic duct diameter for the five groups was compared with analysis of variance, significance was p < 0.0001; by pairwise comparison, group 1 differed from the other four groups (p < 0.05). Thoracic duct dilation (5.61 mm) was seen in group 1 patients, whereas no dilation was present in groups 2 through 4. Additionally, thoracic duct diameter in 33 portal hypertensive and/or cirrhotic patients was significantly different from that in the 14 control subjects (p = 0. 003). CONCLUSION: The thoracic duct can be reliably identified by EUS in patients with hepatic cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Dilation of the duct is seen only in patients with hepatic cirrhosis, ascites, and esophageal varices. No thoracic duct dilation is present in extrahepatic portal hypertension. Contrary to existing radiologic/surgical data, thoracic duct dilation is not seen in all patients with hepatic cirrhosis and portal hypertension signifying advanced disease. A dilated thoracic duct by endoscopic ultrasound should be considered yet another sign of portal hypertension.

Ascites↗