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Endoscopic ultrasonography verifies effect on endoscopic treatment of reflux in dogs and man.

We have previously reported that endoscopic sclerosis of the gastric cardia is an effective treatment for experimental gastroesophageal reflux in dogs. The histologic effect of endoscopic sclerosis is limited to the proximal stomach; mucosal deformity provides endoscopic evidence of sclerosis, and the intramural effects are shown by ultrasonographic technique. This report describes histologic and ultrasonographic results in the dogs at the completion of endoscopic sclerosis. This report also describes the endoscopic ultrasound results in the first two patients who have completed endoscopic treatment for reflux by means of endoscopic sclerosis of the gastric cardia. All canine and human subjects had sonodense lesions involving all layers of the proximal stomach at the injection site at the conclusion of treatment. Histologic examination of canine tissues showed dense submucosal and muscularis fibrosis in the stomach; the esophagus was normal. Endoscopic ultrasound demonstrates the effect of endoscopic sclerosis; this technique may be useful in the evaluation of symptomatic responses after this treatment.

Animals↗

Endoscopic surgery for spontaneous basal ganglia hemorrhage: comparing endoscopic surgery, stereotactic aspiration, and craniotomy in noncomatose patients.

BACKGROUND: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the safety, neurological outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of 3 surgical procedures for spontaneous basal ganglia hemorrhage. METHODS: Ninety noncomatose patients with basal ganglia hemorrhages were randomized into 3 groups. Group A (n = 30) underwent endoscopic surgery, group B (n = 30) underwent stereotactic aspiration, and group C (n = 30) underwent craniotomy. Waiting time of surgery, length of operation time, and blood loss were compared between all groups. On the second operative day, we evaluated the amount of residual hematoma and the hematoma evacuation rate by computed tomography scan. Surgical mortality and complications were recorded 3 months after the procedure. Neurological outcomes were evaluated by functional independence measure (FIM) score, Barthel index score, and muscle power (MP) of affected limbs 6 months after surgery. We also evaluated the cost-effectiveness of each procedure. RESULTS: There was significant delay in waiting timing of the stereotactic aspiration (172.56 +/- 93.18 minutes; P < .001). Craniotomy had the longest operation time (229.96 +/- 50.57 minutes; P < .001). Blood loss was most significant in the craniotomy (236.13 +/- 137.45 mL; P < .001). The highest hematoma evacuation rate was seen in the endoscopic surgery (87% +/- 8%; P < .01). The mortality rate was 0% in group A, 6.7% in group B, and 13.3% in group C (P = .21). The complication rate was 3.3% in group A, 10% in group B, and 16.6% in group C (P = .62). The most major complications were rebleeding and infection. The FIM score was higher in the endoscopic surgery (79.90 +/- 36.64) than in the craniotomy (33.84 +/- 18.99; P = .001). The Barthel index score was also significantly better in the endoscopic surgery (50.45 +/- 28.59) than in the craniotomy (16.39 +/- 20.93; P = .006). There was more improvement in MP of affected limbs in endoscopic surgery than in craniotomy (P = .004). Endoscopic surgery was more cost-effective than craniotomy using FIM and Barthel index (P < .02 and P < .05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Both endoscopic surgery and stereotactic aspiration are minimally invasive and are effective procedures with low complication and mortality rates; however, the waiting timing of stereotactic aspiration is usually longer. Endoscopic surgery may be an appropriate substitute for stereotactic aspiration. It produces good neurological outcomes and aids in rapid hematoma evacuation. Craniotomy may be used for emergency decompression of enlarged hematoma if endoscopic surgery or stereotactic aspiration is not available.

Adult↗

Endoscopic ultrasonography in primary gastric lymphoma: correlation with endoscopic and histologic findings.

To evaluate the potential value of endoscopic ultrasonography in primary gastric lymphoma, we compared endoscopic ultrasonography findings with endoscopic and histologic findings in 15 patients in whom the diagnosis had been established by radiography and endoscopy, including forceps biopsy. The patients were divided into four groups according to the endoscopic ultrasonography findings. The groups included the following: superficially spreading type (six patients), diffusely infiltrating type (three patients), mass-forming type (four patients), and mixed type (two patients). The endoscopic ultrasonography findings correlated well with the endoscopic, macroscopic, and histologic findings. The histologic findings in nine patients with the endoscopic ultrasonography superficially spreading type or diffusely infiltrating type revealed B-cell lymphoma arising from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, which shows slowly infiltrative growth. In four patients with the endoscopic ultrasonography mass-forming type, on the other hand, the tumor histologic finding consisted of diffuse large-cell or diffuse mixed-cell type. Our results indicate that endoscopic ultrasonography may provide information helpful for the management of primary gastric lymphoma.

Adult↗

Endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap-fitted endoscope versus freehand gastric mucosectomy in an animal model.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap-fitted endoscope appears to be as effective but easier to perform than freehand mucosectomy. However, experience with this technique has been limited to small case series and there is a lack of data from direct comparison trials. METHODS: Nine pigs were randomized to mucosectomy using a cap-fitted endoscope or the freehand technique. Five mucosal resections were performed at five different sites in the gastric body in each pig. Eight to ten milliliters of a saline, epinephrine, and methylene blue solution were injected to raise a bleb to simulate a mucosal lesion. Endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap-fitted endoscope was performed by suctioning the bleb into the cap device pre-looped with an oval snare; mucosectomy was performed electrosurgically. Freehand mucosectomy was performed by encircling and then resecting the bleb using an oval snare. The ease of procedure (1 = "very easy" to 5 = "unable to complete") was assessed after each resection. The animals were recovered, maintained, and then humanely sacrificed after 2 weeks. RESULTS: Five pigs underwent endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap-fitted endoscope and 4 underwent freehand mucosectomy. Eight animals survived for 2 weeks without complications and one animal from the freehand group died of massive hemorrhage within 48 hours of endoscopy. Both methods produced rounded resection specimens measuring 9 to 12 mm in diameter of the full thickness of the mucosa and the submucosa. Overall ease of resection was 1.84 +/- 0.52 for the cap-fitted group and 2.98 +/- 0.86 for the freehand group (p < 0.0001). All of the sites identified at autopsy were completely re-epithelialized, except for the five sites found in the pig that died prematurely. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic mucosal resection with a cap-fitted endoscope is as effective, safe, but easier to perform compared with freehand mucosectomy.

Animals↗

Feasibility study on endoscopic suture with the combination of a distal attachment and a rotatable clip for complications of endoscopic resection in the large intestine.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic resection has been more frequently performed for increasingly larger intramucosal tumors of the large intestine in recent years. It is reasonable to expect that the larger the resected mucosal surface, the greater is the likelihood of complications such as bleeding or perforation. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of endoscopic suture with a distal attachment and a rotatable clip-fixing device for complications of endoscopic resection in the large intestine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 15 patients who underwent endoscopic clipping therapy following endoscopic resection for intramucosal tumors of the large intestine. With a distal attachment fitted to the distal end of the endoscope, the optimal position for clipping was ensured by pressing the intestinal wall and deflating the intraluminal air little by little. With a rotatable clip-fixing device, the resection site was endoscopically sutured clip by clip. RESULTS: Tumors were of the laterally spreading tumor type in six patients, small sessile polyps in three, and pedunculated polyps in six. The complications consisted of bleeding in 12 patients, overt perforation in one, and latent perforation in two; 14 of the 15 patients underwent successful suturing by this method. The number of clips used ranged from two to seven (mean 4.4). No patients had further complications after the treatment. CONCLUSION: We conclude that endoscopic suture with the combination of a distal attachment and a rotatable clip-fixing device is very useful for complications of endoscopic resection in the large intestine.

Colonic Polyps↗

Local staging of esophageal cancer using endoscopic magnetic resonance imaging: prospective comparison with endoscopic ultrasound.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The magnetic resonance endoscope consists of a non-ferrous endoscope with a radiofrequency receiver coil incorporated into its tip. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of endoscopic magnetic resonance imaging for the local staging of esophageal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospectively, 15 patients with biopsy-proven cancer of the esophagus (n = 9) or gastroesophageal junction (n = 6) underwent endosonography followed by imaging by the magnetic resonance endoscope. The results of endoscopic magnetic resonance imaging were assessed blindly, then compared with those of endosonography, which served as the gold standard. RESULTS: Endoscopic magnetic resonance imaging of transmural tumor invasion agreed with ultrasonography in 11/15 cases and of nodal state in 12/15 cases. Endoscopic magnetic resonance images were inadequate in four cases as a result of motion artifacts. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic magnetic resonance imaging of esophageal cancer diagnoses local staging that is comparable to endosonography. In future, the combination of endoscopic and conventional magnetic resonance scanning may provide comprehensive staging of esophageal cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Endoscopic vertical band gastroplasty with an endoscopic sewing machine.

BACKGROUND: Vertical band gastroplasty is an accepted surgical operation for the treatment of obesity. It is performed by means of an open technique. This is a description of a new endoscopic technique for gastroplasty. METHODS: An endoscopic sewing machine was mounted on a flexible upper endoscope. On a postmortem specimen of porcine gastroesophageal tissue an area of the stomach, about 8-cm long and 4-cm wide, extending from and in line with the esophagus, was marked. A flexible plastic ring about 3 cm in diameter was sutured to the stomach along the lesser curvature at 8 cm from the gastroesophageal junction with an endoscopic sewing machine. Vertical gastroplasty was accomplished by suturing together the anterior and posterior walls of the stomach with the endoscopic sewing machine. Hence, a gastroplasty was fashioned as an 8-cm-long tube along the lesser curvature of the stomach extending from the gastroesophageal junction to the outlet ring. OBSERVATIONS: An endoscopic gastroplasty for obesity was successfully performed by using an endoscopic sewing machine on a postmortem specimen of porcine stomach. CONCLUSION: The technical feasibility of endoscopic vertical ring gastroplasty should be tested in a live animal model. This will serve as the next phase in the development of this interventional endoscopic technique, which has potential for clinical applicability.

Animals↗

Endoscopic medial maxillectomy for inverted papillomas of the paranasal sinuses: value of the intraoperative endoscopic examination.

OBJECTIVE: The extent of paranasal sinus involvement by inverted papilloma and the degree of surgery are often determined before surgery by computer tomography (CT). The sensitivity and specificity of preoperative CT versus intraoperative endoscopic examination are unknown. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective. METHODS: Nineteen patients with inverted papilloma who underwent endoscopic medial maxillectomy were staged tomographically. Findings were compared with pathological and intraoperative endoscopic findings. RESULTS: Twenty sides were evaluated. The overall sensitivity and specificity for the preoperative CT evaluation were 69% and 20%, respectively. For intraoperative endoscopic evaluation they were 69% and 68%, respectively. Excluding the sphenoid sinus, the overall sensitivity for CT scan and intraoperative endoscopic evaluation increased to 87%. Excluding the anterior ethmoids, the overall specificity for CT scan and intraoperative endoscopic evaluation increased to 25% and 79%, respectively. The overall cure rate was 94% (18 patients) with an average follow-up of 36 months (range, 16-80 mo). CONCLUSION: Intraoperative endoscopic examination is comparable in sensitivity but better in specificity than preoperative CT analysis for differentiating between inverted papilloma and other disease. Both modalities of evaluation tend to overestimate the extent of disease (sensitivity). The presence of a normal intraoperative endoscopic examination may be a better way of determining the extent of mucosal removal during surgery. Endoscopic medial maxillectomy remains an effective surgical option for inverted papilloma removal. medial maxillectomy, computed tomography scan.

Endoscopy↗

A prospective randomized trial of either famotidine or omeprazole for the prevention of bleeding after endoscopic mucosal resection and the healing of endoscopic mucosal resection-induced ulceration.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that inhibitors of gastric acid secretion prevent bleeding after endoscopic mucosal resection for mucosal gastric neoplasm. However, uncertain whether an histamine2-receptor antagonist or proton-pump inhibitor is more effective. AIM: To evaluate prospectively the effectiveness of famotidine or omeprazole for ulcer management after endoscopic mucosal resection. METHODS: From July 2003 to October 2004, 57 patients were randomly assigned to famotidine or omeprazole for the management of endoscopic mucosal resection. Both drugs were given intravenously for the first 2 days, thereafter by mouth. The bleeding rates after endoscopic mucosal resection, the effects on the healing of endoscopic mucosal resection-induced ulceration, and cost-benefits were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients received famotidine and 29 received omeprazole. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in patient characteristics. The bleeding rates after endoscopic mucosal resection were not significantly different (18% vs. 14%) between the groups. Similarly, no differences were seen in the size of the endoscopic mucosal resection-induced ulceration at 1, 30 and 60 days after resection between groups. The total costs of anti-secretory agents demonstrated a significant cost-benefit to those treated with famotidine (10,420 yen vs. 17,782 yen). CONCLUSIONS: Famotidine is suggested as a better alternative to omeprazole for the management of endoscopic mucosal resection, as it showed a clear cost-benefit, and the healing results after endoscopic mucosal resection were similar for the two treatment strategies.

Aged↗

Endoscopic ultrasonograph evaluation of vascular structures in the gastric cardia predicts esophageal variceal recurrence following endoscopic treatment.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In patients with portal hypertension, early recurrence of esophageal varices often occurs following endoscopic variceal ligation therapy or ligation and injection-sclerotherapy combined treatment. To assess the recurrence risk following endoscopic treatment, this study investigated the association between recurrence-free time and severity of esophagogastric vascular structures before treatment as determined by endoscopic ultrasonography. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with esophageal varices at high bleeding risk were treated by endoscopic variceal ligation therapy or ligation and injection-sclerotherapy combined treatment. Before the treatment, conventional endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography with a 20-MHz catheter probe were performed. Submucosal, perforating and adventitial veins in the esophagus and gastric cardia were examined. According to the endoscopic ultrasonography findings, the vascular structures were classified into two grades: mild and severe. The relationships between the endoscopic ultrasonography grades and variceal recurrence-free time were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meyer method. RESULTS: Patients with severe as opposed to mild grade perforating veins in the gastric cardia had a significantly shorter recurrence-free time (P < 0.05). Those with severe paracardial veins also had a significantly shorter recurrence-free time (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic ultrasonography analysis for gastric cardial vascular structures before endoscopic treatment can be useful to predict the recurrence of esophageal varices.

Aged↗

Evaluation of mediastinal masses by endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

OBJECTIVE: Interest has been growing in using endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in the evaluation of mediastinal masses. The purpose of this study was to review the spectrum of mediastinal masses encountered using endoscopic ultrasound. METHODS: We reviewed all cases of mediastinal masses examined by endoscopic ultrasound, with or without endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, prospectively gathered from our electronic database from April 1995 to July 2000. RESULTS: Of 1447 upper endoscopic ultrasound examinations, 33 (2.3%) involved a mediastinal mass. Sixty-one percent of the patients were male and the average age was 65 yr. Fifty-five percent of patients had dysphagia, 48 percent experienced weight loss, and only 12 percent were totally asymptomatic. Seventy-three percent had masses by chest CT. Sixty-seven percent were ultimately found to be malignant, 21 percent were solid benign lesions, and four were cystic. Only two lesions were resected. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration was used in 76 percent of all patients. The median survival of patients with malignant lesions was only 87 days. CONCLUSIONS: Lesions of the deep mediastinum are often difficult to conclusively diagnose with nonendoscopic studies. Endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration can easily access this region to aid in the diagnosis and management of these lesions.

Aged↗

Endoscopic access to the papilla of Vater for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with billroth II or Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an established modality for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreaticobiliary disorders. In contrast to ERCP in patients who have not undergone gastrectomy, ERCP in patients with a Billroth II gastrojejunostomy or a Roux-en-Y anastomosis is considerably more difficult. It was nevertheless considered that ERCP might be possible in most patients with gastrectomies, and this hypothesis was tested. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 2256 patients were admitted to our hospital for ERCP from 1990 to 1994. Of these, 65 (3%) had gastrojejunostomies, either with Billroth II reconstructions or with the Roux-en-Y procedure. ERCP was always performed with a conventional side-viewing endoscope. RESULTS: We examined the 65 patients with gastrojejunostomies. Of these, 91% had Billroth II anastomoses and 9% had received Roux-en-Y reconstructions. We successfully reached the papilla of Vater with the endoscope in 92% of the patients with Billroth II gastrojejunostomies (54 of 59), but in only 33% of the patients with Roux-en-Y reconstructions (two of six). In 8% of the cases of Billroth II anastomosis, it was not possible to advance the endoscope into the duodenal stump, due to intestinal stenoses (5%) or excessive intestinal length (3%). Failure in case of regular Billroth II anatomy occurred only in patients who had not received Braun enteroenterostomies. Failure also occurred in 67% of the Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy cases due to excessive intestinal length. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with Billroth II gastrojejunostomy (92% of those in the present study) and some patients with Roux-en-Y anastomosis (33% of those in the present study) can be investigated by ERCP and endoscopically treated in cases of pancreaticobiliary disorder. Braun enteroenterostomy has no negative impact on the endoscopic access to the papilla of Vater in patients with Billroth II gastrojejunostomy. Surgical reconstruction of the gastrointestinal tract to perform gastrojejunostomy should also take endoscopic requirements into account. In view of both the potential postoperative complications and endoscopic requirements, the jejunojejunostomy should be placed nearer to the gastrojejunostomy than 60 cm, and the afferent loop should be as short as possible.

Adult↗

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic sphincterotomy, and biliary drainage.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic sphincterotomy, and endoscopic biliary drainage have dramatically changed the diagnosis and management of disorders of the pancreas and hepatobiliary tract. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography will provide a high-resolution study that will define accurately the nature and location of the disease process involving the pancreas or bile ducts. Although sonography, CT, and, recently, MRI may provide clues to the diagnosis, it often remains for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to establish the diagnosis with certainty. Endoscopic sphincterotomy has been invaluable in the management of common bile-duct stones. In patients who have had their gallbladders removed, sphincterotomy has avoided reoperation in the same field and the risk of general anesthesia. Sphincterotomy also is assuming an increasingly important role in the management of common-duct stones in patients with their gallbladders in situ who are poor operative candidates. In these patients, sphincterotomy likewise avoids the risk of general anesthesia and the surgical stress of opening a major body cavity. The technique has also proved to be helpful in the palliative treatment of ampullary and distal common bile-duct carcinomas in those patients who are poor operative candidates. Finally, sphincterotomy has found a role in the treatment of choledochal cysts and may provide relief of pain in those patients with the elusive diagnoses of postcholecystectomy syndromes, biliary dyskinesias, and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Endoscopic biliary drainage is becoming an increasingly popular option for the palliation of malignant biliary obstruction. In those patients who are poor operative candidates, the risk of general anesthesia and major surgery is avoided. In those patients with obviously incurable tumors, endoscopic drainage allows for a brief hospitalization without surgery in the face of a short life expectancy.

Adult↗

Endoscopic neurosurgery "around the corner" with a rigid endoscope. Technical note.

Endoscopically "working around the corner" is presently restricted to the use of flexible endoscopes or an endoscope-assisted microneurosurgical (EAM) technique. In order to overcome the limitations of these solutions, endoscopic equipment and techniques were developed for "working around the corner" with rigid endoscopes. A steering insert with a 5 French working channel is capable of steering instruments around the corner by actively bending the guiding track and consecutively the instrument. A special fixation device enables strict axial rotation of the endoscope in the operating field. Endoscopic procedures "around the corner", including aqueductal stenting, pellucidotomy, third ventriculostomy and biopsy were performed in human cadavers. Special features of the used pediatric neuroendoscope system, i.e., reliable fixation, axial rotation, and controlled steering of instruments, increase the safety and reduce the surgical traumatization in selected cases, such as obstructive hydrocephalus due to a mass lesion in the posterior third ventricle, since endoscopic third ventriculostomy and biopsy can be performed through the same burr hole trephination. Limitations of this technique are given by the size of the foramen of Monro and the height of the third ventricle as well as by the bending angle of the instruments (40-50 degrees).

Biopsy↗

Endoscopic retreatment compared with surgery in patients with recurrent bleeding after initial endoscopic control of bleeding ulcers.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: After endoscopic treatment to control bleeding of peptic ulcers, bleeding recurs in 15 to 20 percent of patients. In a prospective, randomized study, we compared endoscopic retreatment with surgery after initial endoscopy. Over a 40-month period, 1169 of 3473 adults who were admitted to our hospital with bleeding peptic ulcers underwent endoscopy to reestablish hemostasis. Of 100 patients with recurrent bleeding, 7 patients with cancer and 1 patient with cardiac arrest were excluded from the study; 48 patients were randomly assigned to undergo immediate endoscopic retreatment and 44 were assigned to undergo surgery. The type of operation used was left to the surgeon. Bleeding was considered to have recurred in the event of any one of the following: vomiting of fresh blood, hypotension and melena, or a requirement for more than four units of blood in the 72-hour period after endoscopic treatment. RESULTS: Of the 48 patients who were assigned to endoscopic retreatment, 35 had long-term control of bleeding. Thirteen underwent salvage surgery, 11 because retreatment failed and 2 because of perforations resulting from thermocoagulation. Five patients in the endoscopy group died within 30 days, as compared with eight patients in the surgery group (P=0.37). Seven patients in the endoscopy group (including 6 who underwent salvage surgery) had complications, as compared with 16 in the surgery group (P=0.03). The duration of hospitalization, the need for hospitalization in the intensive care unit and the resultant duration of that stay, and the number of blood transfusions were similar in the two groups. In multivariate analysis, hypotension at randomization (P=0.01) and an ulcer size of at least 2 cm (P=0.03) were independent factors predictive of the failure of endoscopic retreatment. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with peptic ulcers and recurrent bleeding after initial endoscopic control of bleeding, endoscopic retreatment reduces the need for surgery without increasing the risk of death and is associated with fewer complications than is surgery.

Aged↗

Endoscopic neurosurgery and endoscope-assisted microneurosurgery for the treatment of intracranial cysts.

OBJECTIVE: Different endoscopic techniques have been introduced into neurosurgery, but accepted terminology and definitions are still missing. We propose a terminology based on whether the endoscope is used alone or in conjunction with an operating microscope and on whether the route of surgical manipulations is through or outside the endoscope. Accordingly, procedures are categorized into endoscopic neurosurgery (EN), endoscope-assisted microneurosurgery (EAM), and endoscope-controlled microneurosurgery (ECM). METHODS: We treated 36 patients with intracranial arachnoid cysts (ACs) and intraventricular cysts endoscopically. The patients ranged in age from 4 months to 69 years (mean age, 31 yr). The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 44 months (mean follow-up duration, 14 mo). The indications were hydrocephalus in 17 patients, focal neurological deficits in 4 patients, progressive nonlocalizing symptomatology in 13 patients, and space occupation in 2 asymptomatic patients. EN was used in 14 cases, EAM in 15 cases, and ECM in 7 cases. RESULTS: The overall success rate was 70%. Nine patients (25%) had unchanged symptomatology, and the condition of two patients (5%) deteriorated. The best success rates were achieved in patients with intraventricular cysts (89%) and posterior fossa ACs (78%). Symptomatic improvement was best achieved in patients with hydrocephalus or focal neurological deficits (81%). CONCLUSION: Different endoscopic techniques (i.e., EN, EAM, and ECM) provide sufficient treatment of selected intracranial cysts. Our data suggest that intraventricular cysts and suprasellar ACs should be approached using EN whereas posterior fossa and sylvian ACs may be more effectively treated using a combined technique (EAM or ECM).

Adolescent↗

New endoscope shaft for endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a new endoscope shaft developed for suction-aspiration during endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. METHODS: A custom-made shaft for a Wolf endoscope (Richard Wolf GmbH, Knittlingen, Germany) was developed with a height of 10 mm and a width of 5 mm, allowing an additional working channel for the endoscope for flexible suction tubes with a diameter of up to 10-French. RESULTS: The new shaft was used in 30 consecutive endoscopic transsphenoidal procedures for pituitary adenomas. It allowed true bimanual manipulation without having to fixate the endoscope. Tumor removal was facilitated, technical problems were not encountered, and operation time was reduced. There were no instrumentation-related complications. CONCLUSION: The new shaft improves the ergonomics of endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery in cases in which the endoscope is handheld.

Adenoma↗

Video-endoscope versus endoscope for paranasal sinus surgery: influence on visual acuity and color discrimination.

Endoscopic and video-endoscopic visual acuity and color discrimination were investigated using a standard disk for testing visual acuity and a color discrimination test. A 1-chip-CCD-Camera (CCC) or 3-chip-CCD-Camera plus digital image processing (digivideo) on the endoscope and a 15 inch high resolution video monitor were used. Color discrimination was investigated by comparing the ability to sort colored disks of low chromatic saturation (desaturated Panel D-15 Test), ranging from yellow to red, under direct vision or via monitor using the same 1-CCC- and 3-CCC-system. Visual acuity deteriorated by 1.58 +/- 0.16 steps (+/- SEM) for the 1-CCC and 1.21 +/- 0.16 steps for the 3-CCC plus digivideo compared to vision through the endoscope (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). Visual acuity was significantly better for the 3-CCC-video-endoscope compared to the 1-CCC-video-endoscope (p = 0.0045). The difference in color discrimination between the naked eye and the 1-CCC-monitor system was not significant. More mistakes were made with the 3-CCC-monitor system. The impairment of image quality with the video endoscope, which is experienced by many surgeons, is reflected in a marked loss of visual acuity in our experiments. Sharpness and contrast of the video-image are significantly enhanced by the 3-CCC plus digital image processing, compared to the 1-CCC. Color discrimination, however, was not impaired by the 1-CCC, indicating that color perception with the video-endoscope can be very good and may not contribute significantly to the loss of image quality.

Color Perception↗