International Journal of Colorectal Disease最新文献

Background: Oxaliplatin resistance significantly impairs therapeutic outcomes in colorectal cancer. However, reliable diagnostic markers for early detection of resistance remain limited. This study aimed to identify novel diagnostic signatures through integrative bioinformatics and machine learning approaches.

Methods: We performed comprehensive bioinformatics analyses combining transcriptomics data from multiple cohorts. The diagnostic signatures were identified and validated using machine learning algorithms. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to explore resistance-associated gene modules. Multiple computational methods including functional enrichment, protein-protein interaction networks, and immune infiltration assessment were conducted to comprehensively characterize the molecular features of oxaliplatin resistance.

Results: Through integrative analysis and machine learning, we identified an 8-gene diagnostic signature (CHFR, TGFBRAP1, RPS4Y1, CYP26B1, NR4A2, FLJ20021, TNFSF9, CAV2) that demonstrated robust performance in distinguishing resistant cases (AUC = 0.868). Functional characterization revealed significant enrichment in metabolic reprogramming, DNA repair mechanisms, and immune modulation pathways. Systematic evaluation of tumor-immune interactions demonstrated distinct patterns of immune cell infiltration between resistant and sensitive groups, particularly in Natural killer cells and Activated CD8 T cells. Computational drug screening identified Glycidamide and orciprenaline as promising candidates, with favorable binding profiles against key resistance-associated targets.

Conclusions: Our study establishes a novel multi-gene diagnostic signature for oxaliplatin resistance through integrative bioinformatics and machine learning approaches. The comprehensive molecular characterization and identification of potential therapeutic candidates provide new insights into resistance mechanisms and clinical management strategies for oxaliplatin-resistant colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Anoscrotal fistula is a rare variant of anal fistula, often mimicking primary scrotal disease and causing diagnostic delay. Unlike typical cryptoglandular fistulas, anoscrotal extensions are frequently linked to Crohn's disease, tuberculosis, hidradenitis suppurativa, or actinomycosis. Published data remain scarce, especially in Europe. This study aimed to describe the clinical features, etiologies, imaging findings, management, and outcomes of anoscrotal fistulas treated in a French tertiary center.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all men managed for anoscrotal fistula at the Institute of Proctology, Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital, between 2014 and 2024. Demographic, clinical, radiological, surgical, and outcome data were analyzed. Healing was defined as closure of all fistula openings without recurrence at last follow-up.

Results: Twenty-nine patients were included (mean age 48.2 years). Initial presentation was abscess in 55% and purulent discharge in 45%. External scrotal openings were present in 90%. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified complex tracts in 59% of cases. Etiologies were cryptoglandular (63%), Crohn's disease (15%), hidradenitis (11%), tuberculosis (7%), and actinomycosis (4%). Nineteen patients (66%) had prior anorectal surgery. Most (72%) underwent initial seton drainage, followed by fistulotomy (31%), advancement flap (12%), or other sphincter-preserving techniques. A urologist was involved in 31% of cases. After a median follow-up of 22 months, 59% healed, 28% had persistent disease, and none recurred once healed. Continence was preserved, and 73% of patients were highly satisfied. No predictors of healing were identified.

Conclusion: This series represents one of the largest European experiences with anoscrotal fistula. Findings emphasize frequent non-cryptoglandular causes, the key role of MRI, and the need for multidisciplinary, individualized management.

Purpose: While histopathological features are established prognostic factors in colorectal cancer, the prognostic significance of gross tumor morphology remains unclear. We investigated whether endoscopic gross morphology is associated with clinical outcomes in colon cancer.

Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective analysis of 1,177 patients with colon cancer who underwent curative-intent endoscopic or surgical resection between 2010 and 2019. Tumors were categorized based on endoscopic images as flat/ulceroinfiltrative (n = 345) or fungating/ulcerofungating (n = 832). Kaplan-Meier analysis assessed survival outcomes, and Cox proportional hazards models identified independent prognostic factors, adjusting for age, sex, family history, diabetes, CEA, and AJCC 7th edition stage.

Results: Patients with flat/ulceroinfiltrative tumors had significantly shorter overall survival (OS, p = 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS, p = 0.024) than those with fungating/ulcerofungating tumors. In stage II patients, the difference in OS by morphology was more pronounced (p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis confirmed flat/ulceroinfiltrative morphology as an independent predictor of poor OS (HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.122-2.335; p = 0.010). Other significant predictors included older age (≥ 65 years, HR 1.533; p = 0.021), poor histologic grade (PD vs. WD/MD, HR 5.308; p < 0.001), and advanced stage.

Conclusions: Gross endoscopic morphology is an independent prognostic factor in colon cancer. Flat/ulceroinfiltrative tumors are associated with worse outcomes, especially in stage II disease. Gross morphology, readily identifiable at diagnosis, may aid risk stratification and inform decisions regarding adjuvant therapy.

Purpose: We aimed to demonstrate a novel caudal-dorsal approach laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (LRH) for a patient diagnosed with right colon carcinoma.

Method: We performed a LRH with a caudal-dorsal approach. We started the operation from the distal root of the small intestine mesentery and the backside of the ascending colon. The ileocolic artery and vein were transected at the dorsal side of the mesocolon. The superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and the gastrocolic trunk were dissected from the dorsal approach. The study adhered to the IDEAL. We followed the recommendations of the LAP-VEGaS Consensus for the reporting of Laparoscopic Videos [1].

Results: The operation lasted approximately 120 min, with an intraoperative blood loss of only 10 mL. Postoperative pathology showed pT1N0M0 (18 lymph nodes resected, all negative for metastasis). The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5 without complications.

Conclusion: The caudal-dorsal approach for LRH represents a novel surgical method, and we believe it offers several advantages over traditional approaches.

Objective: This long-term follow-up study evaluates clinical and functional outcomes after ileocecal resection with either Kono-S or conventional anastomosis techniques in patients with Crohn's disease. The goal was to determine whether the Kono-S approach confers a long-term advantage in preventing disease recurrence and improving quality of life. While the Kono-S anastomosis has shown promise in reducing recurrence rates in Crohn's disease following surgery, most existing evidence stems from short- to medium-term follow-up. High-quality long-term data remain scarce, particularly in real-world clinical settings. This study aims to fill that gap.

Methods: A retrospective-prospective cohort analysis was performed including patients who underwent ileocecal resection for Crohn's disease between 2015 and 2017 at a single academic center. Patients were grouped according to anastomosis technique (Kono-S vs. conventional). Long-term follow-up data were obtained via chart review, imaging studies, and patient-reported questionnaires, including the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Primary outcomes included recurrence rates, postoperative complications, and quality of life.

Results: Seventy patients were included in the final analysis (Kono-S: n = 31; conventional: n = 39). The median follow-up duration was 8.1 years (interquartile range = 6.9-8.8 years). No significant differences were observed between groups regarding endoscopic inflammation (Kono-S = 19.4%, conventional = 25.6%, p = 0.39), restenosis (Kono-S = 9.7%, conventional = 2.6%, p = 0.34), or GIQLI scores (Kono-S: median 116 vs. 110, p = 0.08). Rehospitalization rates were numerically higher in the Kono-S group (16.1% vs. 2.6%, p = 1.0), but not statistically significant. Importantly, approximately 40% of all patients retrospectively stated they would have preferred earlier surgical intervention, independent of the anastomotic technique.

Conclusion: After more than 7 years of follow-up, the Kono-S anastomosis demonstrates comparable long-term outcomes to conventional techniques in terms of recurrence, complications, and quality of life. Patient reflections suggest a potential benefit of earlier surgical intervention, highlighting the need for more proactive surgical referral in gastroenterological practice.

Background: Preoperative mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) and oral antibiotics (OA) are widely used to decrease the risk of postoperative septic complications after colorectal resections. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether bowel preparation can lead to symptoms of small bowel obstruction, which might even increase the risk of postoperative morbidity.

Methods: Consecutive Crohn's disease patients undergoing bowel resections with formation of ileocolic or colocolic anastomosis were included in the present prospective observational study. Urgent surgery, surgery without preoperative MBP, colorectal cancer, and fecal diversion were exclusion criteria. A polyethylene glycol solution (2 L) was used for MBP. OA consisted of paramomycin and metronidazole taken at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. at the evening before surgery. Occurrence of complications at the anastomotic site (leakage, peritonitis, abscess, or fistula in direct proximity to the anastomosis) was a primary outcome measure. Complications of MBP were recorded. Mechanical bowel preparation was defined as "incomplete" when patients took a lesser amount of MBP solution than scheduled.

Results: Between 2016 and 2024, ileocolic or colorectal resections with formation of an anastomosis were performed in 284 patients with Crohn's disease. Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain occurred during the MBP in 29% of patients (n = 78), leading to termination of intake in 53 patients (19%). Women (p < 0.001), patients hospitalized urgently because of acute abdominal pain (p = 0.008), patients presenting with severe anemia before surgery (p = 0.007), and patients scheduled for resections completed by ileocolic anastomosis as opposed to colocolic or colorectal anastomosis (p = 0.01) demonstrated a significantly increased risk of incomplete MBP. Thirty-two percent of patients demonstrated apparent dilatation of small bowel at the time of surgery. The incidence of anastomotic complications was 4% in patients who were able to complete MBP and 7.5% after an incomplete MBP (p = 0.27). There were no deaths. The conversion rate from laparoscopy to open surgery was increased in patients with small bowel dilatation (17% vs. 6%); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.13).

Conclusion: There is a considerable incidence of obstructive symptoms after preoperative mechanical bowel preparation in Crohn's disease patients. Nevertheless, an incomplete MBP is not associated with increased risk of intra- or postoperative complications and can be used safely in that particular population.

Purpose: Perianal fistula is a common disease that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. Several treatment options are available; loose seton is one of the most popular options. Aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between quality of life and different types of knots used during the application of anal fistula.

Methods: Patients who presented with anal fistulas between 2021 and 2024 were included in this study. Patients were divided into 3 groups on the basis of the type of knot used for treatment. In group A, the seton ends were tied in the alpha configuration. In group B, a ring-like seton with overlapping ends was used. In group C, a knotless seton was applied. All patients completed the quality of life assessment with the Anal Fistula Questionnaire at 15, 30, and 90 days after surgery.

Results: Sixty-three patients were randomized. A total of 52 men were included. Median age was 43 years. Three patients in group C and five patients in group B experienced complications, including abscess, anal pain, loss of seton, and second fistula. Physical and mental component scores revealed that postoperative quality of life was similar among the three groups.

Conclusion: No differences in postoperative quality of life among groups were observed at 15, 30, or 90 days after surgery. Physical and mental component scores of quality of life in patients in Anal Fistula Questionnaire revealed that quality of life improved over time in all three groups.

Clinical trial registration: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Study ID: NCT05348473, date: 04/29/2022).

Purpose: Assessment of local response to neo-adjuvant therapy for rectal cancer incorporates digital rectal exam (DRE), endoscopy and pelvic MRI. Despite this process patients are mistakenly identified with tumour persistence or recurrence resulting in overtreatment. This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the assessment of patients who had a complete pathological response (ypT0N0) after neo-adjuvant treatment for rectal cancer and evaluate clinical decision making.

Method: ypT0N0 cases were identified from a cohort of patients discussed at the Royal North Shore Hospital Colorectal Cancer Multidisciplinary Meeting (MDT) treated for rectal cancer from January 2016 to December 2024. The medical record was accessed to retrieve clinical information. Decision making was assessed from MDT discussion records.

Results: 110 patients were treated with neo-adjuvant therapy during the study period, with 71 proceeding to surgery. Twelve patients (17%) had ypT0N0 pathology. The decision to resect was prompted by concerning tumour signal on MRI (10/11), endoscopic evidence of tumour (3/6), palpable disease on DRE (3/9) and biopsy (2/3). Discordant investigations were common. The sensitivity and specificity of MDT decisions for complete clinical response were 61% and 95% respectively. Patients underwent either abdominal perineal resection or ultralow anterior resection; (6/12) experienced Clavien-Dindo 3 or 4 complications.

Conclusions: The clinical assessment of response to neo-adjuvant therapy in patients with rectal cancer is an area that requires improvement due to overtreatment. ypT0N0 patients often have discordant investigations. Management decisions based on the concordance of investigations may reduce the number of ypT0N0 resections.

Purpose: Currently, too many Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) with redundant and repetitive domains are adopted to assess defecation disorders, resulting in more extended clinical visits and increased patient burden. The aim of this study was to develop a new comprehensive Defecation Disorders Scoring System (DDSS) by incorporating all items of the most commonly used and validated PROMs.

Methods: This is a prospective observational study on patients waiting for rectal prolapse and defecation disorders surgery. Preoperatively, each patient completed seven different authoritative PROMs, two questionnaires assessing constipation, two questionnaires for obstructed defecation, two questionnaires to evaluate fecal incontinence, and one questionnaire aiming to assess both. Spearman's correlation and Principal Component Analysis with varimax rotation were applied. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's α.

Results: A total of 127 female patients completed all 57 items across the seven validated PROMs and were included. Several items highly correlated with others expressing the same concept were reconsidered and excluded. A final set of 19 items was identified and arranged into DDSS, encompassing five core components regarding specific aspects of incontinence, bowel movements/defecation frequency, evacuation effort and duration, type of assistance, and abdominal discomfort. Regarding internal consistency, the derived DDSS and its five components demonstrated satisfactory results.

Conclusions: This study highlights the potential for reducing item redundancy across existing PROMs for defecation disorders. Despite some limitations, the proposed DDSS could potentially provide a concise, comprehensive tool for assessing multiple aspects of defecation disorders, potentially available in electronic format. Future studies will be required to further evaluate and validate DDSS across different patient populations.

Purpose: Pelvic cancer resections increase the risk of pelvic dead space, which increases the risk of postoperative complications. Robot-assisted pelvic reconstruction surgeries are a novel approach that may be beneficial, but it is unclear what impact it has on surgical outcomes in pelvic reconstruction with rectus abdominis muscle flaps. The aim of the study was to systematically review the surgical outcomes of robot-assisted pelvic reconstruction using rectus abdominis muscle flaps in patients with any pelvic cancers.

Method: A systematic search of the literature was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase following the PRISMA guidelines, and the final search on all databases was performed on the 13th of May 2024. Studies reporting surgical outcomes of robot-assisted pelvic reconstruction with rectus abdominis muscle flaps were eligible based on predefined criteria. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias of included studies.

Results: Five studies, including 143 patients in total, met the inclusion criteria, comprising two retrospective cohort studies and three case series. Of these, 36 patients underwent robot-assisted pelvic reconstruction using rectus abdominis flaps. All studies reported wound complications, which were lower in the robot-assisted groups compared to open surgery groups. One study reported shorter length of stay. Two studies reported better visualization and avoidance of excessive blood loss when performing robot-assisted surgery.

Conclusions: Early reports indicate that robot-assisted surgery with flaps in pelvic reconstruction could improve postoperative outcomes. Further research should investigate the potential benefits through larger and controlled patient groups.