Upper Gastrointestinal Contrast Research Articles

Jejunogastric intussusception: therapeutic options.

Acute jejunogastric intussusception is a rare complication of gastric surgery. It presents considerable difficulties in diagnosis unless the index of suspicion is high. Four cases of acute retrograde jejunogastric intussusception are reported. They were managed surgically after diagnosis had been confirmed by upper gastrointestinal contrast studies. In situ resection of the distal portion of gangrenous intussusceptum was performed in one case, while the intussusception could be reduced manually in the other three cases. The importance of early diagnosis in preventing avoidable morbidity and mortality has been stressed. In situ resection is recommended as the method of choice for the management of irreducible, gangrenous intussusception.

A CASE OF SMALL-BOWEL OBSTRUCTION DUE TO A GASTRIC BEZOAR

Small-bowel obstruciton due to gastric bezoar is rare. This case was a 73-year-old gastrectomized woman who was admitted with nausea and abdominal pain and was suspected of having acute pancreatitis. She ate a lot of persimmons several days before the onset of her symptoms and was diagnosed as having gastric bezoar by gastrofiberscopy. Three weeks later severe abdominal pain and distension appeared abruptly. An upper gastrointestinal contrast series demonstrated small-bowel obstruction with a bezoar and emergent operation was performed. A hen-egg-sized bezoar was impacted in the jejunum 30 cm distal from Treitz's ligament. It was removed through enterotomy.Fifteen cases of small-bowel obstruction due to gastric bezoars including this case have been reported during the last 10 years. In all cases conservative treatment failed and laparotomy was necessary. In gastrectomized patients like this case, it is probable that dislodgement of gastric bezoars caused small-bowel obstruction. Therefore, prophylactic measures such as dietary to prevent bezoar formation are important.

Use of tubes and radiographs in the management of small bowel obstruction.

During the past 10 years 311 consecutive patients were admitted with 342 episodes of small bowel obstruction (SBO). There were 193 cases of partial small bowel obstruction (PSBO) and 149 cases of complete small bowel obstruction (CSBO) as determined by interpretation of the abdominal radiographs done on admission. The purpose of this review was to determine the reliability of the admission plain abdominal radiographs and subsequent upper gastrointestinal (UGI) contrast studies in predicting the need for operative intervention. The use of nasogastric tubes (NGT) versus nasointestinal (long) tubes (NIT) was correlated with the following outcome variables; length of hospital stay (LOS), timing of operative intervention, incidence of postoperative complications, and duration of postoperative ileus. Long tubes (NIT) were used in 64 episodes of PSBO and 81 episodes of CSBO, whereas nasogastric tubes (NGT) were used in 116 cases of PSBO and 68 cases of CSBO. Thirty-eight of 193 (19%) patients with PSBO required operation (20 of 116 with NGT and 18 of 64 with NIT), whereas 125 of 149 (84%) patients with CSBO required operation (60 of 68 with NGT and 65 of 81 with NIT). Need for operation was not correlated with whether or not long tubes passed beyond the pylorus; 50 passed versus 33 not passed in operative groups (p = 0.15). Twelve of 83 patients with NIT had operation within 24 hours versus 52 of 80 patients with NGT (p less than 0.001). In six of 64 patients who had surgery within 24 hours, complications developed versus in 39 of 99 patients operated on more than 24 hours after admission (p less than or equal to 0.001). In 29 of 83 patients treated with NIT, postoperative complications developed versus in 16 of 80 patients with NGT (p less than or equal to 0.04). The mean duration of postoperative ileus in patients with NIT was 7 days versus 4.1 days for NGT patients (p less than 0.001). The mean LOS was 12.2 days for NGT patients versus 21 days for patients with NIT (p less than 0.001). Barium UGI contrast studies were performed in 57 patients to establish the presence of obstruction. In 34 of 57 patients the UGI disclosed mechanical obstruction that required operative intervention. In the remaining 23 patients no obstruction was demonstrated, and all 23 patients recovered without operation. In conclusion, there is no inherent superiority of NIT versus NGT in the treatment of SBO.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Choledochal cysts in children: radiologic features.

Choledochal cysts, although uncommon, are found most frequently in children. Radiologic studies have always played an important role in diagnosis because of the nonspecific clinical features. The abdominal roentgenogram may show in the right upper abdomen a mass, the cystic nature of which can be demonstrated by intravenous urography, hepatic angiography, sonography, and computerized tomography. Large choledochal cysts will displace the duodenal loop inferiorly and to the left, as seen on upper gastrointestinal contrast studies. Oral cholecystography and intravenous cholangiography are currently not indicated because of the poor diagnostic yield and the significant toxicity of intravenous media in children. Operative cholangiography is desired by the surgeon for demonstration of the pathologic anatomy. Real-time sonography and cholescintigraphy with technetium Tc 99m iminodiacetic acid derivative allow specific preoperative diagnosis and will eliminate the need for more invasive studies, such as arteriography, endoscopic cholangiopancreatography, and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography. The radiologic findings in six patients are summarized.

In Reply: Suggests More Tests for Chest Pain Diagnosis

I am grateful for your comments regarding our article "Chest Pain in Children: A Prospective Study." Two of the 43 children in that study had a history suggestive of gastrointestinal dysfunction and appropriate studies, including upper gastrointestinal contrast series and screening for occult blood in the stool, were done. Evidence for ulcers, esophagitis, or gastric reflux was not found in either patient. We did not intend to imply a psychogenic origin for idiopathic chest pain.