OBJECTIVE: We wanted to evaluate the efficacy of stent placement using the coaxial technique with a stiff, long introducer sheath in patients with technical failure using an angiographic catheter for the obstructions proximal to the descending colon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Self-expandable metallic stent placement was attempted under fluoroscopy-guidance in 77 consecutive patients who had malignant colorectal obstruction. Stent placement was performed using an angiographic catheter and a guide wire. If the angiographic catheter could not be advanced over the guide wire into the obstructive lesions proximal to the descending colon, then a 6-Fr introducer sheath was used. The technical success rate, the clinical success rate and the complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Successful stent placement was achieved in 75 of 77 patients (97%). The angiographic catheter failed to advance into the obstructive lesions of 11 patients (M:F = 7:4; mean age, 65.5 years) whose lesions were at the level of the splenic flexure or transverse colon. Therefore, the coaxial technique was implemented in all these 11 patients using a 6-Fr stiff introducer sheath and then the stent placement was successful. There were no complications related to the use of a stiff introducer sheath. Clinical success, which was defined as relief of clinical obstructive bowel symptoms, was obtained within 24 hours in all of patients. CONCLUSION: The coaxial technique using a stiff introducer sheath can increase the technical success of fluoroscopy-guided, self-expandable metallic stent placement in patients with colonic obstruction proximal to the descending colon.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Catheters ; *Colon, Descending ; Colonic Diseases/etiology/*therapy ; Colonic Neoplasms/complications ; Female ; *Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction/etiology/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Radiography, Interventional ; *Stents

DBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of newly designed covered and non-covered coated colorectal stents for colonic decompression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients, (15 palliative cases and 11 preoperative) underwent treatment for the relief of colorectal obstruction using metallic stents positioned under fluoroscopic guidance. In 24 of the 26, primary colorectal carcinoma was diagnosed, and in the remaining two, recurrent colorectal carcinoma. Twenty-one patients were randomly selected to receive either a type A or type B stent; for the remaining five, type C was used. Type A, an uncovered nitinol wire stent, was lightly coated to ensure structural integrity. Type B (flare type) and C (shoulder type) stents were polyurethane covered and their diameter was 24 and 26mm, respectively. The rates of technical success, clinical success, and complications were analyzed using the chi-square test, and to analyse the mean period of patency, the Kaplan-Meier method was used. RESULTS: Thirty of 31 attempted placements in 26 patients were successful, with a technical success rate of 96.8% (30/31) and a clinical success rate of 80.0% (24/30). After clinically successful stent placement, bowel decompression occurred within 1-4 (mean, 1.58+/-0.9) days. Five of six clinical failures involved stent migration and one stent did not expand after successful placement. In the preoperative group, 11 stents, one of which migrated, were placed in ten patients, in all of whom bowel preparation was successful. In the palliative group, 19 stents were placed in 15 patients. The mean period of patency was 96.25+/-105.12 days: 146.25+/-112.93 for type-A, 78.82+/-112.26 for type-B, and 94.25+/-84.21 for type-C. Complications associated with this procedure were migration (n=6, 20%), pain (n=4, 13.3%), minor bleeding (n=5, 16.7%), incomplete expansion (n=1, 3.3%), and tumor ingrowth (n=1, 3.3%). The migration rate was significantly higher in the type-B group than in other groups (p=0.038). CONCLUSION: Newly designed covered and non-covered metallic stents of a larger diameter are effective for the treatment of colorectal obstruction. The migration rate of covered stents with flaring is higher than that of other types. For evaluation of the ideal stent configuration for the relief of colorectal obstruction, a clinical study involving a larger patient group is warranted.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colonic Diseases/radiography/*therapy ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*complications ; Equipment Design ; Female ; Human ; Intestinal Obstruction/radiography/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Age ; Palliative Care ; Rectal Diseases/radiography/*therapy ; *Stents ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Self-expandable stents are widely available for the treatment of perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. Because of the risk of migration, there has been no report of the use of self-expandable stents for the treatment of perforation of the colon or rectum. This is a report of successful treatment of iatrogenic colonic perforation during balloon dilatation of anastomotic stricture with a fully covered stent. Fully covered, self-expandable metallic stents can be considered useful tools for management of this condition.
Aged, 80 and over ; Colon/*injuries/pathology/radiography ; Colonic Diseases/diagnosis/*therapy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dilatation/*adverse effects ; Humans ; *Iatrogenic Disease ; Intestinal Obstruction/diagnosis/*therapy ; Intestinal Perforation/diagnosis/etiology/*therapy ; Male ; *Metals ; Prosthesis Design ; Sigmoidoscopy ; *Stents ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing

Invasive aspergillosis (IA), generally considered an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised hosts, is associated with high morbidity and mortality. IA commonly occurs in the respiratory tract with isolated reports of aspergillosis infection in the nasal sinuses, central nervous system, skin, liver, and urinary tract. Extra-pulmonary aspergillosis is usually observed in disseminated disease. To date, there are a few studies regarding primary and disseminated gastrointestinal (GI) aspergillosis in immunocompromised hosts. Only a few cases of primary GI aspergillosis in non-immunocompromised hosts have been reported; of these, almost all of them involved the upper GI tract. We describe a very rare case of IA involving the lower GI tract in the patient without classical risk factors that presented as multiple colon perforations and was successfully treated by surgery and antifungal treatment. We also review related literature and discuss the characteristics and risk factors of IA in the immunocompetent hosts without classical risk factors. This case that shows IA should be considered in critically ill patients, and that primary lower GI aspergillosis may also occur in the immunocompetent hosts without classical risk factors.
Amphotericin B/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Aspergillosis/*diagnosis/drug therapy/microbiology/surgery ; Aspergillus/*isolation & purification ; Colon/microbiology/radiography/*surgery ; Colonic Diseases/diagnosis/therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; *Immunocompetence ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Voriconazole/administration & dosage/therapeutic use