Clinical value of surveillance pouchoscopy in asymptomatic ileal pouch patients with underlying inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: There is no consensus on the need for and the interval of surveillance pouchoscopy in asymptomatic ileal pouch patients with underlying ulcerative colitis (UC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the likelihood of finding dysplasia or incidental ileal pouch disorders in asymptomatic patients undergoing surveillance pouchoscopy.

Methods: This study included all eligible consecutive asymptomatic UC patients undergoing surveillance pouchoscopy to our subspecialty Pouchitis Clinic from 2002 to 2011. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed.

Results: A total of 138 patients met the inclusion criteria, with 72 (52.2 %) being male. The mean age at pouch construction was 45.4 ± 15.0 years, and the mean interval from ileostomy closure to the inception of first surveillance pouchoscopy was 89.4 ± 78.8 months. One patient was found to have indefinite for dysplasia on pouch body mucosal biopsy (0.7 %), and two patients had non-caseating granulomas, suggesting Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch. Of the 138 patients, 69 (50 %) had abnormal endoscopic findings, 102 (73.9 %) had acute and/or chronic inflammation on histology, and 62 (44.9 %) had both abnormal endoscopy and histology. The abnormal endoscopic findings included isolated pouch ulcer (n = 29, 21 %), active pouchitis (n = 31, 22.5 %), inflammatory polyps (n = 10, 7.2 %), strictures at the anastomosis (n = 5, 3.6 %), inlet (n = 10, 7.2 %) or outlet (n = 2, 1.4 %). Thirteen patients (13/17, 76.5 %) with pouch strictures underwent endoscopic balloon dilatation therapy and nine had (9/10, 90 %) endoscopic polypectomy. Multivariable analysis showed that patients with a preoperative diagnosis of CD and concomitant extraintestinal manifestations had a higher risk for abnormal pouch endoscopic findings with odds ratios of 2.552 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.108-16.545, p = 0.035) and 4.281 (95 % CI 1.204-5.409, p = 0.014), respectively.

Conclusions: Dysplasia was rare in asymptomatic patients with restorative proctocolectomy who underwent surveillance pouchoscopy in this cross-sectional study. However, "incidental" abnormal endoscopic and/or histologic findings were common, which often needed endoscopic therapeutic intervention.