Introduction:
To study patients’ acceptability of an outpatient flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) protocol and to assess the diagnostic value of endoscopic assessment in patients with deep endometriosis (DE).
Methods:
All patients with DE and suspected bowel involvement diagnosed were reviewed in the colorectal outpatient clinic before elective surgery following multidisciplinary team meeting discussion. Patients were consented for having the FS performed at the same time of the clinical consultation. Primary outcome was diagnostic value of the FS.
Results:
Sixty patients were included. Fifty-eight (96.7%) patients consented for the outpatient FS, demonstrating a high rate of patients’ acceptability. The sigmoidoscopy demonstrated no abnormalities in 48 patients (82.7%), diverticulosis in 5 patients (8.6%), polyps in 2 patients (3.4%) and mucosal endometriosis in 1 patient only (1.7%).
Conclusions:
Outpatient FS during the preoperative consultation with the colorectal surgeon is feasible in patients with DE affecting the bowel with a high rate of patients’ acceptability but limited additional diagnostic value.
Pyrexia of Unknown Origin is defined as a temperature of more than 38.3°c on more than one occasion for at least three weeks, with an unclear diagnosis after one week in hospital. We describe a case of an 82-year-old male with Pyrexia of Unknown Origin in which no diagnosis could be established despite multiple investigations. Positron emission tomography computerized tomography (PET-CT) scan, performed to exclude malignancy, revealed the unexpected finding of an infected thrombus as the source of the pyrexia. Our case demonstrates the pivotal role of PET-CT in diagnosing the cause of Pyrexia of unknown origin. PET-CT is now easily accessible to clinicians and should be considered in the search for an elusive diagnosis of Pyrexia of Unknown Origin.
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