Through the Looking Glass: A Journey Toward Optimal Endoscopic Assessment of Disease Activity in Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Background Repeated endoscopic assessments are an essential part of ulcerative colitis (UC) disease management and current guidelines recommend the use of an endoscopic activity score, either the endoscopic Mayo score or Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) as treatment targets. These indices have prognostic value, with endoscopic healing associated with favourable short- and long-term outcomes. This multi-centre study aimed to assess the frequency of using endoscopic disease activity scores in UC patients undergoing lower GI endoscopy. Methods Lower GI endoscopy reports from patients with UC were retrospectively reviewed from 7 sites in London between April and October 2018. Endoscopy reports were assessed based on the BRIDGe endoscopic reporting criteria including the use of Mayo or UCEIS score. The comparison was made between site factors (specialist IBD centres/non-specialist centres, use of reporting proforma), endoscopist speciality (gastroenterology, surgery or nurse endoscopist), level of training (consultant, registrar or nurse endoscopist) and interest in IBD. Chi-squared was used to compare groups. Results 899 lower GI endoscopy reports were reviewed. Mayo or UCEIS was used in 51% of cases (453/899). The use of endoscopic scores were significantly higher in gastroenterologists than in surgeons and nurse endoscopists respectively (401/762 (53%) vs. 22/54 (41%) vs. 30/83 (36%)), and higher in registrar trainees than consultants and nurse endoscopists (175/251 (70%) vs. 248/565 (44%) vs. 30/83 (36%)) and in those with a specialist interest in IBD compared with those without (237/409 (58%) vs. 216/490 (44%), p < 0.0001). The use of endoscopic scores was more frequent in specialist IBD centres than in non-specialist centres (417/728 (58%) vs. 36/172 (21%), p < 0.001). One centre used a reporting proforma which was associated with a significantly higher frequency of score use compared with centres without a proforma (202/260 (78%) vs. 251/639 (39%), p < 0.0001). Conclusion Reporting of endoscopic disease activity using a standardised scoring system occurs in only half of cases from this large multi-centre cohort. Frequency of use is higher in specialist IBD centres and when performed by gastroenterology specialists. Endoscopy reports from a site that used a standardised reporting proforma were significantly more likely to include an endoscopic index as well as a range of other reporting items. This suggests, at least in part, that endoscopy reporting may be optimised by the introduction of a proforma. Integration of a standardised proforma into reporting software would target all endoscopists performing UC endoscopies regardless of speciality, site or IBD interest.

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Assessment of Disease Activity in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohnʼs Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ◽

10.1097/00054725-199506000-00005 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 117-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Humphrey J. F. Hodgson ◽

Mansoor Bhatti

Keyword(s):

Ulcerative Colitis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Assessment Of Disease Activity

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Assessment of disease activity in pediatric ulcerative colitis

Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology ◽

10.1080/17474124.2016.1185364 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1127-1134 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kaija-Leena Kolho

Keyword(s):

Ulcerative Colitis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Assessment Of Disease Activity

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P364 Patient reported outcomes, partial MAYO score and SCCAI are equally accurate in predicting mucosal healing in UC: final results form a prospective study

Journal of Crohn s and Colitis ◽

10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjab076.488 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S381-S382

Author(s):

P Golovics ◽

L Gonczi ◽

J Reinglass ◽

C Verdon ◽

S Pundir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ulcerative Colitis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Patient Reported Outcomes ◽

Roc Analysis ◽

Activity Index ◽

Strong Association ◽

Fecal Calprotectin ◽

Mucosal Healing ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Assessment Of Disease Activity

Abstract Background Optimal management of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) requires the accurate assessment of disease activity. Endoscopic evaluation is considered the gold standard approach, but it is invasive. We aimed to determine how strong patient reported outcomes, clinical scores and symptoms correlate with endoscopy for assessment of disease activity in UC patients. Methods 171 patients were included prospectively and consecutively (age: 49 (IQR: 38-61) years, duration 12 (4-19)years, 79 females (46.2%), 57.3% extensive disease, 42.7% on biologicals) at the time of the colonoscopy. The 2 item patient reported outcome (PRO), partial MAYO, Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI), Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES), Baron and Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) scores were calculated. C reactive Protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FCAL) was available in 83 and 45.6% of patients. 17.0% had clinical flare, treatment was escalated in 14.6% of patients. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values were calculated, ROC analysis and K-statistics were performed. Results Rectal bleeding (RBS), stool frequency (SF) subscore of 0, or total PRO2 remission (RBS 0 and SF ≤1), partial MAYO (≤2) and SCCAI (≤2.5) remission were similarly associated to mucosal healing defined by MES (0 or ≤1) or Baron (0 or ≤1) scores (Table 1). PRO2 (AUCMES0/Baron0: 0.770/0.740, AUCMES0-1/Baron0-1: 0.868/0.858), SF (AUCMES0/Baron0:0.751/0.724, AUCMES0-1/Baron0-1:0842/0.820), RBS (AUCMES0/Baron0: 0.718/0.698, AUCMES0-1/Baron0-1: 0.814/0.845) partial Mayo (AUCMES0/Baron0: 0.823/0.788, AUCMES0-1/Baron0-1: 0.927/0.902) and SCCAI (AUCMES0/Baron0: 0.767/0.752, AUCMES0-1/Baron0-1:0.888/0.867) were similarly associated with mucosal healing in a ROC analysis. There was a strict association between MES 0 and Baron 0 (k=0.917) and UCEIS <4 and MES 0-1 (k=0.813), while moderate to fair agreement between UCEIS <4 and MES 0 (K=0.471) or Baron 0 (K=0.414)/Baron 0-1 (K=0.353), and between MES 0-1 and Baron 0-1 (K= 0.350) scores. Agreement between CRP and clinical remission or endoscopic healing (MES/Baron) was poor (K~0.2), while agreement between FCAL (>100 or >250) and RBS-PRO2 remission (K>100 or >250: 0.44-0.60) or pMAYO (K>100 or >250: 0.41-0.59) or MES/Baron 0 was moderate to good (K>100:0.53-0.52 and K>250:0.57-0.53). Conclusion We found no difference across accuracy of RBS, SF, PRO2, partial Mayo and SCCAI in predicting endoscopic healing. A strong association was found with high PPV for MES/Baron ≤1 and high NPV for MES/Baron 0. FCAL, but not CRP was associated to clinical and endoscopic remission.

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