Bamboo Joint-Like Appearance In Stomach – an Endoscopic Finding Specific For Crohn’s Disease

Aims An endoscopic sign of a bamboo joint-like appearance (BJA) of the gastric body and cardia was described and its possible association with Crohn’s disease (CD) was suggested. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence and characteristic of upper gastrointestinal involvement in patients with CD, with special focus on the presence of BJA lesions.

Methods 359 patients were included, 83 with CD (42 female, 41 male) and 276 gender and age matched non–IBD controls. The endoscopy was performed by experienced physician using a high definition endoscope with narrow band image. The biopsies were taken for histological assessment from normal mucosa and any abnormal lesions. H.pylori (Hp) status was assessed. The endoscopic results in CD patients were compared with clinical parameters as patient’s sex, age, medications taken, the extent and the course of the disease (student’s test).

Results The upper gastrointestinal tract was involved in 70 out of 83 (84.34 %) patients with CD. Most commonly stomach (n= 64,77.11 %), followed by duodenum (n = 31, 37.35 %) and oesophagus (n = 11, 13.25 %) were involved. 28 (33,73 %) CD patients had BJA in proximal part of gastric body or/and fundus. BJA was present irrespectively of the patient’s sex, age and medications taken. The positive association was found between BJA presence and extensive CD. BJA was absent in control group (p<0.001). Hp negative, focal chronic gastritis was present in CD patients. Only 3 CD patients were H. pylori positive (3.6 %). In comparison, the most of patients in control group had Hp infection (58,33 %).

Conclusions The upper gastrointestinal tract is often involved in Crohn’s disease. The most commonly affected area is the stomach with a specific lesion for CD, the bamboo joint-like appearance. Patients exhibiting this endoscopic feature should undergo further examinations due to high probability of CD.

Citation: Graca-Pakulska K, Dąbkowski K, Zawada I et al. eP172 BAMBOO JOINT-LIKE APPEARANCE IN STOMACH – AN ENDOSCOPIC FINDING SPECIFIC FOR CROHN’S DISEASE. Endoscopy 2021; 53: S152.

Publication History

Article published online:
19 March 2021