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Case Reports
. 2016 Mar;4(3):E296-300.
doi: 10.1055/s-0042-101940.

Biodegradable stents for the treatment of bowel strictures in Crohn's disease: technical results and challenges

John Gásdal Karstensen  1 , Katrine Risager Christensen  2 , Jørn Brynskov  2 , Claus Rønholt  3 , Peter Vilmann  2 , Jakob Hendel  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Biodegradable stents for the treatment of bowel strictures in Crohn's disease: technical results and challenges

John Gásdal Karstensen et al. Endosc Int Open. 2016 Mar.

Abstract

Background and study aims: In patients with Crohn's disease, the idea of biodegradable stents for treatment of bowel strictures with limited effect of endoscopic balloon dilation is tempting and initial results have been promising. The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical and clinical success of biodegradable stents for treatment of inflamed Crohn's strictures refractory to endoscopic balloon dilatation.

Patients and methods: Consecutive patients treated with biodegradable stents due to Crohn's disease and inflamed bowel strictures refractory to endoscopic balloon dilatation were included. Technical and clinical success were evaluated.

Results: Six patients were included in the study. Technical success was obtained in five patients (83 %). Clinical success was limited to one patient (20 %); failure was observed due to mucosal overgrowth (n = 2), stent migration (n = 1), and stent collapse (n = 1).

Conclusions: In Crohn's disease, it is technically feasible to treat bowel strictures with biodegradable stents. However, we have stopped using biodegradable stents due to lack of clinical success and side effects such as mucosal overgrowth and stent collapse.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A biodegradable stent consisting of polydioxanone monofilament.
Fig. 2 a
Fig. 2 a
The biodegradable stent collapsed after deployment in an inflamed stricture located at the ileorectal anastomosis. b and c The patient was subsequently admitted to surgical bowel resection. The stricture was short (yellow arrows) with hypergranulation and had caused chronic prestenotic dilatation (blue arrows).
Fig. 3 a
Fig. 3 a
and b The biodegradable stent was deployed in an inflamed ileorectal stricture in a patient with CD, where it led to severe hypergranulation and consequently had to be removed endoscopically.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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