Pouchoscopy is a minimally invasive

endoscopic An endoscopy is a procedure used in medicine to look inside the body. The endoscopy procedure uses an endoscope to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike many other medical imaging techniques, endoscopes are insert ...

procedure to examine an ileo-anal pouch, a replacement for the colon /

rectum The rectum (: rectums or recta) is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the gut in others. Before expulsion through the anus or cloaca, the rectum stores the feces temporarily. The adult ...

which is surgically created from the

small intestine The small intestine or small bowel is an organ (anatomy), organ in the human gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal tract where most of the #Absorption, absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intes ...

(ileum) as treatment for

ulcerative colitis Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the other type being Crohn's disease. It is a long-term condition that results in inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum. The primary sympto ...

, a preventive measure in certain genetic illnesses such as FAP or

HNPCC Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is a hereditary predisposition to colon cancer. HNPCC includes (and was once synonymous with) Lynch syndrome, an autosomal dominant genetic condition that is associated with a high risk of colon ...

or as a procedure in the treatment of

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

. Typically, a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube is passed through the

anus In mammals, invertebrates and most fish, the anus (: anuses or ani; from Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is the external body orifice at the ''exit'' end of the digestive tract (bowel), i.e. the opposite end from the mouth. Its function is to facil ...

. Pouchoscopy is the first line test to evaluate pouch dysfunction, and is used for surveillance in individuals with genetic cancer syndromes (FAP). While pouchoscopy may help assess the integrity of the J-pouch (hence the name pouchoscopy), this evaluation is more commonly completed using a pouchogram (a necessary step in preparing for reversal of the temporary ileostomy, or takedown surgery). A pouchoscopy is normally part of a routine follow up and is used to confirm the diagnosis of pouchitis and cuffitis.

References

:
High-magnification chromoscopic pouchoscopy: a novel in vivo technique for surveillance of the anal transition zone and columnar cuff following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis
:
McGraw-Hill Manual: Colorectal Surgery, Pouchoscopy
{{Endoscopy, state=open Endoscopy Diagnostic gastroenterology

See also

References