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To assess the reliability of the erythrocytic sedimentation rate (ESR) as a measure of clinical activity in inflammatory bowel disease, we analyzed the correlations of ESR with a global assessment of clinical activity in 77 patients with varying extents of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Analysis of all 141 ESR determinations in all 77 patients showed a highly significant correlation between mean ESR and clinical activity score (r = 0.54, p less than 0.001). Analysis of 133 ESR determinations in these 77 patients when their disease activity was either mild, moderate, or severe showed some significant differences among certain disease categories. The highest mean ESRs were in patients with the most extensive colon involvement (Crohn's colitis 40.7 +/- 3.3, universal ulcerative colitis 31.0 +/- 3.9), whereas the lowest mean ESRs were in patients with the most limited disease (ulcerative proctitis and proctosigmoiditis 19.2 +/- 2.1). The rate of increase in ESR with progressively increasing clinical activity from mild to moderate was the same in all disease categories, with the exception of Crohn's disease limited to the small bowel (ileitis or jejunoileitis), in which the ESR was relatively unchanged in a small sample of patients. By the time clinical activity became severe, however, patients in all disease categories manifested similarly high ESRs, with the exception of ulcerative proctitis in which the ESR remained low in the single patient tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

We report what we believe to be the first patient in whom an esophagram immediately after a routine, uncomplicated pneumatic dilation revealed complete esophageal obstruction. With conservative medical therapy, the obstruction spontaneously resolved within 48 h, and total relief of dysphagia followed. Other reports have told of distal narrowing and slow emptying of the esophagus after pneumatic dilation. Most of these patients had a good therapeutic result. Hence, partial or complete esophageal obstruction after pneumatic dilation does not by itself represent evidence of treatment failure.

Intestinal obstruction of the duodenum by entrapment between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is an uncommon cause of megaduodenum. Despite many case reports, acceptance of the SMA syndrome as a clinical entity has been controversial on account of its confusion with other causes of megaduodenum. We therefore report a case of SMA syndrome which sharply exemplifies its clinical and anatomic features. The clinical findings are proximal duodenal obstruction with an abrupt cutoff and active peristalsis. The anatomic features of this entity are a narrow angle between the aorta and the SMA, together with high fixation of the duodenum by the ligament of Treitz and/or an anomalous SMA crossing directly over the aorta at its intersection with the duodenum. The SMA syndrome may occur as an acute self-limited event due to a reversible precipitating factor, or as a chronic recurring disorder. The acute form subsides with correction of the specific initiating factor; the chronic form responds favorably to simple surgical mobilization of the duodenum.