Deep enteroscopy-indications,diagnostic yield and complications

Since its introduction in 2001 capsule endoscopy opened up the small bowel for diagnostic approaches followed by double balloon enteroscopy which enabled the endoscopic community to perform therapeutic interventions in the whole small intestine.In this review the scientific developments related to indications,diagnostic yield and complications of the last years between the competing devices double ballon enteroscopy,single balloon enteroscopy and spiral enteroscopy are illustrated.     

Occult intestinal haemorrhage due to lipoma of the small bowel detected with the combined use of the new endoscopic techniques. A report of two cases

We report two unusual cases of occult intestinal bleeding due to lipoma of the small bowel. Both the patients underwent several inconclusive endoscopic and radiological procedures before the diagnosis of these lesions that was possible using video capsule endoscopy and double balloon enteroscopy. In the first case, the finding of capsule endoscopy was confirmed using enteroscopy, allowing us to diagnose the ileal mass. In the second and more recent case, we used double balloon enteroscopy for the further characterisation and management of the ileal lipoma. Lipoma is a very rare cause of intestinal bleeding and we describe the management and the outcome of our patients.     

双气囊小肠镜与胶囊内镜在小肠出血应用中的对比研究

目的比较双气囊小肠镜与胶囊内镜在小肠出血中的病变检出率、病因诊断率、耐受性和安全性,初步探讨双气囊小肠镜对小肠出血的内镜下治疗。方法2006年4月至2009年10月烟台毓璜顶医院消化内科收治的可疑小肠出血患者159例,其中81例患者行双气囊小肠镜检查,首选进镜方式分为经口或经肛2种,首选方式检查后未发现病灶者,日后改换进镜方式再行检查。对活动性出血病灶行内镜下止血治疗。另78例患者行胶囊内镜检查。两组患者分别由专门医师独立操作并诊断,最后进行汇总分析,对比双气囊小肠镜与胶囊内镜的临床应用价值。结果双气囊小肠镜组的病变检出率为95.06%,病因诊断率为82.72%,23例检查时见病变活动性出血,行内镜下止血治疗,21例止血成功,内镜止血成功率为91.30%;胶囊内镜组的病变检出率82.05%,病因诊断率为66.67%。双气囊小肠镜组的病因检出率及病因诊断率均显著高于胶囊内镜组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。在耐受性方面,胶囊内镜的耐受性最好,双气囊小肠镜的耐受性依次为:全麻下经肛进镜、全麻下经口进镜、非麻醉经肛进镜、非麻醉经口进镜。所有患者均未发生严重并发症。结论双气囊小肠镜对小肠出血的病因诊断明显优于胶囊内镜,并且可行内镜下止血治疗,是一项安全、有效的临床诊疗方法。     

双气囊小肠镜与胶囊内镜诊断小肠出血病因比较

目的比较双气囊小肠镜和胶囊内镜在小肠出血中的诊断准确率和实用价值。方法24例原因不明的可疑小肠出血患者分别接受双气囊小肠镜和胶囊内镜检查。双气囊小肠镜首选进镜方式分为经口或经肛2种，首选方式检查后未发现病灶者，日后改换进镜方式再行检查。胶囊内镜采用以色列GIVEN公司产品。2种检查方法分别由专门医师独立操作并诊断，最后进行汇总比较。结果24例患者中21例通过小肠镜检查发现病灶，总检出率为87．5％。24例患者行胶囊内镜检查后，有阳性发现者11例(45．8％)，另13例无异常发现。双气囊小肠镜检查发现的阳性病灶均经活检病理和手术探查证实，其病因诊断准确率为87．5％，胶囊内镜诊断准确率为25％。在耐受性评估方面，胶囊内镜和全麻下经口进镜的耐受性最佳，以后依次为非麻醉经肛方式和非麻醉经口方式。所有小肠镜和胶囊内镜检查者中未见操作相关的严重不良反应。结论①经口和经肛方式结合能使双气囊小肠镜完成对全小肠的检查。②双气囊小肠镜在不明原因小肠出血的病因诊断方面明显优于胶囊内镜检查。③胶囊内镜在小肠多节段病变和长段病变的诊断上仍有一定价值。④胶囊内镜和全麻下经口双气囊小肠镜检查是一项易为患者接受的、安全的检查方法。     

Current status of device-assisted enteroscopy: Technical matters, indication, limits and complications

Enteroscopy, defined as direct visualization of the smallbowel with the use of a fiberoptic or capsule endoscopy, has progressed considerably over the past severalyears. The need for endoscopic access to improvediagnosis and treatment of small bowel disease hasled to the development of novel technologies one ofwhich is noninvasive, the video capsule, and a type of invasive technique, the deviceassisted enteroscopy.In particular, the device-assisted enteroscopy consiststhen of three different types of instruments all able toallow, in skilled hands, to display partially or throug-hout its extension (if necessary) the small intestine.Newer devices, double balloon, single balloon and spiral endoscopy, are just entering clinical use. The aim of this article is to review recent advances in small bowelenteroscopy, focusing on indications, modifications toimprove imaging and techniques, pitfalls, and clinical applications of the new instruments. With new technologies, the trials and tribulations of learning new endo-scopic skills and determining their role in the diagnosisand treatment of small bowel disease come. Identification of small bowel lesions has dramatically improved.Studies are underway to determine the best strategy toapply new enteroscopy technologies for the diagnosisand management of small bowel disease, particularly obscure bleeding. Vascular malformations such as angiectasis and small bowel neoplasms as adenocar cinomaor gas trointestinal stromal tumors. Complete entero-scopy of the small bowel is now possible. However, because of the length of the small bowel, endoscopic examination and the rapeutic maneuvers require significant skill, radiological assistance, the use of deep sedation with the assistance of the anesthetist. Prospective ran-domized studies are needed to guide diagnostic testing and the rapy with these new endoscopic techniques.     

小肠肿瘤诊断:双气囊小肠镜与其他检查手段的对比研究

目的比较双气囊小肠镜与小肠稀钡灌注和胶囊内镜检查在小肠肿瘤诊断中的诊断率和准确率。方法对59例临床怀疑小肠肿瘤患者行双气囊小肠镜检查。其中有34例和17例患者分别同期行插管法小肠稀钡灌注或胶囊内镜检查。检查分别由专职医师独立操作并诊断，最后进行汇总比较。结果34例小肠稀钡灌注检查者中，19例诊断为小肠肿瘤或怀疑小肠肿瘤，诊断率为55．9％，最终经双气囊小肠镜确诊为12例，诊断准确率为63．2％（12／19例）；在15例小肠稀钡灌注阴性者中，双气囊小肠镜发现肿瘤3例。17例胶囊内镜检查者中，8例检查结果为小肠肿瘤或怀疑小肠肿瘤，诊断率为47．1％，最终经双气囊小肠镜确诊为4例，诊断准确率为4／8例；在9例胶囊内镜阴性者中，双气囊小肠镜发现小肠肿瘤2例。59例患者中，经一侧进镜检查后（经口或经肛）发现小肠肿瘤36例，完成双侧检查后发现肿瘤16例。7例患者在双侧检查后未发现任何病变。双气囊小肠镜对小肠肿瘤的检出率为88．1％，并经病理和临床随访确诊。上述三项检查中未见明显的与操作相关的并发症。结论双气囊小肠镜在小肠肿瘤诊断率及准确率方面明显优于小肠稀钡灌注和胶囊内镜检查。     

Dünndarmendoskopie

Since the introduction of capsule endoscopy and later balloon enteroscopy in clinical practice, endoscopic examination of the small bowel has dramatically improved. For the first time, it is possible to diagnose the whole small bowel without the necessity of laparotomy and intraoperative enteroscopy. The methods revolutionized the field of small bowel diagnostic and therapy and become part of daily clinical practice. This article provides a review of small bowel enteroscopic methods.     

Economic aspects and evidence-based decision making in evaluating patients with suspected small bowel disorders

Obscure gastrointestinal hemorrhage is defined as overt or occult bleeding present after normal endoscopic examination of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. Approximately 5% of patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage can be classified as having obscure bleeding, with most patients found to have responsible lesions in the small intestine. The advent of video capsule endoscopy and deep enteroscopy allows for endoscopic access and therapeutic options in the small intestine. In our current era of cost minimization, reductions in capital equipment expenditures, and a high rate of malpractice claims against clinicians, the decision regarding whether a clinical enterprise should offer small bowel endoscopy using any of the more recent technologies requires an understanding of several factors. This article highlights some of the economic and medicolegal aspects of deep small bowel endoscopy. The following topics will be discussed: costs involved to perform endoscopic imaging of the small bowel; downstream revenue effect resulting from deep enteroscopy; coding, billing, and reimbursement issues; cost-effectiveness studies for diagnostic testing; algorithms for diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected small bowel pathology; and medicolegal ramifications associated with endoscopic procedures of the small bowel.     

Investigation of the small bowel in gastrointestinal bleeding--enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy

The last frontier in luminal endoscopy has been conquered. Bleeding lesions in the small intestine can present a frustrating clinical problem, but recent advances have made investigating the small bowel easier and less invasive. Capsule endoscopy and double balloon enteroscopy are two new technologies that promise to lower the barrier to evaluation of the entire small intestine. Recent studies show that capsule endoscopy improves outcomes in patients who have OGIB. Although outcome studies regarding double balloon enteroscopy have not been performed, the opportunity to treat lesions throughout the small bowel without resorting to surgery is a tremendous advance. These improvements suggest that the corner may have been turned in the diagnosis and management of small bowel bleeding. Perhaps to the next generation of gastroenterologists, small bowel bleeding will not be obscure.     

The patient with recidivent obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

Obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is defined as visible or invisible GI blood loss, the source of which can not be identified by standard endoscopy (oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy). Nowadays, GI bleeding is divided into upper, mid- and lower bleeding. Mid-GI bleeding covers the section from the Treitz ligament to the ileocaecal valve. The new diagnostic methods of capsule endoscopy and double balloon enteroscopy have revolutionised the diagnostic approach in recent years. As a result, previous radiological and nuclear medicine techniques (small bowel X-ray, scintigraphy and angiography), but also endoscopic techniques, such as the push enteroscopy and intraoperative endoscopy, are becoming less important. After standard endoscopy and persistent blood loss it is advisable to first have these procedures repeated by an experienced examiner under optimal conditions. Nevertheless, no source of bleeding is identified by this method in 5% of cases. It is then recommended to use capsule endoscopy and, depending on the findings, double balloon enteroscopy with the option of intervention. In patients with unstable circulation an invasive procedure (intraoperative endoscopy) may be required.     

Preoperative detection and localization of small bowel hemangioma: Two case reports

Among the various diagnostic modalities for small bowel hemangioma,video capsule endoscopy(VCE)and double-balloon enteroscopy( BE)can be recommended as part of the work-up in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding(OGIB). BE is superior to VCE in the accuracy of diagnosis and therapeutic potential,while in most cases total enteroscopy cannot be achieved through only the antegrade or retrograde BE procedures.As treatment for small bowel bleeding,especially spout bleeding,localization of the lesion for the decision of BE insertion facilitates early treatment,such as endoscopic hemostatic clipping,allowing patients to avoid useless transfusion and the worsening of their disease into life-threatening status.Applying endoscopic India ink marking prior to laparoscopic surgical resection is a particularly useful technique for more minimally invasive treatment.We report two cases of small bowel hemangioma found in examinations for OGIB that were treated with combination of laparoscopic and endoscopic modalities.     

Current state of double balloon endoscopy: The latest approach to small intestinal diseases

Recent developments of capsule endoscopy and double balloon endoscopy (DBE) have made endoscopic examination of the entire small bowel practical, and changed the diagnostic algorithm for small bowel diseases. Double balloon endoscopy uses two balloons, one attached to the tip of the endoscope and another at the distal end of an overtube. By using these balloons to grip the intestinal wall, the endoscope can be inserted further without forming redundant loops of intestine. Total inspection by DBE is usually achieved by combination of sequential oral and anal intubations; success rates are reported to be 40–80%. Indications for DBE include scrutiny for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, small bowel tumor, small bowel stricture and following up evaluation of previously diagnosed small bowel diseases. Because DBE has an accessory channel and good maneuverability in the distal small intestine, it enables endoscopic treatment, including hemostasis, balloon dilation, polypectomy, mucosal resection, retrieval of foreign bodies and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (in the case of post-operative anastomoses). Double balloon endoscopy is also useful for cases of difficult colonoscopy, providing success rates of total colonoscopy between 88–100%. Although it has been a few years since its development, the usefulness of DBE is now well recognized. This challenging procedure has become popular rapidly and is currently used in many countries.     

Small bowel diagnostics: Current place of small bowel endoscopy

The small intestine has been difficult to examine by traditional endoscopic and radiologic techniques. Until the end of the last century, the small bowel follow through was the primary diagnostic tool for suspected small bowel disease. In recent years capsule endoscopy, deep enteroscopy using balloon-assisted or spiral techniques, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance enteroclysis or enterography have facilitated the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of patients with small bowel diseases. These technologies are complementary, each with its advantages and limitations. In the present article, we will discuss the different options and indications for modern diagnostic methods for visualization of the small bowel. We also try to provide a clinical rationale for the use of these different diagnostic options in less established, newly emerging, indications for small bowel evaluation.     

SMALL BOWEL PSEUDOMELANOSIS AND ORAL IRON THERAPY

Small bowel pseudomelanosis is a rarely reported clinical entity characterized by brown pigmentation of small bowel mucosa. The authors describe two cases, both with iron deficiency anemia, one of an 81‐year‐old female patient submitted for capsule endoscopy that revealed a brown pigmentation of all small bowel mucosa and another of an 81‐year‐old male whose retrograde double‐balloon enteroscopy revealed a diffuse brown pattern of small bowel mucosa. Ileal biopsies confirmed intense iron deposition in the macrophages of the lamina propria. Both patients were on oral iron therapy and the second one had a previous double‐balloon enteroscopy, 2 years earlier, which revealed only ileal angiodysplasias. These two cases demonstrate the importance of two new endoscopic methods for diagnosis of small bowel pseudomelanosis, the rarity of such an entity and its close relation with oral iron therapy.     

ENDOSCOPIC FINDINGS OF ENTEROPATHY‐TYPE T‐CELL LYMPHOMA BY DOUBLE‐BALLOON ENTEROSCOPY AND CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY

Enteropathy‐type T‐cell lymphoma (ETL) is a rare primary intestinal disorder, particularly in Japan, and there have been few reports on the endoscopic findings of the disease. Here we report detailed endoscopic findings of ETL based on double‐balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy. Double‐balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy may be useful tools for diagnosing and monitoring the effects of therapy in patients with ETL.     

Device-assisted enteroscopy: A review of available techniques and upcoming new technologies

The advent of video capsule endoscopy into clinical routine more than 15 years ago led to a substantial change in the diagnostic approach to patients with suspected small bowel diseases, often indicating a deep enteroscopy procedure for diagnostical confirmation or endoscopic treatment. Device assisted enteroscopy was developed in 2001 and for the first time established a practicable, safe and effective method for evaluation of the small bowel.Currently with double-balloon enteroscopy, single-balloon enteroscopy and spiral enteroscopy three different platforms are available in clinical routine.Summarizing, double-balloon enteroscopy seems to offer the deepest insertion depth to the small bowel going hand in hand with the disadvantage of a longer procedural duration. Manual spiral enteroscopy seems to be a faster procedure but without reaching the depth of the DBE in currently available data. Finally,single-balloon enteroscopy seems to be the least complicated procedure to perform. Despite substantial improvements in the field of direct enteroscopy,even nowadays deep endoscopic access to the small bowel with all available methods is still a complex procedure, cumbersome and time-consuming and requires high endoscopic skills. This review will give an overview of the currently available techniques and will further discuss the role of the upcoming new technology of the motorized spiral enteroscopy(PowerSpiral).     

Successful treatment with balloon dilatation using a double‐balloon enteroscope for a stricture in the small bowel of a patient with Crohn's disease

The requirement for endoscopic access to a stricture is a major limitation of the endoscopic dilatation for the treatment of strictures in the gastrointestinal tract. We have developed the double‐balloon enteroscopy method that enables visualization of the entire small bowel. In addition, double‐balloon enteroscopy has a potential for the interventional therapy including dilatation of strictures. We present here a case of jejunal strictures in a 47‐year‐old woman with Crohn's disease successfully treated with a balloon catheter in combination with double‐balloon enteroscopy. Balloon dilation with double‐balloon enteroscopy is a promising method for the treatment of small bowel strictures in Crohn's disease.     

Enteroskopische Techniken

Since the introduction of capsule endoscopy and, later, balloon enteroscopy in clinical practice, endoscopic examination of the small bowel has dramatically improved. For the first time, it is possible to diagnose the entire small bowel without the need for laparotomy and intraoperative enteroscopy. These methods revolutionized the field of small bowel diagnostics and therapy and have become part of daily clinical practice. This article provides a review of small bowel enteroscopy techniques.     

Small bowel enteroscopy

Over the past decade, the advent of capsule endoscopy and balloon-assisted enteroscopy has revolutionized the approach to small intestinal diseases. The small bowel is no longer out of reach, and has fallen within the diagnostic and therapeutic realm of the gastrointestinal endoscopist. Double-balloon enteroscopy was the first type of balloon-assisted endoscopy and is the method for which there are the most data. Single-balloon enteroscopy has since been introduced as an alternative balloon-assisted method, followed more recently by the development of spiral overtube-assisted enteroscopy. The purpose of the present article is to review these methods of small bowel enteroscopy and to discuss the latest developments. While the investigation of small bowel diseases cannot be addressed without considering the central role of capsule endoscopy, a detailed assessment is beyond the scope of the present article, and capsule endoscopy will only be discussed as it pertains to enteroscopy.     

What we have learned and what to expect from capsule endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy was conceived by Gabriel Iddan and Paul Swain independently two decades ago. These applications include but are not limited to Crohn’s disease of the small bowel, occult gastrointestinal bleeding, non steroidal anti inflammatory drug induced smallbowel disease, carcinoid tumors of the small bowel,gastro intestinal stromal tumors of the small bowel andother disease affecting the small bowel. Capsule endoscopy has been compared to traditional small bowelseries, computerized tomography studies and pushenteroscopy. The diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopyhas consistently been superior in the diagnosis of smallbowel disease compared to the competing methods(small bowel series, computerized tomography, pushenteroscopy) of diagnosis. For this reason capsule en-doscopy has enjoyed a meteoric success. Image qualityhas been improved with increased number of pixels,automatic light exposure adaptation and wider angle ofview. Further applications of capsule endoscopy of other areas of the digestive tract are being explored. Theincreased transmission rate of images per second hasmade capsule endoscopy of the esophagus a realisticpossibility. Technological advances that include a double imager capsule with a nearly panoramic view of the colon and a variable frame rate adjusted to the movement of the capsule in the colon have made capsuleendoscopy of the colon feasible. The diagnostic ratefor the identification of patients with polyps equal to orlarger than 6 mm is high. Future advances in technology and biotechnology will lead to further progress.Capsule endoscopy is following the successful moderntrend in medicine that replaces invasive tests with lessinvasive methodology.