Utilidad de la cápsula endoscópica en el diagnóstico de la enfermedad injerto contra huésped gastrointestinal

Introduction and aimGraft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation, and the small bowel is one of the main targets in the gastrointestinal tract. Capsule endoscopy is a safe procedure and can be useful in the diagnosis of GvHD. The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy with the histopathologic findings in GvHD.Materials and methodsA retrospective diagnostic test study included all the patients with suspected GvHD that underwent gastroscopy and colonoscopy, with histopathologic evaluation of the biopsies taken, and capsule endoscopy, within the time frame of July 2015 and July 2019. Capsule endoscopy findings were compared with the histopathologic diagnosis, considered the gold standard.ResultsTwenty-one patients with GvHD (7 [33%] women; 37 ± 11.9 years of age) were included, 20 (95%) of whom had acute GvHD. The median gastric transit time of the capsule was 55 minutes (20-113) and the median small bowel transit time was 261 minutes (238-434). The entire small bowel was visualized through capsule endoscopy in 17 cases (80.95%). The histopathologic findings and capsule endoscopy findings resulted in the diagnosis of GvHD in 17 and 16 cases, respectively. There was agreement between the histopathologic and capsule endoscopy findings in 18 cases (15 positive and 3 negative). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy were 88%, 75%, 94%, 60%, and 85%, respectively.ConclusionsCapsule endoscopy is a safe tool for the diagnosis of GvHD, with high sensitivity and positive predictive value, as well as moderate agreement with histopathologic findings.     

MiroCam™ capsule for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: A prospective,single centre experience

BackgroundCapsule endoscopy is an established tool for the evaluation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding but published literature is mostly limited to PillCam? SB (Given Imaging, Israel).AimsThe aims of this study were to determine the findings, the diagnostic yield and the rebleeding rate in a series of patients with overt or occult obscure gastrointestinal bleeding studied with MiroCam? (Intromedic, Seoul, Korea) capsule endoscopy.MethodsData of 118 patients who underwent capsule endoscopy for overt or occult obscure gastrointestinal bleeding were prospectively collected between March 2009 and March 2011.ResultsEvaluation of the entire small bowel (completion rate) was achieved in 96% of cases. Relevant lesions occurred in 58% of patients. Angiodysplasias was the most common finding. Six patients (9% of the positive findings) had a non-small-bowel lesion detected by capsule. The yield of capsule endoscopy in the overt group was greater than in the occult group but without achieving a significant difference (61% vs. 54%, p > 0.05). Rebleeding rate was lower in patients with a negative examination (6%) than in patients with a positive one (17%) (p = 0.03). Capsule retention was registered in 3 of 118 patients (2.5%).ConclusionsMiroCam capsule endoscopy is a safe and effective tool for exploring small bowel with a high completion rate.     

Abdominal Surgery Affects Small Bowel Transit Time and Completeness of Capsule Endoscopy

The aim of the study was to evaluate bowel dysmotility in patients with a history of abdominal surgery by measuring both gastric transit time and small bowel transit time during capsule endoscopy and assessing the completeness of the examination. The study included 26 patients who had undergone abdominal surgery (postoperative group) and 52 patients who had not (control group). The capsule reached the cecum in 50.0% of the postoperative group and 80.8% of the control group (P = 0.005). While there was no significant difference in gastric transit time between the two groups (P = 0.882), small bowel transit time was significantly longer in the postoperative group (338.3 ± 119.2 min) than in the control group (266.4 ± 110.8 min, P = 0.010). This is the first study to report that the small bowel transit time during capsule endoscopy is prolonged in patients who had a history of abdominal surgery, resulting in a lower frequency of complete examination.     

无痛胃镜肠镜与胶囊内镜检查同日进行的可行性探讨

[目的]探讨无痛胃镜肠镜与胶囊内镜检查同日进行的可行性。[方法]接受胶囊内镜检查的患者中,32例为同日接受无痛胃镜肠镜检查后、接着行胶囊内镜检查的患者(同日组),81例为先行电子胃肠镜检查后、择日只接受胶囊内镜检查的患者(择日组)。观察2组胶囊的运行时间,病变检测率,不良反应。[结果]胃内运行的平均时间:同日组为(30.75±35.97)min,择日组(31.81±32.13)min,2组比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05);小肠内运行的平均时间:同日组(294.97±122.55)min,择日组(267.87±117.82)min,2组比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。2组均未发生无不良反应,无一例发生胶囊滞留。[结论]胶囊内镜检查操作安全、无创伤,有较高的诊断价值,与无痛胃镜、肠镜同日执行是可行的,并可避免多次肠道准备带来的不适。     

Colonic lesions in patients undergoing small bowel capsule endoscopy

Purpose  

Capsule endoscopy by enabling direct visualization of small bowel mucosa has conquered the last frontier of diagnostic endoscopy. However, its ability to simultaneously detect colonic lesions has not been evaluated. This study was done to evaluate frequency of detection of colonic abnormalities in patients undergoing small bowel capsule endoscopy and its impact on the clinical management.     

Wireless capsule endoscopy for obscure small-bowel disorders: final results of the first pediatric controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Obscure small-bowel disorders are jejunal and ileal lesions undiagnosed by traditional imaging techniques (endoscopic, radiologic). We evaluated the diagnostic usefulness and safety of capsule endoscopy for obscure small-bowel disorders in children and adolescents. METHODS: Comparative, prospective, self-controlled trials in patients (age, 10-18 y) suspected to have either small-bowel Crohn's disease, polyps, or obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Capsule results were compared with the diagnostic imaging studies normally used in this age group. RESULTS: Among 20 patients suspected of Crohn's disease, multiple lesions consistent with this diagnosis were observed by capsule endoscopy in 50%. Small-bowel Crohn's disease was ruled out in 8 patients. Eosinophilic enteropathy was found in 2 others. For polyp detection (n = 6), capsule endoscopy yielded 100% concordance with the control studies when analyzed per patient. However, capsule endoscopy revealed a greater number (50%) of polyps. Among patients with obscure bleeding (n = 4), the capsule examination confirmed a diagnosis of vascular malformations in 3. Capsule endoscopy more accurately identified the precise source of bleeding compared with angiography. All 30 capsule studies were well tolerated, although 1 capsule was retained owing to an inflammatory stenosis. The capsule eventually was expelled after corticosteroid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule endoscopy correctly diagnosed or excluded a bleeding source, small-bowel polyps, or Crohn's disease of the small bowel in 29 of 30 patients. Capsule endoscopy permits an accurate, noninvasive approach for diagnosing obscure small bowel lesions in children over the age of 10.     

Capsule endoscopy retention: is it a complication?

BACKGROUND: Capsule endoscopy has been found superior to barium x-rays and push enteroscopy in the investigation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and in the evaluation of suspected Crohn's disease. Currently, small bowel obstruction and strictures are considered by many physicians to be a contraindication to capsule endoscopy for fear of capsule retention or impaction. The goal of this study was to reassess this conventional wisdom that capsule endoscopy is contraindicated in small bowel obstruction and to determine the safety and efficacy of capsule endoscopy in the evaluation of patients with suspected stricture or small bowel obstruction. STUDY: A retrospective chart review was performed using a database of 568 capsule endoscopy cases performed between August 2001 and November 2003. Cases of suspected small bowel obstruction were selected and reviewed. RESULTS: Nineteen cases were identified in which capsule endoscopy was used in the setting of suspected small bowel obstruction. The diagnosis of suspected small bowel obstruction was based on symptoms alone in 8 cases and on symptoms plus abnormal radiographs in the remaining 11 cases. Capsule endoscopy made a definitive diagnosis in 5 of the 19 cases (26%): 2 Crohn's strictures, 1 radiation induced stricture, 1 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced stricture, and 1 MALT lymphoma. The capsule was retained proximal to a stricture in 4 cases, in which the obstructing lesions were electively resected without complications. There was no case in which administration of the capsule led to an acute small bowel obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule endoscopy can be safely used to help identify the etiology and site of a small bowel obstruction. Retention of the capsule may indicate the presence of a lesion requiring surgery, but small bowel obstruction or strictures are not in themselves contraindications to the procedure. It is understood, however, that retention may lead to surgery in a patient who otherwise may have been treated medically without surgery for the same illness (eg, Crohn's disease and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug enteropathy).     

Capsule endoscopy in clinical routine in patients with suspected disease of the small intestine: A 2-year prospective study

Objective. Capsule endoscopy is a promising method for examining the small intestine. The study was performed to evaluate the use of capsule endoscopy in clinical routine in patients with suspected disease of the small intestine. Material and methods. Consecutive patients with clinically suspected disease of the small intestine referred for capsule endoscopy between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2004 were included in the study. All patients had previously completed a conventional diagnostic work-up with upper and lower endoscopy as well as abdominal CT scan or small-bowel enteroclysis. Results. A total of 167 patients were referred during the time period and 195 procedures were performed. Seventeen (8.7%) of the procedures were unsuccessful, with no visualization of the small bowel. In the remaining procedures the caecum was reached in 83%. The reason for referral was gastrointestinal bleeding (30%), iron-deficiency anaemia (25%), abdominal pain (15%), diarrhoea (13%) and Crohn's disease (12%). Pathology was found in 27% of the patients, with the highest diagnostic yield in patients referred for Crohn's disease (60%) and the lowest yield (4%) in patients referred for abdominal pain. There were no complications, with the exception of one patient referred for Crohn's disease who had transient abdominal pain during the procedure. Conclusions. Capsule endoscopy is a safe and well-tolerated procedure. In unselected patients with clinically suspected disease of the small intestine, the procedure gives additional information to conventional diagnostic procedures in 27% of patients. Incomplete examination of the small intestine was frequent in our group of patients.     

The role of capsule endoscopy in small bowel Crohn's disease

Video capsule endoscopy is an invaluable tool for examining the small bowel. It is non-invasive and generally well tolerated, however its role in the assessment of the severity and extent of small bowel Crohn's disease has not, to date, been adequately evaluated.MethodsAll capsule endoscopies performed over a two year period in a tertiary referral centre in subjects with known or suspected Crohn's disease were reviewed.ResultsTwenty-six capsule endoscopy studies in total were included. These were performed in 15 cases of known Crohn's disease, 5 cases of suspected Crohn's disease, 3 cases of endoscopically diagnosed non-specific terminal ileal inflammation and finally 3 post colectomy cases of indeterminant being considered for IPAA formation. Ten patients known to have small bowel Crohn's disease were prospectively recruited; of 3 with normal small bowel follow through or CT exams, one had an abnormal capsule endoscopy. The other 7 patients had small bowel follow through or abdominal CT scans consistent with small bowel Crohn's disease; additional mucosal abnormalities were detected by capsule endoscopy in 6 cases with capsule retention in the stomach in one. Of 5 with colonic Crohn's disease normal small bowel imaging corresponded with normal capsule endoscopy in all but one. A diagnosis of Crohn's disease was made in 2 out of 5 cases of suspected Crohn's disease on the basis of the capsule endoscopy findings. Three patients with non-specific acute terminal ileal inflammation at ileocolonoscopy were confirmed to have ongoing inflammation. The capsule was retained in four subjects beyond 24 h.ConclusionCapsule endoscopy more accurately determines the severity and extent of the Crohn's disease in the small bowel than traditional imaging modalities.     

Capsule endoscopy in the evaluation of patients with suspected small intestinal bleeding: Results of a pilot study

BACKGROUND: A video capsule has been developed to acquire photographic images of the small intestine during normal peristaltic motion. METHODS: Patients between 21 and 80 years of age referred for enteroscopy because of obscure GI bleeding were offered entry into a trial in which they would undergo both capsule endoscopy and subsequent push enteroscopy. Results of capsule examinations were compared with push enteroscopy findings. Capsule endoscopy was performed with the Given M2A video capsule system. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (12 women, 9 men, average age 61 years) were enrolled, all of whom completed the study. A bleeding site was found in 11 of 20 patients during capsule endoscopy. No additional intestinal diagnoses were made by enteroscopy. The yield of push enteroscopy in the evaluation of obscure bleeding was 30% (6/20), the yield of capsule endoscopy 55% (11/20). This difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.0625). Capsule endoscopy found a distal source of bleeding in 5 of 14 patients who had normal push enteroscopic examinations. Patients preferred capsule endoscopy to enteroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates that capsule endoscopy provides excellent visualization of the small intestine, is well tolerated by patients, and is safe. Capsule endoscopy identified small intestinal bleeding sites beyond the range of push 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.     

Enteroscopy for the early detection of small bowel tumours in at-risk celiac patients

BackgroundA subset of celiac patients shows a high risk for small bowel malignancies.AimsTo select celiac patients considered at risk and evaluate the diagnostic yield of enteroscopy in this context.MethodsCeliac patients were enrolled from a tertiary referral centre during the period June 2011–June 2013, based on the following criteria: (i) patients diagnosed when aged 50+ and with poor response to gluten-free dieting; (ii) low dietary compliance; (iii) alarm symptoms. The patients underwent small bowel capsule endoscopy and/or double-balloon enteroscopy. Control populations were represented by the 165 non-celiac patients undergoing capsule endoscopy for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, and the 815,362-strong population of the Italian province of Varese as a registered cohort.ResultsFifty-three patients (19% males, mean age 43.6 ± 17.4 years) were evaluated. Two jejunal adenocarcinomas and one ileal neuro-endocrine tumour were diagnosed by enteroscopy (the diagnostic yield for malignancies in the selected population being 5.7%). In the non-celiac controls the detection rate of small bowel tumours by capsule endoscopy was 0.6% (P = 0.04). When compared to the registered population, the relative risk for intestinal malignancy was 1282 (95% CI, 407–4033; P < 0.0001).ConclusionsCapsule endoscopy and double-balloon enteroscopy can be considered for early disease management of a subset of celiac patients.     

Age and Indication for Referral to Capsule Endoscopy Significantly Affect Small Bowel Transit Times: The Given Database

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of age and selected indications for capsule endoscopy on small bowel transit times. Data on 67 clinical studies (790 subjects with different gastrointestinal pathologies [49.5% males; mean age, 51.9 ± 18.33 years; range, 18–91 years] and 87 healthy volunteers) were retrieved from the company (Given Imaging, Ltd.)-sponsored database. All subjects swallowed the PillCam SB Capsule after a 12-hr fast. The capsule reached the cecum in all 877 participants. Indications for referral for capsule endoscopy were as follows: 372 obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, 96 suspected Crohn’s disease, 65 celiac disease, 54 irritable bowel syndrome, and 116 familial adenomatous polyposis, intestinal lymphoma, or ulcerative colitis. One group consisted of patients <40 years old (n = 235), and the other patients 40 years old (n = 555). The younger group, volunteers, and Crohn’s disease patients had significantly shorter small bowel transit times than the others (P < 0.001). Gastric emptying indirectly influenced capsule transit time.     

A prospective trial comparing small bowel radiographs and video capsule endoscopy for suspected small bowel disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This study was undertaken to prospectively compare the clinical outcomes of small bowel radiographs with the wireless capsule endoscopy. METHODS: Twenty-two patients were selected consecutively because of suspected small bowel disease. Two patients were excluded owing to ileal stenosis. Thus, the results of barium follow-through and the Given M2A wireless video capsule (Given Imaging Ltd., Yoqneam, Israel) endoscopy were compared in 20 patients (13 men; mean age, 52.5 yr; range, 29-78 yr). RESULTS: Barium follow-through was normal in 17 patients and showed ileal nodularity in 3 patients. Capsule endoscopy was normal in 3 patients and showed positive findings in the remaining 17 patients. The barium study was considered diagnostic in 4 (20%) patients. The capsule endoscopy was considered diagnostic in 9 (45%) patients, suspicious in 8 (40%) patients, and failed in 3 (15%) patients. For obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, the diagnostic potential of barium follow-through was much worse as compared with the capsule endoscopy (5% vs. 31%, P < 0.05). Capsule endoscopy was well tolerated and better accepted by patients when compared with the most recently performed endoscopic procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The video capsule endoscope was found to be superior to small bowel radiograph for evaluation of small bowel diseases. However, this novel wireless endoscope system needs further assessment because of limitations such as difficulties in interpretation of potentially nonspecific findings.     

A prospective comparison of capsule endoscopy and push enteroscopy in patients with GI bleeding of obscure origin

BACKGROUND: Capsule endoscopy is used to investigate the small bowel in patients with GI bleeding of obscure etiology. Capsule endoscopy was compared prospectively with push enteroscopy in 20 patients with GI hemorrhage. METHODS: Twenty patients (8 men, 12 women; mean age 65.5 years, range 38-80 years) were enrolled in the study. All had undergone non-diagnostic EGD, colonoscopy, and barium contrast radiography of the small bowel. All patients underwent capsule endoscopy followed by push enteroscopy. The physician performing the enteroscopy (senior endoscopist) interpreted the capsule endoscopy in an unblinded manner, while a second blinded reviewer (endoscopy fellow) interpreted the capsule endoscopy to establish interinterpreter reliability. RESULTS: There was complete agreement between the blinded and the unblinded physicians in 18 of 20 cases; minor disparities were noted in the remaining two cases. In the small bowel, capsule endoscopy identified positive findings in 14 (70%) patients, whereas, push enteroscopy identified positive findings in 5 (25%) patients. Despite these results, the findings were definitive in only 6 of the 20 patients by using capsule endoscopy, and in two of 20 patients with push enteroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: When strict standards of interpretation were used, capsule endoscopy resulted in more positive findings than push enteroscopy, but the number of definitive findings for both imaging methods was low. There was a high degree of reliability between a novice and an experienced endoscopist with respect to the interpretation of capsule endoscopy.     

Safety of capsule endoscopy in patients with pacemakers

BACKGROUND: Capsule endoscopy, a new technology, allows visualization of the entire small intestinal mucosa. The main indication for capsule endoscopy at present is the evaluation of GI bleeding of obscure origin. Studies to date suggest that capsule endoscopy is safe and is associated with few adverse events. One concern, which has not been studied, is the potential effect of the capsule on cardiac pacemakers and other electromedical devices. The primary aims of this study were to evaluate the safety of capsule endoscopy in patients with cardiac pacemakers who are being evaluated for GI bleeding of obscure origin and to determine whether pacemakers have any effect on the images captured by the capsule endoscope. METHODS: Patients with cardiac pacemakers referred for evaluation of GI bleeding of obscure origin were entered into the study. Before the procedure, an electrocardiogram was obtained, and pacemaker functions were checked. Capsule endoscopy was performed in a hospital setting to allow closer monitoring, instead of the outpatient clinic, which is our routine. Cardiac rhythm was assessed simultaneously during capsule endoscopy with a Holter monitor. Post-procedure pacemaker function was again checked for any disturbance. When the capsule endoscopy studies were reviewed, observations were made with particular reference to technical difficulty or interference with imaging. OBSERVATIONS: Five consecutive patients (4 men, 1 woman; mean age, 73 years, range 56-92 years) with cardiac pacemakers were studied. In all patients, the indication for capsule endoscopy was GI bleeding of obscure origin. A cardiologist and pacemaker nurse specialist reviewed the Holter monitor recordings and evaluated pacemaker function after the procedure for each patient. No arrhythmia or other adverse cardiac event was noted during capsule transmission. No pacemaker-induced interference on the capsule endoscopy images was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule endoscopy appears to be safe in patients with cardiac pacemakers and does not appear to be associated with any significant adverse cardiac event. Pacemakers do not interfere with capsule imaging.     

Capsule endoscopy in the pediatric patient

Wireless capsule endoscopy represents an extraordinary technical innovation in diagnostic gastrointestinal endoscopy. As in adult patients, it opens new horizons that permit an accurate and noninvasive approach to identifying occult lesions in the small bowel in children and adolescents. A limitation in the pediatric age group is the size of the capsule, precluding its use in infants and small toddlers. In children unable to swallow the capsule, “front loading” the gastroscope to introduce it into the duodenum is a suitable alternative approach. Capsule endoscopy is highly useful to evaluate for inflammatory changes in patients suspected to have small bowel Crohn’s disease in whom conventional imaging failed to confirm the diagnosis. It is now the method of first choice to assess for small bowel polyps or tumors, to find a source of blood loss in obscure intestinal bleeding, and for undiagnosed malabsorptive conditions such as intestinal lymphangiectasia. Capsule retention is the one major potential adverse effect of capsule endoscopy. In patients suspected to have a small bowel stenosis, consideration should be given to using the patency capsule prior to using the real videocapsule so as to decrease the risk of capsule retention.     

Lewis Score Correlates More Closely with Fecal Calprotectin Than Capsule Endoscopy Crohn’s Disease Activity Index

Background  

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is an invaluable imaging method for the small bowel. The Lewis score (LS) and the Capsule Endoscopy Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CECDAI) have been developed to standardize the reporting of small-bowel inflammation. Fecal calprotectin (FC) represents a highly reliable biomarker of intestinal inflammation.     

胶囊内镜的临床应用

目的 小肠疾病很难诊断，现有的诊断技术又不尽如人意，而胶囊内镜（M2A）能发现整个小肠内的微小病变，且为非侵入性，患者无需住院，因此，对胶囊内镜在小肠疾病诊断中的价值。依从性和安全性进行评估。方法 自2002年5月至9月，我们对经结肠镜，胃镜，X线钡餐造影，小肠钡灌造影，血管造影或核素扫描等检查未发现异常的15例疑患小肠疾病的患者，进行胶囊内镜检查，其中不明原因的消化道出血12例。结果 15例中发现病灶11例（73.3%)，包括血管发育不良，Dieulafoy病，毛细血管扩张征，静脉扩张，息肉样病变，黏膜下肿瘤，脂肪瘤，口疮样小溃疡（Aphthous ulcer)，克罗恩病类癌及出血性胃炎等，其中4例患者同时存在2种病灶，所获取的图像质量良好，胶囊停留于胃内的平均时间为82min(6-311min)，小肠内平均运行时间为248min(104-396min)，平均到达盲肠时间为336min(180-470min)，平均记录时间为449min(300-510min)，医师对胶囊内镜所传输图像的平均读片时间为82min(30-120min)，平均获取照片数为57919张，胶囊平均排出体外时间为33h(24-48h)，整个操作过程患者耐受性甚佳，无任何痛苦，吞咽胶囊无任何困难，检测过程中无任何并发症发生。结论 胶囊内镜是对小肠疾病具有诊断价值的医疗设备，其安全性高，依从性好。     

Ingesting 500 ml of Polyethylene Glycol Solution During Capsule Endoscopy Improves the Image Quality and Completion Rate to the Cecum

The benefits of bowel preparation prior to capsule endoscopy (CE) are controversial. The aim of this study was to examine whether ingesting a small amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG) during, not before, the CE procedure improves the image quality and the cecal completion rate. A prospective single-blind controlled study was conducted including 59 patients. The initial 32 patients (group A) received no preparation, and the subsequent 27 patients (group B) ingested 500 ml of PEG starting 30 min after swallowing the capsule. The capsule reached the cecum in 65.6% of the patients in group A and 88.9% of the patients in group B (P = 0.038). The use of PEG during CE examination significantly improved the image quality, and this effect was more pronounced in the distal ileum. Ingesting a small amount of PEG during CE examination significantly improves both the CE image quality and the cecal completion rate.