Ikue Watari

Diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy vs. double-balloon endoscopy for patients who have undergone total enteroscopy with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The usefulness of capsule endoscopy (CE) and of double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) for detection of small-bowel lesions is widely accepted. We compared CE- and DBE-based detection of small-bowel lesions in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) who underwent total enteroscopy by both CE and DBE. METHODOLOGY One hundred eighteen consecutive patients (70 men, 48 women; mean age 62.9±18.4 years) with OGIB underwent both CE and DBE. CE was performed and DBE was then performed within 1 week by both retrograde and antegrade approaches. Differences in detection rates were analyzed. RESULTS Overall, small-bowel lesions were detected by CE in 53 patients (44.9%) and by DBE in 63 patients (53.4%) (p=0.01); agreement between CE and DBE findings was good (kappa statistic=0.76). Total enteroscopy was achieved by both modalities in 54 patients; CE detected small-bowel lesions in 25 of these patients (46.3%), and DBE detected lesions in 28 of these patients (51.9%) (p=0.25); agreement between CE and DBE findings was very good (kappa statistic=0.88). CONCLUSIONS Our data support preferential use of noninvasive CE for patients with OGIB and subsequent DBE examination in most cases.

Effectiveness of polaprezinc for low-dose aspirin-induced small-bowel mucosal injuries as evaluated by capsule endoscopy: a pilot randomized controlled study

BackgroundTreatment of low-dose aspirin (LDA)-induced small-bowel injury has not been established. Polaprezinc, a chelate of zinc and L-carnosine, may be efficacious for such injury. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled study to investigate whether polaprezinc is effective against LDA-induced small-bowel injuries.MethodsConsecutive patients under long-term (>3 months) LDA treatment and who agreed to participate in our study underwent initial capsule endoscopy (CE). Patients with LDA-induced small-bowel injury apparent upon initial CE (n = 20) were randomized into a polaprezinc (150 mg/day for 4 weeks) group and a control (no polaprezinc treatment) group. All underwent follow-up CE after 4 weeks. Changes in the number and characteristics of small-bowel mucosal injuries were compared within and between the two groups.ResultsThe median number of reddened lesions and erosions/ulcers upon follow-up CE in the polaprezinc group significantly decreased (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the median number of reddened lesions and erosions/ulcers upon follow-up CE in the control group.ConclusionsCo-administration of polaprezinc may be effective against small-bowel mucosal injury associated with long-term LDA therapy.Trial registrationUMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000003687.

Is small-bowel capsule endoscopy effective for diagnosis of esophagogastric lesions related to portal hypertension?

Effectiveness of capsule endoscopy (CE) for screening the small bowel in patients with portal hypertension (PHT) has been reported. However, few reports discuss CE detection of specific esophagogastric lesions related to PHT. Thus, we assessed whether CE is useful for detecting such lesions.

Comparison of small-bowel mucosal injury between low-dose aspirin and non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: a capsule endoscopy study.

Background/Aims: The differences in the severity of small-bowel toxicity induced by aspirin and non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain unclear. This study aimed at clarifying these differences in small-bowel mucosal injury by using capsule endoscopy (CE). Methods: We retrospectively compared the records of 78 and 40 obscure gastrointestinal bleeding patients receiving low-dose aspirin (LDA) and non-aspirin NSAIDs, respectively. All patients were found to have small-bowel mucosal injuries on CE. The two groups were compared for the number of small-bowel mucosal injuries and CE scores on the basis of the findings of CE. Results: The mean numbers of reddened lesions in the LDA group and non-aspirin NSAID group were 2.49 ± 3.15 and 1.65 ± 3.04; the mean numbers of erosions/ulcers 1.56 ± 3.75 and 6.08 ± 10.4, and the mean CE scores 154 ± 294 and 520 ± 758, respectively. The mean number of reddened lesions was significantly higher and the mean number of erosions/ulcers and CE scores significantly lower in the LDA group than in the other non-aspirin NSAID group. Conclusion: Small-bowel mucosal injuries were significantly milder in the LDA group than in the non-aspirin NSAID group, though reddened lesions were more frequent in the LDA group.

Is Occult Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding a Definite Indication for Capsule Endoscopy? A Retrospective Analysis of Diagnostic Yield in Patients with Occult versus Overt Bleeding.

Background/Aim. Usefulness of capsule endoscopy (CE) for diagnosing small-bowel lesions in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) has been reported. Most reports have addressed the clinical features of overt OGIB, with few addressing occult OGIB. We aimed to clarify whether occult OGIB is a definite indication for CE. Methods. We retrospectively compared the cases of 102 patients with occult OGIB and 325 patients with overt OGIB, all having undergone CE. The diagnostic yield of CE and identification of various lesion types were determined in cases of occult OGIB versus overt OGIB. Results. There was no significant difference in diagnostic yield between occult and overt OGIB. The small-bowel lesions in cases of occult OGIB were diagnosed as ulcer/erosive lesions (n = 18, 18%), vascular lesions (n = 11, 11%), and tumors (n = 4, 3%), and those in cases of overt OGIB were diagnosed as ulcer/erosive lesions (n = 51, 16%), vascular lesions (n = 31, 10%), and tumors (n = 20, 6%). Conclusion. CE detection rates and CE identification of various small-bowel diseases do not differ between patients with occult versus overt OGIB. CE should be actively performed for patients with either occult or overt OGIB.

Clinical usefulness of classification by transabdominal ultrasonography for detection of small-bowel stricture.

Abstract Objective. To assess the clinical usefulness of transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) for detection of small-bowel stricture. Patients and methods. Subjects were 796 patients undergoing double-balloon endoscopy (DBE), December 2003–October 2011. All underwent TUS prior to DBE. The TUS findings were classified by type as intestinal narrowing and distension at the oral side (Type A); extensive bowel wall thickening (Type B); focal bowel wall thickening (Type C) or no abnormality detected (Type D). We compared TUS findings against DBE findings with respect to small-bowel stricture, defined as failure of the enteroscope to pass through the small bowel. Results. Small-bowel stricture was detected by DBE in 11.3% (90/796) of patients. Strictures resulted from Crohns disease (n = 36), intestinal tuberculosis (n = 24), malignant lymphoma (n = 9), ischemic enteritis (n = 6), NSAID ulcer (n = 5), radiation enteritis (n = 2), surgical anastomosis (n = 2) and other abnormalities (n = 6). Stricture was detected by TUS in 93.3% (84/90) of patients, and each such stricture fell into one of the three types of TUS abnormality. The remaining 6 strictures were detected only by DBE. DBE-identified strictures corresponded to TUS findings as follows: 100% (43/43) to Type A, 59.1% (29/49) to Type B, 14.8% (12/81) to Type C and 1% (6/623) to Type D. Correspondence between stricture and the Type A classification (vs. Types B, C and D) was significantly high, as was correspondence between stricture and Type B (vs. Types C and D). Conclusions. TUS was shown to be useful for detecting small-bowel stricture. We recommend performing TUS first when a small-bowel stricture is suspected.

Small Bowel Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Detected by Capsule Endoscopy

We report a rare case of metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to the small bowel that presented as a pedunculated epithelial polyp. A 60-year-old man with liver cirrhosis type B was treated for HCC (stage IVb) at our hospital. He had been admitted for melena and anemia. Capsule endoscopy was performed in this patient with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. It showed a polypoid lesion with bleeding in the ileum. Double-balloon endoscopy was performed. The lesion was determined to be a pedunculated polyp in the ileum. Histological examination of biopsy specimens showed tumor cells resembling HCC. We performed endoscopic mucosal resection for the lesion by double-balloon endoscopy to prevent bleeding from the tumor. The patient had no melena or anemia and his condition improved after endoscopic mucosal resection. However, he died of liver failure 2 months later.

Feasibility of spiral enteroscopy in Japanese patients: study in two tertiary hospitals.

Despite recent advances in enteroscopy, such as balloon enteroscopy, accessing the small intestine remains challenging. Spiral enteroscopy is a novel technique in which an endoscope is fitted with a rotating overtube that has a soft spiral fin at the tip. Whereas spiral enteroscopy is beginning to be carried out in Western countries, it is not common in many Asian countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of spiral enteroscopy in Japanese patients.

Removal of a sewing needle penetrating the wall of the third portion of the duodenum by double-balloon endoscopy

We describe successful removal a sewing needle penetrating the wall of the third portion of the duodenum by means of double-balloon endoscopy (DBE). The patient was a 47-year-old woman who accidentally swallowed a sewing needle and was admitted to our hospital. Abdominal radiography and abdominal computed tomography revealed a metallic object in the third portion of the duodenum. DBE performed by the antegrade approach, revealed that the sewing needle had penetrated the duodenal wall. The sewing needle was retrieved with biopsy forceps and pulled out together with the endoscope through the flexible overtube that remained positioned in the duodenum. There was no injury to the patient’s esophagus or gastrointestinal wall. Our experience in this case suggests that sharp foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract can be safely removed by means of DBE.