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Abstract
A video capsule has been developed to acquire photographic images of the small intestine
during normal peristaltic motion.
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.
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.
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.