Abstract
Background. The small intestine has been considered to be a highly difficult organ to visualize in imaging examinations due to its anatomical location compared with the stomach and the colon. In recent years, many imaging modalities have become available, such as CT enterography, MR enterography, capsule endoscopy (CE), and double-balloon endoscopy (DBE). Patients and Methods. DBE was performed in the postoperative intestines of 91 patients (128 DBE examinations) at Iwate Medical University between 2004 and 2010. There were 61 male and 30 female patients, and their mean age was 69.7 years (range: 30–80 years). Results. A total of 124 DBE examinations were performed with endoscope insertion into the reconstructed intestines. The endoscope reached the blind end in 115 of 124 examinations, (92.7%). There were 17 patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in whom 30 DBE examinations were performed. The bleeding site was identified in 12 patients (70.6%). Nine patients underwent endoscopic treatment. Hemostasis was achieved in all patients. Conclusion. DBE is very useful modality for the assessment and application of endotherapy to areas of the small bowel which have been altered by surgery.
Highlights
The small intestine has been considered to be a highly difficult organ to visualize in imaging examinations due to its anatomical location in comparison to the stomach and the colon
There were 26 double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) examinations (17 patients) performed in order to carry out detailed examination of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, 6 examinations (3 patients) performed for suspicion of disease of the small intestine, and 92 examinations (71 patients) for detailed examination of the biliary tract
An enteroscope was inserted into the postoperative intestines, and it reached the blind end in 115 of 124 DBE examinations (92.7%)
Summary
The small intestine has been considered to be a highly difficult organ to visualize in imaging examinations due to its anatomical location in comparison to the stomach and the colon. The most common imaging method has been fluoroscopy. DBE is a groundbreaking type of endoscopy devised by Yamamoto et al which makes the endoscopic examination and treatment of the entire small intestine possible. The small intestine has been considered to be a highly difficult organ to visualize in imaging examinations due to its anatomical location compared with the stomach and the colon. Many imaging modalities have become available, such as CT enterography, MR enterography, capsule endoscopy (CE), and double-balloon endoscopy (DBE). There were 17 patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in whom 30 DBE examinations were performed. DBE is very useful modality for the assessment and application of endotherapy to areas of the small bowel which have been altered by surgery
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