title: Ultrathin endoscopy in the assessment and treatment of upper and lower gastrointestinal tract strictures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ultrathin (</= 6 mm diameter) endoscopes have recently been introduced into clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively assessed the role of a 6 mm diameter videoendoscope in 15 patients with tight gastrointestinal tract strictures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ultrathin endoscope was successfully passed through 9 of 12 esophageal strictures not amenable to endoscopy with a standard-diameter endoscope allowing stricture dilatation or nasogastric tube placement in 8 of these. Ultrathin endoscopy was also successful in passing 3 lower gastrointestinal tract strictures caused by Crohn's disease that were impassable using larger-diameter endoscopes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrathin endoscopy is potentially useful in the assessment and treatment of some upper and lower gastrointestinal tract strictures.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Diseases Research Centre, St. Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London E1 2AD, England, UK.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Fairclough
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020685:Colonoscopes; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D004106:Dilatation; D019723:Endoscopes; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D004867:Equipment Design; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies