Capsule endoscopy in diagnosis of small bowel Crohn's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of wireless capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected Crohn's disease (CD) of the small bowel undetected by conventional modalities, and to determine the diagnostic yield of M2A Given Capsule.


METHODS
From May 2002 to April 2003, we prospectively examined 20 patients with suspected CD by capsule endoscopy. The patients had the following features: abdominal pain, weight loss, positive fecal occult blood test, iron deficiency anaemia, diarrhoea and fever. All the patients had normal results in small bowel series (SBS) and in upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy before they were examined. Mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 6.5 years.


RESULTS
Of the 20 patients, 13 (65%) were diagnosed as CD of the small bowel according to the findings of M2A Given Capsule. The findings detected by the capsule were mucosal erosions (2 patients), aphthas (5 patients), nodularity (1 patient), large ulcers (2 patients), and ulcerated stenosis (3 patients). The distribution of the lesions was mainly in the distal part of the small bowel, and the mild degree of lesions was 54%.


CONCLUSIONS
Wireless capsule endoscopy is effective in diagnosing patients with suspected CD undetected by conventional diagnostic methods. It can be used to detect early lesions in the small bowel of patients with CD.
Ge
Zhi-Zheng
ZZ
Department of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200001, China. gezheng@public8.sta.net.cn
Hu
Yun-Biao
YB
Xiao
Shu-Dong
SD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014741:Video Recording
D013256:Steroids