Small-bowel barium follow-through is rarely required in patients with a normal ileoscopy and terminal ileal biopsy and a normal or unremarkable colonoscopy.
BACKGROUND
There is an increase of reliance on ileoscopy in preference to small-bowel barium follow-through in the diagnosis of terminal ileal Crohn disease. In this study the role of small-bowel barium follow-through after a normal or unremarkable ileocolonoscopy was investigated.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of all patients who had a colonoscopy followed by a small-bowel barium follow-through over a 7-year period was performed. Patients with a previously established diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and those who had colonoscopic evidence of inflammatory bowel disease were excluded.


RESULTS
Of the 96 patients who had a normal ileoscopy and normal or unremarkable colonoscopy, 3 had abnormalities detected at small-bowel barium follow-through. Two patients had abnormal terminal ileal biopsies, although the terminal ileum appeared macroscopically normal. The small-bowel barium follow-through helped to establish the diagnosis of Crohn disease. The other patient presented changes consistent with a previously established diagnosis. Of the 47 patients who had a normal or unremarkable total colonoscopy without ileoscopy, I had abnormalities detected at small-bowel barium follow-through consistent with a previously established diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Small-bowel barium follow-through is rarely required in patients who have had a normal ileoscopy and terminal ileum biopsy and a normal or unremarkable colonoscopy. It should only be performed if there is a very high index of suspicion of small-bowel pathology. In patients with suspected Crohn disease, it is important to take terminal ileum biopsies even if the ileum appears macroscopically normal at ileoscopy.
Soon
S Y
SY
Dept of Gastroenterology, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Ansari
A
A
Sanderson
J D
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D002648:Child; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003287:Contrast Media; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate