title: Wireless capsule endoscopy in the investigation of patients with chronic renal failure and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (preliminary data).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) in detection of small bowel (SB) pathology in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and obscure bleeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive CRF patients with obscure bleeding were prospectively studied. Patients with normal renal function and obscure bleeding, investigated during the same period with WCE, were used for the interpretation of results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen CRF patients (11 overt, 6 occult bleeding) and 51 patients (33 overt, 18 occult bleeding) with normal renal function were enrolled in this study. Positive SB findings were detected in 70.6% of CRF patients and in 41.2% of non-CRF patients (P < 0.05). SB angiodysplasia was identified in 47% of CRF patients and in 17.6% of non-CRF patients. Univariate logistic regression revealed CRF as a significant predictive factor for angiodysplasia (P < 0.05). Therapeutic measures were undertaken in 66% of the patients with the positive findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our preliminary results, SB angiodysplasia was found in an increased prevalence among CRF patients with obscure bleeding. WCE is useful in diagnosis of gastrointestinal pathologies and in planning appropriate therapeutic intervention and, therefore, should be included in the work-up of this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Nursing, Athens University, General Hospital of Athens Helena Venizelou, Greece. stkaragiannis@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Stephanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karagiannis
authors.forename: Spyros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goulas
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kosmadakis
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galanis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arvanitis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boletis
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mavrogiannis
mesh_terms: D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis