Diagnostic and therapeutic impact of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) in a series of 100 patients with suspected small bowel diseases.
BACKGROUND
Double-balloon enteroscopy is a newly developed endoscopic method allowing non-surgical full-length exploration of the small bowel, biopsies sample and endoscopic treatment of previously inaccessible lesions.


OBJECTIVE
To prospectively assess the diagnostic and therapeutical impact of double-balloon enteroscopy in patients with suspected or documented small bowel disease.


METHODS
One hundred consecutive patients referring to our centre for suspected small bowel disease underwent double-balloon enteroscopy. Starting insertion route (anal or oral) of double-balloon enteroscopy was chosen according to the estimated location of the suspected lesions basing on the clinical presentation and on the findings, when available, of previous endoscopic or radiological investigations. Major indications for the procedures were acute recurrent or chronic mid-gastrointestinal bleeding (n=71), suspected gastrointestinal tumours (n=10), suspected Crohn's disease (n=6), chronic abdominal pain and/or chronic diarrhoea (n=8), refractory celiac disease (n=5).


RESULTS
One hundred and eighteen double-balloon enteroscopy procedures were carried out. Oral and anal route double-balloon enteroscopies were performed in 54 and 28 patients, respectively, while 18 patients underwent a combination of both approaches. Overall diagnostic yield of double-balloon enteroscopy resulted 69%. Most common pathological findings included angiodysplasias (n=39), ulcerations and erosions of various aetiologies (n=21), tumours (n=7) and ileal stenosis in patients with Crohn's disease suspicion (n=2). In the 65% of the patients examined, double-balloon enteroscopy findings influenced the subsequent clinical management (endoscopic, medical or surgical treatment). No major complications related to the procedure occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Our prospective analysis shows that double-balloon enteroscopy is a useful, safe and well-tolerated new method with a high diagnostic and therapeutic impact for the management of suspected or documented small bowel diseases.
Cazzato
I A
IA
Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy. alessiacazzato@gmail.com
Cammarota
G
G
Nista
E C
EC
Cesaro
P
P
Sparano
L
L
Bonomo
V
V
Gasbarrini
G B
GB
Gasbarrini
A
A
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016888:Angiodysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies