title: Capsule endoscopy in paediatrics: multicentric Belgian study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Capsule Endoscopy (CE) is a noninvasive procedure for evaluating small bowel disease. Data concerning children are scarce. The aim of the present report was to review all paediatric cases investigated by CE in Belgium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The seven Belgian academic hospitals using the CE device (Given) were asked to collect information on CE performed in patients < or = 18 years. Main indications for performing VCE, former radiological and endoscopic procedures were collected, as well as final diagnosis and clinical impact of VCE findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From November 2002 until December 2005, VCE was performed in 17 children (mean age : 11.9 years, range : 5-18). Indications were occult gastro-intestinal bleeding (OGIB) and/or iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) (10 cases) and chronic and/or recurrent abdominal pain (7 cases). Mean duration of symptoms was 8.6 months. The mean number of endoscopic and radiological procedures before performing CE was 4.2 per patient. Detected lesions were ulcerations (6 cases), jejunal varices (1), ileo-ileal invagination (2), active bleeding (1), and normal findings (7). In the indication of OGIB/IDA, relevant findings having an impact on the diagnosis were found in 60% of the cases. In the group with chronic and recurrent abdominal pain, CE brought relevant findings in 43%. CE findings had an impact on therapy in 44% of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CE could be a useful tool for clinical work-up of difficult paediatric cases, not only in the indication of IDA/OGIB, but also for selected cases of recurrent abdominal pain, but prospective controlled trials including emerging techniques like CT enterography are mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Hepato-gastroenterology Unit, AZ VUB, Brussels. daniel.urbain@az.vub.ac.be
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Urbain
authors.forename: Micheline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tresinie
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Looz
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Demedts
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Fazia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mana
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Macken
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaillon
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Callie-Bertrand
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Gossum
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vandenplas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male