Korean experience with double balloon endoscopy: Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases multi-center study.
BACKGROUND
Double balloon endoscopy (DBE) is a new diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the management of patients with small-bowel disease.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility, clinical usefulness, and safety of DBE in Korean patients with suspected or known small-bowel disease.


METHODS
Retrospective, multicenter study from April 2004 to March 2006.


METHODS
University hospitals.


METHODS
Two hundred twenty-five consecutive patients.


METHODS
Subjects underwent 311 procedures with DBE via the oral and/or anal routes.


METHODS
The indications, diagnostic yield, therapeutic use, and complications.


RESULTS
Overall diagnostic yield was 75% (169/225). Diagnostic yields for obscure GI bleeding (OGIB) (n = 137), chronic abdominal pain (n = 32), radiologic/capule endoscopic abnormality (n = 25), polyposis (n = 9), and chronic diarrhea (n = 9) were 73.7% (101/137), 75.0% (24/32), 64% (16/25), 100% (9/9), and 0% (0/9), respectively. In patients with OGIB, ulcerating lesions (n = 54) were more common than vascular lesions (n = 20) or tumors (n = 27). Some lesions detected in DBE were treated effectively with electrocoagulation or argon plasma coagulation, polypectomy, and dilation. Entrapped capsules were removed easily with polypectomy snare in 3 patients with small-bowel stricture. Some patients with strictures had transient abdominal discomfort during and/or after the procedure. With the exception of 1 mucosal tear, there were no technical problems or serious complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Descriptive, retrospective study.


CONCLUSIONS
DBE is safe and useful for diagnosis and treatment of a variety of small-bowel diseases. The most common indication of DBE was OGIB. Ulcerating small-bowel lesions are more common than vascular lesions in Korea.
Choi
Hwang
H
Department of Internal Medicine, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, Korea.
Choi
Kyu-Yong
KY
Eun
Chang-Soo
CS
Jang
Hyun-Joo
HJ
Park
Dong-Il
DI
Chang
Dong-Kyung
DK
Kim
Jin-Oh
JO
Ko
Bong-Min
BM
Lee
Moon-Sung
MS
Huh
Kyu-Chan
KC
Han
Dong-Soo
DS
Byeon
Jeong-Sik
JS
Yang
Suk-Kyun
SK
Kim
Jin-Ho
JH
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology*; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D007417:Intestinal Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis; D007421:Intestine, Small; D007723:Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014456:Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy