title: PillCam Colon capsule endoscopy does not always complement incomplete colonoscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are no data on the role of PillCam Colon capsule (PCC) endoscopy for examination of the colon in incomplete colonoscopy cases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether PCC endoscopy can complete colon examination after failure of conventional colonoscopy to visualize the cecum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three tertiary centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who underwent PCC endoscopy after incomplete colonoscopy from January to June 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Conventional colonoscopy and PCC endoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By using PCC, we studied 12 patients who had incomplete colonoscopy. Six patients had an obstructing tumor of the left side of the colon, and, in 6 cases, there were technical difficulties to complete colonoscopy. PCC endoscopy visualized the rectum in 1 case. The capsule did not reach the site where colonoscopy stopped in 6 of the 12 cases, ie, 3 left sited tumors and 3 with technical difficulties. Moreover, in 1 of the 3 cases in which the capsule passed the site where colonoscopy stopped, poor bowel preparation precluded the accurate examination of the colon. Four patients underwent a third colon examination (3 barium enemas and 1 virtual CT colonoscopy). There were no adverse events related to PCC endoscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A retrospective study and a selected patient population. Data may not be applicable to other settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this retrospective case series of patients with incomplete colonoscopy, PCC endoscopy did not always satisfactorily examine the colon.
authors.affiliation: Hepatogastroenterology Unit, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine--Propaedeutic, Medical School, Athens University, "Attikon" University General Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Athens University, "Laikon" General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Triantafyllou
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsibouris
authors.forename: Chryssostomos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalantzis
authors.forename: Kostis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papaxoinis
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kalli
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalantzis
authors.forename: Spiros D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ladas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies