title: Small bowel capsule endoscopy in clinical practice: a multicenter 7-year survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Data about small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) come from studies involving small and highly selected populations. The study aim was to describe extent of use, indications, results, complications, and practical issues of SBCE in clinical practice in a Northern Italian Region (Lombardia).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three out of 29 invited centers fulfilled a specific questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2001 and 2008, 2921 procedures were performed and both the number of centers performing SBCE (from 5 to 29) and the number of SBCE (from 7.2 to 69.2 per month) increased steadily. The main indications for SBCE were: obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) (43.4%), unexplained anemia (23.9%), suspected Crohn's disease (7.8%) and abdominal pain (5.3%). Overall, SBCE was positive in 50% of cases, negative in 36% and undefined in 14%. The highest diagnostic yields were observed in patients with OGIB (62.5%), polypoid syndromes (74.1%), known (54.8%) or suspected (47.3%) inflammatory bowel disease, while the yields were low in patients examined for chronic diarrhea (27.4%) and abdominal pain (14.9%), 61 patients (2.1%) experienced capsule retention. Thirty-two of them eventually excreted the capsule naturally while endoscopic or surgical retrieval was necessary in 29 (1%) (in two because of obstruction).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over a period of 7 years the use of SBCE in Lombardia increased steadily confirming, in clinical practice, a high diagnostic yield and an acceptable safety profile.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Gastroenterologia 3, Milano, Italy. emanuele.rondonotti@unimi.it
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rondonotti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soncini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Girelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ballardini
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brunati
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Centenara
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cesari
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cortelezzi
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curioni
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gozzini
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gullotta
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazzaroni
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maino
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mandelli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pansoni
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Piubello
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Putignano
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schalling
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatarella
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vitagliano
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masci
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Franchis
mesh_terms: D053704:Capsule Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology*; D007558:Italy; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors