Small bowel capsule endoscopy performance in octogenarians: a case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
Capsule endoscopy is a high-sensitive tool for the investigation of suspected small bowel disorders, but its effectiveness in elderly patients is unknown. We sought to determine capsule endoscopy feasibility and diagnostic yield in octogenarians.


METHODS
Records of patients ≥ 80 years old (Group A) were retrieved from a database of 827 consecutive capsule endoscopy performed on as many patients. Capsule endoscopy failures, complications, diagnostic yield, and findings were recorded and compared with those of patients younger than 80 (Group B), randomly extracted from the same database in a > 2:1 ratio.


RESULTS
Group A consisted of 79 patients, 84 ± 6 years old and Group B of 188, 44 ± 11 years old (p < .0001). We visualized the entire small bowel in 59 (74.6%) patients of Group A and in 169 (89%) of Group B (odds ratio = 0.33, 95% confidence interval: 0.16-0.66, p = .0025), mainly for capsule failures in reaching the duodenum; this event occurred in 10 patients of Group A and in 3 of Group B (odds ratio = 9, 95% confidence interval: 2.4-33.4, p = .0004). The rate of adverse events and diagnostic yield did not differ between the two groups. Inflammatory and neoplastic lesions were more common in Group A (odds ratio = 2.60, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-6.28, p = .03 and odds ratio = 2.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-3.97, p = .04, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In octogenarians, small bowel capsule endoscopy may be troublesome for capsule failure in reaching the duodenum. However, the diagnostic yield of small bowel capsule endoscopy and the rate of clinically significant lesions are high.
First Division of Internal Medicine, Service of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Hospital of Busto Arsizio, Busto Arsizio, Italy. cargirel@vodafone.it
Carlo M
CM
Girelli
Stefania
S
Maiero
Paola
P
Porta
Renato
R
Cannizzaro
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male