title: Double-balloon Enteroscopy: The results of a new experience in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approach to the small intestine has been difficult even with newer methods. Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) has been created for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in diseases of the small intestine. Small intestinal diseases have different etiologies in each country. The DBE has been introduced in recent years in Iran. Our aim was to study the indications and results of DBE in some academic centers in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with symptoms and signs related to small intestine without definitive diagnosis but with previous workup were enrolled in the study. The DBE was performed in three different medical universities in Iran.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients that underwent the DBE was 47.2 ± 17.3 years. Abdominal pain (54.5%) and occult gastrointestinal bleeding (23.6%) were the most common presentations. Small bowel lesions were detected in 26 patients (47.3%); the most common lesions were ulcer (46.2%) and polyps (19.2%). Crohn's disease (12.7%) was the commonest diagnosis found in DBE procedure. Patients presenting with abdominal pain orl ower hemoglobin level were more likely to be diagnosed (both p≤ 0.05). Small intestinal diseases were ultimately diagnosed in 47.3% of the patients. Twenty percent of the patients had another disease outside the small bowel.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DBE is an effective and relatively safe diagnostic and therapeutic option for small bowel evaluations. Accurate selection of patients and more experience technicians and physicians will improve the efficacy of this procedure in Iran.
authors.affiliation: 1. Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of gastroenterology, Imam Khomeini hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. nroshan@tums.ac.ir ;
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roushan
authors.affiliation: 2. Professor of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. froutan@ams.ac.ir .
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Froutan
authors.affiliation: 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of gastroenterology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. rtaslimi@tums.ac.ir .
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taslimi
authors.affiliation: 4. Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of gastroenterology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mohamadkalani@yahoo.com .
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalani
authors.affiliation: 5. Department of Internal Medicine , Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. azita_ganji@yahoo.com .
authors.forename: Azita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganji
authors.affiliation: 6. Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, Kerman Medical University, Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman, Iran. sdmoghaddam@yahoo.com .
authors.forename: Sodaif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Darvish Moghaddam
authors.affiliation: 7. Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of gastroenterology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mj_farahvash@hotmail.com .
authors.forename: Mohammad Jafar
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Farahvash
authors.affiliation: 8. Assistant Professor, Department of Eepidemiology and Social Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. khazaeipour@tums.ac.ir .
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Khazaeipour
keywords: Crohn’s disease; Double-balloon enteroscopy; Small intestinal disease