Capsule endoscopy and push enteroscopy in the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

In obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, it is often difficult to detect the bleeding sites located in the small bowel with conventional radiological, scintigraphic or angiographic techniques. Push enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy are currently considered to be the most effective diagnostic procedures. The aim of this study was to compare the detection rates between capsule endoscopy and push enteroscopy.

From May 2002 through January 2003, we prospectively examined by capsule endoscopy 39 patients with suspected small bowel diseases, in particular GI bleeding of unknown origin in Renji Hospital. Among them, 32 complained of obscure recurrent GI bleeding. Between January 1993 and October 1996, we used push enteroscopy on 36 patients who suffered from unexplained GI bleeding. All patients had prior normal results on gastroscopy, colonoscopy, small bowel barium radiography, scintigraphy and/or angiography.

M2A capsule endoscopy disclosed abnormal small bowel findings in 26 (82%) out of 32 patients. Twenty-one of them had significant pathological findings explaining their clinical disorders. Diagnostic yield was therefore 66% (21 of 32 patients). Definite bleeding sites diagnosed by capsule endoscopy in 21 patients included angiodysplasia (8), inflammatory small-bowel (5), small-bowel polyps (4), gastrointestinal stromal tumour (2), carcinoid tumour and lipoma (1), and hemorrhagic gastritis (1). Push enteroscopy detected the definite sources of bleeding in 9 (25%) of the 36 patients. Patients with definite bleeding sources included angiodysplasias (2), leiomyosarcoma (2), leiomyoma (1), lymphoma (1), Crohn's disease (1), small-bowel polyps (1) and adenocarcinoma of ampulla (1). Suspected bleeding sources were shown by push enteroscopy in two additional patients (6%), and in other five patients (16%) by capsule endoscopy.

The present study of patients with obscure GI bleeding showed that capsule endoscopy significantly superior to push enteroscopy in detecting GI bleeding (P < 0.001). Capsule endoscopy is safe and painless, and should become the initial diagnostic choice for patients with obscure GI bleeding.