Capsule endoscopy for obscure GI bleeding: therapeutic yield of follow-up procedures

Positive findings on capsule endoscopy (CE) often prompt a follow-up procedure with therapeutic intent. Our purpose was to review the therapeutic yield of subsequent procedural interventions based on positive CE findings. The medical records of all patients who underwent CE between June 2002 and February 2005 for obscure bleeding were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty-two patients had follow-up procedures based on positive capsule findings. In this group, angiodysplasia was the most common CE finding (n=30), with therapeutic intervention performed in 16 cases (53%). Fresh blood without clear lesion was the second most common finding (n=9), with therapeutic intervention performed in 6 cases (67%). Overall, a therapeutic intervention was performed in 33 of the 52 follow-up procedures (63%). Positive capsule findings directed further procedural investigation in 52 cases, with a high therapeutic yield of 63% in those cases. The long-term efficacy of such interventions warrants further investigation.