[Endoscopic aspects in the diagnosis of terminal ileum diseases]

The ileum is approximately the most distal three-fifths of the small intestine and is responsible for the digestion and the absorption of foods. The diagnosis of diseases that affects this segment can be achieved by clinical evaluation and complementary examinations. Not only does ileocolonoscopy allow macroscopical analysis, but also enables biopsies to be carried out for histological evaluation. Only three publications about the description of the endoscopic characteristics of the terminal ileum have been found in the literature. Even so, there have not been found descriptions or classifications in publications that mentioned endoscopic aspect of the terminal ileum, being reported only as normal ileum. Therefore, this strengthens the idea of the lack of knowledge or the non-acceptance of these descriptions and these classifications by the scientific community. Endoscopic aspects of this segment when affected by several diseases vary from normal endoscopically ileum to cases when the macroscopical examination demonstrate specific features of these illnesses. In the present investigation, there are doubts about the need of biopsy of this segment in patients with normal ileoscopy. Moreover, few studies with criteria for macroscopical and microscopical characterization of the ileum were found.