Role of Video Capsule in Small Bowel Bleeding.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging
• Digestive Diseases

Background:

• Small bowel bleeding (SBB) diagnosis often requires advanced imaging.
• Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is the recommended first-line investigation for SBB.
• Current applications focus on non-acute bleeding, with growing use in urgent scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review risk factors associated with small bowel bleeding.
• To outline optimal timing and evaluation algorithms for VCE.
• To discuss the evolving role of VCE in emergency and special populations.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature and clinical guidelines on VCE for SBB.
• Analysis of VCE's efficacy in various clinical settings.
• Discussion of technological advancements, including AI for lesion detection.

Main Results:

• VCE is established as the primary diagnostic tool for SBB.
• Evidence supports VCE's utility in both non-acute and increasingly urgent gastrointestinal blood loss.
• Artificial intelligence integration is poised to improve VCE's diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Video capsule endoscopy is indispensable for diagnosing small bowel bleeding.
• Its application is expanding beyond traditional uses to emergency settings.
• Future advancements, particularly AI, will enhance VCE's capabilities in detecting small bowel lesions.