[Endoscopic exploration of the small intestine]

The development of Japanese enteroscopes, mot of which are still prototypes, has made it possible to explore the entire small bowel. These instruments are either introduced into the jejunum like an ordinary endoscope, or pushed along a guidewire, or weighted with mercury, like a Miller-Abbott probe. A simplified study of the adult malabsorption syndrome can be performed by proximal jejunoscopy, usually carried out in Europe with a paediatric colonoscope. Perendoscopic forceps biopsy of the jejunum can replace probe sampling and is well suited to measurements of disaccharidase activity. In cases with "blind loop syndrome", bacteriological examination of the intestinal juice, endoscopically collected in sterile conditions, usefully supplements the visual and bioptic information. Since several investigations can be performed during one single enteroscopic examination, this method will be increasingly used in the study of small bowel diseases.