[Enteroscopy--expansion of the diagnostic spectrum. Review and personal results]

The source of blood loss remains undetermined in 5% of patients with chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. Small bowel enteroscopy using a prototype of a sonde-type enteroscope was performed in 27 patients with chronic or subacute gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin. The procedure time ranged between 1.5 and 6.5 hours (mean = 4 hours 15 minutes). Sonde-type enteroscopy showed vascular malformation as possible source of bleeding in 22% of our patients. We conclude that sonde-type enteroscopy is a reasonable diagnostic procedure before performing intraoperative enteroscopy. Indications for laparotomy are persisting at negative enteroscopy or enteroscopic finding making surgical therapy necessary.