Clinical Review of Small-Bowel Endoscopic Imaging #MMPMID28435408
Bartel MJ; Stark ME; Lukens FJ
Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) 2014[Nov]; 10 (11): 718-26 PMID28435408show ga
Endoscopic imaging of the small bowel, frequently used in gastroenterology practice, encompasses mainly video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE). Both tests are essential diagnostic tools to evaluate obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and suspected small-bowel disorders, such as Crohn?s disease. VCE solely identifies and localizes small-bowel pathology, whereas DAE offers both visualization and tissue sampling to diagnose diseased structures and perform therapeutic maneuvers, such as those needed to achieve hemostasis. In this context, VCE is frequently used as a screening test for small-bowel abnormalities that, when present, are then managed with DAE.