Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and iron-deficiency anemiaWhere does capsule endoscopy fit?

The evaluation of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) has been suboptimal for a long time, mainly owing to the limitations of techniques for the study of the small bowel. Since the introduction of capsule endoscopy (CE) and device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE), the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to OGIB have improved significantly. CE allows the evaluation of the entire small bowel mucosa, providing high-quality images and identifying mucosal changes (ie, vascular malformations, inflammatory changes, mass, or polyps), whereas DAE ensures an effective therapeutic approach.

Source: Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - March 4, 2015 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Emanuele Rondonotti, Anastasios Koulaouzidis, Paggi Silvia, Radaelli Franco, Marco Pennazio Source Type: research