Non-small-bowel lesions detected by capsule endoscopy in patients with obscure GI bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Approximately two thirds of patients undergoing capsule endoscopy for obscure GI bleeding will have an abnormality found in the small intestine. This report describes 9 patients (4 men, 5 women) of 140 with obscure bleeding in whom a source of their blood loss was found in the stomach or the colon at capsule endoscopy.

METHODS: A review was made of a prospective database of 140 consecutive patients undergoing capsule endoscopy for obscure GI bleeding at a single center. Patients with a definite or likely cause of bleeding within reach of conventional upper or lower GI endoscopy were identified.

RESULTS: Three patients had gastric antral vascular ectasia and another an inflamed pyloric canal polyp. Two patients had actively bleeding cecal carcinoma, missed at previous colonoscopies. Two others had bleeding cecal angiodysplasia. The final patient had severe nonspecific cecal inflammation. The identification of these lesions was aided by the suspected blood indicator. All patients underwent endoscopic therapy or surgery for their non-small-bowel lesions.

CONCLUSIONS: Like push enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy also can identify lesions within reach of conventional endoscopy and colonoscopy. These subsequently can be treated successfully. The reasons why these lesions have been missed are unclear.