The Optimal Timing for Using Capsule Endoscopy for Patients with Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Intussuscepted Polypoid Meckel's Diverticulum Presenting With Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Young Adult

A 22-year-old female patient with a recent hospitalization for gastrointestinal bleeding presented with recurrent hematochezia and a positive shock index. Previous investigations, including endoscopy and wireless small bowel capsule, were non-diagnostic. CT angiography revealed extravasation in the ileum. Initial tests like technetium-99m scintigraphy and ileocolonoscopy were negative. Repeat wireless small bowel capsule identified a partially ulcerated polypoid mass in the distal ileum. At surgical exploration, an intussuscepted Meckel's diverticulum was identified and resected. A histopathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis. Meckel's diverticulum is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in adults. Preoperative diagnosis can be challenging. Reports of a polypoid morphology are very scarce in indexed literature and mostly derive from investigation with device-assisted enteroscopy. We report this extremely rare finding at capsule endoscopy to raise clinician awareness and to discuss diagnostic difficulties associated with similar cases, such as the negative scintigraphy result and the optimal timing of repeat capsule endoscopy.

High diagnostic yield despite a lower completion rates for inpatient versus outpatient colon and pan-intestinal capsule endoscopy: a nested case-control study

BACKGROUND

Increased familiarity with capsule endoscopy (CE) has been associated with a growing demand for urgent inpatient procedures. Limited data exists comparing the effect of admission status on colon capsule (CCE) and pan-intestinal capsule (PIC) performance. We aimed to compare the quality of inpatient versus outpatient CCE and PIC studies.

METHODS

A retrospective nested case-control study. Patients were identified from a CE database. PillCam Colon 2 Capsules with standard bowel preparation and booster regimen were used in all studies. Basic demographics and key outcome measures were documented from procedure reports and hospital patient records, and compared between groups.

RESULTS

105 subjects were included, 35 cases and 70 controls. Cases were older, were more frequently referred with active bleeding and had more PICs. The diagnostic yield was high at 77% and was similar in both groups. Completion rates were significantly better for outpatients, 43% (n = 15) v's 71% (n = 50), OR 3, NN3. Neither gender nor age affected completion rates. Completion rates and preparation quality were similar for CCE and PIC inpatient procedures.

CONCLUSION

Inpatient CCE and PIC have a clinical role. There is an increased risk of incomplete transit in inpatients, and strategies to mitigate against this are needed.

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of small-bowel disorders: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline - Update 2022

MR1: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy as the first-line examination, before consideration of other endoscopic and radiological diagnostic tests for suspected small-bowel bleeding, given the excellent safety profile of capsule endoscopy, its patient tolerability, and its potential to visualize the entire small-bowel mucosa.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR2: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with overt suspected small-bowel bleeding as soon as possible after the bleeding episode, ideally within 48 hours, to maximize the diagnostic and subsequent therapeutic yield.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR3: ESGE does not recommend routine second-look endoscopy prior to small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected small-bowel bleeding or iron-deficiency anemia.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. MR4: ESGE recommends conservative management in those patients with suspected small-bowel bleeding and high quality negative small-bowel capsule endoscopy.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR5: ESGE recommends device-assisted enteroscopy to confirm and possibly treat lesions identified by small-bowel capsule endoscopy.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR6: ESGE recommends the performance of small-bowel capsule endoscopy as a first-line examination in patients with iron-deficiency anemia when small bowel evaluation is indicated.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR7: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected Crohn's disease and negative ileocolonoscopy findings as the initial diagnostic modality for investigating the small bowel, in the absence of obstructive symptoms or known bowel stenosis.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR8: ESGE recommends, in patients with unremarkable or nondiagnostic findings from dedicated small-bowel cross-sectional imaging, small-bowel capsule endoscopy as a subsequent investigation if deemed likely to influence patient management.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. MR9: ESGE recommends, in patients with established Crohn's disease, the use of a patency capsule before small-bowel capsule endoscopy to decrease the capsule retention rate.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR10: ESGE recommends device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) as an alternative to surgery for foreign bodies retained in the small bowel requiring retrieval in patients without acute intestinal obstruction.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR11: ESGE recommends DAE-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (DAE-ERCP) as a first-line endoscopic approach to treat pancreaticobiliary diseases in patients with surgically altered anatomy (except for Billroth II patients).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.

Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Capsule Endoscopy: A Win-Win Situation or Not?

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) refers to bleeding of uncertain origin that persists or recurs after negative workup using any of the radiologic evaluation modalities. It can be divided into two types based on whether clinically evident bleeding is present, namely, obscure overt and obscure occult bleeding. As the visualization of the bowel mucosa is challenging, capsule endoscopy (CE) is the ideal go-to procedure as the process is wireless, ingestible, small, disposable, and, most importantly, non-invasive. This review article has compiled various studies to shed light on the guidelines for using CE, its structure and procedure, patient preferences, diagnostic yield, cost-effectiveness, and the future. The goal of this review is to show the influence of CE on OGIB on the aspects mentioned earlier.

Diagnostic and therapeutic yields of early capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy in the setting of overt GI bleeding: a systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) and device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) are essential in obscure GI bleeding (OGIB) management. However, the best timing for such procedures remains unknown. This meta-analysis aimed to compare, for the first time, diagnostic and therapeutic yields, detection of active bleeding and vascular lesions, recurrent bleeding, and mortality of "early" versus "nonearly" SBCE and DAE.

METHODS

MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify studies comparing early versus nonearly SBCE and DAE. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed; reporting quality was assessed.

RESULTS

From 1974 records, 39 were included (4825 patients). Time intervals for the early approach varied, within 14 days in SBCE and 72 hours in DAE. The pooled diagnostic and therapeutic yields of early DAE were superior to those of SBCE (7.97% and 20.89%, respectively; P < .05). The odds for active bleeding (odds ratio [OR], 5.09; I² = 53%), positive diagnosis (OR, 3.99; I² = 45%), and therapeutic intervention (OR, 3.86; I² = 67%) were higher in the early group for SBCE and DAE (P < .01). Subgroup effects in diagnostic yield were only identified for the early group sample size. Our study failed to identify differences when studies were classified according to time intervals for early DAE (I² < 5%), but the analysis was limited because of a lack of data availability. Lower recurrent bleeding in early SBCE and DAE was observed (OR, .40; P < .01; I² = 0%).

CONCLUSIONS

The role of small-bowel studies in the early evaluation of OGIB is unquestionable, impacting diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and prognosis. Comparative studies are still needed to identify optimal timing.