| Theme |
New developments in capsule/balloon-assisted endoscopy |
| Title |
Usefulness of balloon-assisted endoscopy for the diagnosis and management of small intestinal bleeding |
| Author |
Manabu Nagayama |
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University |
| Author |
Tomonori Yano |
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University |
| Author |
Hironori Yamamoto |
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University |
| [ Summary ] |
Obscure GI bleeding (OGIB) is defined as bleeding from GI tract which persists or recurs without an obvious etiology after esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy. OGIB could be categorized into the classifications of overt or occult OGIB based on the presence or absence of clinically evident bleeding. Vascular lesions in the small intestine are the most frequent etiology of OGIB. It is often difficult to detect these lesions.
In this review, we propose an algorithm for the diagnosis and management of OGIB and explain proper methods to perform balloon-assisted endoscopy, especially double-balloon endoscopy. |