| Theme |
Endoscopic balloon dilation for small bowel stricture in Crohn's disease |
| Title |
Has endoscopic balloon dilation improved patient prognosis? |
| Author |
Tomoyuki Tsujikawa |
Gastroenterology Unit, Kohka Public Hospital |
| Author |
Ken-ichirou Takahashi |
Division of Gastroenterology, Shiga University of Medical Science |
| Author |
Shigeki Bamba |
Division of Gastroenterology, Shiga University of Medical Science |
| [ Summary ] |
Balloon dilation using a small intestinal endoscope eff ectively treats small intestinal stenosis in patients with Crohn's disease; however, few reports have described the long-term prognosis in such cases. In our study that included 69 patients with small intestinal stenosis, surgery could be avoided for 5 years in more than 82 % of the patients who underwent successful dilation. In a multicenter study of 305 patients with small bowel stenosis, addition of drug therapy with immunomodulators or anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibody was required to prevent intestinal resection after balloon dilation. It was also shown that lifestyle modifications such as smoking cessation was the only factor that prolonged the interval until re-dilation. |