Utility of preoperative small-bowel endoscopy for hemorrhagic lesions in the small intestine

Purpose We evaluated a small group of patients with hemorrhagic lesions in the small intestine diagnosed preoperatively by video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and/or double-balloon endoscopy (DBE), who underwent surgery in our hospital. Methods The subjects were 20 patients with hemorrhagic lesions in the small intestine diagnosed preoperatively by VCE and/or DBE, who underwent surgery between April 2004 and December 2008. Results VCE, DBE, and computed tomography were performed in 12, 17, and 20 patients, respectively. Eleven patients also had a biopsy taken during DBE, resulting in a definitive diagnosis in eight. Because of the risk of hemorrhage during DBE in five patients, a biopsy was not taken and the sites of the lesion were marked in these patients. Twenty patients underwent surgery, and the diagnoses were small-intestinal cancer in eight, gastrointestinal stromal tumor in seven, arteriovenous malformation in two, and Crohn’s disease, angioectasia, and leiomyoma in one each. The interval between the onset of symptoms and surgery was less than 50 days for six patients, 50–100 days for two, 100–200 days for five, and more than 200 days for seven. Conclusion Preoperative small-bowel endoscopy proved useful for diagnosing the cause of hemorrhagic lesions in the small intestine.