Outcome after enteroscopy for patients with obscure GI bleeding: diagnostic comparison between double-balloon endoscopy and videocapsule endoscopy

Background Double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) and videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) have been useful in managing obscure GI bleeding (OGIB). Objective This study compared diagnostic yields of OGIB between DBE and VCE, and evaluated the outcome after DBE. Design A single-center retrospective study. Setting A tertiary-referral hospital. Patients Between June 2003 and February 2007, 162 consecutive patients with OGIB were enrolled and treated. The diagnostic yield between VCE and DBE was compared in 74 patients. Main Outcome Measurements Comparison of diagnostic yields between DBE and VCE, and the prognosis after DBE. Results Of 162 patients, 95 (59%) were diagnosed with small-bowel diseases. They were treated by medical, enteroscopic, and surgical therapies (n = 35, 30, and 30, respectively). A comparison of the overall diagnostic yield between DBE (64%) and VCE (54%) was not significantly different. The 4 VCE-positive DBE-negative cases were because of inaccessibility of DBE. The 11 VCE-negative DBE-positive cases were because of a failure to detect lesions in the proximal small bowel and the Roux-en-Y loop, and because of diverticula. At a median follow-up of 555 days after DBE, 11 patients with small-bowel diseases developed rebleeding; all were treated by enteroscopic or medical therapies. Vascular diseases, comorbidities, especially portal hypertensive disease and chronic renal failure that required hemodialysis, and severe anemia (Hb ≤7.0 g/dL) were associated with rebleeding. Limitations A retrospective comparative study, and participation bias. Conclusions A complementary combination between DBE and VCE was useful for the management of OGIB. In particular, patients with vascular disease, comorbidities, and severe anemia should be intensively treated.