Valor de la técnica de inmersión en el diagnóstico de las enfermedades de la mucosa duodenal / [Value of immersion technique in the diagnosis of diseases of duodenal mucosa].

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: We used the immersion technique for the evaluation of duodenal mucosa for several years and we observed discordant results in relation to the literature. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the immersion technique in the diagnosis of duodenal mucosa diseases. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We performed an upper endoscopy, immersion technique, chromoendoscopy and biopsies of the second portion of the duodenum to the patients who met the inclusion criteria. It was reported the presence of villi and the partial or total absence of them. RESULTS: The standard endoscopy showed absence of villi in 16 patients and normal mucosa in 384. The comparison between these results and those of the biopsies showed that biopsies were normal in 3 patients with presumed absence of villi and had a partial atrophy of villi in 1 patient with normal endoscopy. With the immersion technique and the chromoendoscopy we observed absence of villi in 13 patients and normal mucosa in 386. When we compared these results with those of the biopsies, we observed that 1 normal patient had a partial atrophy of villi. These results indicate that standard endoscopy has a sensitivity of 92