RESUMO
Capsule endoscopy (CE) has proved to be an important non-invasive tool for diagnosis and monitoring Crohn's disease patients. It has the advantage of excellent visualization of digestive tract mucosa, a good tolerability and safety in well-selected patients. The risk of retention can be diminished by good selection of patients using imaging techniques and by the use of patency capsule. The aim of a capsule examination is not only an early diagnosis but also a very good stratification of prognosis, thus directing the treatment strategy for either a step up or top-down approach and also permitting the optimization of the treatment depending on the findings. When symptoms and biomarkers point to a change in the disease's activity we can either adjust the treatment directly as recommended in CALM study or choose in selected patients to visualize the digestive mucosa through a CE and take a decision afterwards. The appearance of the new capsule from Medtronic-the Pillcam Crohn's might be an important step forward in diagnosis, evaluating disease extent, the severity of the disease, prognosis, management in a treat to target approach, with treatment modifications according to the data from CE examination. Serial examinations in the same patient can be compared and a more objective evaluation of the lesions modification from one exam to another can be performed. We present the latest developments and current status and evidence that in selected patients capsule can be a tool in a treat to target approach.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Recent data imply young patients (age ≤50 years) undergoing small-bowel (SB) capsule endoscopy (CE) for iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) show higher diagnostic yield (DY) for sinister pathology. We aimed to investigate DY of CE in a large cohort of young IDA patients, and evaluate factors predicting significant SB pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicentre study (2010-2015) in consecutive, young patients (≤50 years) from 18 centres/12 countries, with negative bidirectional gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy undergoing SBCE for IDA. Exclusion criteria: previous/ongoing obscure-overt GI bleeding; age <19 or >50 years; comorbidities associated with IDA. Data retrieved: SBCE indications; prior investigations; medications; SBCE findings; final diagnosis. Clinical and laboratory data were analysed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Data on 389 young IDA patients were retrieved. In total, 169 (43.4%) were excluded due to incomplete clinical data; data from 220 (122F/98M; mean age 40.5 ± 8.6 years) patients were analysed. Some 71 patients had at least one clinically significant SBCE finding (DY: 32.3%). They were divided into two groups: neoplastic pathology (10/220; 4.5%), and non-neoplastic but clinically significant pathology (61/220; 27.7%). The most common significant but non-neoplastic pathologies were angioectasias (22/61) and Crohn's disease (15/61). On multivariate analysis, weight loss and lower mean corpuscular volume(MCV) were associated with significant SB pathology (OR: 3.87; 95%CI: 1.3-11.3; p = 0.01; and OR: 0.96; 95%CI: 0.92-0.99; p = 0.03; respectively). Our model also demonstrates association between use of antiplatelets and significant SB pathology, although due to the small number of patients, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. CONCLUSION: In IDA patients ≤50 years with negative bidirectional GI endoscopy, overall DY of SBCE for clinically significant findings was 32.3%. Some 5% of our cohort was diagnosed with SB neoplasia; lower MCV or weight loss were associated with higher DY for SB pathology.
