Wireless Capsule Enteroscopy in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of our prospective study was to define endoscopy appearance of the small bowel in healthy volunteers.

Method: Forty-two healthy volunteers underwent wireless capsule endoscopy, clinical investigation, laboratory tests, and completed a health-status questionnaire. All subjects were available for a 36-month clinical follow-up.

Results: Eleven subjects (26%) had fully normal endoscopy findings. Remaining 31 persons (74%), being asymptomatic, with normal laboratory results, had some minor findings at wireless capsule endoscopy. Most of those heterogeneous findings were detected in the small intestine (27/31; 87%), like erosions and/or multiple red spots, diminutive polyps and tiny vascular lesions. During a 36-month clinical follow-up, all these 42 healthy volunteers remained asymptomatic, with fully normal laboratory control.

Conclusions: Significant part of healthy subjects had abnormal findings at wireless capsule endoscopy. These findings had no clinical relevance, as all these persons remained fully asymptomatic during a 36-month follow-up. Such an endoscopic appearance would be previously evaluated as "pathological". This is a principal report alerting that all findings of any control group of wireless capsule endoscopic studies must be evaluated with caution.

Keywords: 36-month follow-up; Healthy volunteers; Small bowel; Wireless capsule enteroscopy.