Enteroscopy in small intestinal inflammatory diseases

Abstract

The development of new semilong enteroscopes, videopush enteroscope (VPE), has modified the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to inflammatory intestinal diseases owing to the biopsy and therapeutic capacities. In Crohn's Disease, VPE is useful in nonusual clinical presentations: occult intestinal bleeding and in the treatment by dilatation of jejunal and ileal strictures. In atrophic coeliac disease (ACD) VPE is mandatory each time oesogastroduodenoscopy biopsies are noninformative in order to obtain pathologic jejunal biopsis. In addition, in refractory ACD and in the case of jejunal blood loss ACD, VPE is mandatory in the search for ulcerative jejunitis and lymphoma. The management of chronic diarrhea of the adult, classic endoscopy remains the gold standard procedure and is carried out first but in patients with negative results, VPE can proceed immediately. Good results can only be obtained if VPE is performed by endoscopist who is highly interested in this field of investigation.