Outcome of patients who have undergone total enteroscopy for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

Aim: To assess the diagnostic success and outcome among patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding who underwent total enteroscopy with double-balloon endoscopy.

Methods: Total enteroscopy was attempted in 156 patients between August 2003 and June 2008 at Hiroshima University Hospital and achieved in 75 (48.1%). It is assessed whether sources of bleeding were identified, treatment methods, complications, and 1-year outcomes (including re-bleeding) after treatment, and we compared re-bleeding rates among patients.

Results: The source of small bowel bleeding was identified in 36 (48.0%) of the 75 total enteroscopy patients; the source was outside the small bowel in 11 patients (14.7%) and not identified in 28 patients (37.3%). Sixty-one of the 75 patients were followed up for more than 1 year (27.2 ± 13.3 mo). Four (6.6%) of these patients showed signs of re-bleeding during the first year, but bleeding did not recur after treatment. Although statistical significance was not reached, a marked difference was found in the re-bleeding rate between patients in whom total enteroscopy findings were positive (8.6%, 3/35) and negative (3.8%, 1/26) (3/35 vs 1/26, P = 0.63).

Conclusion: A good outcome can be expected for patients who undergo total enteroscopy and receive proper treatment for the source of bleeding in the small bowel.