Capsule endoscopy is an imaging method that allows examination of the entire digestive system, including the small intestine, which cannot be evaluated by gastroscopy and colonoscopy. The patient swallows a pill-sized capsule and the entire digestive system is examined with the camera inside the capsule. Capsule endoscopy is especially applied in cases such as unlocalized gastrointestinal bleeding, Crohn's disease, prolonged diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Capsule endoscopy, which is often used to visualize the small intestine, which is often difficult to reach using a conventional endoscope, is an important method for the detection of small bowel diseases.
What are the Features of Capsule Endoscopy?
The capsule is a wireless device the size of a large pill (11x25 mm, 3-4 g) and contains a mini camera, light, microchip, antenna and battery. The capsule moves with stomach and bowel movements and records thousands of images until the battery runs out. It can take 9 times more pictures than normal capsules. The images from the capsule are stored in a recording device that is carried by radio frequency waves through electrodes attached to the patient's abdomen. The capsule has an 8-hour usage time.
In which cases is capsule endoscopy performed?
Capsule endoscopy is used in undetected gastrointestinal bleeding and in the evaluation of inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease. It is also used in the examination of iron deficiency anemia of unknown cause, prolonged diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss, and in the diagnosis of small intestinal polyps or tumors.
How is capsule endoscopy performed?
Capsule endoscopy is performed by swallowing a capsule on an empty stomach. The patient can consume liquid and solid foods for a certain period of time after swallowing the capsule. The patient is advised to take light walks to increase bowel movements and allow the capsule to move forward. Since the duration of use is 8 hours, it should have traveled through the entire small intestine and progressed to the large intestine within this period.
In order for the process to progress positively and to achieve results, it is important that the device connections are correct and not dislodged. In addition, the warning lights should be checked by the specialist. After the procedure, the recorder is removed from the patient, connected to the computer and all images are transferred to the computer. The images are examined by the specialist and the findings are reported to the patient.
Indications for Capsule Endoscopy
There are many indications for capsule endoscopy. A common indication is indeterminate gastrointestinal bleeding thought to be in the small intestine after upper and lower endoscopic methods have failed to find a source of bleeding. The video capsule has a detection rate of 35% to 77% for indeterminate gastrointestinal bleeding. Other indications for small bowel capsule endoscopy are
- Unexplained iron deficiency anemia,
- Diagnosis of Crohn's disease and assessment of Crohn's disease activity,
- Diagnosis of celiac disease and evaluation of refractory celiac disease,
- Polyposis syndrome surveillance,
- Small intestine tumors.