Role of double-balloon endoscopy in the diagnosis of small-bowel tumors: the first Japanese multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The early diagnosis of small-bowel tumors (SBT) was a difficult task until the advent of capsule endoscopy (CE) and double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) allowed access to the disease site. However, although CE and DBE have greatly simplified the task, DBE studies have yet to provide sufficient data on the diagnosis and outcome of patients with SBTs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of DBE examination in the detection and diagnosis of SBT.

DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of cross-sectional case series.

SETTING: Seven major medical centers in Japan.

PATIENTS: The first 1035 consecutive DBE cases at these major Japanese centers since the introduction of DBE.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The percentage of subjects with SBT and a diagnosis of SBT, their indications for DBE, and diagnostic and therapeutic DBE procedures carried out for SBT.

RESULTS: SBTs were identified in 144 of 1035 subjects (13.9%) who underwent DBE between September 2000 and December 2005. For subjects with SBT, the most common indication for DBE was the suspected presence of a SBT (61/144 [42.4%]). For subjects without SBT, the most common indication was obscure GI bleeding (OGIB) (419/891 [47.0%]). Malignant lymphoma and GI stromal tumor (GIST) were the most frequent (31/144 [21.5%]) and the second-most frequent SBTs (27/144 [18.8%]), respectively, in this database. We also performed 85 biopsies and 45 therapeutic procedures for the evaluation and treatment of SBTs in 144 patients. Although complications were encountered in 5.3% of cases (14/266 sessions), none of these were life threatening in the present study.

CONCLUSION: DBE proved a valuable tool for the detection and diagnosis of SBTs, especially when tumors were suspected. Biopsies and therapeutic procedures were also possible in most of these patients, which directed our management of the disease.