Occult inflammatory small-bowel disease: not so occult anymore

Scand J Gastroenterol. 2005 Mar;40(3):360-4. doi: 10.1080/00365520410010643.

Abstract

Four cases are described in which reliance on small-bowel follow-through would have led to an incorrect diagnosis. In all cases, capsule endoscopy resulted in a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, leading to successful treatment with mesalamine (PENTASA; Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Copenhagen, Denmark) and corresponding reductions in aphthous lesions on repeated capsule endoscopy. Based on our experience and a review of the literature, it is concluded that relying on a negative small-bowel follow-through examination to rule out small-bowel disease would be unfair to patients with suspected small-bowel disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diagnostic Errors*
  • Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / methods
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / drug therapy
  • Intestine, Small / pathology*
  • Male
  • Mesalamine / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
  • Mesalamine