Background/aims: The role of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is still evolving. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic yield of DBE with that of small bowel series (SBS).
Methods: We enrolled patients with suspected small bowel disease consecutively, and performed both DBE and SBS in all patients.
Results: Eighteen patients (M:F=12:6, 14-82 years) were included. Indications for small bowel evaluation were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (10), abdominal pain (5), diarrhea (2) and abnormal CT finding (1). Of 10 obscure gastrointestinal bleeding patients, 6 showed the same findings in both studies. However, 4 showed negative findings in SBS while DBE detected erosions or ulcerations. Of 5 abdominal pain patients, 3 showed the same results in both studies. However, 2 demonstrated different results. One was suspected of early Crohn's disease in SBS, but proved to be normal in DBE, and the other was suspected of malignancy in SBS but was suspected of benign ulcers in DBE. Of 2 chronic diarrhea patients, one was diagnosed as Crohn's disease in both studies. The other was suspected of tuberculosis in SBS but diagnosed as lymphangiectasia by DBE with biopsy. One patient with jejunal wall thickening in CT proved to be normal in both DBE and SBS. There were no serious complications associated with DBE and SBS.
Conclusions: DBE is better than SBS in terms of diagnostic accuracy. DBE may become an important method for the evaluation of small bowel diseases.