Single Center Review of Wireless Capsule Endoscopy in Children - Abstract
Objective: The data on wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) in children is limited.
The aim of this study is to describe the demographics, indications, findings, and
complications of this novel non-invasive diagnostic tool in a pediatric population.
Methods: The study is an IRB approved retrospective chart review of patients <18
years of age who underwent WCE at a tertiary children’s hospital over a seven-year
period.
Results: 91 WCE were included, youngest patient was 4 years old; 15 patients
were <10 years old. Active gastrointestinal bleeding was only observed in 2 patients.
One patient demonstrated findings consistent with NSAID injury, and another patient
endorsed parasites. In our study, the diagnostic yield of WCE was highest in patients
with known CD, 10 of 17 CD and 2 of 10 IC patients were found to have active
SBCD. Patients with IC had their disease reclassified as CD. The treatment modality
had been changed in all of the patients with newly diagnosed SBCD patients and 92%
of patients with known CD.2 of 6 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding were found
to have active bleeding in the small bowel; and none of the patients with suspected
polyposis were found to have polypoid lesions. The complication rate was 7%.
Conclusion: Pediatric indications of WCE are more focused on Inflammatory
Bowel Disease (IBD) versus gastrointestinal bleeding and polyps. Evaluation of
established CD demonstrated the greatest ratio of abnormal findings. Complication
rate is comparable to other published studies in children.