Resumen

GONZALEZ, Ileana et al. Enteroscopia de doble balón en niños: Aplicabilidad del método, posibilidades diagnósticas y terapéuticas en enfermedades del intestino delgado. Gen [online]. 2008, vol.62, n.1, pp.17-20. ISSN 0016-3503.

Small bowel diseases are difficult to diagnose in children. With double-balloon enteroscopy is possible to see the entire small bowel and perform therapeutic procedures. Literature reports the use of this procedure in adult population and little is known their utility in children. We present here the first study in Venezuelan children using the double-balloon enteroscopy, to evaluate feasibility, safety, and clinical efficacy of double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosis and treatment of small bowel disease in children. Patient and methods: 9 procedures in 9 patients, between ages 8 to 15 years, All patients underwent double-balloon enteroscopy using a Fujinon enteroscope length 200 cm, and overtube length of 145 cm. Indications: Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, chronic diarrhea and evaluation of polyposis syndrome. Results: 9 procedures. Largest duration of procedures was 60 minutes. Findings: angiodysplasia, Meckel diverticulum, vascular malformations, variceal veins, celiac enteropathy, allergic enteropathy, polyps. We changed the usual treatment in 9/9 (100%) and performed endoscopic procedure in 7/9 (77,7%). No patient experienced complications. Conclusion: Double-balloon enteroscopy is a novel, useful, reliable and safe procedure for evaluation of small bowel in children which allows changing therapeutics and performing endoscopic treatment at the same time, with high performance of the method.

Palabras clave : double-balloon enteroscopy; Small bowel diseases; enteroscopy; children.