Abstract

LIZARZABAL GARCIA, Maribel. Comparación de cápsula endoscópica esofágica y endoscopia digestiva superior para el diagnóstico de varices esofagicas en Maracaibo Venezuela: Reporte preliminar. Gen [online]. 2010, vol.64, n.2, pp.104-107. ISSN 0016-3503.

Endoscopic Capsule (EC) for small bowl is a gastrointestinal breakthrough which extended to esophagus searching for alternatives to esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD); “gold standard” for esophageal varices (EV) study (but invasive and uncomfortable without sedation). We report our preliminary EC results in Maracaibo. Materials and Methods: Before EGD with moderated sedation, 9 cirrhotic patients, 6 (55%) for surveillance and 3 for variceal screening, underwent EC PillCam™ESO (Given Imaging). Endoscopist with EC training (blinded to EGD founds but not to patient’s history) read twice the results. EC and EGD images were evaluated for EV size, bleeding risk, portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) grade, gastric varices and other founds. Two satisfaction questionnaires were applied (pre and post procedure). Results: EC showed 88.8% sensibility in determining EV size and bleeding risk and 66.6% sensitivity for PHG. A gastric varice was seen only by EC. 88% of the patients were more anxious and uncomfortable with EGD preferring EC for future procedures. Conclusion: Though EC is efficient, comfortable and useful in deciding which patients would benefi t from EGD we don’t think it will totally replace EGD, due to its cost and impossibility for treatment. Results are promising although bigger samples are necessary for solid conclusions.

Keywords : endoscopic capsule; EGD; esophageal varices; portal hypertensive gastropathy.