Small Bowel Abnormalities in Patients with Compensated Liver Cirrhosis

Overview

Journal Dig Dis Sci

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2012 Dec 19

PMID 23247799

Citations 13

Authors

Taiki Aoyama

Shiro Oka

Hiroshi Aikata

Makoto Nakano

Ikue Watari

Noriaki Naeshiro

Shigeto Yoshida

Shinji Tanaka

Kazuaki Chayama

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Although capsule endoscopy is available as a minimally invasive imaging technique that contributes significantly to the detection of small bowel lesions, there are only a very few published descriptions of small bowel abnormalities in patients with portal hypertension.

Aims: The aim of this study was to characterize the occurrence of small bowel lesions by means of capsule endoscopy in patients with portal hypertension, particularly those with compensated liver cirrhosis and associated anemia.

Methods: Sixty consecutive patients who met our criteria underwent capsule endoscopy. The frequency, type, and distribution of small bowel lesions were determined, and clinical factors associated with the lesions were examined.

Results: Small bowel abnormalities were found in 40 patients (67 %), including erythema (n = 32, 53 %), erosion (n = 10, 17 %), angioectasia (n = 9, 15 %), varices (n = 4, 7 %), and villous edema (n = 4, 7 %). Most lesions were located in the proximal or middle small bowel. Factors associated with the lesions were Child-Pugh class B (vs. class A, P = 0.0023), ascites (vs. no ascites, P = 0.0085), and portal hypertensive gastropathy (vs. no portal hypertensive gastropathy, P = 0.0434).

Conclusions: We found capsule endoscopy to be a useful diagnostic modality for detecting clinically significant small bowel lesions in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis. Based on our results, we suggest that this procedure should be especially considered for patients with Child-Pugh class B disease, ascites, and/or portal hypertensive gastropathy if they show evidence of gastrointestinal blood loss and/or iron-deficiency anemia.

Citing Articles

Effectiveness of Double Balloon Enteroscopy in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Small Bowel Varices.

Dolu S, Arayici M, Onem S, Buyuktorun I, Dongelli H, Bengi G Diagnostics (Basel). 2025; 15(3).

PMID: 39941266 PMC: 11817830. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15030336.

Bile pigment in small-bowel water content may reflect bowel habits: a retrospective analysis of a capsule endoscopy imaging series.

Aoyama T, Fukumoto A, Shigita K, Asayama N, Mukai S, Nagata S BMC Gastroenterol. 2020; 20(1):237.

PMID: 32703159 PMC: 7376737. DOI: 10.1186/s12876-020-01382-0.

An Update: Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy and Colopathy.

Rockey D Clin Liver Dis. 2019; 23(4):643-658.

PMID: 31563216 PMC: 7416555. DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2019.07.002.

Video Capsule Endoscopy in the Assessment of Portal Hypertensive Enteropathy.

Al-Azzawi Y, Spaho L, Mahmoud M, Kheder J, Foley A, Cave D Int J Hepatol. 2018; 2018:5109689.

PMID: 30515332 PMC: 6236554. DOI: 10.1155/2018/5109689.

Ectopic varices: a potential cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with portal hypertension.

Bhavsar I, Rooney A, Corning B, Shah N BMJ Case Rep. 2018; 2018.

PMID: 29909391 PMC: 6011545. DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2018-225031.

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