PillCam Supports Diagnosis of Peds Patients
A study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition indicates that the PillCam, from Given Imaging Limited, may be the ideal tool to diagnose pediatric patients with gastrointestinal disease. This is one of only a few studies which examined use of capsule endoscopy (CE) in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The team hypothesized that CE would provide clinicians with new diagnostic information, often altering diagnosis. The clinicians suspected that data collected with the CE would allow reclassification of IBD from colitis to Crohn’s disease, in addition to documenting a broader burden of disease. A change in diagnosis would then alter the treatment approach.
CE was completed in 28 different patients with IBD, the average time since patient diagnose with IBD was 4.2 years. Patients underwent the study secondary to a change in condition. One quarter of the patients were initially diagnosed with colitis and the remainder had Crohn’s.
After reviewing findings from CE, the diagnosis of 71 percent of the colitis patients was changed to Crohn’s. Among the Crohn’s patients, 62 percent were found to have more extensive disease than previously documented. In particular, the technology was able to assess jejunal disease.
The research team indicates that use of the PillCam capsule endoscopy for examination of the small bowel can reclassify patient’s suspected disease. It can also extend the amount of documented disease in patients with Crohn’s.
July 15, 2008 Related topics: Diagnostic, Pediatrics, Gastroenterology