Abstract
The authors evaluate retrospectively the results of single-balloon enteroscopy in patients with suspected or established diagnosis of CD. Thirty-eight single-balloon enteroscopic investigations were performed in 35 patients.
Successful deep intubation of the small intestine was achieved in 97% of procedures. In individuals with suspicion on small intestinal CD a positive finding was detected in only one patient.
In patients with well known diagnosis of CD, single-balloon enteroscopy provided an evaluation of mucosal healing after the therapy, and in one-third of i ndividuals severe inflammatory changes were revealed, leading to a change in therapeutic strategy. One-third of patients also underwent, besides the enteroscopy, a therapeutic endoscopic procedure, mostly dilatation of strictures by TTS balloon.
The major advantages of single balloon compared to double-balloon enteroscopy are: lower cost of the equipment, easier technical aspects of the investigation and shorter learning time for endoscopists. The disadvantage is the lower frequency of total small intestine investigations.