Abstract
Based on published clinical trials of colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) conducted mainly in Europe, the current situation and problems of CCE were reviewed and summarized. Colon cleansing preparation has a significant influence on the accuracy of CCE. The quality of colon cleansing preparation for CCE has been classified on a 4-level scale specialized for CCE. However, it may also be rational to simplify the scale to a 2-level (adequate and inadequate) scale. Based on the results of 11 original articles with high evidence levels, it is estimated that the excretion rate within the battery-effective hours (about 10 hrs) is in the range of 75 to 94%. The diagnostic ability, sensitivity and specificity of the clinical study were (63, 83%), (58, 85%), and (86, 71%) for Overall (PillCam COLON 1+2), Overall (PillCam COLON 1), and Overall (PillCam COLON 2), respectively. Thus, the clinical study appears to show an excellent diagnostic ability for PillCam COLON 2. Although the usefulness, accuracy and safety of CCE suggest that it may serve as an appropriate modality for screening examinations, further studies examining in particular its usefulness in screening will be needed. The cost of CCE remains a problem, however, the cost-effectiveness of screening with CCE may be high if the patient's adherence can be improved.
