PROCEDURE FOR RETROGRADE CONTRAST THROUGH DOUBLE-BALLOON ENTEROSCOPY IN CROHN’S DISEASE

Abstract

More than 70% of patients with Crohnʼs disease are likely to develop small bowel lesions and both the monitoring and the control of these lesions are directly linked to the QOL in patients. Therefore, in the management of Crohnʼs disease, it is necessary to evaluate the condition of the entire small bowel with high accuracy, using a simple technique with a low burden to the patient. Although there is no test or marker that meets all of these requirements, double-balloon enteroscopy has been widely used as one of the monitoring tools for small bowel lesions in Crohnʼs disease patients and sometimes for endoscopic dilations. In our departments, retrograde contrast through double-balloon enteroscopy is routinely performed in addition to normal observation of the enteroscopy and could assist in evaluating the deep small bowel lesions beyond the scope. In this article, we introduce the procedure and tips for retrograde contrast through double-balloon enteroscopy in patients with Crohnʼs disease.