Role of Video Capsule in Small Bowel Bleeding

Abstract

Video capsule endoscopy has an essential role in the diagnosis and management of small bowel bleeding and is the first-line study recommended for this purpose. This article reviews the risk factors for small bowel bleeding, optimal timing for video capsule endoscopy testing, and algorithms recommended for evaluation. Used primarily for the assessment of nonacute gastrointestinal blood loss, video capsule endoscopy has an emerging role for more urgent use in emergency settings and in special populations. Future software incorporation of neural networks to enhance lesion detection will likely result in an augmented role of video capsule endoscopy in small bowel bleeding.

Keywords: Angioectasias; GI angiodysplasia Video capsule endoscopy; Gastrointestinal bleeding; Small bowel hemorrhagic lesions; Small bowel tumors; Small bowel ulcers; Suspected small bowel bleeding.