Abstract

GARCIA DEL RISCO, Fernando  and  ARRIETA LOPEZ, Elizabeth. Clinical experience with colon capsule endoscopy (PillCam© Colon) in the study of colonic pathologies at the Clínica Universitaria San Juan de Dios in Cartagena. Rev Col Gastroenterol [online]. 2013, vol.28, n.4, pp.286-293. ISSN 0120-9957.

Introduction: In October 2006 the PillCam© Colon colonic capsule was used for the first time ever for noninvasive colon. Recent studies have shown that is diagnostic performance is good in comparison with conventional colonoscopy for the study of colonic pathologies. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic yield of PillCam© Colon in detecting colonic lesions with the yield of conventional colonoscopy for patients with symptoms in the mid and lower intestinal regions in a hospital in Cartagena. Materials and methods: This was a prospective observational study of diagnostic tests which assessed the validity (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values​​) of the PillCam© Colon and compared them with colonoscopy for the detection of colonic lesions in a cohort of patients at the University Clínica Universitaria San Juan de Dios in Cartagena. Patients had symptoms in the mid and lower intestinal regions.  Patients were examined from June 2011 to January 2013. Analyses were performed using STATA 11.0 software. Results: We studied 25 patients: 14 women (56 %) and 11 men (44 %). All had previously undergone  colonoscopies. Panendoscopies were performed on these patients using an activated  PillCam© Colon. We achieved complete colon examinations in 76% (19 patients). Colonic transit time was 2.4 hours (SD ± 1.3 hours) and oral-anal transit time was 6.2 hours (SD ± 1.18). 78.9% of the findings of the PillCam© Colon and colonoscopy agreed. The PillCam© Colon showed lesions not seen in colonoscopy in 29.2 % of patients. Its sensitivity for detecting colonic lesions was 96 % (95% CI 54.1-100) while its specificity was 46.2 % (95% CI 19.2 -74.9). The area under the ROC curve was 0.731 (95% CI .59 to .87). Conclusion: PillCam© Colon is a highly sensitive and reliable non-invasive method for detection of lesions in the colon. It may be useful in clinical practice for early detection of colorectal cancer in high risk groups and in cases that colonoscopy is incomplete or contraindicated

Keywords : Colon capsule endoscopy; colonoscopy; diverticula; angiodysplasia; polyps.

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