The G F T-A Gastocamera: preliminary report - abstract

ABSTRACT

The G T F-A Gastrocamera represents a significant advance in the field of gastroscopy with, for the first time, a fiberscope attached to an intragastric camera. With it one can observe and photograph the surface of the gastric mucous membrane and the dynamic movements of the stomach, especially the antrum and pylorus. In this preliminary report 51 gastroscopies were performed by the author on patients who were previously X-rayed. The patients tolerated the procedure extremely well and there were no complications. In 36, cases (70.6 percent) X-ray and gastroscopy were correctly in agreement. In 1 case (1.9 percent) X-ray was indefinite and gastroscopy correct. In 12 cases (23.5 percent) X-ray was wrong and gastroscopy correct. X-ray was right and gastroscopy wrong on 3 occasions (5.8 percent). The radiological errors included 3 cases of antral narrowing ascribed to neoplasm and at gastroscopy a normally wide antrum was seen each time. This supperts the fact that the so-called "narrowed antrum" of the roentgenologists is an ambiguous sign. It calls definitely for gastroscopy when many unnecessary laparotomies will be avoided. In 4 cases gastric atrophy was discovered at gastroscopy, confirming the unanimous opinion that gastritis is best diagnosed at endoscopy. A moderately large ulcer at the incisura was unable to be visualized radiologically after two barium studies. In 2 other cases there were false positive radiological diagnoses of linitis plastica and a benign antral ulcer. 1 case of gastric purpura seen with the gastrocamera was unable to be diagnosed radiologically (AU)