Long-term follow-up of patients undergoing capsule and double-balloon enteroscopy for identification and treatment of small-bowel vascular lesions: a prospective, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Few data are available concerning the long-term outcome of patients treated endoscopically for bleeding small-bowel vascular lesions (SBVL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of rebleeding after endoscopic therapy for SBVLs detected by video capsule enteroscopy (VCE). The secondary aim was to assess risk factors for rebleeding. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, multicenter study (15 centers) was conducted, involving patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and SBVL on VCE who were treated during double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE). The likelihood of bleeding was defined according to VCE findings, as high or low. RESULTS: A total of 183 patients underwent endotherapy during DBE, and 64 (35 %) had rebleeding during the 1 year follow-up period. Multivariate analysis indicated that cardiac disease (hazard ratio [HR] 2.04, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.20 - 3.48; P < 0.01) and the presence of overt bleeding (HR 1.78, 95 %CI 1.07 - 2.97; P = 0.03) at presentation were associated with the risk of rebleeding. The association between chronic renal failure and the risk of rebleeding was close to statistical significance (HR 1.77, 95 %CI 0.94 - 3.33; P = 0.08). Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that patients treated during DBE for a lesion with low likelihood of bleeding on VCE had higher rebleeding rates than those with a high likelihood of bleeding (HR 1.87, 95 %CI 0.94 - 3.37; P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Despite long-term remission in most patients, about one-third had rebleeding at 1 year. Independent risk factors for rebleeding were cardiac disease and overt bleeding at original presentation. The lesion characteristics on VCE may be useful to evaluate the bleeding potential of the lesion and may be used for better selection of patients for DBE.