Intra-operative enteroscopy for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

Small bowel enteroscopy has been reported useful in the non-surgical evaluation of the small intestine in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding but findings may be limited due to incomplete small bowel intubation and a lack of tip deflection. Intra-operative enteroscopy (IOE) is accepted as the ultimate diagnostic procedure for complete evaluation of the small bowel in these patients. Two patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and deep anemia underwent IOE during surgical exploration. Angiodysplastic lesion with a diameter of 3 cm was found at jejunum in the first patient and segmental jejunal resection was performed. Enteroscopy showed red punctate lesions with a diameter of 1-3 mm located at proximal jejunum and extending to the ileum in the second patient. Total jejunal resection was performed. There was no recurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding during 36 months follow-up.