Small-bowel barium follow-through is rarely required in patients with a normal ileoscopy and terminal ileal biopsy and a normal or unremarkable colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND

There is an increase of reliance on ileoscopy in preference to small-bowel barium follow-through in the diagnosis of terminal ileal Crohn disease. In this study the role of small-bowel barium follow-through after a normal or unremarkable ileocolonoscopy was investigated.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of all patients who had a colonoscopy followed by a small-bowel barium follow-through over a 7-year period was performed. Patients with a previously established diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and those who had colonoscopic evidence of inflammatory bowel disease were excluded.

RESULTS

Of the 96 patients who had a normal ileoscopy and normal or unremarkable colonoscopy, 3 had abnormalities detected at small-bowel barium follow-through. Two patients had abnormal terminal ileal biopsies, although the terminal ileum appeared macroscopically normal. The small-bowel barium follow-through helped to establish the diagnosis of Crohn disease. The other patient presented changes consistent with a previously established diagnosis. Of the 47 patients who had a normal or unremarkable total colonoscopy without ileoscopy, I had abnormalities detected at small-bowel barium follow-through consistent with a previously established diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Small-bowel barium follow-through is rarely required in patients who have had a normal ileoscopy and terminal ileum biopsy and a normal or unremarkable colonoscopy. It should only be performed if there is a very high index of suspicion of small-bowel pathology. In patients with suspected Crohn disease, it is important to take terminal ileum biopsies even if the ileum appears macroscopically normal at ileoscopy.