Evaluation of double-balloon enteroscopy in the management of type 1 small bowel vascular lesions (angioectasia): a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Small-bowel angioectasia is commonly diagnosed and managed using double-balloon enteroscopy; however, rebleeding rates can vary significantly. This study aimed to identify and evaluate the clinical predictors of rebleeding in patients with small-bowel angioectasia.

METHODS

This retrospective study focused on adult patients who underwent endoscopic management for small bowel vascular lesions (SBVLs). A total of 67 patients were included in the study, all of whom were retrospectively analyzed. The SBVLs were classified using the Yano et al. classification system. Among these, 62 patients with angioectasia who received endoscopic treatment were specifically analyzed. To further investigate the clinical outcomes, the angioectasia group that required endoscopic treatment was divided into two subgroups based on the number of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) procedures performed. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to establish which predictor variables were significantly related to the recurrence.

RESULTS

A total of 67 patients (mean age 68.1 ± 8.9 years; 44 males) with SBVL, angioectasia was diagnosed in 62 (92.5%) patients, dieulafoy lesion in 1 (1.5%) patient, and arteriovenous malformation in 4 (6%) patients. Similarly, the prevalence of chronic renal failure and diabetes mellitus were significantly higher in the multiple DBE endotherapy group compared to the single DBE endotherapy group (p < 0.001; p = 0.032, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, anticoagulant use (OR = 9.648, 95% CI: 1.729-53.817, p = 0.010), chronic renal failure (OR = 15.683, 95% CI: 2.727-90.203, p = 0.002), localization of duodenum (OR = 13.509, 95% CI: 1.598-114.168, p = 0.017), and localization of the ileum (OR = 17.100, 95% CI: 1.477-197.905, p = 0.023) were all independently associated with a higher risk of angioectasia recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study demonstrates a high success rate of endoscopic treatment, with a rebleeding rate of 27%, highlighting the significance of this approach. Chronic renal failure, use of anticoagulant, and lesion localization in the duodenum or ileum were identified as independent risk factors for rebleeding, underscoring the need for careful patient monitoring and targeted intervention in these cases.