Mulcahy H E, Fairclough P D
Digestive Diseases Research Centre, St. Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London E1 2AD, England, UK.
Gastrointest Endosc. 1998 Dec;48(6):618-20. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5107(98)70045-8.
Ultrathin (</= 6 mm diameter) endoscopes have recently been introduced into clinical practice.
We retrospectively assessed the role of a 6 mm diameter videoendoscope in 15 patients with tight gastrointestinal tract strictures.
The ultrathin endoscope was successfully passed through 9 of 12 esophageal strictures not amenable to endoscopy with a standard-diameter endoscope allowing stricture dilatation or nasogastric tube placement in 8 of these. Ultrathin endoscopy was also successful in passing 3 lower gastrointestinal tract strictures caused by Crohn's disease that were impassable using larger-diameter endoscopes.
Ultrathin endoscopy is potentially useful in the assessment and treatment of some upper and lower gastrointestinal tract strictures.
