Capsule Endoscopy Finds 'Invisible Faucet' of Small Intestine Bleeding in Dialysis Patient

A 69-year-old man undergoing regular dialysis faced a life-threatening situation due to recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient experienced multiple episodes of severe blood loss, causing his red blood cell and hemoglobin counts to drop to less than half of normal levels, putting him at risk of anemia and shock.

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The patient's bleeding occurred in different parts of the digestive tract (stomach, large intestine, small intestine) because not a single organ was diseased, but rather a combination of 'heart disease, uremia, and polyvascular disease' created a typical high-risk case.

Despite undergoing gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures multiple times to stop the bleeding, the source remained elusive. The patient continued to suffer from bleeding episodes days after initial treatments. The critical breakthrough came with the use of a capsule endoscopy, a minimally invasive diagnostic tool.

Dr. Lai Yu-Liang, Director of Gastroenterology at Yuan Rong Hospital, explained that the patient's condition was complicated by multiple underlying health issues, including heart disease, uremia, and polyvascular disease. These conditions collectively increased his risk of bleeding. The bleeding points were suspected to be in the 'blind spots' of the small intestine, areas often inaccessible to traditional endoscopic methods.

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The bleeding point might be in the 'blind spots' of the small intestine, which are difficult to reach with traditional endoscopes.

The capsule endoscopy, a device no larger than a vitamin pill containing a micro-camera, light bulb, battery, and wireless transmitter, successfully navigated the patient's approximately 6-meter-long small intestine. It precisely identified over ten sites of "multiple jejunal ulcers with recent bleeding" in the middle section of the small intestine. This accurate diagnosis enabled the medical team to administer targeted treatment, effectively stopping the internal bleeding and helping the patient regain his health.

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The 'capsule endoscopy' used by the Yuan Rong medical team, a capsule containing a micro-camera, light bulb, battery, and wireless transmitter, is only the size of a vitamin pill. It precisely located more than ten sites of 'multiple jejunal ulcers with recent bleeding' in the middle section of the patient's approximately 6-meter-long small intestine.