Editorial
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 21, 2010; 16(19): 2331-2340
Published online May 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i19.2331
Double balloon enteroscopy and acute pancreatitis
Marcela Kopacova, Ilja Tacheci, Stanislav Rejchrt, Jolana Bartova, Jan Bures
Marcela Kopacova, Ilja Tacheci, Stanislav Rejchrt, Jolana Bartova, Jan Bures, 2nd Department of Medicine, Charles University in Praha, Faculty of Medicine at Hradec Králové, University Teaching Hospital, Sokolská 581, Hradec Králové, 500 05, Czech Republic
Author contributions: Kopacova M, Tacheci I, Rejchrt S, Bartova J and Bures J contributed equally to this work.
Supported by The Research Project: MZO 00179906 from the Ministry of Health, Czech Republic
Correspondence to: Marcela Kopacova, MD, PhD, 2nd Department of Medicine, Charles University Teaching Hospital, Sokolská 581, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. kopacmar@fnhk.cz
Telephone: +420-49-5834240 Fax: +420-49-5834785
Received: January 14, 2010
Revised: February 3, 2010
Accepted: February 10, 2010
Published online: May 21, 2010
Abstract

Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is a new technique, first published and introduced into clinical practice in 2001 by Yamamoto, the inventor of this outstanding method. DBE allows complete visualization, biopsy and treatment of the small bowel. Nowadays, we have some experience of this method for evaluation of the complication rate. Severe complications are described in 1%-1.7% of patients. Acute pancreatitis is a rare complication of the investigation. The incidence of acute pancreatitis after diagnostic DBE is 0.3% in most studies. More than 50 cases of acute pancreatitis have been described in the literature so far. On the contrary, hyperamylasemia after DBE seems to be a rather common condition. Association with acute pancreatitis is supposed to be possible, but not obligatory. The causal mechanism of post-DBE acute pancreatitis is uncertain, and there are several theories in the literature. The most probable cause seems to be a mechanical straining of the endoscope with over-tube on the pancreas or in the papillary area.

Keywords: Double balloon endoscopy; Gastrointestinal endoscopy; Small intestine; Hyperamylasemia; Acute pancreatitis