Characteristics of Small Intestinal Diseases on Single-Balloon Enteroscopy: A Single-Center Study Conducted Over 6 Years in China

The small intestine has been considered inaccessible for a long term. The development of single-balloon endoscopy has greatly improved the diagnosis and treatment possibilities for small intestinal diseases. In this study, we aimed to explore the demographic characteristics and small intestinal diseases of patients who underwent single-balloon enteroscopy between 2009 and 2014 at our endoscopy center. We determined the enteroscopic findings for each small intestinal disease and the most susceptible age groups. In total, 186 patients were included in the study. Their mean age was 45.87 ± 15.77 years. Patients who underwent single-balloon enteroscopy were found to have neoplasms (most common age group: 14–45 years, most common lesion location: jejunum), lymphoma (46–59 and 60–74 years, ileum), protuberant lesions (45–59 years, jejunum), inflammation (14–45 and 46–59 years, ileum), benign ulcers (14–45 years, jejunum), diverticulum (14–45 years, ileum), vascular malformations (60–74 years, jejunum), polyps (14–45 years, jejunum), Crohn's disease (14–45 years, jejunum), hookworm infection (14–45 years, jejunum), lipid pigmentation (14–45 and 46–59 years, jejunum), undetermined bleeding (46–59 years, ileum), or undetermined stenosis (31 years, duodenum). Each small intestinal disease had distinct enteroscopic findings.