PillCam Colon capsule endoscopy does not always complement incomplete colonoscopy

Background: There are no data on the role of PillCam Colon capsule (PCC) endoscopy for examination of the colon in incomplete colonoscopy cases. Objective: To evaluate whether PCC endoscopy can complete colon examination after failure of conventional colonoscopy to visualize the cecum. Setting: Three tertiary centers. Study design: Retrospective case series. Patients: Patients who underwent PCC endoscopy after incomplete colonoscopy from January to June 2008. Interventions: Conventional colonoscopy and PCC endoscopy. Results: By using PCC, we studied 12 patients who had incomplete colonoscopy Six patients had an obstructing tumor of the left side of the colon, and, in 6 cases, there were technical difficulties to complete colonoscopy PCC endoscopy visualized the rectum in 1 case. The capsule did not reach the site where colonoscopy stopped in 6 of the 12 cases, ie, 3 left sited tumors and 3 with technical difficulties. Moreover, in 1 of the 3 cases in which the capsule passed the site where colonoscopy stopped, poor bowel preparation precluded the accurate examination of the colon. Four patients underwent a third colon examination (3 barium enemas and 1 virtual CT colonoscopy). There were no adverse events related to PCC endoscopy. Limitations: A retrospective study and a selected patient population. Data may not be applicable to other settings. Conclusion: In this retrospective case series of patients with incomplete colonoscopy, PCC endoscopy did not always satisfactorily examine the colon.