Small intestine cancer other diagnostic studies

Other diagnostic studies for small intestine cancer include enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy and double balloon enteroscopy, which can directly visualize intestinal mucosa and take pictures through cameras. It can directly show tumor in the muscosa of intestinal wall and surrounding area.

• X-ray, CT, MRI, and PET-CT are the foremost examination modalities for small intestinal tumors.
• However, with the advancement of radiology, a series of new diagnostic techniques have been developed, such as electronic enteroscopy, multi-slice spiral CT enteroclysis and capsule endoscopy. ^[1]
• On enteroscopy, gastrointestinal stromal tumor present as a nodule with enlarged mucosal folds or as a mass with abnormal surface vessels.
• Carcinoid tumors present with submucosal nodule or bulge, which can be associated with an ulcer.
• Lymphomas present with variable degrees of nodular mucosa and occasional ulcerations and ulceration ^[2]

• In this procedure, the patient is not detected with an actual endoscope but with a capsule (about the size of a large vitamin pill).
• Endoscope contains a light source and a very small camera.
• After swallowing, the capsule goes through the small intestine for a period of 8 hours.
• It takes thousands of pictures which can be downloaded onto a computer to analyze.

• This is a newer way of looking at the small intestine. At first the patient need to anesthesia.
• This technology makes the doctor to see the intestine a foot at a time and even take a biopsy if something abnormal.

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