Patency capsule retention tied to small bowel disease in CD patients

In patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), retention of both patency capsules and video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is significantly associated with small bowel disease on imaging scans, suggests a study. 

Of the 105 patients who met the eligibility criteria, 69 percent had a confirmed CD diagnosis. Most of them (95/105, 90.5 percent) passed their patency capsule. 

Ninety-one patients had a subsequent VCE, of whom 88 (96.7 percent) successfully passed the capsule. Among those who passed the VCE, two had patency capsule retention, and both had normal small bowel imaging. However, the three patients with VCE retention showed evidence of small bowel disease in their imaging scans. 

Notably, the presence of abnormal small bowel wall thickening or stricture on imaging was significantly associated with VCE retention (p=0.02). 

“Small bowel imaging in patients with suspected or documented CD had a negative predictive value of 100 percent for VCE retention,” the researchers said.  

This multicentre retrospective study included patients with suspected or confirmed CD who underwent a patency capsule study between January 2017 and February 2023. Those who had been lost to follow-up or did not have computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen within 180 days before or after the patency capsule study were excluded. 

“Video capsule retention is a complication that can have serious consequences in patients with CD,” the researchers said. “The patency capsule was developed to detect small bowel strictures.”