BACKGROUND Anemia is the most common hematologic abnormality in older populations. Furthermore, iron deficiency anemia is common and merits investigation and treatment, as it usually results from chronic occult bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. In view of a wide use of capsule endoscopy as a diagnostic procedure for occult gastrointestinal bleeding and of the growth of aging population,...

Palliation of dysphagia due to malignant obstruction of the oesophagus by passage of the Celestin tube is described in 36 cases. Although there was a high initial mortality, this was most marked when the tube was used to palliate dysphagia due to enlarged posterior mediastinal glands. Satisfactory palliation was obtained in all but one patient, and four patients survived more than six months in...

BACKGROUND Isolated congenital asplenia is a poorly understood and rare form of primary immunodeficiency, often associated with life-threatening infections. CASE REPORT We encountered a unique case of a 22-year-old asplenic male who presented with severe iron-deficiency anemia secondary to occult gastrointestinal bleeding since age 15. Our extensive work-up confirmed jejunal arteriovenous malfo...

AIM To assess whether video capsule endoscopy (VCE) affects the outcomes of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) recipients with gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS This is a retrospective study of LVAD recipients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) who underwent VCE at a tertiary medical center between 2005 and 2013. All patients were admitted and monitored with telemetry and all...

Ectopic varices (EcV) comprise large portosystemic venous collaterals located anywhere other than the gastro-oesophageal region. No large series or randomized-controlled trials address this subject, and therefore its management is based on available expertise and facilities, and may require a multidisciplinary team approach. EcV are common findings during endoscopy in portal hypertensive patien...