Diagnostic value of magnetic controlled capsule endoscopy in patients with chronic abdominal pain: a retrospective two-center study

Magnetic controlled capsule endoscopy (MCE) overcomes limitations of capsule endoscopy and achieves one-time gastro-small intestinal joint examination. However, few studies have reported diagnostic value of MCE of gastrointestinal lesions in patients with abdominal pain. This study aims to investigate clinical applications of MCE in patients with abdominal pain. 465 patients suffered chronic abdominal pain and 366 asymptomatic subjects from two hospitals were included. Patient characteristics, MCE findings, incomplete examinations, examination time and adverse events were evaluated. In the abdominal pain group, disease spectrum was more diverse covering 45 types gastrointestinal lesions. Gastric lesions including atrophic gastritis, erosion, ulcer, carditis, polyp and submucosal tumor, and small intestinal lesions including lymphangiectasia, erosion, ulcer, angiotelectasis, bleeding and Crohn's disease, had the higher detection rates (all P < 0.05). Some patients detected small intestinal lesions accompanied by diarrhea, weight loss and hematochezia. The abdominal pain group had the lower completion rate and longer transit time (all P < 0.05). In conclusion, MCE is beneficial to detect diverse disease spectrum and atrophic gastritis, ulcer, erosion, Crohn's disease and small intestinal bleeding in patients with abdominal pain, and to find more lesions as one-time gastro-small intestine joint examination, with efficiency, safety, noninvasiveness and high completion rate.