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Unlabelled: The methods used for the study of the small bowel are not ideal. Double-balloon enteroscopy is a new alternative with therapeutic potential., Objective: Evaluate the utility, efficacy and safety of double-balloon enteroscopy in Mexico., Material and Methods: Adult patients seen in the Hospital de Especialidades Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Mexico City who were being studied for: chronic diarrhea, obscure gastrointestinal hemorrhage, weight-loss and chronic anemia were included in the study. Anterograde (oral) and retrograde (anal) approaches were used and study time, findings and complications were evaluated., Results: Thirty-one enteroscopies were performed, 15 were anterograde, 8 retrograde and 8 were performed via both routes, in 23 patients studied between February and October, 2004; 10 of them were women and 13 men with ages ranging from 25 to 80 years. Fourteen patients were sedated and 9 patients were anesthetized. Study time varied form 55 to 90 minutes. With the anterograde route the ileum was reached in 56.6% of cases, 39.1% the jejunum and only in one patient (4.3%) the whole intestine was explored. With the retrograde route in 62.5% of cases the jejunum was explored and 37.5% the ileum. Four patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and 1 patient with chronic anemia had vascular ecstasies, and in 40% of patients there was no identifiable cause. In 2 patients with intestinal stenosis biopsies revealed intestinal lymphoma in one and ischemic injury in another one. The adverse effects were mild and transitoru., Conclusions: Double-balloon enteroscopy is a safe diagnostic and therapeutic method that is useful in cases of obscure hemorrhage, chronic anemia; small bowel pathology was found in 64.7% of cases.

As therapy for leukemia and lymphoma has improved, secondary pulmonary disease has become a major cause of death. In this review of 225 patients with leukemia or lymphoma, six possibly preventable deaths resulted because progressive pulmonary infiltrates were treated without tissue diagnosis. Four other patients died of undiagnosed second primary lung tumors. When pulmonary infiltrates were diagnosed by open lung biopsy examination, appropriate therapy in nine patients resulted in seven survivals from potentially lethal infections. Of six patient with either primary lung tumor, leukemic infiltrate, or lymphomatous nodule, bronchoscopy and brush biopsy examination revealed bronchogenic tumors, leading to appropriate surgical therapy and survival in three. In three others, bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy suggested exacerbation of the primary disease, which was treated satisfactorily by radiotherapy. Thus, when pulmonary disease develops in patients with leukemia or lymphoma, aggressive therapy based on tissue diagnosis may avert untimely death.