HomeAnswersMedical Gastroenterologycrohn's diseaseCan double-balloon enteroscopy with biopsy diagnose Crohn's disease?

Would a double-balloon enteroscopy with biopsy be useful to diagnose Crohn's disease?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Sneha Kannan

Published At August 11, 2020
Reviewed AtAugust 21, 2023

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am a 21-year-old female with a weight of 99 lbs and a height of five feet four inches. I had symptoms of Crohn's disease without any visible lesions. I got dark blood in my bowel movements with constipation, diarrhea, urgency, nausea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Every six to twelve months, I started to have a flare-up of symptoms that got worse to a point where I faced difficulty in doing my normal functions and I lost nine kilograms rapidly. I did an upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, pill cam and MRI. All the results came back normal. My blood test came back positive for ASCA, Crohn's antibodies, and I have calprotectin levels of 500 to 1100. My WBC was high pointing towards inflammation. I also had swollen lymph nodes and it got started again when my symptoms began. Are this blood and stool testing enough to diagnose Crohn's disease? What are other tests to be done? Will doing a double-balloon enteroscopy with biopsies help me? Can it be IBS even with slight signs of inflammation?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Having recurrent symptoms for a long duration with very high stool calprotectin levels strongly suggests Crohn's disease. Treatment cannot be usually started with some evidence such as biopsy or imaging. You have not mentioned whether random biopsies were taken during colonoscopy. Double balloon enteroscopy with a biopsy is the best option to confirm the diagnosis.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Ambalathu Veettil Hussain Shihaz
Dr. Ambalathu Veettil Hussain Shihaz

Medical Gastroenterology

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