Novel capsule endoscopy for detecting varices

Esophagogastric varices are a common complication of underlying liver disease and are crucial to identify owing to their potential for severe outcomes.12 About one third of patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices experience episodes of hemorrhage, and these are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality.3 Accurate detection and grading of esophagogastric varices are therefore essential to ensure timely intervention and improve patient outcomes. In the linked paper, Jiang and colleagues (doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-078581) investigated the diagnostic accuracy of using magnetically guided capsule endoscopy with a detachable string (ds-MCE) for detecting and grading esophagogastric varices in patients with cirrhosis.4 This research highlighted the potential of ds-MCE as a viable alternative to traditional methods for the screening and surveillance of esophagogastric varices.

Jiang and colleagues’ findings look promising, with ds-MCE showing a sensitivity of 97.5% and specificity of 97.8% for identifying esophagogastric varices, exceeding prespecified thresholds. The study highlighted ds-MCE’s strong discriminative ability to identify esophagogastric …