Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Techniques
Summary
Pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy encompasses a range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures adapted for infants, children and adolescents. Conventional modalities include oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for upper GI evaluation, colonoscopy for the large intestine and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for biliary and pancreatic disorders. In children, scope miniaturisation, tailored sedation protocols and multidisciplinary teams are essential to ensure safety and comfort. Emerging technologies such as capsule endoscopy, double-balloon enteroscopy and narrow-band imaging are enhancing mucosal visualisation and enabling access to the small intestine. Advances in imaging sensors and insufflation methods have improved detection of early inflammatory or neoplastic changes. Together, these developments support precise diagnosis of conditions ranging from inflammatory bowel disease and eosinophilic oesophagitis to congenital malformations, and facilitate minimally invasive therapeutic interventions such as polypectomy, variceal ligation and foreign-body retrieval.
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Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Techniques publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy techniques across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD): Endoscopic examination of the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum under direct vision.
Colonoscopy: Endoscopic inspection of the colon and terminal ileum via the rectum to detect mucosal lesions.
Endoscopic yield: Proportion of procedures that reveal macroscopic abnormalities warranting further investigation.
Histologic yield: Proportion of biopsy specimens demonstrating pathological changes on microscopic examination.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy: Endoscopic evaluation of the distal colon and rectum, typically extending to the sigmoid colon.
References
- Diagnostic yield and appropriate indication of upper endoscopy in Jordanian children. BMC Pediatrics (2021).
- Pediatric Endoscopy, Update 2020. Applied Sciences (2019).
- Pediatric esophagogastroduodenoscopy in china: indications, diagnostic yield, and factors associated with findings. BMC Pediatrics (2022).
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Utility in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disorders. Cureus (2023).
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