eHealth Connection | Cooper University Hospital

One of the most challenging diagnostic problems in digestive medicine is finding the source of obscure or hidden bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.

Patients with obscure or hidden bleeding usually have unexplained anemia (red blood cell deficiency), a low blood count, or may have blackened stools.

When traditional imaging studies fail to reveal the source of the bleeding, another high-tech imaging tool, called PillCam, can provide detailed images of the small intestine — an area that’s difficult to reach with traditional endoscopy procedures.

PillCam, or video capsule endoscopy, is a procedure that uses a tiny wireless camera to take pictures of the insides of your digestive tract. The camera is housed in a vitamin-sized capsule that you swallow. As the capsule travels through your digestive system, the camera takes thousands of pictures that are transmitted to a recorder you wear on a belt around your waist.

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Many people have small pouches in the lining of the colon (the large intestine) that bulge outward like weak spots in a tire. A single pouch is called a diverticulum; multiple pouches are called diverticula. When you have diverticula (multiple pouches), the condition is called diverticulosis.

When the pouches become inflamed, the condition is called diverticulitis. Ten to 25 percent of people with diverticulosis get diverticulitis. As many as one American in 10 over the age of 40 has diverticulosis, and about half of all people over age 60 have it.

Symptoms of Diverticular Disease

Diverticulosis. Most people with diverticulosis don’t have any symptoms. However, some people may sometimes experience cramping pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen, bloating, and constipation. Other gastrointestinal conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, can cause similar symptoms, so experiencing such symptoms doesn’t always mean that a person has diverticulosis.

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There’s nothing quite like eating a good meal. Unless, of course, that meal also includes a side of heartburn. Antacids can help for many people, but the underlying problem is still there because heartburn is a sure sign that something isn’t quite right with your digestive system.

Gastrointestinal problems affect more than a million people in the U.S. every year. Selecting the physicians and practice that provide the best care for your unique needs is extremely important.

The Cooper Digestive Health Institute, the largest outpatient gastroenterology center in South Jersey, provides patients with the most advanced testing and treatment in a state-of-the-art outpatient facility. Cooper gastroenterologists diagnose and treat many complex disorders and diseases of the digestive tract, but one of the more prevalent health problems being seen in patients is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

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A new direct-visualization technology is aiding doctors in the diagnosis of tumors in the pancreas and bile ducts, without the need for invasive surgery. Called SpyGlass™, the scope-type technology allows doctors to enter and look directly into the pancreas and bile duct system to determine the cause of blockages or disease, and obtain tissue samples for biopsy.

“This new device is going to increase early diagnosis of pancreatic diseases and cancer,” said Adam B. Elfant, M.D., Director of Therapeutic Endoscopy at the Cooper Digestive Health Institute. “The ability to finally biopsy difficult-to-reach areas within the ductal system and pancreas will allow patients to be treated sooner if cancer is found, leading to better outcomes for patients. This is a remarkable step in diagnosis for this devastating cancer,” Dr. Elfant said.

Cooper is the only center in South Jersey that offers the SpyGlass™ system.

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