Small intestine was inaccessible for endoscopy for a long time. Too far from both mouth and anus, it was beyond endoscopist's reach. There were several methods for evaluation of the small bowel, including push enteroscopy (using a flexible endoscope through which images of the bowel’s lining can be seen), intraoperative endoscopy, and radiological small-bowel follow-through studies (in which the patient is required to drink barium and then have X-ray pictures taken of their abdomen at timed intervals). For most of these methods, the diagnostic accuracy (the ability to diagnose and exclude disease correctly) is poor.

A break came on in 2000 with a development of new tools: capsule enteroscopy and double balloon enteroscopy. Capsule enteroscopy allows for the end-to-end visualisation of the small bowel. However, the presence of a motility disorder or stricture may preclude successful investigation. Double balloon enteroscopy (and other deep enteroscopy methods: single balloon enteroscopy and spiral enteroscopy) is a gold standard for both investigation and therapy of small intestinal disorders recently. Confocal laser endomicroscopy is a rather complementary and experimental method.

In radiological imaging, the MRI is leading the development of small bowel imaging. The standard small bowel enema may not show early mucosal disease. CT and MRI enterography are gaining in usage; particularly as oral techniques have become more successful, obviating the problem of intubation. Both show bowel vascularity and mural and transmural changes. The role of abdominal ultrasound in experience hands is also significant. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Capsule endoscopy
• Deep enteroscopy
• Confocal laser enteroscopy
• Radiological approach to small intestinal assessment
• Experimental small intestinal endoscopy
• Small intestinal tumours
• The place of SB video capsule in the diagnostic algorithm of obscure digestive bleeding
• Celiac disease

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