Provision of service and training for small bowel endoscopy in the UK.

Objective: To determine the location and use of small bowel endoscopy services in the UK and to analyse training uptake to assess future demand and shape discussions about training and service delivery.

Design: Surveys of British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) members by web-based and personal contact were conducted to ascertain capsule endoscopy practice and numbers of procedures performed. This was compared with expected numbers of procedures calculated using BSG guidelines, hospital episode statistics and published data of capsule endoscopy in routine practice.

Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of hepatic sarcoidosis.

The authors report three cases of hepatic sarcoidosis complicated by portal hypertension in Caucasian patients. The cases varied in their presentations from normal liver function to symptomatic cholestasis and established liver cirrhosis. In one particular case the authors discovered hepatic sarcoid after a diagnostic gastroscopy for upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding which showed changes of portal hypertension.