Adoption of video capsule endoscopy has been slow, but there are now four FDA-approved devices and others available in China. It is now generally realized that there is an expanding role for these devices, not only in the small intestine but in the GI tract in general. In collaboration with Consulting Editor, Dr. Charles Lightdale, guest editor Dr. David Cave has assembled expert authors to provide clinical reviews that address where we are now, areas of controversy that still need resolution, and where the field is likely to develop over the next 5 to 10 years. Articles are specifically devoted to the following topics: Training, Reading and Reporting for Video Capsule Endoscopy; Indications and Contraindications: Complications of Capsule Endoscopy; Preparation, Prokinetics, and Surface Active Agents; Role of Capsule in Small Intestinal Bleeding; Role of Capsule Endoscopy in IBD; Role of Video Capsule Endoscopy in Liver Disease; Role of Video Capsule Endoscopy in Alternative Settings; Timing and Use of the Capsule Endoscopy in the Acute Care Setting; Role of Video Capsule Endoscopy as a Prelude to Deep Enteroscopy; Location of Capsule and Provocation Testing; Cost Effectiveness of Video Capsule Endoscopy; Artificial Intelligence in Capsule Endoscopy; and Novel Clinical Applications and Technical Developments in Video Capsule Endoscopy.

The small intestine has, until 2001, been an organ largely inaccessible to conventional endoscopy. Since that time a variety of endoscopic technologies have become available that have transformed small bowel diagnosis and therapy with a concomitant increase in interest in this organ and its disorders. This issue is divided into two sections; first, the new technologies are presented and include video capsule endoscopy, single and double balloon enteroscopy, and very recently the innovative Spirus screw technology. An article on comparison of these new technologies and the evolving techniques of CT and MRI is included. Indications, contraindications, complications and therapeutic adjunctive devices are discussed. The second section addresses the application of these technologies to specific diseases and discusses how these technological advances have changed their management. An article on intra-operative enteroscopy and its utilization in this new era is included.