Q: 54 year old male is admitted to ICU after ischemic CVA causing dense right sided hemiplegia. Patient is scheduled to get MRI. While talking to wife, she informed you that patient had a recent work up for GI bleed as out-patient and capsule endoscopy was performed. What is your concern?

Answer: Bowel injury 

Device retention after capsule endoscopy may happen in patients with crohn's disease, neoplastic lesions, stenosis, and adhesions. The feared complication of MRI with capsule retention is migration of the capsule causing bowel perforation. It would be safe to document the passage of an endoscopic capsule before MRI by performing KUB.  Some centers recommend 30 days time period between capsule endoscopy and MRI.

Reference:

Berry PA, Srirajaskanthan R, Anderson SH. An urgent call to the magnetic resonance scanner: potential dangers of capsule endoscopy. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010;8(5):A26