An Evaluation of 605 Endoscopic Examination in a Rural Setting, Lacor Hospital in Northern Uganda
T. R. Okello *
Consultant Surgeon, St Mary’s Hospital Lacor, Honorary Lecturer, Department of Surgery, Gulu University Medical School, Uganda
D. M. Ogwang
Consultant Surgeon, St Mary’s Hospital Lacor, Honorary Lecturer, Department of Surgery, Gulu University Medical School, Uganda
N. O. Alema
Consultant Surgeon and Honorary Lecturer in Surgery, Uganda
I. Pecorella
Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomic Pathology Sciences, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Viale Regina Elena, 324 – 00161, Rome, Italy
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the profile of esophagogastroduodenal (EGDS) diseases diagnosed by upper endoscopy in a rural area of Uganda in a retro-protective study of 605 patients.
Results: The mean age of patients with digestive symptoms was 39.7yrs (SD +/-16.11) and female gender predominated by 60% compared to the male (P value 0.000). Peasant farmers were the commonest group with GI symptoms requiring EGDS compared to the rest 72.1% v 27.9%. Epigastric pain was the commonest indication (58%) for EGDS, followed by chest pain (11%), abdominal pain (8.8%), dyspahgia (7.6%) and hematemesis (7.3%). The commonest endoscopy finding was gastritis (47.9%) followed by esophagitis (14.4%), cancer esophagus (5.1%), esophageal varicose (4%), PUD (2.3%), gastric cancer (1%). However 19.5% of patients had normal EGDS. There was a significant correlation between the outpatient diagnosis and endoscopy finding (P value 0.01, r = 0.144) and between endoscopy finding and histology findings (P value 0.001, r = 0.236). H. pylori was positive in 53% of patients with gastritis.
Conclusion: Gastritis is the commonest lesion (47.9%) of which 53% have H pylori and Cancer esophagus account for 5.1% of GI lesion in our setting. Cancer stomach is rare in our setting.
Keywords: Upper Gi-endoscopy, indication, findings, gastritis, peptic ulcer, H. pylori.