UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPIC FINDINGS IN PATIENTS PRESENTING TO TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL, GHANA

Abstract

Background and objectives:Patients with dyspeptic symptoms are generally referred for upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy, which is the reference standard for diagnosis. The objective of the present study was to categorize the reasons for referral forUGI endoscopy and to evaluate the clinical findings of patients presented to the Tamale Teaching Hospitalin Northern Ghana. Materials and methods:This study was a retrospective review of medical records from patients presented to the Tamale Teaching Hospital between October 2010 and October 2014 for UGI endoscopy indications. Data including clinical diagnosis, endoscopy findings, Campylobacter-like organism test results, and histopathology reports were collected and evaluated. Results: During the study period, a total of 2414 (1215 female, 1199 male) patients with a mean age of 40.2 ±16.6 years (range: 2–89 years) were referred for UGI endoscopy. The primary major complaints were epigastric pain (58.9%), dyspepsia (18.4%), recurrent vomiting (8.9%), hematemesis (6.7%), and dysphagia (6.4%). Important endoscopic findings were gastric ulcer (25.6%), gastritis (22.1%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (17.3%),duodenal ulcer (10.3%),UGI bleeding (6.7%), gastric tumor (4.6%), and esophageal tumor (4.1%). Conclusion: The prevalence of severe UGI disease in this patient cohort suggests that additional centers are needed in northern Ghana for more timely detection.