Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy: A review of the patient population of Kumasi

Abstract

Background: Endoscopy is important in the investigation of symptoms arising from the lower gastrointestinal (LGI) tract. Characteristics of patients undergoing LGI endoscopy (LGIE) in Kumasi, Ghana, are largely unknown. This paper reviews the indications and findings of diagnostic LGIE in three endoscopic centers in Kumasi, Ghana. Patients and Methods: A review of the records of all patients undergoing diagnostic LGIE in the three centers from October 2006 to December 2011 was undertaken. Results: Three hundred and twenty-four LGIE procedures were performed. The most common primary indication was bleeding per rectum. The most common primary endoscopic finding was hemorrhoids (42.0%) followed by colorectal tumors (9.6%). 31.8% of the patients had normal endoscopic findings. Most pathologies found on LGIE were more common in patients aged 45 or older. Among patients whose indication for LGIE was bleeding per rectum, almost half had hemorrhoids as their primary finding while 13.9% had either a colorectal tumor or polyp. Conclusion : The proportion of our patient population found to have a colorectal tumor or its precursor was not insignificant. We thus recommend patients aged 45 or older presenting with LGI symptoms in Kumasi to undergo LGIE, especially if the main symptom is bleeding per rectum.