Abstract
BackgroundUpper endoscopy is the main tool for the accurate assessment of the risk of bleeding in cirrhotic patients. AimTo evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of upper endoscopy, in cirrhotic subjects, during common clinical practice. Methods120 endoscopic reports produced in different hospitals in our region were retrospectively and randomly selected. After a general evaluation, aimed at assessing the description of various endoscopic features, reports were evaluated by four expert endoscopists and four expert hepatologists. Experts were asked to fill in a questionnaire for each single endoscopic procedure, regarding the diagnostic accuracy of the report. ResultsEndoscopic reports lacked descriptions of the size of esophageal varices and red signs in 14% and 29% of cases respectively. Presence (or absence) of gastric varices or portal hypertensive gastropathy were not reported in 62% and 34% of cases respectively. According to expert endoscopists 41% of the reports were incomplete, while, according to hepatologists, reports were incomplete and inadequate for clinical purposes in 36% of cases. ConclusionOur study clearly evidenced a significant lack of information in reports on upper endoscopy in cirrhotic patients, and supports the prompt adoption of corrective strategies.
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