The Spectrum of Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Findings and Therapeutic Interventions in Patients Presenting with Upper Gastrointestinal Complaints: A Tertiary Care Study

Abstract

Background: Endoscopy has a great role in the diagnosis, surveillance, and management of various gastrointestinal (GI) ailments. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the spectrum of upper GI (UGI) symptoms and correlate them with the findings on UGI endoscopic examination. Patients and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was carried out from August 2019 to December 2020 in the adult patients presenting with UGI complaints. The patients underwent UGI endoscopy at Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, a tertiary care centre in southern Indian state of Karnataka. Endoscopies were performed as per the standard protocol with diagnosis based on accepted criteria. Results: A total of 450 subjects (mean age: 49.14 ± 13.9; range, 19–89; 322 [71.5%] men) were included. Among the diagnostic indications, dyspeptic symptom seen in 176 (39.1%) patients was the most frequent indication in this study cohort, followed by reflux in 73 (16.2%) patients, UGI bleeding in 69 (15.34%) patients (portal hypertensive bleeding was found to be more common than nonvariceal bleed (49:20). Antral gastritis was seen in 112 (24.9%) patients. Ninety (20%) patients were found to have esophageal varices and 47 (10.4%) had esophagitis. Biopsy showed 25.3% to be positive for Helicobacter pylori. Forty-seven (10.45%) patients with a mean age 32 ± 6.8 years with dyspeptic symptoms but no alarming symptoms had normal endoscopic examination. Conclusion: Antral gastritis was the most common endoscopic finding in patients with dyspeptic symptoms. Portal hypertension was a more common cause of UGI bleeding compared to duodenal ulcers. While the majority of the patients presenting with heartburn had esophagitis, nonerosive esophagitis was observed in 3.2% of patients.