Evaluation of Dyspepsia with Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - Single Centre Study from South India

INTRODUCTION: Dyspepsia is a nonspecific group of symptoms related to the upper gastrointestinal tract. Upper gastrointestinal symptoms are among the commonest complaints for which patients seek medical attention with annual prevalence of dyspepsia approximating 25%. Other cases are consequences of more serious organic diseases (3). Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy is widely available and relatively safe procedure. It is easily carried out procedure of high diagnostic value and therapeutic value too. Endoscopy holds an important place in the diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal conditions by enabling visualization, photography, recording the findings, ultrasonography and biopsy of suspicious lesion. Endoscopy gives better diagnostic yield over radiology particularly in the investigation of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, inflammatory conditions of upper gastrointestinal tract like esophagitis, gastritis and duodenitis. Endoscopy is cost effective and has very low incidence of morbidity and almost no mortality. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the findings of endoscopy in patients with dyspepsia and comparing with previous studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS It is a retrospective study done in endoscopy unit at C. S. I Christian mission hospital, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.461 patients with symptoms of dyspepsia in total of 814 patients who underwent endoscopy during period from Jan 2014 to Dec 2018, a span of five years were studied. RESULT Out of 814 patients who underwent endoscopy, 461 (56.6%) patients had dyspepsia as indication for scopy. Many patients had more than one findings. Commonest finding was gastritis in 392 (85%) patients. Next common finding in 194 (42%) patients was duodenitis followed by oesophagitis in 78 (17%) patients, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer occurred in equal proportion of 52 (11%) patients each. Other findings include gastric growth in 11 (2.3%) patients, evidence of portal hypertension in 16 (3.4%) patients.16 (3.4%) patients had normal study. CONCLUSION: Endoscopy is the diagnostic procedure of choice in the evaluation of upper gastrointestinal symptoms and remains the 'gold standard'. By evaluating all cases of dyspepsia by scopy, the early definitive diagnosis in all of them may be made and serious pathology like malignancy may not be missed at earlier stage thus reducing morbidity and mortality.