The evaluation of histopathological findings for patients with normal colonoscopy

Abstract EN

Background : Colonoscopy is a method of endoscope that has had a major role in diagnosis and treatment.

Colonoscopy also is used to look for causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation) and to evaluate symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss and unexplained anemia.

Objective : The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefits of histopathological examination of colonic biopsy in patients who had normal colonoscopy result and presented with different symptoms (chronic diarrhea and others).

Method : During a period between 1st of August 2008 to 1st of August 2009, a prospective and retrospective study was done on 100 patients who presented with different symptoms and admitted to gastrointestinal tract center in Al-Sulaimania teaching hospital for colonoscopic examination.

All the patients who were found to have a normal colonoscopic result and biopsies were taking from them were included.

Results : Most frequent patients were in the 4th decade of life and nearly equal male to female ratio.

It was found that 43 % of all patients with normal colonoscopy had abnormal colonic histopathology (microscopic colitis 28 %, non specific colitis 15 %), and normal histopathology in 57 % for different presenting symptoms.

Most common presenting symptom was chronic diarrhea found in 40 % and their histopathological diagnosis were mainly lymphocytic colitis found in 16 patients (40 %).

Conclusion : It was found that there was abnormal colonic histopathology in 31 patients (77.5 %) of 40 patients with chronic diarrhea and in 9 patients only (22.5 %) were normal.

So according to this study, a diagnostic investigation for chronic diarrhea and other symptoms using a flexible colonoscopy is highly efficient and cost effective.