Colonoscopy service in a teaching hospital in southwestern Saudi Arabia : emerging new pathologies

Abstract EN

Objective : The emerging colon diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have demanded more procedures such as CT scans and colonoscopy.

This certainly will pose more pressure on gastroenterology units to increase the performance of certain procedures, especially colonoscopies.

The aim of this study is to review the indications and the yield of colonoscopy in Aseer central hospital, the main teaching facility in Abha KSA.

Methods: In a cross-sectional hospital based study for over a one year period, we analyzed all colonoscopies performed in the gastroenterology unit at Aseer central hospital, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Demographic data, indications, colonoscopy results, and histopathology reports were documented.

Analysis using latest SPSS package was performed.

Results: There were 177 patients who underwent colonoscopy, 102 were males (52%) and 75 (48%) were females.

The mean age was 49 years (SD 20.4).

The leading indications were bleeding per rectum (20%), chronic lower abdominal pain (16.7%), chronic constipation (12%), chronic diarrhea (10.7%), follow up for cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (14%), abdominal tumours (7%), intestinal obstruction (2.8%), and few others.

Full colonoscopy was achieved in 80% of patients.

About 24% of patients had normal study, 43 (24.3%) had piles or fissures, 29 (16.4%) had inflammatory lesions (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and TB), 19 patients (10.7%) had biopsy proven colon cancer.

Out of the 23 solitary polyps seen, 9 were proved to be benign and 5 were pseudopolyps.

The rest had miscellaneous findings.

Histopathology has confirmed ulcerative colitis in 4 patients (2.3%), Crohn’s in 5 (2.8%), and TB in 5 (2.8%).

Conclusions : An increase in the emerging diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer necessitates further studies.

Open colonoscopy service should be widely available in order to diagnose such serious conditions.