Open AccessColonoscopic Findings in Peruvian Patients with Chronic Diarrhea
Author(s) -
Javier Villafuerte-Gálvez,
María Isabel Sotelo-Olivera,
Jaime Cok,
Alejandro Piscoya,
Jorge Huerta-Mercado
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0046690
Subject(s) - colonoscopy , medicine , lymphocytic colitis , microscopic colitis , diarrhea , gastroenterology , collagenous colitis , colitis , biopsy , pathological , chronic diarrhea , colorectal cancer , inflammatory bowel disease , disease , cancer
Objective To report the colonoscopic and pathological findings in patients with chronic diarrhea from a gastroenterology unit during approximately 3 years in a general teaching hospital located in Lima-Peru. Materials and Methods Patients with chronic diarrhea as the motive for colonoscopy from March 2008 to December 2010 were selected from the colonoscopy report computerized database. Colonoscopic findings were registered. Biopsies taken during the procedure were prospectively reviewed. Results 226 patients were included, of which 162 (71.7%) had a colon biopsy available. The average age of the patients was 53.6±16.36. 85.8% of patients were reported to have a normal colon. 14.8% of patients were found to have a normal colonic mucosa or mucosal edema, 35.8% of patients had lymphocytic colitis and 28.4% had paucicelular colitis. Conclusions The majority of colonoscopies were reported with unremarkable macroscopic findings. Lymphocytic colitis was unusually frequent compared to previous reports.