Endoscopic Evaluation in Patients with Dyspepsia at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated the pattern of clinical conditions in patients undergoing Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (UGIE) at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Ghana, from January to June 2008, based on clinical features and endoscopic evaluation.

Materials and Methods: This is a hospital based prospective cross-sectional study which included 300 patients (≥15 years) who had dyspepsia for more than four weeks. Participants underwent an UGIE with an Olympus GIF Q260 Esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The clinical and endoscopy based diagnoses were compared and analyzed using Stata Intercooled Version 8.

Results: Of the 300 patients, 65%, 60% and 36.3% had reflux, ulcer and dysmotility like symptoms respectively suggesting that each patient displayed more than one symptom. Most patients presented normal pathological features (56.0%) whilst the rest (44.0%) had overlapping features such as acute gastritis (60.0%), peptic ulcer disease (41%) and esophageal disorders (17%). Gastritis constituted the highest percentage of clinical referral diagnosis (93.85%) and endoscopic diagnosis (20.47%). Among the conditions diagnosed at referral facilities on clinical ground, gastritis had the highest sensitivity level (0.2073) while peptic ulcer disease had the highest level of specificity (0.9750).

Conclusions: The clinical and endoscopic diagnosis in UGI conditions varied widely. Poor concurrence between clinical and endoscopic diagnoses warrants further research. Expansion of the healthcare services is recommended to support diagnosis and facilitate therapeutic measures for UGI disorders in resource limited settings.