Abstract
Background and Objectives: Fiberoptic endoscopy is a highly efficient diagnostic tool which is now being increasingly used in pediatric age group. This study has been carried out to demonstrate indications for and common findings of endoscopy in children.
Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and endoscopy indication and results of 385 pediatric patients (aged 1month to 16 years) who had endoscopy between Jan 2002 to Feb 2003.
Results: we analyzed 385 children who referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (224 boys and 161 girls).The most common age was 6-12 years. The indications comprised chronic abdominal pain (123), upper gastrointestinal bleeding (90), recurrent vomiting (84), assessment of varices (21), failure to thrive (19), chronic diarrhea (15), malabsorbtion (6), and miscellaneous (22). The most common diagnosis was gastric erythema and erosion (25.9%), followed by esophageal and gastric erythema (24.6%), esophageal erythema and mucosal break (15.1%), esophageal varices (13%) and normal findings (10.1%).The endoscopic findings in abdominal pain was gastric erythema and erosion(32.5%), esophageal erythema and gastric erythema (32.5%) and ulcer (5.7%). The commonest endoscopic appearance of upper gastrointestinal bleeding was gastric erythema and erosion (45.5%) followed by esophageal varices (32.2%) and peptic ulcer (21.1%).
Conclusion: In our experience, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a safe and effective diagnostic procedure in the pediatric age group. Esophagogastritis is commonly seen in children, hence must be included in differential diagnosis of chronic abdominal pain and its management.