Endoscopic findings in upper gastrointestinal bleeding patients at Tehran’s Taleghani Hospital, Iran

Abstract

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) remains a common medical problem worldwide and emergency medical condition that may require hospitalization. UGIB also increase the risk of morbidity, mortality and needs a health care resource use. To determine the endoscopic findings in patients with UGIB and its frequency among these patients according to age in Tehran’s Taleghani Hospital is the aim of this study.

Materials and Methods: The medical records and endoscopy report of 990 patients were retrospectively analyzed, who underwent endoscopy for UGIB in Tehran’s Taleghani Hospital over a period of 2 years in 2010 to 2012.

Results: A total of 990 patients had endoscopy for UGIB which consisted of 594 (60%) males and 396(40%) females. And mean age was 54 years ± 17.2 SD. The commonest cause of UGIB was peptic ulcer disease consisting of 52.2% that includes; duodenal ulcer (26.4%) and gastric ulcer with (19.1%), and then followed by esophageal and gastric varices (19.5%). The malignant conditions (cancers) contributed to 14.7%; gastric cancer (7.2%), esophageal cancer (5.5%) and duodenal cancer were (2%). Other less frequent causes of UGIB were esophageal ulcer (6.7%), erosive gastritis (6.3%), Mallory-Weiss syndrome (5.4%) and Dieulafoy’s lesion with (1.2%). Normal endoscopic findings were recorded (0.7%) in patients who had UGIB.

Conclusion: Peptic ulcer diseases are the commonest cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and then followed by esophageal and gastric varices.