Background

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a valuable diagnostic procedure for evaluating and managing a wide range of upper gastrointestinal disorders, providing real-time imaging and therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to explore the upper gastrointestinal endoscopic patterns among patients who underwent EGD and to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of abnormalities in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.

Methods

This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Sohag University Hospital and included patients who underwent EGD between March 2018 and April 2019. Data collection involved comprehensive medical history reviews, clinical examinations, and laboratory investigations. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, utilizing descriptive statistics and appropriate tests to analyze the data.

Results

In this study involving 928 participants, the socio-demographic characteristics showed a relatively balanced distribution of sex, with 57.8% males and 42.2% females, the majority of patients falling within the 40-60 age range (50.3%). The most common indication for endoscopy was epigastric pain 38.9%, and the prevalence of various endoscopic findings included 25.3% for H. pylori infection, 18.4% for gastroesophageal reflux, 10.77% for esophageal varices ,3.3% for gastric varices, and 4.3% for malignancy. Complications during endoscopy were rare, with allergic reactions (0.1%), apnea (0.1%), bleeding incidents (0.3%), bradycardia (0.1%), and hypotension (0.2%) reported.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrate that certain abnormalities, including esophageal varices, gastric varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, benign gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, and malignancy, exhibit variations in prevalence across different age groups. These age-related patterns highlight the significance of considering age-specific factors when diagnosing and managing upper gastrointestinal disorders.