Background
Ulcerative colitis(UC)isatypeofchronicinflammatoryboweldiseaseinthecolon
thatisstillofunknownaetiology.What is known, till now,isthatUCisconfinedtothe
colonstartingattherectumandextendingproximallyforavariabledistancetill
reaching the cecum,anddespiteUCisknowntohavevariousextracolonic
presentations,theuppergastrointestinaltract(UGIT)isnotgenerallyconsidered
as target organ.
Aim
ThecurrentstudyaimedtodescribeUGITclinical, endoscopic, and
histopathologicalfindingsinadultEgyptianpatientswithUC.
Patients and methods
Thestudywasconductedon56UCpatients.IntheTropicalMedicineDepartment
Faculty of Medicine, AinShamsUniversity.Allthepatientsweresubjectedtofull
historytakingandthoroughclinicalexamination.UGITendoscopywasperformed
onallpatientstostudytheendoscopicfindingsintheoesophagus, stomach, and
duodenumandtotakebiopsiesforhistopathologicalexamination.
Results
Thecurrentstudyhasshownthat60.7%ofpatientshadgastroesophagealreflux
diseaseuponesophagogastroduodenoscopywhilemicroscopicevaluationof
oesophagealbiopsiesshowedthat50%ofthecaseswerehavingesophagitis.
Regardinggastroduodenalaffection, UGITendoscopyrevealedthat91.1%ofthe
patientshadgastritisand78.6%hadduodenitis, histopathological examination of
thebiopsysamplesrevealedthat53.6%ofthecaseshadchronicnonspecific
gastritis,33.9%ofthecasesshowedchronicgastritiswithhelicobacterpylori
infectionand85.7%hadchronicnonspecificduodenitis.The present study
showedthatUGITaffectionwasdiagnosedcollectivelyin96.4and87.5%ofthe
casesbyendoscopyandbiopsy, respectively.
Conclusion
ThecurrentstudyhasprovedtheassociationbetweenUCandthepresenceof
endoscopic findings in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.These findings
wereconfirmedbyhistopathologicalexaminationofmucosalbiopsiestakenfrom
the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.