Paediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background: Gastrointestinal endoscopy is a very useful tool in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Gastrointestinal endoscopy in paediatric practice is still evolving in Nigeria.
Objective: To determine the common indications for paediatric endoscopy in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.
Method: This was a retrospective study of all gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures performed for children aged 0 -18 years between January 2021 and March 2022. The hospital records of the children were retrieved, and data were extracted for analysis.
Results: Thirty-seven endoscopic procedures were performed on 32 children with two subjects having repeated procedures while one had both upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopic studies. The mean age of the children was 11 ± 5.4 years with those aged between 10 and 14 years constituting the majority (40.6%). Most indications were diagnostic and the commonest indication for endoscopy was upper abdominal pain (40.6%) which was followed by upper gastrointestinal bleeding (37.6%). The endoscopic findings were mainly gastritis (56.8%), hiatus hernia (32.4%) and duodenitis (18.9%). The commonest therapeutic indication for gastrointestinal endoscopy was variceal banding.
Conclusion: Paediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy is useful for the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric gastrointestinal disorders. Upper abdominal pain and upper gastrointestinal bleeding are the leading indications for paediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy in Nigeria.