Table 1.
Indications for endoscopy and histopathological findings
| Indication for endoscopy | Number of cases out of total | Number of cases with endoscopically normal/near normal mucosa | Number of cases with completely normal histology | Number of cases with near normal histology (minor changes) | Number of cases with abnormal histology | Pathological abnormalities reported in endoscopically normal mucosa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change in bowel habit | 260 (36.3%) | 145/260 (55.8%) | 129/145 (89%) | 3/145 (2%) | 13/145 (9%) | Three melanosis coli One atrophy One drug related inflammation One inflammatory bowel disease (type unspecified) Five lymphocytic colitis One hyperplastic polyp One colitis (aetiology not specified) |
| Change in bowel habit with bright red rectal bleeding | 95 (13.2%) | 38/95 (40%) | 35/38 (92.1%) | 0/38 (0%) | 3/38 (7.9%) | Two melanosis coli One proctitis (aetiology not specified) |
| Change in bowel habit with other abdominal symptoms | 85 (11.9%) | 43/85 (50.6%) | 31/43 (72.1%) | 8/43 (18.6%) | 4/43 (9.3%) | One colitis (aetiology not specified) Two lymphocytic colitis One hyperplastic polyp |
| Inflammatory bowel disease (existing diagnosis under surveillance) | 110 (15.3%) | 17/110 (15.5%) | 7/17 (41.2%) | 4/17 (23.5%) | 6/17 (35.3%) | Two inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis) One colitis (aetiology not specified) Two inflammatory bowel disease (type unspecified) One proctitis (aetiology not specified) |
| Bright red rectal bleeding only | 53 (7.4%) | 12/53 (22.6%) | 11/12 (91.7%) | 1/12 (8.3%) | 0/12 (0%) | |
| Iron deficiency anaemia only | 31 (4.3%) | 18/31 (58.1%) | 18/18 (100%) | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) | |
| Abdominal pain only | 20 (2.8%) | 11/20 (55%) | 8/11 (72.7%) | 2/11 (18.2%) | 1/11 (9.1%) | One lymphocytic colitis |
| Miscellaneous (eg, family history, cancer surveillance, dark red rectal bleeding, polyps) | 16 (2.2%) | 7/16 (43.8%) | 6/7 (85.7%) | 0/7 (0%) | 0/7 (0%) | One melanosis coli |
| Ill-defined abnormality | 15 (2.1%) | 5/15 (33.3%) | 5/5 (100%) | 0/5 (0%) | 0/5 (0%) | |
| Abdominal pain with other abdominal symptoms | 14 (2%) | 8/14 (57.1%) | 6/8 (75%) | 1/8 (12.5%) | 1/8 (12.5%) | One collagenous colitis |
| Abnormal radiology | 10 (1.4%) | 3/10 (30%) | 2/3 (66.7%) | 1/3 (33.3%) | 1/3 (33.3%) | |
| Inflammatory bowel disease (new presentation) | 4 (0.56%) | 0/4 (0%) | 0/4 (0%) | 0/4 (0%) | 0/4 (0%) | |
| Iron deficiency anaemia with other symptoms | 4 (0.56%) | 1/4 (25%) | 0/1 (0%) | 0/1 (0%) | 0/1 (0%) | One melanosis coli |
| Total | 717 | 308/717 (43%) | 258/308 (83.8%) | 20/308 (6.5%) | 30/308 (9.7%) |