FOUR DECADES OF LOWER GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY IN NIGERIA: A POOLED ANALYSIS OF 12,152 CASES AND INSIGHTS INTO NATIONWIDE TRENDS falolabayo@gmail.com

 

FOUR DECADES OF LOWER GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY IN NIGERIA: A POOLED ANALYSIS OF 12,152 CASES AND INSIGHTS INTO NATIONWIDE TRENDS

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Nigeria

Oral or Poster

This study aims to provide the first nationwide analysis of the clinical practice of lower gastrointestinal endoscopy (LGIE) in Nigeria, examining the patterns in indications, findings, and the geographical distribution of available services.

A total of 828 published reports were obtained following a systematic search in relevant electronic databases. Statistical pooling was performed using “R” software.

This study analyzed a total of 12,152 LGIE procedures reported in 43 studies across various endoscopy centers in Nigeria. The earliest report was in 1985; only 8.38% of the procedures were performed before 2010. Colonoscopy (94.30%) was the major procedure performed. Reports were obtained from 17 States and across 5 geopolitical zones, with no report identified from the North East region. Of the 11,880 procedures with locations, 81.02% were performed in the Southern region, while 18.98% were performed in the North. The majority of the procedures were done in Lagos (29.85%). Of the 7,589 indications analyzed, lower GI bleeding (41.16%), change in bowel habit (19.90%), and abdominal pain (13.01%) accounted for the majority. The findings in 7,989 cases were specified. Of this, haemorrhoids (35.61%), normal mucosa (18.41%), and colorectal tumor (15.73%) were the most common. A pooled cecal intubation rate of 85% (95% CI, 78%-92%) was obtained. The overall diagnostic yield was 76% (95% CI, 72%-80%).

We urge efforts from policymakers and healthcare ministries to provide targeted interventions to enhance availability of LGIE services in Nigeria, especially in the Northern areas so as to optimize early detection and outcomes of patients with colorectal diseases.