The diagnostic value of colonoscopy for chronic diarrhea / 中华消化内镜杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of colonoscopy for patients with chronic diarrhea.Methods Data of 2449 patients with chronic diarrhea who underwent colonoscopy from January,1999 to December,2008 were reviewed.A total of 2110 patients who underwent colonoscopy screening for health checkup during the same period were used as controls.The rates of clinic-relevant abnormal endoscopic findings and negative finding were compared between two groups.Results Lesions with clinic significance were found in 44.1％ of patients with chronic diarrhea (1080/2449) and in 41.7％ of controls (870/2110,x2 =2.756,P =0.097).Compared with controls,incidence of non-IBD and noninfectious colitis (x2 =58.578,P ＜ 0.001),IBD (x2 =59.609,P ＜ 0.001),malignant tumor (x2 =21.649,P ＜0.001),terminal ileitis (x2 =6.275,P =0.012),infectious colitis (x2 =17.019,P ＜0.001),intestinal tuberculosis (x2 =7.021,P =0.008),melanosis coli (x2 =6.040,P =0.014) and parasitic infection (x2 =4.245,P =0.039) were all significantly higher in patients with chronic diarrhea.However,incidences of adenomatous polyps (x2 =14.124,P ＜ 0.001),non-adenomatous polyps (x2 =33.427,P ＜0.001) and diverticular disease (x2 =9.921,P =0.002) were significantly higher in the control group.There was no significant difference in incidences of the benign tumor (x2 =1.627,P =0.202) and angiodysplasia (x2 =0.231,P =0.631) between the two groups.The overall screening rate of colonic polyps,diverticulosis,and vascular lesions was 37.3％ in chronic diarrhea group.Conclusion Colonic polyps,diverticulitis,benign tumors and angiodysplasia may not be the causes of chronic diarrhea.Etiology of more than 1/3 patients with chronic diarrhea remains unknown after colonoscopy.