Prevalence of Oesophageal Varices among Patients with Liver Cirrhosis in Southeastern Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa
Promise Udoka Asogwa *
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Enugu state University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Nigeria.
Gideon Ekene Anigbo
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Enugu state University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Nigeria.
Geoffrey Okike Okorie
Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Enugu state University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: To determine the prevalence of oesophageal varices among patients with liver cirrhosis in south-east Nigeria.
Study Design: A cross-sectional analytical study.
Place and duration: Enugu state university teaching hospital and University of Nigeria teaching hospital. From 2021 to 2022.
Methodology: This study was a cross-sectional analytical study. It included seventy-two patients with liver cirrhosis seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, both in Enugu. Clinical evaluation and oesophagogastroduodenoscopy were performed on all the patients.
Results: A total of seventy-two patients with liver cirrhosis were studied, 68.1% were males while 31.9% were females. The prevalence of oesophageal varices in the study was 65.3%. Majority (65.3%) had portal hypertensive gastropathy and 9.7% had gastric or fundal varices.
Conclusion: The prevalence of oesophageal varices among patients with liver cirrhosis is high in the south-eastern part of Nigeria, this may be attributed to late presentation of cirrhotic patients to the hospitals.
Keywords: Prevalence, oesophageal varices, cirrhosis, esut hospital, unth