Background: Colonoscopy is an investigation modality used for colorectal examination; it is the most accurate technique for the diagnosis and surveillance of important colorectal diseases such as cancers (colorectal cancer) and polyps. Aims: Most studies on colonoscopy in Nigeria were conducted in southwest such as Ilorin, Ife, Ibadan, and Lagos. We therefore feel the need to get information from other regions such as northwest, the area of this study. The aim of this study was to identify the common indications as well as colonoscopic findings among patients who had colonoscopy in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.
Methodology: It was a 10-year retrospective descriptive study of patients who had colonoscopy between January 2008 and December 2017 at the study center. Colonoscopy register was used to extract information concerning the patient's age, gender, symptoms that necessitated the request for the procedure, and the endoscopic findings.
Results: A total of 839 patient records were reviewed, males constituted 62.2% of the patients. The mean age ± standard deviation was 43.86 ± 18.36 years, with a range of 8-96 years. The 30-39 years constituted the modal age group, followed by 40-49 years and 50-59 years. The commonest indications for the procedure were rectal bleeding (52.4%), chronic abdominal pain (51.3%), and diarrhea (48.8%). The cecal intubation rate was 98.2% with hemorrhoids as the commonest finding (42.3%) followed by suspected inflammatory bowel disease lesions (18.1%) and suspected colorectal tumors (16.2%).
Conclusion: The commonest reason for colonoscopy was rectal bleeding while the commonest colonoscopic finding was hemorrhoids.
Keywords: Abdominal pain; bleeding per-rectum; bowel preparation; cecal intubation rate; colonic cancer; colonic diverticuli; colonic inflammation; colonic polyp; colonoscopy; constipation; diarrhea; hemorrhoids.