Upper gastrointestinal mucosal lesions in chronic renal failure

The upper gastrointestinal mucosa was studied endoscopically in 182 patients (140 males, 42 females) with chronic renal failure prior to hemodialysis. Endoscopy revealed normal mucosa in 77 patients (42.3%), inflammatory mucosal lesions in 88 (48.4%), peptic ulcer in 16 (8.8%; duodenal 15, gastric 1) and Barrett's ulcer in one patient. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding was noted at presentation in 16 (8.8%) cases and was associated with erosive gastritis, duodenitis and duodenal ulcer in 11, 3 and 2 patients respectively. Thus patients with chronic renal failure had a high prevalence of inflammatory mucosal changes.