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Pediatric colonoscopy in South China: a 12-year experience in a tertiary center
Pingguang Lei1, Fang Gu2, Liru Hong3
1Division of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen Bao'an District Songgang People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Division of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Insights
Pediatric colonoscopy is safe and effective for diagnosing conditions like polyps and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Findings show an increase in IBD diagnoses in South China over a decade.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Endoscopy
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Colonoscopy is an essential diagnostic tool for pediatric gastrointestinal issues.
- Limited data exists on the safety and effectiveness of colonoscopy in Chinese pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the demographics, clinical characteristics, and findings of pediatric colonoscopy.
- To assess the safety and effectiveness of colonoscopy in children in South China.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 322 pediatric patients (≤14 years) undergoing their first colonoscopy.
- Data collected included demographics, clinical presentations, endoscopic findings, and pathological results.
Main Results:
- Hematochezia and abdominal pain were common indications.
- High caecal intubation success rate (96.3%) with no serious complications.
- Polyps (70.5%) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (22.4% in 2007-2012) were significant findings.
- A notable increase in IBD detection rates from 2001-2006 to 2007-2012.
Conclusions:
- Colonoscopy is a safe and effective procedure for pediatric patients.
- Polyps are the most frequent finding, but IBD detection is increasing in South China.
- Further large-scale epidemiological studies are recommended to validate these findings.
Objective:
To investigate: 1) the demographics and clinical characteristics, 2) the findings, and 3) the safety and effectiveness in a cohort of Chinese pediatric patients undergoing colonoscopy.
Methods:
The study participants were consecutive patients aged ≤14 years old that underwent their first colonoscopy in the endoscopy center at the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2012. Demographic, clinical, endoscopic, and pathological findings were collected.
Results:
The cohort consisted of 322 patients, including 218 boys (67.7%) and 104 girls (32.3%). The median age was 8.0 years old and ranged from 9 months to 14 years old. Hematochezia (48.8%) and abdominal pain/discomfort (41.3%) were the most common presentations preceding pediatric colonoscopy. The caecal intubation success rate was 96.3%. No serious complications occurred during the procedures. A total of 227 patients (70.5%) received a positive diagnosis under endoscopy, including 138 patients with polyps and 53 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Among the patients with polyps, 71.0% were juvenile polyps. Comparisons between years 2001-2006 and 2007-2012 showed that the IBD detection rate increased significantly (4.6% vs. 22.4%, P<0.001), while the opposite occurred for the polyp detection rate (73.1% vs. 27.6%, P<0.001).
Conclusion:
Colonoscopy in pediatric patients is a safe and effective procedure. Polyps are the primary finding during colonoscopy. In South China there has been an increase in pediatric patients diagnosed with IBD over the past decade. However, a large epidemiological study is needed to confirm our findings.
