Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings in patients with HIV/AIDS at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

Upper gastrointestinal tract involvement in HIV/AIDS is common. No data exist on the pattern of upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings in HIV/AIDS patients in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the pattern of upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings in HIV/AIDS patients.

DESIGN

A hospital based retrospective case-control study involving 52 HIV/AIDS patients and 52 age and sex matched controls.

SETTING

Medicine Department of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

METHODS

Medical records of patients with HIV/AIDS and an age and gender matched control who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy over an eight-year period were reviewed.

RESULTS

Oesophageal candidiasis was the commonest finding in 18 (34.6%) of subjects with HIV/AIDS followed by normal upper gastrointestinal tract in 17 (32.1%). Normal upper gastrointestinal tract was found in 57.6% of HIV seronegative subjects while oesophageal candidiasis occurred in one (1.9%) of these patients. Duodenal ulcer and gastritis occurred with equal frequencies in HIV/AIDS patients (7.5%) and controls.

CONCLUSION

Oesophageal candidiasis was the commonest upper gastrointestinal endoscopic finding in patients with HIV/AIDS.