UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL MUCOSA IN CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE - AN ENDOSCOPIC AND HISTOLOGICAL EVALUATION.

Over a three year period, 98 patients of moderate to severe chronic renal failure (S creatinine > 5 mg/dl) admitted in our centre were evaluated for upper GI lesions. All patients underwent upper GI endoscopy. In 68% upper GI mucosa was affected. Various lesions encountered were gastritis (25.5%), duodenitis (10.2%), gastroduodenitis (21.4%), telengiectasia (5.1%), and peptic ulcer in 6.1%. In 74 patients three biopsies, one each from antrum, fundus and duodenum were taken. 45.9% of these had chronic gastritis and 14.8% chronic duodenitis. Prevalence of H pylori on histology was 17.56%. 20 patients (9.6%) developed upper GI bleed during hospitalisation. In 17 (85%) patients, where endoscopy could be done, gastritis/duodenitis/oesophagitis were the common underlying lesions.