title: Colonoscopic findings in Peruvian patients with chronic diarrhea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the colonoscopic and pathological findings in patients with chronic diarrhea from a gastroenterology unit during approximately 3 years in a general teaching hospital located in Lima-Peru.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with chronic diarrhea as the motive for colonoscopy from March 2008 to December 2010 were selected from the colonoscopy report computerized database. Colonoscopic findings were registered. Biopsies taken during the procedure were prospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  226 patients were included, of which 162 (71.7%) had a colon biopsy available. The average age of the patients was 53.6±16.36. 85.8% of patients were reported to have a normal colon. 14.8% of patients were found to have a normal colonic mucosa or mucosal edema, 35.8% of patients had lymphocytic colitis and 28.4% had paucicelular colitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of colonoscopies were reported with unremarkable macroscopic findings. Lymphocytic colitis was unusually frequent compared to previous reports.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. javier.villafuerte@upch.pe
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villafuerte-Gálvez
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Sotelo-Olivera
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cok
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piscoya-Rivera
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huerta-Mercado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D046730:Colitis, Lymphocytic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies