title: Experience with colonoscopy in the riverine southwestern Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colonoscopy is useful for diagnosis, treatment and surveillance of anal and colorectal lesions. It affords a good, less invasive and tolerable way to see and access the large intestine.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the indications, finding and diagnosis at colonoscopy in a riverine setting in Southwestern Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who presented in the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa and requiring colonoscopy in their management between January 2011 to April 2013 were included in this study. They were reviewed and their demographic and clinical data, indications for colonoscopy, the findings and the pathological diagnosis were entered in a proforma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Colonoscopy was done in 100 patients out of which seventy seven (77%) were males and 23 (23%) were females. The indications were frank lower gastrointestinal bleeding 55 (55%) chronic diarrhea (11%), chronic constipation10(10%), occult gastrointestinal bleeding (7.0%), lower abdominal and anal pain 4 (4.0%), queried anorectal cancer 3 (3.0%) and enterocutaneous fistula 1(1%). Colonoscopic findings, include, normal finding 24(24%) colitis 24 (24.0%), hemorrhoid 20(20.0%), Anal fissure 16 (16.0%) colonic cancer 5 (5.0%), anorectal cancer 4 (4.0%), caecal cancer 2 (2.0%) faecal impaction 2 (2.0%), anal wart 2 (2.0%) , polyps 1 (1.0%) and anal fistula 1 (1.0%). The diagnostic yield was 76%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal tract was the commonest indication for colonoscopy and the most frequent pathology was amoebic in the riverine Southwestern Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: STATE SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, OKITIPUPA,ONDO STATE, NIGERIA.
authors.forename: Gc
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Obonna
authors.affiliation: OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA.
authors.forename: Ao
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arowolo
authors.affiliation: OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agbakwuru
keywords: Amoebic colitis; Colonoscopy; Haematochezia; Southwest Nigeria