ENDOSCOPIC AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF COLOPATHY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER DISEASES

Abstract

Chronic liver disease is one of the most highly endemic health problems in Egypt. The most common presentations are; schistosomiasis; I and I or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), with subsequent complications as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Both schistosorhal hepatic fibrosis, and cirrhosis are known to cause

portal hypertensidn, which subsequently increase the splanchnic

circulation flow with congestion of spleen and gastrointestinal tract. This

congestion was reflected as gastrointestinal manifestations, which were

studied both clinic lly and endoscopicaly in upper gastrointestinal tract many years ago. In 11992 the term portal intestinal vasculopathy was used for the first time td describe vascular lesions in gastrointestinal tract of patients with portal hypertension, and recorded it to occur not only in the stomach, but also in small intestine, and colon. In the last few years, that term appeared to ha1growing interest, yet few researches were made, and very little is known bout the real magnitude of the problem.

In our study we tried to evaluate the presence and the magnitude of

this problem not onllY in cirrhotic but also in some other causes of chronic

liver disease such as schistosomiasis and hepatic malignancy.