Peptic Esophagitis in Hospitals in Ouahigouya: Epidemiological and Diagnostic Aspects (About 2578 Cases)

Objective: The aim of the study was to study the epidemiological and diagnostic aspects of peptic esophagitis in a hospital setting in Ouahigouya using the endoscopic approach. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional and descriptive study over a 10-year period from March 1, 2014 to February 29, 2024. Patients diagnosed with peptic esophagitis by upper digestive endoscopy and classified according to Savary Miller into 4 grades were included in the study. Using a data collection form, patient data were collected in 3 private and one public health facility in the city of Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso. Results: During the study period, 4078 esophageal lesions were found out of a total of 5278 upper digestive endoscopies. Among these esophageal pathologies, there were 2578 cases of peptic esophagitis, or 43.52%, coming in first place in decreasing order of frequency. The annual frequency was 257.8 cases. There were 1459 women and 1119 men, or a sex ratio of 1.3. The average age was 39.62 years, with extremes of 8 and 98 years. The professions were dominated by housewives with 995 cases (38.60%), followed by farmers/breeders with 488 (18.89%) and civil servants with 191 cases (17.07%). The indications for endoscopic examination were dominated by epigastralgia with 1670 cases (46.47%), followed by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with 356 cases (9.9%) and ulcer syndrome with 257 cases (7.15%). The endoscopic aspects were dominated according to the Savary Miller classification by Grade I with 2237 (86.77%), followed by Grade IV in 255 cases (9.89%). Conclusion: Peptic esophagitis is a common pathological entity in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. It predominates in women and young adults. It is rare before the age of 20 and common between 30 and 40 years. The high rate of endobrachyesophagus (EBO) in Grade IV cases reported by our study requires patient monitoring.