New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Safety and diagnosis yield of colonoscopy in Hong Kong Chinese children

Date:
March 26, 2010
Source:
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Summary:
Colonoscopy in children is a highly specialized procedure. A tertiary referral center in Hong Kong has recently reviewed their results in 79 children who underwent the procedure in a 6-year period. The findings suggested that the procedure, though not as often done as in Western countries, was safely performed in Chinese children. Results also suggested a possible increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease that has been believed to be uncommon in Chinese children.
Share:
FULL STORY

Colonoscopy in children is a highly specialized procedure which is not often performed in the Chinese population. Data of its safety and diagnostic yield in Chinese children is scarce. One of the most common indications for colonoscopy in children of western countries is investigation and follow-up assessment for inflammatory bowel disease which is uncommon in Chinese children.

It has recently been reported that there is increasing occurrence of childhood inflammatory bowel disease in western countries. It is, however, unknown whether a similar increase happens in Chinese children.

A research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this issue. The research team led by Dr. Tam YH from the Division of Paediatric Surgery & Paediatric Urology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong has recently reviewed a group of 79 children who underwent their first colonoscopy within a 6 year period in a tertiary referral center. The most common reasons for performing the colonoscopy were investigation for passage of blood in the stools (58%) and for the possibility of inflammatory bowel disease (29%). Colonoscopy identified the pathological conditions in half of the children. These included 23 children with colonic polyps and 13 with inflammatory bowel disease.

Besides the diagnostic purpose, the colonoscopy also provided therapeutic value by successfully excising the colonic polyps in 22 out of 23 children. There were no complications encountered in all 79 children. The authors also found an increasing diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in the recent decade compared with the local data in the 80 and 90 s. Their results suggested colonoscopy is a safe procedure in Chinese children although it is not as often done as in western countries. The authors advocated the establishment of a central registry of childhood inflammatory bowel disease to better monitor the trend of the incidence of the disease in Chinese population.


Story Source:

Materials provided by World Journal of Gastroenterology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Tam et al. Colonoscopy in Hong Kong Chinese children. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2010; 16 (9): 1119 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i9.1119

Cite This Page:

World Journal of Gastroenterology. "Safety and diagnosis yield of colonoscopy in Hong Kong Chinese children." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 March 2010. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100326101110.htm>.
World Journal of Gastroenterology. (2010, March 26). Safety and diagnosis yield of colonoscopy in Hong Kong Chinese children. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100326101110.htm
World Journal of Gastroenterology. "Safety and diagnosis yield of colonoscopy in Hong Kong Chinese children." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100326101110.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES