Abstract

Introduction:
Bleeding from esophageal varices (EV) is an important complication of portal hypertension and a major cause of death in patients with chronic liver disease. In Nigeria, hepatitis B and C viral infection and alcohol are the leading causes of portal hypertension and EV arising from liver cirrhosis. The study aimed to present data on bleeding EV during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in Calabar, Cross River State (CRS).

Methodology:
This was a descriptive retrospective study of patients with bleeding EV who had EGD performed at two health facilities in Calabar, CRS, from November 2012 to May 2024. Patients’ demographics and endoscopy findings were obtained from the endoscopy registers, entered into a spreadsheet, and analyzed statistically using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 software. Continuous variables were summarized using means ± standard deviation, whereas frequencies and percentages were used for categorical variables.

Results:
A total of 165 patients who presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding had EGD performed during the study period. Fifty-five (33.3%) of these patients had EV. The age range of patients with bleeding EV was 24-78 years, with a mean age of 45.1 years (SD ± 14.6) and a male: female ratio of 5.9:1. All the patients with bleeding esophageal varices had background chronic liver disease.

Conclusion:
Bleeding esophageal varices are a significant cause of upper GI bleeding in our study population, especially among those with chronic liver disease.

Key words: Calabar, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, Esophageal Varices , Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding