Endoscopic alterations in a cohort of hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Although the association between chronic kidney disease and dyspepsia is widely known, it remains poorly investigated. Among the types of gastric inflammation that lead to symptoms, erosive antral gastritis is the most common form. A direct correlation between the urea serum levels and the time in hemodialysis with the onset of gastric metaplasia and dyspepsia can be observed. The aim of this study was to report the endoscopic alterations found in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study based on the medical records of 95 patients older than 18 years who were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. The results of endoscopies performed up to 6 months before the beginning of the study were included. RESULTS: Among the 95 studied patients, 56.84% were male, 60% were Caucasian, and 71.57% used proton pump inhibitors. The endoscopic alteration most frequently observed was erosive gastritis (77% of the cases); however, the frequency of the alteration that caused the symptoms was irrelevant. The antrum was the most common site of involvement (55.79%). CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic kidney disease often show dyspeptic symptoms. Other abnormalities are common but are not correlated with such symptoms. In conclusion, this study identified the endoscopic alterations that are most often observed in hemodialysis patients; erosive and enanthematous gastritis were the most common forms observed.