Endoscopic and histopathological evaluation of PreSchool children with chronic diarrhoea

Fifty-seven children with chronic diarrhoea, aged 1-5 years, were studied. Protein-energy malnutrition was present in 49 (85.9 per cent) children. Ana emia (89.5 per cent), presence of mucus and blood in stool (66.6 per cent), abdominal distension (52.6 per cent), and abdominal pain (28.1 per cent) w ere the common clinical findings at admission. The enteropathogens isolated from the stool of 68.4 per cent of patients were Escherichia coli (19.3 pe r cent), Candida albicans (12.3 per cent), E, histolytica (8.8 per cent), a nd Giardia lamblia (7 per cent). Secondary lactose intolerance was present in 21 per cent of children, endoscopic appearance was abnormal in 23.3 per cent of children and the commonest finding was chronic duodenitis (16.7 per cent). Abnormal histopathology was observed in 73.3 per cent of cases and villous atrophy with mononuclear cell infiltration (56.7 per cent) was the most common abnormality detected, The mean duration of diarrhoea had no imp act on endoscopic appearance but it significantly affected the histopatholo gical changes. However, no correlation was found in endoscopic and histopat hological lesions in relation to malnutrition and aetiological agents.