Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Evaluation of Premenopausal Women with Anemia: What Is the Yield of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Anemia is not uncommon in premenopausal women. The purpose of this study was to determine the yield of endoscopy in premenopausal women with anemia. We identified and reviewed the medical records of 168 premenopausal women who underwent upper endoscopy and/or colonoscopy for the indication of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) during the years 1996 through 2005. Of the 168 patients, 100 (59.5%) underwent upper endoscopy and 155 (92.3%) underwent colonoscopy. Eighty-seven (51.8%) patients underwent both procedures. The mean age was 43.1 ± 5.8 years. The mean hemoglobin was 10.2 ± 1.3 g/dl. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) lesions potentially causative for anemia were found in 7 of 100 patients who underwent upper endoscopy (7%). Significant lower GI lesions were found in 6 of 155 (3.9%) of those who had a colonoscopy. Our data suggest that both upper endoscopy and colonoscopy were useful in the detection of significant gastrointestinal lesions in premenopausal women with anemia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Looker AC, Dallman PR, Carroll MD, et al. Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in the United States. JAMA. 1997;277:973–976. doi:10.1001/jama.277.12.973.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Green BT, Rockey DC. Gastrointestinal endoscopic evaluation of premenopausal women with iron deficiency anemia. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004;38:104–109. doi:10.1097/00004836-200402000-00004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Todd T, Caroe T. Newly diagnosed iron deficiency anemia in premenopausal women. BMJ. 2007;334:259–261. doi:10.1136/bmj.39003.602338.94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Park DI, Ryu SH, Oh SJ, et al. Significance of endoscopy in asymptomatic premenopausal women with iron deficiency anemia. Dig Dis Sci. 2006;51:2372–2376. doi:10.1007/s10620-005-9069-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ioannou GN, Rockey DC, Bryson CL, Weiss NS. Iron deficiency and gastrointestinal malignancy: a population-based cohort study. Am J Med. 2002;113:276–280. doi:10.1016/S0002-9343(02)01214-7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kepcyzyk T, Cremins JE, Long BD, et al. A prospective, multidisciplinary evaluation of premenopausal women with iron deficiency anemia. Am J Gastroenterol. 1999;94:109–115. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.1999.00780.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Annibale B, Capurso G, Chistolini A, et al. Gastrointestinal causes of refractory iron deficiency anemia in patients without gastrointestinal symptoms. Am J Med. 2001;111:439–445. doi:10.1016/S0002-9343(01)00883-X.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Rockey DC, Cello JP. Evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with iron deficiency anemia. N Engl J Med. 1993;329:1691–1695. doi:10.1056/NEJM199312023292303.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Annibale B, Lahner A, Chistolini C, et al. Endoscopic evaluation of the upper gastrointestinal tract is worthwhile in premenopausal women with iron-deficiency anemia irrespective of menstrual flow. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2003;3:239–245.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Unsworth DJ, Lock RJ, Harvey RF. Improving the diagnosis of celiac disease in anemic women. Br J Haematol. 2000;111:898–901. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2141.2000.02451.x.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Corazza GR, Valentini RA, Andreani ML, et al. Subclinical celiac disease is a frequent cause of iron deficiency anemia. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1995;30:153–156. doi:10.3109/00365529509093254.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bini EJ, Micale PL, Weinshel EH. Evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract in premenopausal women with iron deficiency anemia. Am J Med. 1998;105:281–286. doi:10.1016/S0002-9343(98)00260-5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gordon SR, Smith RE, Power GC. The role of endoscopy in the evaluation of iron deficiency anemia in patients over the age of 50. Am J Gastroenterol. 1994;89:1963–1967.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Capurso G, Baccini F, Osborn J, et al. Can patient characteristics predict the outcome of endoscopic evaluation of iron deficiency anemia: a multiple logistic regression analysis. Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;59:766–771. doi:10.1016/S0016-5107(04)00348-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Tony Lembo, M.D., and Arthur Rabinowitz, M.D., for their review of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Lahey Clinic, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA, 01805, USA

    Kristen Robson & Amy Barto

  2. Department of Research, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA, USA

    Rebecca F. Liberman

Authors
  1. Kristen Robson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Amy Barto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rebecca F. Liberman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristen Robson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Robson, K., Barto, A. & Liberman, R.F. The Evaluation of Premenopausal Women with Anemia: What Is the Yield of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy?. Dig Dis Sci 54, 1667–1671 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-008-0562-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-008-0562-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation