Histopathological Spectrum of Endoscopic Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Biopsies: A Cross-sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Introduction: The Lower Gastrointestinal Tract (LGIT) is susceptible to a broad spectrum of disorders, ranging from non neoplastic conditions to premalignant and malignant lesions. Endoscopic biopsy, coupled with histopathological examination, remains a cornerstone in the diagnosis and management of these conditions. Aim: To study the histopathological spectrum of LGIT biopsies. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted for 18 months in the Department of Pathology at Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Western Railways, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. A total of 250 LGIT biopsies received between October 2022 and April 2024 were included in the study. Biopsies were processed and examined using standard histopathological protocols. Special stains, including Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS), Ziehl-Neelsen Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB), Masson’s trichrome, Alcian blue, and Congo red, were performed wherever indicated. Clinical data including age, sex, presenting symptoms, and biopsy site were analysed for their association with histopathological findings. These findings included assessment of mucosal architecture, crypt distortion, lamina propria cellularity, inflammatory infiltrate patterns, ulceration, granuloma formation, dysplasia, and tumour grade. Categorical variables were expressed as numbers and percentages, while quantitative variables were expressed as mean±standard deviation or median with interquartile range. Quantitative variables were compared using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), whereas qualitative variables were analysed using the Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test when expected cell counts were less than five. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. A p-value