[Association of chronic obstructive bronchitis and upper digestive pathology. A clinical study]

The association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with esophageal-gastric and duodenal disease is very common. In our experience 21.8% of patients with COPD were affected by peptic ulcer and 50.9% by inflammatory disease of upper digestive tract. This association appears independent from smoking and alcohol abuse. Dyspepsia and corticosteroid therapy were associated with endoscopic lesions (dyspepsia was present in 75.6% of patients with abnormal endoscopy vs 42.8% without endoscopic lesions, p less than 0.01 and corticosteroid therapy in 43.9% vs 0, p less than 0.001). On the contrary therapy with theophylline and beta 2-adrenoceptor-agonists is not associated with digestive disease. Spirometric parameters and blood gas analysis were not different among patients with and without endoscopic lesions. We suggest endoscopy of upper digestive tract in patients affected by COPD with dyspepsia and/or corticosteroid therapy.