[Esophageal function in chronic alcohol abuse]

1. In our patients the chronic overindulgence in alcohol led to an increased appearance of a pathological gastrooesophageal reflux. Thereby the group with normal liver findings or steatosis showed a slightly pathological, the group with alcoholic liver cirrhosis a severe pathological reflux behaviour. 2. The manometric findings in form of a decreased resting pressure in the inferior oesophageal sphincter, a slightly increased duration as well as of a decreased speed of the contraction wave were certainly insignificant in functional respect. They could not explain the pathological reflux behaviour. 3. The chronic abuse of alcohol did not lead to erosive changes of the mucous membrane in the distal oesophagus.