The association of oesophagitis with disease in the stomach and duodenum

The records of all upper digestive endoscopies performed in one year in the Clinical Measurement Department of a teaching hospital serving a population of 250 000 were reviewed; 25% of patients had oesophagitis, which was usually associated with other significant findings such as peptic ulcer and gastroduodenal erosions. Only about 1 in 6 patients with oesophagitis had an endoscopically identified hiatus hernia. Oesophagitis was associated with gastric acid hypersecretion in both men and women.