Correlation of double-contrast radiography and endoscopy in reflux esophagitis

Esophageal double-contrast radiography was performed on 19 patients with endoscopically verified reflux esophagitis and on 12 patients with endoscopically normal esophagus. Using the findings at endoscopy as a reference, double-contrast radiography showed four false-negatives and one false-positive finding, its overall accuracy being 84%. In both double-contrast radiography and endoscopy, hiatal incompetence correlated poorly with the presence of any esophagitis. It was concluded that double-contrast radiography is the radiological method of choice in suspected reflux esophagitis, and that screening of the lower esophagus should be included in examinations of the upper gastrointestinal tract.