[Endoscopic findings in volunteers and dyspeptic patients]

Although more than a fourth of the adult population reports dyspeptic complaints, little is known about the prevalence of clinically relevant UGI endoscopic findings in these patients in comparison with asymptomatic volunteers. This type of information is required in order to assess the relative risks of organic dyspepsia and the sensitivity and specificity of dyspeptic complaints for peptic lesions. In an attempt to fill this gap, the authors compared two trials carried out in the German-speaking part of Switzerland: (a.) 172 adult asymptomatic volunteers (age 20-78 years, 74 females, 98 males) participated in an epidemiological trial to measure the prevalence of positive CLO-urease tests and of upper GI-tract lesions. (b.) 119 patients (age 18-84 years; 68 females, 51 males) consulting their family doctor because of upper digestive symptoms of at least 1 month's duration (epigastric pain or discomfort, heartburn, acid regurgitation, early satiety, bloating, etc.) were referred for UGI endoscopy as a screening procedure; functional dyspeptics were thereafter randomized to a double blind drug trial (not reported here). In both trials the gastric presence of Helicobacter pylori was measured by means of the CLO-urease test. Prevalences of lesions and of positive urease-tests in the dyspeptic population were compared with the sex and age adjusted prevalences registered in the control population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)