Upper Gastro-intestinal Fibre-Optic Endoscopy

A study of 3 000 upper gastro-intestinal fibre-optic endoscopies over a 3-year period is reported. The majority of patients were endoscoped after barium meals and in 69% of the cases the endoscopic findings correlated well with the radiological findings. In 28% of the cases the endoscopic findings differed from the radiological findings. Endoscopy is more accurate than radiology in the examination of the postgastrectomy stomach, in acute gastro-intestinal haemorrhage, in the radiologically distorted gastric antrum and in the follow-up of gastric ulcer healing. The localisation, healing rate and incidence of recurrence in gastric ulcers and the accuracy of endoscopic biopsy and cytology are reported. The value of endoscopic examination of the stomach and duodenum is shown, but it is stressed that endoscopy is complementary to and not exclusive of radiology.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 857 (1974