GASTRIC MUCOSA IN PATIENTS WITH REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS

Abstract

As the etiology of reflux esophagitis, the following causes are considered; (1) lowered esophageal sphincter pressure, and (2) long stay of reflux fluid, which may influence on induction of esophagitis. As this time, the gastric atrophic pattern was investigated in 30 cases having ref lux esophagitis in order to clarify the relationship between ref lux esophagitis and gastric acid output. The cases with gastrectomy were excluded from this study. Twenty six out of 30 cases (86.7%) showed the "closed type" and progression of the gastric atrophic pattern toward oral side seen with age in chronic gastritis was not observed in these cases. Moreover, we examined 22 cases of sliding hiatus hernia. Eleven of them complicated reflux esophagitis, and the gastric atrophic pattern showed the "closed type" in all of them. From the analysis of gastric atrophic pattern in these cases, it is concluded that the "closed type" plays an important role in developing reflux esophagitis.