Comparison of endoscopic and pathologic findings and their relation to gastero-esophageal reflux disease in patients with dyspepsia

ABSTRACT

Dyspepsia and gastro-esophageal reflux disease [GERD] are among the most common problems in clinical practice. Given established association between GERD and esophageal adenocarcinoma this problem has significant importance; whereas, most of symptomatic patients have non-erosive reflux disease [NERD] The aim of this study was to compare the clinical complaints with endoscopic and pathologic findings. This study was done in 211 patients with clinical symptoms of dyspepsia for at least 3 months from October 2003 to September 2004 in Baquiatallah hospital. After completing clinical findings questionnaire, all patients underwent endoscopy and biopsy and then these methods' findings were compared. Patients' mean age was 37.53 and their mean weight was 68.59. Most frequent complaints were abdominal pain [72%], heart burn [54%] and nausea [44%], respectively. Endoscopy was abnormal in 87 [41.2%] patients [35.1% G I, 3.8% G II, 1.9% G III and 0.5% G IV esophagitis]. 124 [58.8%] patients had normal endoscopy. Esophageal biopsy were abnormal in 54 [25.6%] patients [14.2% non-inflammatory lesions, 10.4% inflammatory lesions and 0.9% metaplasia] and 157[74.4%] patients had normal biopsy. Difference between positive endoscopy and biopsy were not significant [P=0.159]. A considerable part of symptomatic patients have NERD. Pathology and endoscopy are not preferable to each other, so symptomatic patients should be treated regardless of para-clinic studies