[Esophageal function in chronic alcohol abuse]. / Osophagusfunktion bei chronischem Alkoholabusus.

1. In our patients the chronic overindulgence in alcohol led to an increased appearance of a pathological gastrooesophageal reflux. Thereby the group with normal liver findings or steatosis showed a slightly pathological, the group with alcoholic liver cirrhosis a severe pathological reflux behaviour. 2. The manometric findings in form of a decreased resting pressure in the inferior oesophageal sphincter, a slightly increased duration as well as of a decreased speed of the contraction wave were certainly insignificant in functional respect. They could not explain the pathological reflux behaviour. 3. The chronic abuse of alcohol did not lead to erosive changes of the mucous membrane in the distal oesophagus.

[Experiences with combined cytologic and histologic findings of gastroscopic biopsy material]. / Erfahrungen mit der kombinierten zytologischen und histologischen Befundung von gastroskopischem Biopsiematerial.

The results of simultaneous cytologic and histologic evaluation of biopsy material from ulcerative and infiltrative lesions of the stomach was evaluated. Cytologic analysis from different portions of the lesions made it possible to distinguish between peptic ulcers and ulcerated carcinomas. The former showed areas of fibrinoid necrosis. Although in malignant lesions necrotic foci may be identified in smears, they are never of the fibrinoid type.

[Esophageal function in duodenal ulcer]. / Oesophagusfunktion bei Ulcus duodeni.

We examined 21 patients with duodenal ulcer confirmed by endoscopy for disturbances of esophageal function, using manometric techniques and long-term pH measurement. Pathological manometric findings, largely of a mild degree, were obtained in 48 per cent of the patients examined, and a pathological gastro-esophageal reflux was found in 81 per cent, with only 33 per cent suffering from reflux esophagitis as confirmed by endoscopy and/or histological examination. Although duodenal ulcer and disturbed esophageal function often appear simultaneously, a causal connection seems unlikely. Alcohol and nicotine stimulate reflux, with the degree of severity depending on the amount.

[Roentgenologic documentation of findings in coloscopy]. / Röntgenologische Befunddokumentation bei der Coloskopie.

This contribution covers the X-ray documentation of primary coloscopy findings in 29 patients. High coloscopy as a primary method of diagnosis used to have the disadvantage that when dealing with a circumscribed lesion requiring surgery, a barium enema had to be administered on order to localize it and determine its extent. The endoscopic-radiological coloscopy method described here combines primary coloscopy with a spatial visualization of the colon on an X-ray picture. It should bei applied wherever coloscopy is used as the primary method of examining the colon.

[Esophageal function in portal hypertension before and after sclerotherapy]. / Oesusphagusfunktion bei portaler Hypertonie vor und nach Sklerotherapie.

An examination of esophageal function using manometric techniques and long-term pH measurement was carried out on 14 patients suffering from cirrhosis of the liver who had esophageal varices. The resting pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter was found to be slightly reduced in 50 per cent of those examined, while 100 per cent showed a slightly reduced contraction amplitude in the distal tubular esophagus which became progressively lower in the distal direction, and a pathological gastro-esophageal reflux was observed in 57 per cent. We were able to carry out a control examination on 10 of these patients after sclerosing procedure. Sclerotherapy was found to have lowered resting pressures in the lower esophageal sphincter in 80 per cent of those patients, while all of them showed a grossly impaired tubular peristalsis in the form of simultaneous, mostly repetitive contractions with a considerably lowered contraction amplitude, however it had no negative influence on gastro-esophageal reflux patterns.