[Esophageal function in chronic alcohol abuse].

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.

[Chronic drug-induced hepatitis caused by dihydralazine].

Two cases are described, which revealed the picture of a dihydralazine-induced chronic aggressive hepatitis bioptically. One case was laparotomized under the clinical diagnosis of obstruction jaundice, the other exhibited no symptoms and was detected by elevated transaminases only. The time of exposure was 2-3 years.

[Esophageal function in portal hypertension before and after sclerotherapy].

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.

[Esophageal function in duodenal ulcer].

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.

[Roentgenologic documentation of findings in coloscopy].

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.