[The contribution of endoscopy in the diagnosis of esophago-gastro-duodenal disorders in a tropical milieu. Experience in Benin with 930 examinations].

The authors analyse the results of esophago-gastro-duodenal fibroscopy in 930 symptomatic patients. Ninety one per cent of them had lesions. Inflammatory pathology was predominant: esophagitis, gastritis and duodenitis were seen in 21.5%, 47% and 29.08% respectively of the patients investigated. Gastritis accompanied 75.13% of cases of esophagitis and 76.4% of duodenitis, and was associated with the demonstration of the presence of Helicobater pylori in gastric biopsies in 56.41% of patients with that lesion. The relatively high incidence of carcinoma of the esophagus (2.7%) is a particular feature of this study, while that of carcinoma of the stomach (1%) was in accordance with classical data. Duodenal ulcer was found in 18% of patients as compared with 5.16% for gastric ulcer. From a pathophysiological standpoint, mention is made of traditional diet (hot, highly spiced), self-medication and intestinal parasite infestation in causing inflammatory lesions. Finally, emphasis is placed upon the role of Helicobacter infection in the development of chronic gastritis. The high rate of infection with this organism and its involvement in the mechanisms of duodenal ulcerogenesis could explain the high incidence of duodenal ulcers in our group and in studies emanating from developing countries.