Upper gastrointestinal fiberoptic panendoscopy. A 4-year study in a district general hospital.

Four years' experience of an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy service in a district general hospital is reviewed. The study comprises 500 prospective peroral endoscopic and radiographic investigations of 432 consecutive patients. The endoscopic diagnoses are compared with the results of conventional barium studies and the incidences of correct diagnoses with the two methods of investigation are estimated on the basis of the histological diagnoses on directed biopsy specimens. Endoscopy is more accurate than radiology in the examination of the stomach, especially in cases of radiologically distorted antrum and pyloric canal. We found fewer duodenal ulcers by means of combined panendoscopy than demonstrated by X-ray; the reason is discussed and the results of endoscopic biopsy and cytology in the diagnosis of gastric cancer are reported.