Incidence, pattern, and African variations of common benign disorders of the esophagus. Experience from Nigeria.

As a result of the dearth and cost of specialized personnel and investigative facilities, noncommunicable diseases have aroused no real epidemiologic interest in many parts of Africa, and consequently reports on some diseases have been sporadic and often lacking in detail. Therefore a comprehensive study of benign lesions of the esophagus, such as achalasia, hiatal hernia, and the gastroesophageal reflux complex including peptic stricture, was undertaken among Nigerians resident in the African environment. Striking variations from known patterns became evident. Answers were sought for the peculiarities in the manifestation and natural history of these disorders.