Gastroscopy in elderly patients.

The results of oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy in 630 consecutive elderly patients, age 65 years or over, were reviewed in order to asses the efficacy, safety and acceptability of the technique in this age group. The study showed that the use of endoscopy is attended by relatively few contra-indications, that considerations restricting its use are also relatively few, and that endoscopy can be invaluable in confirming or refuting the diagnosis of malignancy and in detecting bleeding lesions. It was also shown that, in this age group, the use of endoscopy can be of vital importance in expanding or qualifying radiological data. Special attention was paid to gastric lesions caused by anti-inflammatory treatment. The overall incidence in this series was 37%, and this correlated very closely with the incidence of 31% previously documented by the same authors in a middle-aged population of rheumatic patients. It is concluded that endoscopy is of indisputable value in facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders in the elderly.