[Reflux esophagitis--diagnosis and differential diagnosis].

The combination of the two typical symptoms - heartburn and regurgitation - is almost proving gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD). Further - atypical - symptoms are dysphagia, odynophagia, pharyngitis, reflux-induced pulmonary symptoms or intermittent chest-pain. Endoscopic signs of GORD are patchy reddening of the mucosa, erosions, ulcers and stricture. Barretts oesophagus is characterized by columnar epithelial metaplasia. Consequence: Typical symptoms of GORD may be treated without further diagnostic procedure whereas in the case of atypical symptoms diagnosis of GORD has to be established by endoscopy.