Endoscopic study of upper gastrointestinal tract in patients with alcohol dependence.

This study was designed to elucidate the long-term effect of excess alcohol intake on the upper gastrointestinal tract. The subjects of the study were patients with alcohol dependence (n = 91). All of the subjects had been hospitalized to overcome their alcohol dependence. They underwent endoscopic examination of upper gastrointestinal tract, whether they had symptoms and a personal history of digestive organs trouble or not. Gastric ulcer (n = 14), gastroduodenal ulcer (n = 3), duodenal ulcer (n = 2), gastritis erosiva (n = 23), resected stomach (n = 13), esophageal cancer (n = 1), esophageal varix (n = 8), and esophagitis (n = 1) were among the lesions found by the endoscopic examination. This study indicated a close association of chronic upper gastrointestinal lesion with long-term excessive intake of alcohol.