36 male patients (average age, 36 years) with duodenal ulcer (DU) were studied with the purpose of investigating the incidence of reflux esophagitis. Ten of them had duodenal stenosis due to scarring. All patients were submitted to X-ray and endoscopy of the esophagus, histology of the esophagus, gastric secretion of HCl, and manometry of the lower esophageal sphincter. The results were compared with those of ten controls. The following conclusions were reached: (1) esophagitis according to histological and endoscopic study was found in 61.1% of the patients; (2) the incidence of esophagitis is not significantly related to the duration of the disease, as estimated by its symptoms; (3) duodenal stenosis is not significant in the pathogenesis of the esophagitis; (4) no significant statistical relation was observed between the presence of reflux esophagitis in patients with DU and the gastric secretion of HCl as evaluated in basal conditions and after Histalog stimulation; (5) the length of sphincter and the resting gastroesophageal sphincter pressure were not significantly different in patients with or without esophagitis, and do not depend on the presence or the absence of stenosis or gastric hypersecretion of HCl.

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Edmonds, 1971). Since the procedures are atraumatic and can be done in the course of routine examinations, it is possible to make repeated observations and so study changes produced by hormones, drugs, or pathological processes (Edmonds, 1971;Rask-Madsen, and Jensen, 1973;Edmonds and Pilcher, 1973). Similar methods should be suitable for study of the epithelium of the terminal ileum in a patient with an ileostomy and the object of the present work was to examine the feasibility of the procedures in this situation. MethodsEleven patients (seven males, four females, 24-54 years), were studied. They had all been treated for ulcerative colitis by total colectomy and had normally functioning ileostomies. The studies were done at between two weeks and six years after formation of the ileostomy. In all the ileum appeared healthy and was functioning satisfactorily.