A Comparison of the Radiologic and Esophagoscopic Diagnosis of Esophageal Varices

Abstract

RECENT developments in the surgical alleviation of portal hypertension have emphasized the need for a reliable technic for the demonstration of esophageal varices. Schatzki,¹ in 1933, showed the value of the radiologic technic in the clinical diagnosis of esophageal varices. Since that time it has become almost universally employed to establish this diagnosis, and many authors have expressed complete confidence in this technic.^{2 3 4} Recent reports have suggested that esophagoscopy may be superior to the radiologic diagnosis of esophageal varices.^{5 6 7} The published comparisons of esophageal varices by these two methods have been retrospective and uncontrolled in several important ways. First of . . .