RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEVERITY AND SYMPTOMS OF REFLUX ESOPHAGITIS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS IN JAPAN

Since information concerning reflux oesophagitis in the elderly is lim ited, particularly in Japan, the severity and symptomatic profiles of reflux oesophagitis in elderly patients were investigated. One hundred and nineteen patients with reflux oesophagitis found among 2278 endos copy cases between 1993 and 1996 were investigated in this study. The patients were divided into two groups, elderly and non-elderly. The se verity of reflux oesophagitis was estimated by the Los Angeles classif ication. The presence or absence of typical symptoms (heartburn and re gurgitation) was determined by interview. Reflux oesophagitis was not only more frequently found in the elderly group, but was more severe t han in the non-elderly. Although the degree of manifestation of typica l symptoms was similar between the elderly and the non-elderly with hi gh-grade oesophagitis, the elderly patients with mild reflux oesophagi tis were less symptomatic than the non-elderly. Mild reflux oesophagit is in the elderly may be missed due to its rarity of typical reflux sy mptoms and a substantial number of elderly persons might have subclini cal reflux oesophagitis.