Esophagoscopy in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

THE prompt diagnosis of the cause of bleeding in patients with hemorrhage from the upper gastrointestinal tract is difficult. Patients bleeding from esophageal varices must be distinguished from those bleeding from other lesions because prognosis as well as therapy depends on the cause of bleeding. Furthermore, a decision for emergency surgery requires early diagnosis. This paper illustrates the value of esophagoscopy in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal hemorrhage.MethodDuring a ten-month period members of the Thoracic Surgery Service of the Boston City Hospital performed esophagoscopy on 14 patients with severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Nine of these 14 patients were examined . . .