ABSTRACT

Complications secondary to gastric acid are the most common cause of upper gastrointestinal symptoms that result in patients presenting to either primary or secondary care. In the 1980s Warren and Marshall established the role of Helicobacter pylori in the formation of peptic ulceration, which, in addition to the advent of acid suppression by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), has dramatically altered the clinical landscape with regard to diagnosis and treatment of this condition. This chapter discusses the etiology, epidemiology, pathology, clinical presentation, investigation, current management, and complications of both esophagitis and peptic ulcer disease (PUD) .