Fibreoptic endoscopy was performed on 5,086 consecutive patients with upper gastrointestinal tract disease (UGITD) symptoms, at two endoscopy centres in Khartoum over five years. Oesophageal disease was diagnosed in 559 patients (11%) comprising (20.5%) of all the positive findings. In 46% of all the endoscopies no abnormality was detected. The commonest oesophageal disease was varices occurring in 186 patients (3.7%) of the 5,086 endoscopies with a mean age of 33.5 +/- 12 and a male/female ratio of 3.4:1. Hiatus hernia occurred in 124 patients (2.4%) with a male/female ratio of 1.6:1, oesophagitis in 115 patients (2.3%) with a male/female ratio of 2:1. Carcinoma of the oesophagus was diagnosed in 108 patients (2.1%), with a mean age of 56 +/- 14 years and a male/female ratio of 1.4:1. Achalasia of the oesophagus occurred in 20 patients (0.4%), Mallory Weiss syndrome in 4 patients (0.08%) and benign strictures in 2 patients (0.04%).