The exact relation between gastro-oesophageal reflux and asthma remains poorly understood. To determine whether gastro-oesophageal reflux in asthmatics results in oesophagitis, endoscopy and oesophageal biopsy were performed on 186 consecutive adult asthmatics. The presence or absence of reflux symptoms was not used as a selection criterion for asthmatics. Endoscopy was performed by two endoscopists using predefined criteria. All asthmatics had discrete wheezing and either a previous diagnosis of asthma or