ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDS/AIM: Patients with liver cinhosis suffer from indigestion, abdominal discamfort, or dysphagia, but causes of these symptoms are unknown. Ascites, esophageal varix, fiequency of variceal ligatian, and poor residual liver function are considered as the causes, despite no consistent result. There has been no report about pogestaone known to decrease the pressure of lower esophageal sphincter at pregnancy in cirrhotic patients. We evaluated the factors affecting gastroesaphageal reflux and esophageal matility disarder in patients with cirrhosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Between May 1997 and September 1998, 24 cinhotic patients(18 men and 6 women, mean age 51.8+/-9.7yr) were enrolloed. All patients were subjected to abdominal ultrasonography, esophageal manometry, ambulatary 24hr esophageal pH monitoring, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and serum levels of esttogen and pogesterone. After ascites was conttolled, these studies were performed again in 5 patients. RESULTS: 1) Thae was no correlation between amount of ascites and esophageal motility disceder, gastroesophageal reflux. But, after ascites was controlled, lower esaphageal pressure tended to increase. 2) There was no correlation between grade of esophageal varix and esophageal manometric abnormalities. 3) There was inverse carrelation between frequency of esophageal variceal ligation and upper esophageal pessure. 4) There was invase correlation between lower esophageal pressure and serum level of esttogen, progesterone. 5) There was no correlation between severity of liver cirrhosis, age and esophageal motility disceders, pstroesophageal reflux. CONCLUSIONS: Factors affecting esophageal motility disorders in cirrhatic patients are ammout of ascites, frequency of esophageal variceal ligations, and serum levels of estrogen and progesterrone.