Correlation between Ambulatory 24 Hour Dual Probe pH Monitoring and Reflux Finding Score, Reflux Symptom Index in the Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A 24-hour ambulatory dual probe for pH monitoring is the most specific and sensitive test for laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) disease. However, the use of this probe is not well tolerated in some patients due to discomfort and the invasive nature of the procedure. Thus, the diagnosis of LPR is usually made according to symptomatic responses to empirical treatment using a proton-pump inhibitor for patients with high score of reflux symptom index (RSI) and reflux finding score (RFS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the RSI and RFS and pH monitoring using a 24-hour ambulatory dual probe, and determine the role of RSI and RFS in the diagnosis of LPR. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We studied 100 patients who underwent pH monitoring using a 24-hour dual probe because of laryngopharyngeal reflux related symptoms or laryngoscopic findings. The various parameters of the 24-hour dual probe pH monitoring were compared with the scores of RSI and RFS. RESULTS: In 24-hour dual probe pH monitoring, 64 of 100 patients tested positive for LPR. The mean of RSI score was significantly higher in the positive LPR group than in the negative group. However, RFS did not differ between the two groups. RSI scores were significantly associated with the reflux number in the upright position of the 24-hour dual probe pH monitoring. There was no correlation between RFS and the parameters of the 24-hour dual probe pH monitoring. CONCLUSION: RSI can be a reliable diagnostic tool for laryngopharyngeal reflux disease instead of the 24-hour ambulatory dual probe pH monitoring.

Relationship of body mass index with hiatal hernia and reflux esophagitis / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective To investigate the relationship of body mass index with hiatal hernia (HH) and reflux esophagitis (RE).Methods Two hundreds and twenty seven gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients with typical acid regurgitation and heartburn were enrolled and categorized into three groups according to body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) as normal weight (18.5≤BMI ＜24), overweight (24≤BMI＜28), and obesity (BMI≥28).RE, non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and HH were diagnosed by gastroscopy.All the patients underwent ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring and the pathological acid reflux was considered when the DeMeester score≥15.Effects of BMI on RE and HH were estimated by using logistic regression analysis.Results The percentages of RE and HH were 30.0%(68/227) and 5.7%(13/227), respectively.76.9% (10/13) HH patients had RE. Proportions of RE and HH increased significantly with increasing BMI (P＜0.05), so was that of RE above grade B in three groups (6.4%, 16.9% and 31.6%,P=0.003).DeMeester scores of the three groups were 15.9, 19.8 and 36.9, respectively (P＜0.05).The average 24-hour intra-esophagus pH value of overweight group, was significantly lower than that of normal weight patients in the afternoon and midnight (P＜0.01).Multivariate analysis showed obesity was a risk factor for HH with OR 7.058 (95% CI: 1.294～38.488, P=0.024), male (OR: 2.537, 95% CI: 1.350～4.766, P=0.004), overweight (OR: 1.921, 95% CI: 1.005～3.670, P=0.048), obesity (OR: 3.305, 95% CI: 1.123～9.724, P=0.030) and HH (OR: 6.879, 95% CI: 1.695～27.913, P=0.007) were risk factors for RE.Conclusion BMI has a significant association with HH and RE, obesity is a common risk factor for both HH and RE, HH may induce the development of RE.

Esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring in esophagus surgery: 28-year Chinese experience in a single Center / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective To retrospectively review the experience of esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring in esophagus surgery. Methods From 1982 to 2010, patients with unspecific chest pain and undergone esophageal surgery were received esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring. Results Among the patients with unspecific chest pain, 70.4%(74/105) were diagnosed as esophageal origin. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) can be continuously maintained by using 360° fundoplication. Only a minority of patients who underwent transabdominal esophagocardiomyotomy and partial posterior fundoplication had acid reflux postoperatively. Incidence rate of achalasia of upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and pharyngeal "shoulder wave" in side-to-side stapled anastomosis is significantly lower than in traditional hand-sewn anastomosis,as well as contractive pressure in anastomosis region and occurrence of swallow discomfortableness. There is a high pressure region at the esophageal entrance in patients with bilateral platysma muscle flap for cervical esophagus defect following removal of hypopharynx cancer. And the pressure of the region is significantly lower than in healthy controls. Basal pyloric pressure and peak pressure of pylorus in phase Ⅲ of the migrating motor complex increased significantly after gastric conduit was made and anastomosed, but decreased appreciably following pyloric digital fracture. Peak pressure, frequency and duration time of isolated pyloric pressure wave ( IPPW ) decreased after pyloric digital fracture significantly. Conclusion Esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring are important tools for and diagnosing unspecific chest pain and evaluating the outcome of new surgical procedures.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Prevents Gastroesophageal Reflux in Patients with Nasogastric Tube Feeding: A Prospective Study with 24-Hour pH Monitoring

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has been widely used for patients with swallowing dysfunction. However, its beneficial effects in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PEG on the prevention of GER in patients with nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding. METHODS: Continuous 24-hour pH monitoring was performed prospectively in 21 patients receiving NGT feeding before and 7.3+/-2.2 days after PEG placement to compare the severity of GER. RESULTS: We studied 21 patients with a mean age of 59.8+/-14.1 years. The mean duration of NGT placement was 5.8+/-5.4 months. The causes of swallowing dysfunction included cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage and other central nervous system (CNS) lesions. When all of the patients were considered, there were no significant differences in reflux parameters after PEG placement compared to before PEG placement. However, all seven patients who had preexisting GER showed significant improvement (p<0.05) of the reflux parameters, including the frequency of acid reflux, duration of acid reflux, total time with a pH below 4.0 and the fraction of time with a pH below 4.0, after PEG placement. CONCLUSIONS: PEG might prevent GER in patients receiving NGT feeding, especially in those patients with GER.

A Study of Esophageal Acidity and Motility Change after a Gastrectomy for Stomach Cancer

PUPOSE: Some patients develop gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) after a gastrectomy for stomach cancer. Therefore, we conducted this research to gain an understanding of esophageal acidity and motility change. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2002 to March 2004, the cases of 15 randomized patients with stomach cancer who underwent a radical subtotal gastrectomy (RSG) with Billroth I(B-I) reconstruction (n=12) or a radical total gastrectomy (RTG) with Roux-en-Y (R-Y) gastroenterostomy (n=3) were analyzed. We investigated the clinical values of the ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring and esophageal manometry in these patients, just before discharge from the hospital after an operation. RESULTS: GERD was present in three patients (20%). Compared with two reconstructive procedures, 3 of the 12 patients in the RSG with B-I group had GERD; however, none of RTG with R-Y group had GERD. Compared with pathologic stage, 2 of 9 patients in stage I, 1 of 2 patients in stage II, none of 3 patients in stage III, and none of 1 patient in stage IV had GERD. Esophageal manometry was performed in 10 patients. Nonspecific esophageal motility disorder (NEMD) was present in 7 patients. CONCLUSION: Some patients had GERD as a complication following a gastrectomy for stomach cancer. We suspect that the postoperative esophageal symptom is due to not only bile reflux but also gastroesophageal acid reflux. Therefore, careful observation is recommended for the detection of GERD.

The Efficacy of Proximal Esophageal 24-hour pH Monitoring in Infants with Chronic Cough

PURPOSE: Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) is known as one of the most common causes of chronic cough, especially in children. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of parameters from proximal esophageal 24-hr pH monitoring through its comparison with those of distal esophageal 24-hr pH monitoring that we generally use for diagnosis of GERD. METHODS: We performed chest CT scans to find out the cause of chronic cough in infants with no clinical manifestation suggesting GERD. Then, in case that they had air space consolidation in posterior segment of both upper lobes and superior segment of both lower lobes(dependent position), we performed proximal and distal esophageal 24-hr pH monitoring. RESULTS: The proximal and distal pH monitoring were performed in 17 infants(male 12; female five). The patients with positive pathologic reflux in proximal esophagus were 15 of 17(88.2%) and in distal esophagus were four of 17(23.5%). Reflux index and the total number of reflux episodes were statistically significantly lower in the proximal than in the distal esophagus(P<0.05). There was no correlation between each parameters of proximal and distal esophageal 24-hr pH monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that proximal esophageal 24-hr pH monitoring can be used as a very useful diagnostic tool in infants with chronic cough in which there are suspicions that it resulted from aspiration due to GERD.

Transoral endoscopic suturing for gastroesophageal reflux diseases / 中国微创外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the short-term effects and complications of transoral endoscopic suturing in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD). Methods Sixteen patients with GERD, confirmed by gastroscopy, upper gastrointestinal barium meal examination, and esophageal pH value examination, received gastroesophageal suturing by using an endoscopic suturing device (manufactured by Bard Co.). The site of suturing was 1cm below the dentation line, with a suture interval of 1.5cm and a knot interval of 2.0cm. Symptom severity scoring, esophageal 24-hour pH monitoring and the degree of esophagitis before and 1 month after the operation were compared respectively. Results A total of 42 sutures and 21 knots were made in the 16 cases. The mean operation time was 30 min. The sum of heartburn scores and regurgitation scores before the treatment were 39 (mean, 2.44) and 32 (mean, 2.0), and those after the treatment were 11 (mean, 0.68) and 10 (mean, 0.63), respectively, with statistical significances between preoperation and postoperation ( ? 2 =19.5 and 16.33; P

The Pattern of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease / 대한소화관운동학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Generally, it is recommended for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease to sleep with the head of the bed elevated; however, many patients in Korea do not have heartburn symptoms during the night. METHODS: We investigated the pattern of acid reflux in patients who were diagnosed as having definite pathological acid reflux on 24-hour pH monitoring. RESULTS: One hundred patients were categorized into 3 groups; upright refluxer (68%), supine refluxer (2%), or combined refluxer (30%). Acid reflux was rare in supine positions but instead, usually occurred in upright positions. Acid reflux was found to occur most commonly after meals. The reflux symptoms occurred during pH monitoring with the average frequency of 5.5 times (total of 254 times) in 46 patients. The acid related symptoms were more common in the upright period and postprandially than the supine period. The presence of an esophagitis, an esophageal motility disorder, or the LES pressure did not make a significant difference between upright refluxer and supine refluxer. CONCLUSIONS: Gastroesophageal reflux was found to be rare in supine positions but usually occurred in upright positions. Gastroesophageal reflux occurred most commonly after meals, and was frequently associated with reflux symptoms.