The screening sensitivity of endoscopy, acid perfusion test and 24-hour pH-monitoring to evaluate esophagitis in patients with heartburn and histological esophagitis

ABSTRACT

The sensitivity of endoscopic examinations, acid perfusion test and 24-hour esophageal pH-monitoring, were studied in patients with hearburn. Thirty six adult patients with histological esophagitis were included in this prospective study. Endoscopy showed esophageal lesion in 18/36 (sensitivity of 50 percent): esophagitis grade I in 10 (55.6 percent) and, grade II in eight (44.4 percent). Acid perfusion test was positive in 10/25 (sensitivity of 40 percent) of the patients submitted to the test. Twenty-four-hour pH-monitoring was positive in 17/29 patients (sensitivity of 58.6 percent): eight (61.5 percent) did not have esophageal lesion at endoscopy, two (25 percent) had esophagitis grade I and seven (87.5 percent) had esophagitis grade II. In the patients submitted to 24-hour pH-monitoring, a greater number or reflux episodes in orthostatic position than in supine position (P<0.0001) was observed. The total number of reflux episodes, the most prolonged reflux and the total pH time < 4 were statistically higher in post-prandial period than during meals (P = 0.05).