Respiratory symptoms and dysphagia in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease: a comparison of medical and surgical therapy.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition and may frequently lead to dysphagia and respiratory symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of medical and surgical therapy to control these symptoms. METHODS: Eighty GERD patients with either dysphagia or respiratory symptoms were studied by means of a detailed symptom questionnaire, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, esophageal manometry, 24-h esophageal pH monitoring and a barium esophagogram. All patients had been receiving medical therapy with proton-pump inhibitors and cisapride for 6 months. After withdrawal of medical therapy and relapse of GERD, 62 patients decided to undergo anti-reflux surgery (laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in 19 and laparoscopic partial posterior fundoplication in 43 patients). Symptoms were assessed prior to treatment, at 6 months following medical therapy and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Heartburn and esophagitis were effectively treated by medical and surgical therapy. Dysphagia was improved in all patients following surgery but only in 27% of patients following medical therapy. Improvement of respiratory symptoms was found in 86% of patients following surgery but only in 14% following medical therapy. Improvement of regurgitation was registered only following surgical therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Since medical treatment is likely to fail in GERD patients with complex symptoms such as dysphagia, regurgitation and respiratory symptoms, the need for surgery arises in these patients and may be the only successful treatment in the long term.

Is there a dysplasia-carcinoma sequence in rat gastric remnant?

Epithelial dysplasia in the gastric remnant is generally considered to have a positive predictive value for malignancy. Whether dysplasia progresses to carcinoma or whether both just have a common origin, is still a matter of controversy. The aim of the present study in rats was to investigate the natural history of epithelial lesions in the gastric remnant. A gastric resection was carried out in 50 male Wistar rats. Postoperatively the animals received N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine orally. Gastroscopy was carried out monthly and biopsies were taken for histologic evaluation. The rats were killed after 12 months or if gastric cancer was found on gastroscopy. Twenty-four rats died postoperatively and were excluded from the study. A total of 228 gastroscopies was performed in the remaining 26 animals; 24 animals developed dysplastic lesions during the follow-up period. The rate of development of gastric cancer within one month increased with the stage of dysplasia at the previous examination (3% for mild, 48% for moderate, 100% for severe dysplasia). There was a strong correlation between the time period following gastric resection and grade of dysplasia and between the grade of dysplasia and development of cancer. Our study demonstrates that gastric stump cancer in rats develops from dysplastic lesions. A dysplasia-carcinoma sequence can therefore be assumed.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: medical or surgical treatment? Report of an interactive workshop.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract. With the introduction of proton pump inhibitors medical treatment of GERD has been significantly improved. However, the development of laparoscopic antireflux surgery resulted in an increasing interest of surgeons in this disease. An interactive meeting was organized in order to develop an agreement between gastoenterologists and surgeons regarding therapeutic decisions and this is the main topic of this paper.

Methimazole-induced cholestatic liver injury, mimicking sclerosing cholangitis.

Cholestatic jaundice caused by imidazole derivates is a rare complication of antithyroid therapy. Only 20 such cases have been reported in the literature since the introduction of methimazole in 1949 and of carbimazole in 1953. We present a further case of methimazole-induced cholestatic liver injury, mimicking sclerosing cholangitis, where the etiology has been proven by a clear chronological relationship and the lack of other causative factors.