[Clinical application of esophageal manometry and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical application of esophageal manometry and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring.

METHODS

From 1990 to 1996, ambulatory esophageal manometry and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring were performed on 101 patients with different functional esophageal diseases, including Barrett's esophagus 54 patients non-cardiac chest pain (10) and post-cholecystectomy (37). Esophageal motility studies were made to compare the effects of different anti-reflux therapies, to identify primary esophageal motility disorders, to assess the effect of anti-acid drugs, and to study the relationship between esophageal motility disorder and other non-esophageal origin disease.

RESULTS

In this study, anti-reflux surgery was better than medical therapy in controlling gastroesophageal reflux (GER) for Barrett's esophagus. Esophageal manometry was the best method for detecting primary esophageal motility disease. Omeprazole was superior to cimetidine in terms of control of GER and reduction of gastric acidity. Cholecystectomy resulted in GER and many symptoms after surgery appeared to have an esophageal origin.

CONCLUSIONS

Esophageal manometry and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring are the most sensitive and specialized methods for detecting esophageal motility disorders. They are superior to other routine diagnostic methods such as radiology and endoscopy.