[The association of asthma and gastroesophageal reflux: strategy of paraclinical studies].

This study was carried out on 104 patients of whom 94 were asthmatic and 10 patients presented with a spasmodic intractable cough; all presented with symptoms evocative of an associated gastro-oesophageal reflux (RGO). The clinical symptoms revealed a nocturnal cough (67%), cough preceeding asthma (46%) and heartburn in 60%. The asthma was severe (type III and IV in 89% of cases), or dependent on corticosteroids (37% of cases). pH monitoring of the oesophagus is the most sensitive examination (88% with positive results) slightly ahead of manometry and scintigraphy (both 81%), these examinations were clearly superior to radiographic examination (49%) and oesophageal fibroscopy (36%). The combination of pH monitoring and of scintigraphy enabled 98% of RGO cases to be identified by their clinical data. Medical treatment with Tagamet, Gaviscon and Primperan (alone or in combination) produced an improvement in the respiratory symptoms in 50% of the cases. Of the 14 surgically treated, 7 obtained an improvement in their respiratory symptoms. Seven of the ten patients with spasmodic cough were improved by medical treatment. Our study shows the frequency of oesophageal reflux in patients with severe asthma. In half of them RGO intervened as an aggravating factor and the medical treatment of RGO led to a clear improvement in the respiratory symptoms.