Pneumomediastinum following Enteryx injection for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

We describe the case of a 68-year-old female who developed pneumomediastinum following the "Enteryx" procedure for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The patient required hospitalization and parenteral antibiotics and responded favorably to a conservative approach. Similar complications have been observed with other endoscopic treatment modalities for GERD such as Stretta and suturing techniques. Our patient represents the third reported case of a serious complication after Enteryx implantation.     

Esophageal abscess complicating endoscopic treatment of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease by Enteryx injection: a first case report

Enteryx (Boston Scientific) is an injectable solution containing 8% ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide that has been approved for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The technique consists of injecting Enteryx into the lower esophageal sphincter where it solidifies into a sponge-like permanent implant and prevents or reduces gastric acid reflux into the esophagus. The procedure appears to be generally safe, even if minor or moderate adverse events have been observed. We present the case of a 52-yr-old female treated by Enteryx injection for GERD who developed subsequently an esophageal parietal abscess.     

Duodenogastral reflux burden gastroesophageal reflux disease

The article presents research data of duodenogastral reflux (DGR) role in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is shown that in the presence DGR, the reflux esophagitis is detected at a higher frequency and outside of esophageal manifestations of the disease. The comorbidities of hepatobiliary zone and pancreas contributes to the DGR development, as well as the syndrome of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.     

Diagnostic tests for gastroesophageal reflux disease

A range of tests is available to the physician pursuing the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Many times, these studies are unnecessary because the history is sufficiently revealing to identify the presence of troubling reflux disease. 1 However, this may not be the case and the clinician must decide which tests to choose to arrive at a diagnosis in a reliable, timely, and cost-effective manner (Table 1). Furthermore, the various esophageal tests need to be selected carefully depending upon the information desired. For example, identifying the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease is different from proving that the patient's symptoms are caused by reflux episodes. Additionally, defining that acid reflux exists may not be enough. To tailor appropriate medical or surgical therapy requires knowing whether complications of GERD are present as well as possible mechanisms by which abnormal GER occurs. A thorough and well-devised investigation strategy requires knowledge of testing procedures ranging from radiology and pathology to physiology and endoscopy. An informed background in these areas allows the clinician and investigator to address not only the presence of reflux and its correlation to patient symptoms but also the severity of esophageal injury and even the mechanisms by which the damage is done. By using the available tests judiciously, one can increase the opportunity of making a correct diagnosis of GERD and simultaneously limit the potential inconveniences or cost to the patient.     

Management strategies for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abstract   In the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the most effective treatment option is the use of proton pump inhibitor (PPI), which minimizes the effect of gastric acid on the distal esophagus. Both the step-up and step-down treatment strategies have advantages and disadvantages. Most physicians would like to choose the step-down therapy rather than the step-up therapy. The 'No-step' PPI therapy (i.e. continuous PPI therapy) is another relevant option. After an initial remission, long-term PPI therapy is an appropriate form of maintenance therapy in many patients.
As a treatment plan for non-erosive reflux disease, a standard dose of PPI for 4–8 weeks followed by either the step-down strategy or the on-demand treatment strategy is acceptable. When treating erosive esophagitis, PPI is better than H₂ receptor blockers in healing mucosal breaks and relieving symptoms. Long-term maintenance PPI therapy is reported to be very effective in maintaining the remission of reflux esophagitis for up to 5 years. On-demand PPI is also another good option for a maintenance therapy in erosive esophagitis. In Barrett's esophagus, symptoms seem to be well-controlled with PPIs. Unfortunately, however, PPIs have no effect on the shortening of Barrett's esophagus or in preventing the progression to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma.
In summary, after reviewing existing guidelines a rather simple guideline on the management of GERD is suggested – PPI should be given for 4–8 weeks followed by either on-demand or maintenance PPI therapy according to the clinical severity.     

Endoscopic therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Many new and developing endoscopic techniques for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are now or will soon be available for clinical use. These new therapies are directed to the gastroesophageal junction and include three basic techniques, which are outlined in this review: thermal remodeling and neurolysis of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) zone; bulking or reinforcing of the LES; and plicating gastric folds at the gastric cardia. Only two of these treatments, radiofrequency ablation and fundic fold plication, have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Published clinical research on endoscopic treatment is reviewed, although it is mostly comprised of open-label trials and anecdotal clinical reports. Complications of endoscopic GERD treatments are described as well as real and potential pitfalls of these techniques. Problems caused by premature introduction of endoscopic GERD treatments into the marketplace are also discussed, along with the rationale for FDA approval of similar devices.     

胃镜下腔内折叠术治疗胃食管反流病

目的：探讨治疗胃食管反流病（GERD）的新方法--胃镜下腔内折叠术（ELGP）的操作方法、适应证及禁忌症等问题。方法：选择无服药情况下出现每周3次以上烧心或反酸、食物反流，并且24h食管pH监测证实胃酸异常者，共26例进行ELGP，其中2例为贲门切除术后的胃食管反流病患者。26例GERD患者食管下端裂口直径1.5-3.5cm，平均2.5cm；并食管裂孔疝20例，达77％。缝合器为美国BARD公司二代缝合器。术前检查、常规胃镜观察后，辅助静脉麻醉，在齿状线下或吻合口下1-3cm缝合，采用环行、纵行或两种方法结合治疗。记录手术前后食管裂口大小、缝合位置、针间距、缝合皱褶数、术中不良反应等。结果：共缝32例次，其中环行缝合17例次，纵行缝合11例次，环行和纵行结合缝合4例次。两针间距1-3cm，两褶间距为1.5-2cm。每例次1-4个褶，平均每例2.3个褶。缝合后食管裂口平均约1.5cm。烧心及反流症状改善总有效率76％（完全缓解36％），部分缓解40％），无效24％。1例感冒患者术中出现呼吸困难，余无严重并发症。结论：胃镜下腔内折叠术能明显改善胃食管反流病的症状，2cm以上的食管裂孔疝及贲门切除术后胃食管反流均可应用该方法进行治疗，术程安全。     

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms in Japan

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Epidemiological studies have shown that 10-48% of people in developed countries have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms such as heartburn and acid regurgitation. The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of GERD symptoms and GERD in Japanese subjects. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of Japanese subjects who visited a clinic for a routine health check up was carried out. Subjects were asked to fill out a self-report questionnaire. GERD was defined as the presence of heartburn and/or acid regurgitation at least twice per week. RESULTS: Of the 6035 eligible subjects, 2662 (44.1%) reported having had heartburn and/or acid regurgitation during the past year: 124 (2.1%) daily, 275 (4.6%) twice per week, 773 (12.8%) twice per month and 1490 (24.7%) less than twice per month. Three hundred and ninety-nine (6.6%) subjects were diagnosed as having GERD and there was no relationship between the prevalence of GERD and either sex or age. The prevalence of bothersome GERD symptoms was significantly higher in subjects with GERD than in those without GERD. CONCLUSION: Approximately 6.6% of Japanese have GERD and most persons with GERD described heartburn or acid regurgitation as bothersome.     

Laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) is a condition that develops when the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus leads to troublesome symptoms and/or complications. Heartburn is the cardinal symptom, often associated with regurgitation. In patients with endoscopy-negative heartburn refractory to proton pump inhibitor(PPI) therapy and when the diagnosis of GERD is in question, direct reflux testing by impedance-pH monitoring is warranted. Laparoscopic fundoplication is the standard surgical treatment for GERD. It is highly effective in curing GERD with a 80% success rate at 20-year follow-up. The Nissen fundoplication, consisting of a total(360°) wrap, is the most commonly performed antireflux operation. To reduce postoperative dysphagia and gas bloating, partial fundoplications are also used, including the posterior(Toupet) fundoplication, and the anterior(Dor) fundoplication. Currently, there is consensus to advise laparoscopic fundoplication in PPI-responsive GERD only for those patients who develop untoward side-effects or complications from PPI therapy. PPI resistance is the real challenge in GERD. There is consensus that carefully selected GERD patients refractory to PPI therapy are eligible for laparoscopic fundoplication, provided that objective evidence of reflux as the cause of ongoing symptoms has been obtained. For this purpose, impedance-pH monitoring is regarded as the diagnostic gold standard.     

Endoscopic therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Endoscopic therapies aimed to reduce gastroesophageal reflux have gained an enormous enthusiasm during the last 5 years when several of them were approved by the regulatory agencies and released on the market. These novel therapies comprise 3 types of techniques: injection/bulking, plicating/suturing and radiofrequency thermal injury. Open-labelled trials performed on proton pump inhibitors-responding patients with typical gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms have shown an improvement in reflux symptoms during short term follow-up. Longer-term data are now available and show disappointing results with partial-thickness plications of the cardia. Randomized sham-controlled trials, which are essential to proof the efficacy of GERD endotherapy because of a known high placebo effect in the management of GERD patients, have been conducted, one with radiofrequency and one with polymer injection, and have confirmed the clinical efficacy of both techniques, although the clinical benefit was less impressive than suggested in open-labelled trials. While mechanistic studies have suggested that the compliance of the gastroesophageal junction might be altered by GERD endotherapy, objective assessment of acid reflux with ambulatory pH-metry has shown, however, minimal or no modification by the treatment. Concerns about the safety of these new techniques have raised when complications were reported as the number of treated cases increased. Currently, no definite indication is established for each technique, but numerous potential indications exist and should be addressed in the setting of carefully designed clinical trials. Physicians should be patient and wait for proof of efficacy and safety of these techniques before using them in their clinical practice. Specific and extensive warning should be obtained before starting clinical application. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical view of endoscopic therapy in GERD management.     

Endoluminal therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disease

While medical therapy, particularly with proton pump inhibitors, is effective for the large majority of patients with reflux disease, there remains a subset of patients who are dissatisfied, due to cost, side effects of medications, or persistent symptoms such as regurgitation. For this population, surgical fundoplication has been, and remains, an appropriate option. A new class of endoluminal interventions, attempting to create a mechanical antireflux barrier, has emerged recently. Three such devices are currently approved and available, and a number of others are in various stages of evaluation. This article will review the approved technologies, as well as selected promising emerging ones. with particular emphasis on the scientific evidence available to date supporting their efficacy.     

On-demand therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease

The following pages summarize the proceedings of a symposium held in May 2006 on the emerging role of on-demand therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Medical therapy for GERD has undergone significant change in recent years with the advent of effective, but expensive, antisecretory agents. On-demand (patient-driven) therapy is attractive to payers and patients, because it appears to be both cost-effective and convenient. Many individuals appear to accept occasional symptomatic breakthrough in exchange for personal control of their disease. On-demand therapy should be distinguished from intermittent therapy, which is either patient- or physician-driven, but which requires intermittent episodes of continuous therapy followed by discontinuation until symptoms recur. Proton pump inhibitors appear to be effective on-demand agents despite theoretical pharmacodynamic limitations for this class of drug. The available data support the use of on-demand therapy for GERD in uninvestigated reflux disease, nonerosive reflux disease, and possibly mild esophagitis as well. On-demand therapy should not be considered for patients with severe esophagitis.     

胃食管反流病食管测压的研究

胃食管反流病(GERD)是指酸性胃液或胃液及胆汁由胃反流入食管引起的疾病,是消化科常见病、多发病.有些研究提示,25%以上成年人受此病影响[1],而且多数人有正常内镜下表现[2].正常情况下,由于食管借助于横膈、His角、贲门口粘膜皱襞及LES作用,特别是后者来防止胃食管反流(GER).当上述作用减弱时,就可能发生胃食管反流病.虽然LES尚未在解剖学上得到证实,但食管压力检测证实了LES存在,随着该技术的完善发展及腔内pH监测技术的应用,为胃食管反流病的发病机制及疾病的诊断治疗提供了可靠的依据.目前应用较广泛的测压系统是灌注式导管测压系统,它由液压灌注系统,压力导管,换能器及用于记录分析的计算机及相应软件所构成.另一种为内置微型传感器的测压导管及记录仪组成,可用于24 h动态监测.另外还有与以上两种测压系统配合应用的袖套导管及环行袖套式固态测压导管,适用于对食管括约肌进行压力测定.测压方法主要有静态测压,采用定点牵拉或快速牵拉法,另一种为动态测压,可对近于自然状态下的食管动力进行长时间连续监测.     

Endoscopic therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Although medical and surgical treatments are available for gastroesophageal reflux disease, endoscopic therapies for this condition are relatively new. This review describes the principles behind such treatments as well as the individual procedures themselves, focusing on mechanisms of action, safety and tolerability, and efficacy in animal and human clinical trials. Future trends in endoscopic therapy are discussed.     

Endoscopic therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) accounts for a substantial degree of medical resource utilization and is a common indication for outpatient physician visits. The primary therapy for GERD has been proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Equally effective and reasonably safe for GERD is surgical therapy, specifically, laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. Medical therapy is used initially, with surgery reserved for patients with refractory symptoms despite optimal medical management, to avoid the added risks of abdominal surgery. As such, there has been considerable investigation into minimally invasive, endoscopic therapies for patients who respond to PPI, but would prefer to avoid long-term medication use. Here, we discuss the anatomical and physiological barriers that must be overcome by such devices. We further review the data on currently available endoscopic devices. Despite considerable interest and resources in developing an effective endoscopic therapy for GERD, none of the currently available technologies have demonstrated an ability to overcome the pathophysiological hurdles present in most patients with GERD. Furthermore, well-designed trials have not demonstrated adequate clinical efficacy for these endoscopic devices. As such, despite a growing need for an intermediate therapy between PPI and fundoplication, at present there is not adequate evidence to recommend endoscopic therapy for patients with GERD.     

Symptom's questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease

BACKGROUND: Structured questionnaires are valuable instruments to measure the impact of specific diseases in patient's quality of life through a score and they are available such abroad as in Brazil. Nevertheless, questionnaires based on gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms are not available in Portuguese. AIM: To develop and validate in Portuguese a specific questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Velanovich's original questionnaire was translated, one question about "regurgitation" symptom was included and the vocabulary was adjusted to be understood to the scholarity level of the analyzed population. The "face validity" to each question was evaluated by the members of a multidisciplinary panel and a symptom's questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease was developed. The questionnaire was applied to patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms confirmed by prolonged pH esophageal monitoring. The reproducibility, the comprehension, the time spent to fill out the questionnaire and the correlation coefficient to Johnson-DeMeester's score were measured. RESULTS: The "face validity" was considered satisfactory by the panel and the questionnaire was applied to 124 patients, consecutively. The comprehension of the questionnaire and the time less than 5 minutes to fill out them were observed in all patients (100%). Reproducibility for 10 patients in two different occasions showed a high intra-class correlation coefficient of 0,833. The correlation to the Johnson-DeMeester's score was null. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the symptom's questionnaire for gastroesophageal reflux disease has "face validity", excellent reproducibility, easy comprehension and was quickly answered by patients. The correlation with Johnson-DeMeester's score was null.     

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms in Japan

Background and Aim:  Epidemiological studies have shown that 10–48% of people in developed countries have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms such as heartburn and acid regurgitation. The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of GERD symptoms and GERD in Japanese subjects.
Methods:  A cross-sectional study of Japanese subjects who visited a clinic for a routine health check up was carried out. Subjects were asked to fill out a self-report questionnaire. GERD was defined as the presence of heartburn and/or acid regurgitation at least twice per week.
Results:  Of the 6035 eligible subjects, 2662 (44.1%) reported having had heartburn and/or acid regurgitation during the past year: 124 (2.1%) daily, 275 (4.6%) twice per week, 773 (12.8%) twice per month and 1490 (24.7%) less than twice per month. Three hundred and ninety-nine (6.6%) subjects were diagnosed as having GERD and there was no relationship between the prevalence of GERD and either sex or age. The prevalence of bothersome GERD symptoms was significantly higher in subjects with GERD than in those without GERD.
Conclusion:  Approximately 6.6% of Japanese have GERD and most persons with GERD described heartburn or acid regurgitation as bothersome.     

胃食管反流病问卷对胃食管反流病的诊断价值

目的 评价胃食管反流病问卷(GerdQ)在胃食管反流病(GERD)患者中的诊断价值,初步探讨中国GERD人群的症状特点.同时探索一种适合中国人群的质子泵抑制剂(PPI)试验的诊断标准.方法 在全国五家医院进行多中心研究.所有入组患者填写GerdQ问卷表.以胃镜检查、24 h食管pH监测和PPI试验其中任何一项阳性作为GERD的诊断标准,评价GerdQ的诊断价值.以拟定PPI试验诊断标准与胃镜和食管pH监测的诊断相比较,并优化PPI试验的诊断标准.结果 拟定PPI试验诊断的敏感度为0.6627,特异度为0.4872.经统计分析,以PPI治疗1周最后3 d烧心、反流症状总评分较治疗前相比下降3分为优化PPI试验诊断标准,诊断的敏感度为0.3787,特异度为0.8077,阳性预测值为0.8101,阴性预测值为0.3750,Youden指数最大为0.1864.经人群矫正,GerdQ取临界值为10分时,Youden指数达到最大0.1080,诊断的敏感度为0.6690,特异度为0.4390.50岁以上女性患者随着评分的增高,问卷诊断价值下降.结论 GerdQ具有肯定的诊断价值.但在临床工作中,对特殊人群中症状突出而PPI诊断性治疗反应不佳的患者,GERD的诊断应慎重.PPI试验的评分以治疗1周最后3 d为佳.