Pharmacologic management and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common diagnoses in daily practice. Diagnosis can be made on symptom evaluation, on pH-monitoring or on endoscopic findings. In contrast to commonly held opinion there is no strong evidence that lifestyle factors are a dominant factor in the pathophysiology of GERD. The various agents currently used for treatment of GERD include mucoprotective substances, antacids, H(2)-blockers and proton pump inhibitors. This article gives an overview of the pharmacological management of GERD and focuses on the differential therapy of endoscopy-negative GERD, GERD with esophagitis and maintenance therapy.     

洛赛克治疗症状性胃食管反流病95例临床观察

目的了解洛赛克强力抑酸作用对胃食管反流病(GERD)患者临床症状改善及胃镜下食管炎症改善情况.方法将95例GERD病人随机分为两组,用洛赛克(20mg qd)50例,雷尼替丁(150mg Bid)45例,疗程4周,停药2周后胃镜复查,观察临床症状及食管炎症改善情况.结果治疗组临床症状改善有效率为91.6%,对照组为50.4%.治疗组胃镜下食管炎症改善有效率为70%,对照组为29.2%.治疗组明显优于对照组.结论对GERD病人抑制胃酸分泌,减轻其对食管粘膜的损伤和改善临床症状洛赛克有较好的疗效,其作用已被公认,但在食管炎症愈合方面疗效不太满意,如与促动力药物合用,可望更高疗效.     

Esophageal adenocarcinoma after sleeve gastrectomy: actual or potential threat? Italian series and literature review

BackgroundSleeve gastrectomy (SG) leads to esophageal mucosal damage in an elevated percentage of cases, configuring a clinical condition of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) in a proportion as high as 15–18.8%. BE may rarely evolve into esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).ObjectivesTo raise awareness of BE as a precancerous lesion which may progress toward malignancy after this popular bariatric procedure.SettingBariatric referral centers, Italy.MethodsAll patients referred to our bariatric center who developed an EAC after SG between 2012 and 2019 were reviewed and consecutively included in this study. The available scientific literature regarding this complication is additionally reviewed.ResultsThe 3 male patients comprised in this case series underwent laparoscopic SG between 2012 and 2015 in different bariatric referral centers. Age and body mass index at baseline ranged from 21–54 years and 43.1–75.6 kg/m², respectively. All patients were lost to follow-up early after surgery (3.7 ± 1.4 months), and were diagnosed with EAC at a mean of 27.3 ± 7.6 months after SG. The 4 reported cases in the scientific literature developed an EAC at a mean of 32.5 ± 23 months from SG. Overall, a diagnosis of EAC was made approximately 30.3 ± 17.1 months postoperatively, which seems relatively and worryingly early after surgery.ConclusionAlthough the rate and probability of progression from BE to EAC is still not well defined, assuming that the rising popularity and execution of SG leads to a growth in the BE incidence, then the preoperative identification and stratification of cancer risk factors in this subset of patients is strongly encouraged. Clinical and endoscopic follow-ups are essential to allow for prevention and early diagnosis and for epidemiologic data collection purposes.     

胃食管反流病中医诊疗研究进展

综述了近年来中医对胃食管反流病的诊断与治疗概况，认为目前本病还没有一个统一、公认的中医辨证分型方法和标准，临床医生常根据自身的经验来辨证分型、选方用药。今后需加强中医诊治胃食管反流病的客观化与标准化研究，进一步提高诊疗水平。     

Symptoms of Early Cancer Especially Barrett''''s Carcinoma

The incidence of the adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (AC) has been rising exponentiallyin the Western World within the last 30 years.The reasons for this increase are not yet understood.Massive and long lasting gastroesophageal reflux causes the Barrett's esophagus which is considered tobe a precaneerosis.Therefore early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of gastroesophageal reflux isessential for the prevention of this tumor.This makes heartburn the leading clinical symptom in thepatient's history.In patients with heartburn it is possible to early endoscopically diagnose a Barrett'sesophagus or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.However only few patients with this increased risk receivean index-endoscopy.In clinical studies a high rate of early carcinomas could be found and could be treatedwith mueosectomie or ablation.The majority of patients with AC present with symptoms suggestive ofprogressed disease such as dysphagia or weight loss.The prognosis in patients in late disease stages are witha 5-year survival of only 30% far worse than in patients with early carcinoma (85%).However the earlysymptoms such as heartburn or regurgitation are unspecific and make an effective diagnostical strategydifficult.To optimize screening it would be beneficial to identify patients with high risk for the developmentof adenocarcinoina of the esophagus.     

Development and evaluation of FSSG: frequency scale for the symptoms of GERD

Background The aim of this study was to produce a simplified questionnaire for evaluation of the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).Methods A total of 124 patients with an endoscopic diagnosis of GERD completed a 50-part questionnaire, requiring only yes or no answers, that covered various symptoms related to the upper gastrointestinal tract, as well as psychosomatic symptoms. The 12 questions to which patients most often answered yes were selected, and were assigned scores (never = 0; occasionally = 1; sometimes = 2; often = 3; and always = 4) to produce a frequency scale for symptoms of GERD (FSSG). Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the FSSG questionnaire were evaluated in another group of patients with GERD and non-GERD. The usefulness of this questionnaire was evaluated in 26 other GERD patients who were treated with proton pump inhibitors for 8 weeks.Results When the cutoff score was set at 8 points, the FSSG showed a sensitivity of 62%, a specificity of 59%, and an accuracy of 60%, whereas a cutoff score of 10 points altered these values to 55%, 69%, and 63%. The score obtained using the questionnaire correlated well with the extent of endoscopic improvement in patients with mild or severe GERD.Conclusions This new questionnaire is useful for the objective evaluation of symptoms in GERD patients.