Gastric emptying in patients with gastroesophageal reflux

Transpyloric fluid movement and antroduodenal motility in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux

The pattern of transpyloric fluid movement and associated antroduodenal motility was compared in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) and healthy controls using real time ultrasonic imaging. A similar number of cyclical periods of antroduodenal motor activity (GOR 94 and control 91) was studied in each group. Mean antral cycle times and the frequency of occurrence of related proximal duodenal contractions (antroduodenal coordination) were similar. Transpyloric fluid movement occurred as a number of discrete episodes in each cycle. Gastroduodenal flow was more frequent in the GOR group (mean 2.7 +/- 0.4 episodes per cycle) than in controls (mean 1.7 +/- 0.3). The mean duration of these episodes in both groups was similar at around 2.5 seconds. Duodenogastric flow (reflux) was observed in many cycles (GOR 63%; controls 54%), but there was no difference in the mean number of episodes per cycle (GOR 0.79; control 0.74) or their mean duration (two seconds for both). Transpyloric fluid flow only occurs when a pressure gradient is created across the open pylorus. These observations indicate that in GOR the gastroduodenal pressure gradient is positive more frequently than in normal controls. Gastroduodenal liquid flow but not duodenogastric reflux differs in GOR patients and controls.

The importance of gastric emptying in reflux esophagitis: an experimental research on pigs

A study was conducted on pigs to evaluate the importance of gastric emptying rate in reflux esophagitis development. Gastric emptying was previously measured in 25 pigs. Then, the following operative procedures were carried out: Heller's cardiomyotomy, common bile duct ligature, cholecysto-gastric anastomosis, and extramucosal duodenal myotomy on 10 animals (group A); the same procedures except extramucosal duodenal myotomy on another 10 animals (group B); common bile duct ligature and cholecysto-gastric anastomosis on the last 5 animals (group C). Six months later, gastric emptying was measured again; whereas in group A a significant shortening of gastric emptying was found, the other 2 groups remained unchanged. Then, all the animals were sacrificed and the lower third of the esophagus was removed for histologic examination. In all the pigs undergoing cardiomyotomy (groups A and B) appearance of esophagitis was found. No signs of esophagitis were found in group C. The conclusions reached are cardiomyotomy is in all cases responsible for reflux esophagitis development; extramucosal duodenal myotomy is capable of shortening gastric emptying, but this does not affect reflux esophagitis development.

Transient gastroparesis associated with cutaneous herpes zoster

We report a patient who developed delayed gastric emptying with vomiting and weight loss simultaneously with herpes zoster in the sixth right thoracic dermatome. Sequential radionuclide solid egg meal gastric emptying studies were used to document gastroparesis, the response to metoclopramide and its transient nature. We present a possible explanation for this phenomenon within the context of the known pathophysiology of varicella-zoster infection.

Morphology of lysolecithin-induced damage on esophageal mucosa. An experimental light and scanning electron microscopical study

The morphology of the esophageal mucosal damage induced by lysolecithin was investigated in an experimental model, where an isolated segment of rabbit esophagus was purfused in situ with lysolecithin, alone or in combination with HCl. The results indicate that lysolecithin alone causes no morphological damage to the esophageal mucosa. However, when combined with HCl, lysolecithin causes widening of intercellular spaces and detachment of superficial cells leading ultimately to disclosure of denuded submucosal collagen bundles. This suggests that, in clinical situations lysolecithin refluxed from the duodenum into the stomach and further to esophagus may have importance in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis when gastric acid is present, too. In contrast, under unacidic conditions (i.e., in the pathogenesis of alkaline reflux esophagitis) lysolecithin seems to be of minor importance.

Gastric emptying disorders. Tests and treatments

Tests to measure the volume of gastric contents are necessary to determine the nature of a gastric emptying disorder. The conditions that can affect gastric emptying are as varied as peptic ulcer disease, achlorhydria, viral and bacterial infections of the stomach, diabetes, scleroderma, anorexia nervosa, and CNS lesions; some patients experience gastric emptying problems after surgery for peptic ulcer disease. The future of electrical pacing of the stomach and perhaps the gastrointestinal tract in general is very exciting, as is the future use of antiarrhythmic drugs.

Esophagitis in scleroderma. Prevalence and risk factors

Of 53 patients with scleroderma (43 women and 10 men) evaluated by esophagoscopy and biopsy, 32 (60%) had erosive esophagitis. Symptoms of heartburn and dysphagia were significantly more frequent in the patients who had erosive esophagitis but often were present in those without this condition. Abnormal motility characterized by loss of peristalsis in the distal esophagus was present in all patients with erosive esophagitis, including the 5 who were asymptomatic. No patient with normal esophageal motility had erosive esophagitis at endoscopy. The patients with erosive esophagitis also had significantly diminished lower esophageal sphincter pressures and increased frequency and duration of gastroesophageal reflux episodes. Stricture was present in 13 of 32 patients with erosive esophagitis and was absent in the other 21 patients. The duration of disease, rate of gastric emptying, and fungal smear and culture were not significantly different in those with or without esophagitis. Treatment of fungal infection for a month had little beneficial effect. The pattern of esophageal motility in scleroderma identifies high and low risk groups for esophagitis and stricture, and can be used to select those who require further investigation, irrespective of symptoms.

Thickening of infant feedings for therapy of gastroesophageal reflux

To assess the effect of thickening of feedings on gastroesophageal reflux and gastric emptying, 20 infants were examined with technetium scintigraphy and detailed behavioral observation after each of a pair of feedings, one with radiolabeled infant formula alone and the other with radiolabeled formula thickened with dry rice cereal. The thickened and unthickened meals were followed by similar amounts of scintigraphically demonstrated gastroesophageal reflux. However, the number of episodes of emesis (1.2 +/- 0.7 vs 3.9 +/- 0.9 per 90 minutes postprandial), the percent of gastric emptying at 30 minutes (17.8% +/- 2.7% vs 22.4% +/- 2.4%), the time spent crying (11.7 +/- 3.1 minutes vs 17.6 +/- 3.8 minutes per 90 minutes), and the total time spent awake (45.2 +/- 5.9 minutes vs 53.1 +/- 4.9 minutes per 90 minutes) were significantly less after the thickened feedings. Because thickening of infant feedings increases the caloric density, decreases emesis, decreases crying time, and increases sleep time in the postprandial period, it is likely to be beneficial in the treatment of infants with gastroesophageal reflux associated with failure to thrive.

Gastric emptying of solid food in patients with gastroesophageal reflux

While delayed gastric emptying of solid food has been reported in patients with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, the study populations were not defined by 24-h intraesophageal pH monitoring. Moreover, the influence that the gastric emptying rate may have on patterns of reflux during the day or night, as well as on esophagitis, is not known. In this study, we compared the gastric emptying rate of solid food (in vivo intracellular labeled chicken liver) observed in asymptomatic control volunteers (n = 15) with that of symptomatic patients with an abnormal 24-h pH record who had either the presence (n = 22) or absence (n = 11) of endoscopic esophagitis. We found no significant difference in the gastric emptying rate between the asymptomatic control volunteers and the symptomatic patients with and without esophagitis. Moreover, there was no significant correlation between the gastric emptying rate and the degree of daytime or nighttime distal esophageal acid exposure found during 24-h intraesophageal pH monitoring. Only 6% of the symptomatic patients had a gastric emptying rate that exceeded the mean value plus 2 SD of that found in the asymptomatic control volunteers. We believe these support a de-emphasis of the role that delayed gastric emptying of solid food may play in the pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux in most patients.

Identification and mechanism of delayed esophageal acid clearance in subjects with hiatus hernia

To determine if hiatus hernia (HH) contributes to the delayed clearance of acid from the esophagus in patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GER), we performed simultaneous esophageal pH recordings and radionuclide studies in three study populations: 12 GER patients with HH, 5 GER patients with no HH, and 8 subjects with HH but no GER symptoms. Acid clearance was measured at 5 cm. above the manometrically located lower esophageal sphincter (LES) after injecting a 15-ml. bolus of 0.1 N HCl at 15 cm. above the LES. The acid was labeled with 200 mu Ci of 99mTc-sulfur colloid. Acid clearance was also measured at 10 cm. above the LES after injection of a 15-ml. bolus of 0.1 N HCl at 20 cm. above the LES. Acid clearance at 5 cm. above the LES was faster in GER patients with no HH compared to GER patients with HH and asymptomatic HH subjects. Acid clearance was faster at 10 cm. than 5 cm. above the LES in all HH and non-HH subjects studied. In non-HH subjects, each swallow resulted in an increase in pH (a monophasic pH response) at 5 and 10 cm. above the LES. In symptomatic as well as asymptomatic HH subjects, swallows resulted in an initial fall followed by a rise in pH at 5 cm. above the LES (a biphasic pH response). Radionuclide studies showed reflux of the isotope-labeled acid into the esophagus followed by clearance (a biphasic response) accompanying swallows in 15 of the 20 HH subjects. Swallow-induced reflux was not detected by radionuclide scanning in non-HH subjects. Based on these observations, we conclude that during acid clearance a small amount of acid is trapped in the HH sac and refluxes into the esophagus during subsequent swallows when there is relaxation of the LES, and these repeated episodes of acid reflux from the HH account for the delayed acid clearance observed in GER patients with HH.

Gastric emptying in patients with flatulent dyspepsia, with and without gallbladder disease

It has been suggested that the symptoms of flatulent dyspepsia are caused by a functional disturbance of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to investigate delayed gastric emptying as the basis of symptoms in patients with and without gallbladder disease and after cholecystectomy. There were 13 dyspeptic patients with gallbladder disease, 12 with normal gallbladders, and 13 post-cholecystectomy patients. Gastric emptying was measured by means of a 99mTc-labelled scrambled egg meal and external scintillation counter. The rate of emptying in the symptomatic groups was compared with that in 24 asymptomatic normal control subjects and 12 non-dyspeptic patients with gallbladder disease. Delayed gastric emptying tended to occur in patients with gallbladder disease with and without dyspepsia and was not specifically associated with symptoms.

Solid-phase gastric emptying in patients with Barrett's esophagus

Delayed gastric emptying as a pathophysiologic factor in patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is controversial. In order to further evaluate this question, we studied a population with severe reflux, specifically, patients with Barrett's esophagus. Solid-phase gastric emptying was measured in 17 patients and in 17 healthy volunteers using radionuclide imaging. Gastric emptying was variable among these patients with 70% normal, 18% rapid, and only 12% slow studies. From these observations, we conclude that delayed gastric emptying is unlikely to be a major factor in the pathogenesis of Barrett's esophagus.

Abnormal Auerbach plexus in the esophagus and stomach of patients with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula

The Auerbach plexus of the upper gastrointestinal tract of five patients with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF) who had not had surgical reconstruction of the esophagus was studied by a microdissection technique to investigate the etiology of dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux, and delayed gastric emptying; common findings in patients with repaired EA-TEF. All five patients showed a looser than normal Auerbach plexus in the distal esophagus, and to a lesser degree in the proximal esophagus, confirmed by point-count morphometric studies. The Auerbach plexus of the gastric fundus of all the patients was also abnormal. These findings suggest the existence of congenital functional impairment of the upper gastrointestinal tract in patients with EA-TEF, due to abnormal development of the myenteric plexus.

Esophageal motor abnormalities in gastroesophageal reflux and the effects of fundoplication

Recordings of esophageal manometry obtained from 18 healthy control subjects and 32 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease both before and after fundoplication were assessed. Preoperatively, the patients had a mean lower esophageal sphincter pressure at rest that was significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than that observed in the control group. The amplitude of peristaltic contractions, elicited by wet swallows, varied along the length of the esophagus. In patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, the mean amplitudes recorded from the upper, middle, and lower esophagus were significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than those recorded from control subjects. No significant differences were observed between those patients with (53%) and without preoperative endoscopic evidence of esophagitis. After antireflux surgery (modified Nissen fundoplication), the mean amplitude of peristaltic contractions increased significantly (p less than 0.001) at all levels of the esophagus and were not significantly different from control values. This study describes motor abnormalities in the body of the esophagus associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease. These may arise secondary to gastroesophageal reflux inasmuch as they disappear after fundoplication.

Increased serum pancreatic polypeptide and serum gastrin secretion in patients with functional dyspepsia: correlation to the shape of the duodenal loop

Simultaneous measurement of food-stimulated serum pancreatic polypeptide and serum gastrin was carried out in 18 patients with functional dyspepsia and correlated to the shape of the duodenal loop. Significantly higher serum concentrations of pancreatic polypeptide and gastrin were encountered in patients with an abnormal shape of the duodenal loop compared to patients with a normal shape. Although no cause could be given to the phenomenon it may be taken into account when evaluating hormone profiles in patients with functional dyspepsia.

Gastric distention: a mechanism for postprandial gastroesophageal reflux

The occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux after meals may be related to an increase in the rate of transient lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxations, the mechanisms of which are not understood. We investigated the effects of gastric distention on LES pressure in 16 normal subjects and 17 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Intraluminal pressure was measured in the gastric fundus, LES, and esophageal body with a manometric catheter incorporating a sleeve device. Gastric distention was performed by injecting 0, 250, 500, or 750 ml of air in randomized order into a balloon and maintaining each stimulus for 15 min. Gastric distention did not significantly alter resting LES pressure in either group. During the basal period the rate of transient LES relaxation in the reflux patients (1.1 +/- 0.4 per 15 min) was greater than that in the normal subjects (0.6 +/- 0.1 per 15 min). Gastric distention resulted in a significant threefold to fourfold increase in the rate of transient LES relaxations in both groups. The reflux patients had a significantly greater proportion of complete relaxations (87%) than did the normal subjects (73%). We conclude that gastric distention, by significantly increasing the rate of transient LES relaxations in both normal subjects and patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, may contribute to the postprandial increase in gastroesophageal reflux.

Disorders of gastric emptying and the application of radionuclide techniques

There has been a greatly increased understanding of the physiology of gastric emptying in normal subjects, and of the pathophysiology and pharmacological treatment of gastric emptying disorders associated with the development and application of methods to quantify gastric emptying in humans. The non-invasive measurement of gastric emptying by means of radionuclide-labelled food markers has widespread clinical and research applications.

Esophageal motor function and response to acid perfusion in patients with symptomatic reflux esophagitis

There is much evidence to suggest that peristaltic function is defective in esophagitis patients and that this defect may contribute to prolonged acid exposure, promoting esophageal mucosal injury. Abnormal peristalsis may also be related to the generation of reflux symptoms. We evaluated primary peristalsis and its relationship to symptoms under basal conditions and during saline and HCl perfusion in 15 symptomatic reflux patients with gross esophagitis and 15 healthy controls. In the basal state, LES pressure (15.3 vs 25.1 mm Hg) and peristaltic amplitude (74.2 vs 104.8 mm Hg) were significantly lower in subjects with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (P less than 0.05). During HCl perfusion, peristaltic amplitude and duration increased slightly, and peristaltic velocity slightly decreased similarly in both groups. There was no difference in the incidence of nonpropagated, segmental, or swallow-initiated simultaneous contractions, or change in resting intraesophageal pressure during HCl perfusion in control and GERD groups. This study identified abnormal contractile amplitude as a specific defect in the primary peristaltic wave of esophagitis patients but does not support a role for acid-induced motility changes in the generation of symptoms in GERD.

Solid and liquid gastric emptying in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux

A dual isotope radionuclide technique has been used to assess solid and liquid gastric emptying simultaneously in 72 patients with symptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux and 22 normal controls. Objective evidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux was obtained from standard acid reflux testing and/or endoscopy in all patients. Solid emptying was delayed in 32 patients (44 per cent), liquid emptying was delayed in 27 patients (37 per cent) and 16 of those two groups had delayed solid and liquid emptying. Thus 29 patients (40 per cent) had normal solid and liquid group (P less than 0.01). There was a significant correlation (P less than 0.01) between the solid and liquid gastric emptying values obtained in patients. No significant correlation was found between gastric emptying and the resting lower oesophageal sphincter pressure or the presence of symptoms of regurgitation and epigastric fullness. In the patients with delayed solid emptying there was a higher incidence of oesophagitis than in patients with normal emptying (P less than 0.05).

Bile acid concentrations in the gastric juice of patients with erosive oesophagitis

Intragastric total bile acid concentrations were measured before and after a corn oil test meal in 16 patients with erosive oesophagitis and symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Sixteen age and sex matched control subjects were also studied. No significant difference was detected between fasting or postprandial gastric bile acid concentrations in patients and in control subjects although a wide range of bile acid concentrations was detected among individuals in both groups. Gastric juice pH was less than 3.5 in seven patients when intragastric bile acid concentrations were greater than 200 mumol/l. These results do not support a role for abnormal duodenogastric reflux in the pathogenesis of erosive oesophagitis. The detection of acid reflux in such patients during intra-oesophageal pH monitoring, however, does not exclude the presence of bile acids which may contribute to the cytotoxic potential of gastric juice.

Measurement of gastric emptying in dyspeptic patients: effect of a new gastrokinetic agent (cisapride)

Symptoms suggesting gastroparesis in patients without gastric outlet obstruction are very common but their relation to an objective delay of gastric emptying has been poorly investigated. A dual isotopic technique was used to evaluate patients with non-obstructive dyspepsia (idiopathic and secondary) (part 1) and to assess the effects of a new gastrokinetic agent: cisapride, on gastric emptying in such patients (part 2). Sixty patients with postprandial dyspeptic symptoms (vomiting, nausea, gastric bloating or full feeling) and without lesions at upper endoscopy were studied. They were distributed into three groups: idiopathic dyspepsia (n = 31), postvagotomy dyspepsia (n = 16) and dyspepsia secondary to medical disorders (n = 13). All patients ingested the same ordinary meal; 99mTc sulphur colloid tagged egg white was the solid phase marker and 111In chloride was the liquid phase marker. In part 1, evaluation of gastric emptying in the first 50 patients shows a delay of gastric emptying rate of solids and liquids as compared with controls. Striking differences separate the three groups of patients, however, percentages of delayed gastric emptying rate of solids and or liquids averaged 90% in postvagotomy or secondary dyspepsia groups whereas it was 44% in idiopathic dyspepsia group. Moreover, liquid emptying rate was often the only one impaired in idiopathic dyspepsia, and in 12 of the 27 patients of this group the faster emptying rate of liquids as compared with that of solids (always found in normal subjects), could not be evidenced. In part 2, 10 patients entered a double blind cross over study of cisapride (8 mg intravenously). A significant increase of solid (p<0.01) and liquid (p<0.05) emptying rates was found in patients with initial gastric emptying delay. This study emphasises the importance of an objective evaluation of gastric emptying in the presence of symptoms of gastric stasis and suggests that specific local acting therapy may be useful in patients with identified abnormal gastric emptying.

Gastroduodenal motility disturbances in man

The specialised regions of the stomach include the cardia, fundus, body, antrum and the pylorus. Not only do these regions have specific secretory functions, but also, they have specific motor functions as well. For example, the proximal stomach is most important in regulating emptying of liquids and the distal stomach and pylorus, the emptying of solids. Disorders of gastric emptying can be classified into two major categories: mechanical obstruction due to increased resistance and functional obstruction (gastroparesis) due to pump failure. Gastroparesis is best diagnosed using a solid test meal which is labelled by a gamma-emitting radionuclide. Agents employed to treat gastroparesis include bethanechol, metoclopramide and domperidone. Entero-gastric reflux occurs when there are abnormalities in the duodeno-gastric pressure gradient or the duodeno-gastric resistance mechanism. Excessive entero-gastric reflux may be seen in patients with gastric ulcers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, post-cholecystectomy syndrome or post-operative entero-gastric reflux gastritis. The diagnosis of entero-gastric reflux gastritis depends upon typical symptoms and the demonstration of excessive entero-gastric reflux by scintigraphic techniques or the measurement of bile concentrations within the stomach. Medical treatment with bile chelating agents and surface coating agents has been disappointing. Surgical treatment should only be undertaken as a last resort.

Abnormalities of esophageal and gastric emptying in progressive systemic sclerosis

Gastric and esophageal emptying were assessed using scintigraphic techniques in 12 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis and 22 normal volunteers. Esophageal emptying was significantly delayed in the patient group, with 7 of the 12 patients beyond the normal range. Gastric emptying was slower in patients than in controls, with 9 patients being outside the normal range for solid emptying and 7 patients outside the normal range for liquid emptying. Findings from gastric and esophageal emptying tests generally correlated well with symptoms of dysphagia and gastroesophageal reflux. However, 2 patients with normal emptying studies had symptomatic heartburn, and 2 patients with delay of both solid and liquid gastric emptying gave no history of gastroesophageal reflux. Delayed gastric emptying may be an important factor in the development of upper gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.

A study of factors responsible for the efficacy of fundoplication in the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux

Forty-one patients were followed up for a median 14 months after Nissen fundoplication. Patients were questioned regarding their symptoms and 83% considered the surgery a complete success. Oesophageal manometry was performed before and after surgery. Median pre-operative lower oesophageal sphincter pressure (LOSP) was 5.5 mmHg; following operation median LOSP was 14 mmHg. The ability of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) to relax with swallow was impaired by fundoplication; the median residual lower oesophageal sphincter pressure (RLOSP) was 0 mmHg prior to surgery and 3.5 mmHg following operation. Fundoplication appears to superimpose a zone of constant pressure on the lower oesophageal sphincter and this may be a further factor responsible for the efficacy of surgery.

Supradiaphragmatic fundoplication. Long-term follow-up and analysis of complications

Supradiaphragmatic fundoplication has been useful in patients with an acquired short esophagus since the inception of the Nissen technique. Recent reports documenting a large number of life-threatening complications in relatively small groups of patients prompted us to review the records of all patients with supradiaphragmatic fundoplication. Forty-four supradiaphragmatic Nissen fundoplications were performed, with an average follow-up of 42 months. Operative mortality was 7 percent. Acceptable results were obtained in 82 percent (88 percent of patients not lost to follow-up). Poor results were obtained in 5 percent (one patient with scleroderma and one with diaphragmatic hernia). In another 5 percent, postoperative diaphragmatic hernia developed. In two patients, ulceration of the antrum developed that appeared unrelated to the operation. Sixteen patients have been followed for longer than 5 years, with no long-term complications. The wide variation in the incidence of these complications between our patients and those of others is probably related to varying details of operative technique. Supradiaphragmatic fundoplication provides uniformly effective protection against gastroesophageal reflux with an acceptable morbidity and low mortality.

Chronic esophagitis in two sisters

Two sisters developed symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux and gastric stasis during adolescence. Both developed severe erosive esophagitis and epithelial hyperplasia of the esophagus before 35 years of age. Both had a hiatal hernia, and esophageal motor function was poor in both. One of the sisters had also a peptic stricture of the esophagus, the other one a gastric bezoar. Jejunal motility was normal in both. Among 28 close family members surveyed, seven additional individuals out of three generations had frequent and severe reflux symptoms since adolescence. It is unlikely that the occurrence of chronic esophagitis at such young age in the two sisters is mere coincidence. It is conceivable that the two sisters and their family shared a defect similar to the one that has previously been made responsible for the familial occurrence of hiatal hernias and Barrett's esophagus.

Assessment of gastric motility using meal labeled with technetium-99m sulfur colloid

During a 2 year period, 83 patients with gastric motility problems were evaluated using radionuclide imaging. The patients presented with epigastric distress, postprandial fullness, pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; signs and symptoms suggestive of either gastroparesis or gastric outlet obstruction. Upper gastrointestinal series or endoscopy, or both, demonstrated no mechanical obstruction. After oral administration of a 300 g meal labeled with 600 muCi of technetium-99m sulfur colloid, a gastric emptying study consisting of serial images and data acquisition was performed. Of the patients studied, 52 had had peptic ulcer surgery, 17 were suspected of having gastroesophageal reflux, 8 were diabetic and suspected of having visceral enteropathy, and 6 had a history of irritable bowel syndrome. The normal mean gastric half emptying time was 77 +/- 16 minutes. Of the patients who had had gastric surgery, 90.4 percent had abnormal emptying: 69.2 percent had delayed gastric emptying and 21.2 percent had rapid gastric emptying time; 9.6 percent had normal emptying time. Of the gastroesophageal reflux group, all but two had normal gastric emptying time; 65 percent demonstrated gastroesophageal reflux within 15 minutes. Two of the patients with irritable bowel syndrome had prolonged emptying; the rest had normal emptying. All diabetic patients with gastroparesis had prolonged gastric emptying time, and all responded favorably to metoclopramide. Of the patients who previously had peptic ulcer surgery and had prolonged emptying time, 72 percent also responded favorably to metoclopramide. We conclude that radionuclide gastric imaging is a useful diagnostic test for the measurement of gastric emptying in patients with a variety of gastrointestinal motility disorders and may be helpful in assessing medical therapy and selecting those who may be candidates for surgery.

Effect of metoclopramide on normal and delayed gastric emptying in gastroesophageal reflux patients

Gastric emptying has an important role in the pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease. We investigated the effect of metoclopramide, a gastric prokinetic agent, in gastroesophageal reflux patients with normal as well as delayed emptying. Twenty-six patients with subjective and objective evidence of gastroesophageal reflux ingested an egg salad sandwich meal labeled with 99mtechnetium-DTPA for a baseline study, and then again on a separate day after receiving oral metoclopramide, 10 mg, 30 min prior to the test meal. The mean percent isotope remaining in the stomach after 90 min improved significantly (P less than 0.001) from 70.3 +/- 3.9% (SEM) to 55.2 +/- 4.2% after metoclopramide. Fourteen (54%) had a basal emptying in the normal range of 34-69% retention of isotope at 90 min, (means +/- 2 SD), while it was slow in 12 (46%). For those with delayed basal gastric emptying, the mean retention of 88.9 +/- 2.9% at 90 min was significantly (P less than 0.005) decreased by metoclopramide to 68.6 +/- 6.1%. In those patients with a normal basal gastric emptying and a mean retention of 54.4 +/- 2.3% at 90 min, there was also significant improvement (P less than 0.025) to 43.6 +/- 3.6% after metoclopramide. These data indicate that metoclopramide increased gastric emptying in gastroesophageal reflux patients with normal as well as delayed gastric emptying. Therefore on a patient management level a trial of metoclopramide is warranted in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and is not limited by the gastric emptying status of the patient.

Mechanisms of gastroesophageal reflux in patients with reflux esophagitis

We evaluated the mechanisms of gastroesophageal reflux in 10 patients with reflux esophagitis and compared the results with findings from 10 controls. The patients had more episodes of reflux (35 +/- 15 in 12 hours, as compared with 9 +/- 8 in the controls) and a lower pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter (13 +/- 8 mm Hg as compared with 29 +/- 9 in the controls) (P less than 0.001). Reflux occurred by three different mechanisms: transient complete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, a transient increase in intra-abdominal pressure, or spontaneous free reflux associated with a low resting pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter. In controls 94 per cent of reflux episodes were caused by transient sphincter sphincter relaxation. In the patients 65 per cent of episodes of reflux accompanied transient sphincter relaxation, 17 per cent accompanied a transient increase in intra-abdominal pressure, and 18 per cent occurred as spontaneous free reflux. The predominant reflux mechanism in individual patients varied: some had normal resting sphincter pressure and reflux that occurred primarily during transient sphincter relaxation, whereas others with low resting sphincter pressures had spontaneous free reflux or reflux that occurred during an increase in intra-abdominal pressure.

Chevalier Jackson lecture. Esophagology: an update

Because of the great interest in the problem of gastroesophageal reflux, much emphasis has been placed on factors which control the competence of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Much study has been devoted to the effect of hormones and drugs on the LES. Of the various diagnostic methods available, 24-hour pH testing seems to offer the most information regarding reflux and its complications. Medical therapy should be given a careful trial before surgical procedures for reflux are considered. Diagnostic esophagoscopy is usually performed with fiberoptic instruments. Open-tube esophagoscopes are still preferable for most types of endoscopy is usually performed with fiberoptic instruments. Open-tube esophagoscopes are still preferable for most types of endoscopic therapy. However, flexible fiberscopes may be used for injection of esophageal varices and for laser coagulation of bleeding lesions or even tumors. Guide wires may be introduced through flexible scopes to aid in the dilation of esophageal strictures and also to aid in the placement of prosthetic tubes in patients with obstructing cancers. The performance of esophagoscopy by practitioners of several disciplines has resulted in fragmentation of the specialty. Ideally, all esophagoscopists should be competent with both open-tube and fiberoptic scopes and should be familiar with all of the newer knowledge of the physiology and pharmacology of the esophagus and its sphincters.