[CLINICAL USEFULNESS OF pH-MEASUREMENT AND ESOPHAGEAL MANOMETRY]
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most frequent pathology of the esophagus. Heartburn and regurgitation are the typical symptoms, and tissue damage due to gastric acid reflux can be easily demonstrated with Endoscopy. However, there is an important group of patients without endoscopic signs of Esophagitis. In this particular case, the diagnosis presents a difficult problem.New methods have been developed for the diagnosis of reflux disease. Esophageal Manometry is a test that measures the intraluminal pressures of the esophageal sphincters, and the coordination of the contractile activity of the esophagus body, important features in the pathophysiology of this entity. Ambulatory monitoring of esopinageal pH is a reliable way to determine the amount of gastric acid reflux to the esophagus, but this test is far from being considered a gold standard.In this article, the theoretical aspects of both procedures are reviewed.
Mantilla
Lidia
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