title: Role of stationary esophageal manometry in clinical practice. Manometric results in patients with gastroesophageal reflux, dysphagia or non-cardiac chest pain.
abstract: The present study was carried out to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of stationary esophageal manometry in 263 patients divided into three groups: 150 patients with reflux symptoms, 68 with dysphagia, and 45 with non-cardiac chest pain. Patients with endoscopic abnormalities were excluded. Standard manometry was performed following the station pull-through technique. In the group of patients with reflux symptoms 40.7% had a normal manometry and 57.3% had abnormalities, being the most frequent (43%) hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter. In the dysphagia group, 20.6% of manometries were normal and 79.4% were abnormal, of which achalasia was the most frequent disorder (53.7%). In the case of non-cardiac chest pain, 42.2% of patients had a normal manometry and 57.8% an abnormal one, of which hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter was the most frequent abnormality. A significant higher proportion of manometric alterations were found in the dysphagia group compared to reflux symptoms and non-cardiac chest pain (p < 0.05). No statistical differences were found between the reflux and the non-cardiac chest pain groups. Manometry yields a higher diagnostic value in patients with dysphagia, and therefore manometry should be performed routinely after the exclusion of any organic esophageal disease. Manometry is not a first-choice functional diagnostic test in the study of patirnts with gastroesophageal reflux or non-cardiac chest pain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Motility, Service of Gastroenterology, Hospital del Bierzo, León, Spain. lgarcia@hbrz.sacyl.es
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciriza de los Ríos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García Menéndez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díez Hernández
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delgado Gómez
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fernández Eroles
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vega Fernández
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: San Sebastián
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Romero Arauzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004947:Esophagus / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity