Comparison of endoscopic findings with symptom assessment systems (FSSG and QUEST) for gastroesophageal reflux disease in Japanese centres.
OBJECTIVE
We compared endoscopic findings of the frequency scale for the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (FSSG), a written questionnaire developed in Japan, to that for the questionnaire for the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis (QUEST) for the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis.


METHODS
We registered 475 patients with untreated symptoms of upper abdominal pain (male/female: 252/223, average age 52.4 +/- 17.8 years). Subjects were assessed first with the FSSG and QUEST questionnaires, then by endoscopy, before allocation to a gastric ulcer (GU), duodenal ulcer (DU), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or functional dyspepsia (FD) group.


RESULTS
On the basis of the endoscopic findings the diagnoses for the 475 subjects were as follows: FD 52.2%, DU 7.6%, GU 7.8%, and GERD 32.4% (Grade M 10.1%, Grade A + B 20.2%, Grade C + D 2.3%). There was no difference between the FSSG and QUEST in sensitivity, specificity or accuracy for any condition. The FSSG score rose with increasing endoscopic severity of GERD, but there was no correlation between the QUEST score and endoscopic severity. The FSSG total score was inferior to QUEST in terms of distinguishing GERD from other conditions, but when only the questions relating to reflux symptoms were used, the FSSG was able to distinguish GERD from other conditions as well as QUEST.


CONCLUSIONS
The FSSG score reflects the severity of the endoscopic findings of GERD.
Danjo
Akiko
A
Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga 849-8501, Japan.
Yamaguchi
Kanako
K
Fujimoto
Kazuma
K
Saitoh
Toshihito
T
Inamori
Masahiko
M
Ando
Takashi
T
Shimatani
Tomohiko
T
Adachi
Kyoichi
K
Kinjo
Fukunori
F
Kuribayashi
Shiko
S
Mitsufuji
Shoji
S
Fujiwara
Yasuhiro
Y
Koyama
Shigeki
S
Akiyama
Junichi
J
Takagi
Atsushi
A
Manabe
Noriaki
N
Miwa
Hiroto
H
Shimoyama
Yasuyuki
Y
Kusano
Motoyasu
M
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires