title: Comparison of endoscopic findings with symptom assessment systems (FSSG and QUEST) for gastroesophageal reflux disease in Japanese centres.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga 849-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Danjo
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Toshihito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inamori
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimatani
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Fukunori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kinjo
authors.forename: Shiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuribayashi
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitsufuji
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
authors.forename: Motoyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusano
mesh_terms: 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