Sandro Passaretti

Secretin MRCP and endoscopic pancreatic manometry in the evaluation of sphincter of Oddi function: a comparative pilot study in patients with idiopathic recurrent pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction plays an important etiologic role in idiopathic acute recurrent pancreatitis. Sphincter of Oddi manometry is the most accurate test of sphincter of Oddi function, but it is associated with an increased risk of post-procedure pancreatitis and is non-diagnostic in about a third of cases. Secretin MRCP has a diagnostic efficacy comparable to ERCP, but data on its sensitivity with regard to sphincter of Oddi function are lacking. The aim of this study was to compare secretin MRCP and pancreatic sphincter of Oddi manometry for evaluation of sphincter of Oddi function in patients with idiopathic acute recurrent pancreatitis. METHODS Eighteen consecutive patients with idiopathic acute recurrent pancreatitis underwent secretin MRCP and pancreatic sphincter of Oddi manometry/ERCP. Data from 15 patients were suitable for analysis. Fifteen subjects with asymptomatic, non-pancreatic hyperamylasemia matched for age and gender underwent secretin MRCP and served as a control group. RESULTS Sphincter of Oddi manometry documented sphincter dysfunction in 6/15 patients (40%) and secretin MRCP, in 4/15 patients (26.7%). Sphincter of Oddi manometry confirmed the presence of elevated basal sphincter of Oddi pressure in two of the 4 patients with abnormal and other forms of sphincter of Oddi dyskinesia in the other two. None of the control subjects had an abnormal secretin MRCP. Secretin MRCP and sphincter of Oddi manometry were concordant in 13/15 patients (86.7%); positive and negative diagnoses for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction agreed in, respectively, 81.8% and 100% (kappa value 0.706). CONCLUSIONS Secretin MRCP seems to be a useful noninvasive procedure for investigation of pancreatic sphincter of Oddi function, but evaluation in larger series is needed.

Electroacupuncture analgesia for colonoscopy: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Abstract Objective A study was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing patient’s discomfort and anxiety during colonoscopy with a standard sedation protocol. Methods Thirty patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture, sham, or no acupuncture. A verbal rating scale was used to measure patient’s pain when the endoscope reached four scheduled positions. Midazolam was administered at baseline and again anytime patients complained of “severe” pain. The amount of midazolam administered was recorded. A verbal rating scale was used to assess patient’s satisfaction with the level of sedation achieved. Results Pain level was lower, although not significantly, in the acupuncture group. Midazolam boluses were required in three patients with acupuncture (30%), eight in the sham group (80%), and nine in the control group (90%) ( p = 0.01). Six patients in the acupuncture group (60%) reported optimum acceptance of colonoscopy compared with only one in the sham group (10%) and none in the control group (0%) ( p = 0.016). Satisfaction scores, assessed 24–72 h after colonoscopy, were extremely high (median score 90 of 100) in the three groups. Conclusions Acupuncture may decrease the demand for sedative drugs during colonoscopy by reducing discomfort and anxiety of the patient and the well-known adverse effects of pharmacologic sedation.

Oropharyngeal pH Monitoring for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux: Is It a Reliable Test Before Therapy?

OBJECTIVE Current methods of measuring pharyngeal pH are problematic. The aim of the study was to assess the ability of the oropharyngeal pH monitoring (Restech) in predicting the response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease-related laryngopharyngeal symptoms. STUDY DESIGN The study design is prospective and uncontrolled. METHODS Twenty-two consecutive naive patients with chronic laryngeal symptoms were enrolled. Reflux symptom index, fibrolaryngoscopy, and 24-hour oropharyngeal pH monitoring were performed. Both patients and laryngoscopist were blinded by the results of Restech. All the patients were given a 3-month therapy with pantoprazole of 40mg twice a day and then repeated both the reflux symptom index and fibrolaryngoscopic evaluation. Patients were considered as responders if a five-point decrease in symptom score was recorded. RESULTS Thirteen of the 22 patients (59.1%) responded to therapy. Laryngoscopic findings did not correlate with the clinical improvement after the 3 months of PPI. Nine patients (40.9%) had a pathologic Restech study, and all resulted responsive to PPI; nine patients (40.9%) with a negative Restech were nonresponsive to PPI, and four patients (18.2%) despite a negative Restech resulted responsive to therapy. Responsive patients showed both a higher oropharyngeal acid exposure in orthostatic position and a higher Ryan score, compared with nonresponders (49.74±58.11 vs 2.12±0.0, P=0.002). Considering responsiveness to medical therapy as the gold standard of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) for the diagnosis of LPR, Restech showed a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS The high specificity and reasonable sensitivity of this technique make the Restech an interesting tool before therapy of patients with pharyngoesophageal reflux.

Correlation between oropharyngeal pH‐monitoring and esophageal pH‐impedance monitoring in patients with suspected GERD‐related extra‐esophageal symptoms

24‐hour esophageal pH‐impedance (pH‐MII) is not totally reliable for laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Oropharyngeal (OP) pH‐monitoring with the Dx‐pH probe may detect LPR better. The correlation between these two techniques is not thoroughly established. Aim of this study is to examine the correlation between OP pH‐metry and esophageal pH‐MII monitoring.

Long-term follow-up and serologic assessment after triple therapy with omeprazole or lansoprazole of Helicobacter-associated duodenal ulcer.

We assessed both the effectiveness of two Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication triple therapies and the usefulness of serology in the follow-up. Fifty patients with active or scarred duodenal ulcer were randomized to lansoprazole or omeprazole for 1 to 4 weeks, with clarithromycin 250 mg twice a day and tinidazole 500 mg twice a day for the first week. Endoscopies were scheduled before treatment, after 8 weeks, and after 1 year. H. pylori status was determined before therapy by rapid urease test and histology and during the follow-up by histology and culture. Serology was determined at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. The regimens were equally effective in inducing ulcer healing (95.8% vs. 87.5%) and eradicating Hp with no recurrences at 12 months. Among 44 patients eradicated, a significant reduction of immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer occurred at 6 (p < 0.0001) and 12 months (p < 0.0001). If a titer reduction of more than 30% was taken as an indicator for Hp eradication, the specificity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was 75% at 6 and 95.4% at 12 months with a 100% sensitivity. Either lansoprazole or omeprazole combined with antibiotics are effective in eradicating Hp. Serology is useful for monitoring Hp eradication provided that an appropriate percent reduction in IgG titer is used after more then 6 months after therapy.

Is Esophageal pH Monitoring Used Appropriately in an Open-Access System? A Prospective Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVES:To evaluate the referral patterns and indications for esophageal pH monitoring in an open-access system and to determine whether these indications conform to practice guidelines of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).METHODS:A total of 851 consecutive patients referred for ambulatory pH monitoring to nine open-access gastrointestinal units over a 12-month period received a structured interview. The indication for the examination was decided by the physician performing the procedure, on the basis of the patients clinical history and main complaint.RESULTS:Three hundred and twenty-three (38%) examinations were for indications in accordance with the guidelines. The proportion of appropriate requests in each center ranged from 34% to 47%. This figure was not significantly different in larger gastrointestinal units (more than 150 examinations per year) and smaller ones (35% and 40%; p = 0.14). The proportion of appropriate requests was 45% for gastroenterologists, 38% for surgeons, 32% for other specialists, and 24% for primary care physicians (PCPs) (p < 0.001). The percentage of appropriateness was significantly different between gastrointestinal specialists and PCPs (p < 0.001 vs gastroenterologists, p = 0.015 vs GI surgeons), and between gastroenterologists and other specialists (p = 0.006).The underuse of an empirical trial of acid-suppression therapy in patients with suspected reflux disease and the overuse of this test to confirm a diagnosis in patients with erosive esophagitis and in endoscopy-negative cases with typical symptoms responding completely to antisecretory therapy accounted for most of the referrals, which was not in accordance with the guidelines.CONCLUSIONS:In an open-access system, a high proportion of esophageal pH studies are done for indications not consistent with published guidelines, particularly among the examinations not requested by gastrointestinal specialists. Further education is still needed on the appropriate use of esophageal pH monitoring and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Oropharyngeal acid reflux and motility abnormalities of the proximal esophagus

AIM To investigate the relationship between pathological oropharyngeal (OP) acid exposure and esophageal motility in patients with extra-esophageal syndromes. METHODS In this prospective study we enrolled consecutive outpatients with extra-esophageal symptoms suspected to be related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We enrolled only patients with a reflux symptom index (RSI) score-higher than 13 and with previous lung, allergy and ear, nose and throat evaluations excluding other specific diagnoses. All patients underwent 24-h OP pH-metry with the Dx probe and esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM). Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of a normal or pathological pH-metric finding (Ryan Score) and all manometric characteristics of the two groups were compared. RESULTS We examined 135 patients with chronic extra-esophageal syndromes. Fifty-one were considered eligible for the study. Of these, 42 decided to participate in the protocol. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of normal or pathological OP acid exposure. All the HRM parameters were compared for the two groups. Significant differences were found in the median upper esophageal sphincter resting pressure (median 71 mmHg vs 126 mmHg, P = 0.004) and the median proximal contractile integral (median 215.5 cm•mmHg•s vs 313.5 cm•mmHg•s, P = 0.039), both being lower in the group with pathological OP acid exposure, and the number of contractions with small or large breaks, which were more frequent in the same group. This group also had a larger number of peristaltic contractions with breaks in the 20 mmHg isobaric contour (38.7% vs 15.38%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION In patients with suspected GERD-related extra-esophageal syndromes pathological OP acid exposure was associated with weaker proximal esophageal motility.

Early detection of pancreatic lesions in chronic alcoholism: diagnostic accuracy of ERP

In order to detect early pancreatic changes in chronic alcoholism, we reviewed pancreatograms (ERP) in 35 patients with alcoholic chronic liver disease who had no clinical evidence of pancreatitis. The patients were grouped by the length of history of alcohol intake (group 1: 5-15 years; group 2: more than 15 years), and on the basis of daily alcohol intake (group 1: 100-150 g/day; group 2: 150-200 g/day; group 3: more than 200 g/day). Pancreatic changes were present at ERP in 48.6% of patients, suggesting mild pancreatitis in 15 patients and advanced pancreatitis in two. Pancreatic lesions were significantly more frequent (p<0.01) in those who took more than 200 g of alcohol each day. There was no correlation with the length of history of alcoholism or with hepatic lesions. Our data confirm that asymptomatic pancreatitis is frequent in chronic alcoholism and that ERP can detect pancreatic lesions not otherwise demonstrable.

PH-impedance findings and proton pump inhibitors-responsiveness in patients with typical gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms in a large single-center Italian Series

Introduction: A multicenter study with a limited sample size found that absence of esophagitis, presence of functional digestive disorders, and overweight were associated with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) failure. Aim: To assess clinical and reflux patterns associated with PPI-responsiveness. Materials and Methods: Patients with typical gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) symptoms had 24 hours pH-impedance monitoring off therapy. Responders had <2 days of symptoms per week while on standard-dose/double-dose PPI. Clinical and reflux parameters were considered for analysis. Results: A total of 514 patients were included (267 women), 185 patients were considered PPI responders, and 329 were considered nonresponders. In the whole population, the only significant factor in the prediction of responsiveness to PPI at the multivariate analysis was the presence of esophagitis (P=0.028). The factors identified as significant in patients with a pathologic acid exposure (142 patients) in the prediction of responsiveness to PPI were overweight (body mass index >25 kg/m2) and the presence of esophagitis (P=0.019 and 0.043, respectively). Conclusions: We confirm that no reflux pattern demonstrated by 24 hours pH-impedance monitoring is associated to PPI response in GORD patients. Presence of esophagitis in the whole population and overweight in patients with pathologic GORD, but not dyspepsia, are strongly associated with PPI-responsiveness.

An Italian family with inherited achalasia

We illustrate the case of a European family with an autosomal ominant pattern of achalasia. To date, very few reports of inherited esophageal achalasia have been published [1], most of them with n autosomal recessive pattern. A 55-year female patient was referred to our motility lab with omplaints of chronic recurrent episodes of cough, pneumonia and ronchitis. These symptoms had occurred for the first time 5 years arlier, and recently had became more frequent. Intermittent mild ysphagia had appeared 20 years earlier, but she developed avoidnce behaviours to overcome this problem and had never reported his symptom to her primary care physician. A previous total-body ontrast-enhanced compute tomography scan showed pneumoia and ingested foods within the oesophagus in the absence f neoplastic changes of the oesophago-gastric junction. Upper astro-intestinal endoscopy was then performed, which showed narrowed cardia. High-resolution manometry was performed with a probe ith 36 solid-state transducers (Medical Measurement System, MS, Netherlands). The manometric tracing was diagnostic for esophageal achalasia (type II according the Chicago Classification) ith a hypertensive lower oesophageal sphincter (LES, Fig. 1a). The roposed treatment was pneumatic dilation. Five members of the patient’s family belonging to 3 consecutive enerations were found to have achalasia (Fig. 1b). The family orignated from Southern Italy, but was currently settled in the north f Italy. The patient’s father had been diagnosed with achalasia at he age of 85; he also suffered from G6PD deficiency. Three daughers also had a diagnosis of achalasia; two of them were treated