Relationship between globus sensation and esophageal clearance

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Globus sensation, a common complaint, may be linked to esophageal motility disorders.
• Videofluoroscopy (VF) is a valuable tool for assessing esophageal function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between globus sensation and abnormal esophageal clearance using VF.
• To investigate the influence of body position (upright, supine, prone) on diagnostic yield.
• To examine age-related differences in esophageal clearance abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 72 patients with globus sensation and 33 controls.
• Esophageal clearance assessed via VF in upright, supine, and prone positions.
• Barium transit classified as normal, retention, or reflux.

Main Results:

• The prone position significantly increased the detection rate of abnormal esophageal clearance compared to upright and supine positions (p<0.001).
• Globus sensation patients showed higher abnormal esophageal clearance rates across all positions (p<0.05).
• Significant differences in abnormal clearance were noted in young and middle-aged patients versus controls in supine and prone positions, but not in the elderly.

Conclusions:

• Videofluoroscopy (VF) in the prone position is effective for diagnosing esophageal pathologies associated with globus sensation.
• Abnormal esophageal clearance correlates with globus sensation in younger and middle-aged individuals.
• The association between abnormal esophageal clearance and globus sensation is not observed in the elderly.