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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Esophageal function tests in clinical practice: a review.
Uday C Ghoshal1, Renu Singh, Asha Misra
1Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute Medical Sciences, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, India. udayghoshal@yahoo.co.in
Advancements in technology and software enhance esophageal function testing. Esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH/impedance monitoring are key tools for diagnosing motility disorders and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Medical Technology
- Diagnostic Tools
Background:
- Esophageal diseases are prevalent and impact gastroenterology practice.
- Technological advancements, particularly in computer software, are improving diagnostic capabilities for esophageal conditions.
- Understanding the pathophysiology of esophageal diseases has significantly improved recently.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the techniques, interpretation, and clinical utility of esophageal function tests.
- To highlight the role of esophageal manometry and ambulatory pH and impedance monitoring.
- To discuss the application of these tests in diagnosis, follow-up, and research.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on esophageal function testing.
- Focus on esophageal manometry (conventional and high-resolution spatio-temporal).
- Emphasis on ambulatory 24-hour pH and impedance monitoring, and esophageal transit studies.
Main Results:
- User-friendly software simplifies the analysis of esophageal manometry and pH/impedance data.
- High-resolution spatio-temporal manometry represents an advancement over conventional methods.
- 24-hour impedance combined with pH-metry is the gold standard for diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Conclusions:
- Esophageal manometry is valuable for diagnosing and managing esophageal motility disorders.
- Ambulatory pH and impedance monitoring are crucial for GERD diagnosis, especially in atypical or refractory cases.
- Esophageal transit studies aid in understanding manometry findings and are useful in research and follow-up.
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