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Updated: May 26, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Disease characteristics in non-erosive reflux disease with and without endoscopically minimal change esophagitis: are
Wei-Yi Lei1, Tso-Tsai Liu, Chih-Hsun Yi
1Department of Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
Background/Aims:
The majority of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) appear to have non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). NERD may include minimal change esophagitis (MCE) and no endoscopic abnormalities (MCE-). We aimed to determine whether intraesophageal acid reflux as well as esophageal motility differed between patients with and without MCE.
Methods:
Consecutive patients with classic reflux symptoms were enrolled in the study. Patients without any mucosal injury were considered to be MCE-. Esophageal acid exposure as well as intragastric pH (<4) was determined by dual-channel ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring.
Results:
A total of 100 patients (MCE-, 52 patients; MCE, 48 patients) were studied. The percentage of effective peristalsis was found similar between patients with and without MCE (p = NS). Esophageal acid contact as well as the DeMeester score did not differ between the groups (p = NS). The prevalence of positive symptom index was greater in MCE- patients than in MCE patients (p = 0.001). Intragastric acidity (pH <4) was similar between MCE- and MCE groups (p = NS).
Conclusions:
NERD, regardless of the presence of MCE, might exhibit similar disease characteristics in terms of esophageal acid exposure and motor dysfunction.
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