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Updated: May 21, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Heterogeneity in oesophageal dysfunction among patients with different reflux symptoms
Chien-Lin Chen1, Chih-Hsun Yi, Tso-Tsai Liu
1Department of Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan. harry.clchen@msa.hinet.net
Background And Aim:
Ineffective oesophageal motility (IOM) often occurs in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. We aimed to examine the hypothesis of whether the presence of IOM differs between patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease with different symptom profiles.
Methods:
Eligible patients were subclassified according to their predominant symptom of heartburn (HB) or acid regurgitation (AR). All patients underwent combined multichannel intraluminal impedance and oesophageal manometry. IOM was further graded according to the presence of oesophageal transit abnormalities.
Results:
Fourteen healthy individuals, 16 HB patients and 24 AR patients participated in this study. The percentage of swallows with complete bolus transit was lower in AR than in HB patients during liquid and viscous swallowing (P<0.05). Abnormal bolus transit occurred more frequently in AR patients than in HB patients with liquid swallows (P<0.001) and viscous swallows (P<0.05). IOM occurred more frequently in AR patients than in HB patients (42.7 vs. 12.5%, P=0.049). In patients with IOM, severe functional abnormality was more frequently found in AR patients than in HB patients (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
This study suggests a potential link between oesophageal body dysfunction and individual reflux symptom. Patients with a predominant symptom of AR are characterized by greater IOM and defective bolus clearance.
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