[A comparative assessment of gastric secretory function using a probe method and intragastric Ph-metry]

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Digestive Physiology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers are common gastrointestinal conditions.
• Accurate assessment of gastric acid secretion is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Existing diagnostic methods like probing have limitations in detecting subtle changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic informativeness of probing versus intragastric pH-metry.
• To evaluate the utility of intragastric pH-metry in specific gastric conditions.
• To assess the role of intragastric pH-metry in identifying duodenogastric reflux and acid imbalances.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 130 patients with chronic gastritis, 132 with peptic ulcer, and 50 healthy controls.
• pH measurements were obtained using both traditional probing and intragastric pH-metry.
• Analysis focused on pH values in relation to gastric mucosal defects and specific conditions.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in pH values between probing and intragastric pH-metry for gastric mucosal defects, superficial gastritis, and peptic ulcers.
• Intragastric pH-metry detected minimal H+ secretion in apparent atrophic gastritis, which probing missed.
• Antral basal pH below 2.0 using intragastric pH-metry indicated duodenogastric reflux and decompensated stomach.

Conclusions:

• Intragastric pH-metry provides more sensitive detection of acid secretion in atrophic gastritis compared to probing.
• Intragastric pH-metry is a valuable tool for diagnosing duodenogastric reflux and assessing gastric acid status.
• This method enhances diagnostic accuracy in complex gastrointestinal conditions.