[Relationship between functional endoscopy and impedance-pH measurement. German version].

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Diagnostic Medicine
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Traditional gastroenterological tools struggle with complex extra-esophageal reflux (EER) symptom analysis.
• Videopanendoscopy (VPE) is a potential new method for EER diagnostics, but its utility requires objective verification.
• Previous pilot studies indicated a correlation between reflux symptom index (RSI) and endoscopic findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between endoscopic findings from VPE and impedance-pH monitoring results in patients with EER symptoms.
• To objectively assess the diagnostic value of VPE in the context of established reflux diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Patients with extra-esophageal reflux symptoms underwent functional endoscopy (videopanendoscopy, VPE).
• Endoscopic findings were correlated with results from impedance-pH monitoring, the gold standard for esophageal reflux disease.
• Key impedance-pH parameters analyzed included the number of reflux episodes, fraction time, and DeMeester score.

Main Results:

• Pathological findings during VPE demonstrated a significant correlation with impedance-pH monitoring results.
• The correlation was observed specifically for the number of reflux episodes, fraction time, and the DeMeester score.
• This suggests VPE findings can objectively reflect reflux activity measured by impedance-pH.

Conclusions:

• Functional endoscopy (VPE) is a valuable tool for diagnosing extra-esophageal reflux symptoms.
• VPE findings correlate well with objective impedance-pH measurements, supporting its clinical utility.
• VPE can aid in understanding the complex relationship between reflux activity and EER symptoms.