[Esophageal and gastric acidity determination: its value and limitations].

Combined esophago-gastric pH measurements has been recently employed to better define gastroesophageal reflux and to simultaneously evaluate esophageal and gastric acidity. We studied 21 patients with esophagitis and 11 controls. Gastric acidity was rather similar in the two groups. A significant difference (p less than 0.05) between controls and patients was found in the postprandial period only. The analysis of the buffering effect of a standardized meal did not show any difference between the two groups. When subdividing the esophagitis patients according to the outcome of medical treatment we could find a more prolonged (p less than 0.05) postcibal recovery phase. Gastric alkalinizations were observed mostly during the night and did not differ in the two groups. As regards gastro-esophageal reflux we evaluated both acid, mixed and alkaline episodes. Acid reflux was the most frequent event, while mixed reflux was less frequently observed and equally distributed in the two groups. As regards alkaline episodes they were absent in controls and occurred very rarely in the patients. In conclusion esophagogastric pH-metry gives us, with a single test, informations about gastric acidity and the characteristics of gastro-esophageal reflux. On the other hand its clinical relevance needs further evaluations.