Stranz Conrad, Watkinson Thomas, Cross Andrea, Hamer Peter, Roberts Ross
Oesophagogastric Surgical Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia.
Department of Upper GI Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, United Kingdom.
N Z Med J. 2021 Mar 12;134(1531):91-100.
This study aimed to determine whether symptoms can reliably predict a major disorder of oesophageal motility as assessed by conventional water perfusion manometry.
Data from patients who underwent conventional water perfusion oesophageal manometry and a pre-manometry questionnaire between October 1998 and August 2018 were extracted from a database. Clinical features (dysphagia, chest pain, regurgitation, dysphagia to a bread challenge) and combinations of these clinical features were compared to manometric diagnoses.
Data from 546 patients were analysed. Thirty-three (6%) patients had a major disorder of motility, and 513 (94%) had normal manometry or a minor disorder of motility. 'Any dysphagia' (dysphagia as a symptom or dysphagia to a bread challenge) or 'chest pain' was experienced by all patients with a major disorder of motility and 435 of 513 patients with normal manometry or a minor disorder of motility (p=0.009). Sensitivity was 100%, and specificity was 15%, in identifying patients with a major disorder of motility using symptom combinations and a bread challenge.
Symptoms and provoked dysphagia to bread were able to predict patients with a major disorder of oesophageal motility with a sensitivity of 100%. However, as specificity was 15%, confirmation with manometry is indicated if possible.
