Transmural potential difference in patients with hiatus hernia and oesophageal ulcer.

Recordings of transmural potential difference (PD) in the stomach have well established that the mucosal surface of this organ is negative in relation to the serosal surface (Rehm, 1946; Revelstad, Owen, and Magath, 1952). On the other hand, it had been noted that the oesophagus has a positive transmural potential difference (Helm, Schlegel, Code, and Summerskill, 1965). The potential difference transition zone from negative to positive values was shown to represent the mucosal transition from acid-bearing to columnar and from columnar to oesophageal mucosa (Meckeler and Ingelfinger, 1967). Utilizing an improved method of recording transmural potential difference (Hernandez and Beck, 1968), we reexamined the characteristics of the potential difference transition zone in normal individuals and in patients suffering from hiatus hernia. In addition, we explored the variations in potential difference which occur over lesions where the mucosal integrity of the oesophagus was destroyed by ulcerations.