OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to identify the presence of associated functional disorders (dysmotility or gastro-esophageal reflux, GER), to select patients who need surgery and to plan a tailored surgical treatment in patients affected by esophageal body diverticula. METHODS We report on 51 consecutive patients with esophageal body diverticula, observed at our department, who underwent ...

OBJECTIVES The role of fundoplication in patients with pure type II paraesophageal hiatal hernia remains controversial. Conventional thinking suggests that because the lower esophageal sphincter is located within the abdomen, it is competent, and fundoplication is unnecessary. Few studies have used objective evaluation to guide the addition of an antireflux procedure. METHODS Fifteen consecut...

OBJECTIVES It is presently recommended that oral feeding be started in premature infants as soon as possible, often at an age at which nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) is still required for ventilatory support. Our previous data showed that application of nCPAP up to 10 cmH2O in full-term lambs had no deleterious effect on cardiorespiratory safety, feeding efficiency, or on nut...

TO THE EDITOR: I read with great interest the paper entitled “Yield of combined impedance-pH monitoring for refractory reflux symptoms in clinical practice” by Karamanolis et al, which was published in April 2011 issue of Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. Esophageal impedance pH monitoring allows detection of reflux of any composition (liquid or gas) and pH (acid, weakly acid or no...

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common causes health care seeking at primary level in many countries. At an epidemiological level, GERD has been shown to be associated with a number risk factors: obesity, tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, certain patterns eating behaviour, and use several medications. now regarded as heterogeneous includes different phenotypes (erosive d...

Background. There is no gold standard test for diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) associated infantile wheezing. Objectives. To evaluate the value of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) pepsin assay in diagnosis of GERD in wheezy infants. Methods. Fifty-two wheezy infants were evaluated for GERD using esophageal combined impedance-pH (MII-pH) monitoring, esophagogastroduodenoscopy wit...