Reflux evaluation: correlation between pH results, esophagitis, esophagealdysmotility, patient age, and esophageal caliber

The purpose of this study was to correlate gastroesophageal reflux evaluate d by 24-h pH study to esophageal motility, diameter of the esophagus and di aphragmatic hiatus, and patient age. We recorded radiographic findings from barium esophagrams in 91 patients (47 women, 44 men) with a mean age of 52 years (range 17-18 years), who had 24-h pH monitoring of the esophagus, Al l patients had one or more symptoms related to the upper aerodigestive syst em, and both studies were performed within 2 days of each other. The averag e diameters of the esophagus and hiatus were 24 mm and 19 mm respectively. The correlation coefficient (1) bet cu een patient age and diameter of the esophagus was -0.22. No correlation was found between the diameter of the h iatus and the size of the esophagus or patient age. Esophageal diameter is significantly wider in patients with esophagitis than in patients who have no esophagitis. Thirteen of 27 patients with absent primary peristalsis had abnormal pH results. The diameter of the esophagus may be affected by agin g, but was not affected by the presence of dysmotility. The caliber of the hiatus was stable and was narrower than the diameter of the esophagus, The hiatus tended to be wider when esophagitis existed.