How long should a long-term esophageal motility study be?

It was the aim of this study to analyze whether a shorter measuring period would render the same diagnostic information on esophageal motility as a ci rcadian measuring period in ambulatory esophageal manometry, In an investig ation on normal volunteers (n = 10), patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease without esophageal motility disorders (n = 13), and patients with e sophageal motility disorders (n = 14), a comparison was performed between a 5-hr and a 24-hr motility study. An analysis was performed on inter- and i ntraindividual reproducibility of time periods, prandial phases, and motili ty sequences (Wilcoxon and Spearman test). There was no significant differe nce between the two analyzed measuring periods in all three groups with reg ard to the diagnostic information on esophageal motility in 44 of 45 compar isons for intraindividual variability. A measuring period restricted to 5 h r offers the same diagnostic information on esophageal peristaltic activity as a 24-hr motility study.