Esophageal biomechanics assessed by impedance planimetry (EndoFLIPTM) in healthy subjects and in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis. Normality values.

Background: active eosinophilic esophagitis is associated with esophageal caliber, distensibility and motility changes that may be reversed with treatment.

Objectives: to study esophageal diameter, distensibility and contractility in healthy subjects compared to patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, both before and after treatment.

Methods: a quasi-experimental study, EndoFLIP™, was used to analyze the esophageal body and esophago-gastric junction (EGJ) in all three groups, and a program was designed to obtain esophageal diameter, distensibility and contractility values.

Risk of COVID-19 transmission in esophageal, anorectal manometry and 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring.

Background: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the interruption of most manometry or impedance-pH monitoring studies. The risk of restarting activities is unknown.

Objective: assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, both to patients and healthcare workers, in relation to esophageal and anorectal functional tests during the pandemic without protective measures.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease: limits of medical treatment and surgical indications.

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) have long been considered as the ideal treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and their limitations and side effects have revealed a need for new therapeutic approaches. At present, the therapeutic gains achieved are relatively small or limited to groups of patients with specific characteristics. This article updates the contributions, indications, and limitations of pharmacological, endoscopic, and surgical treatment.

Lung transplantation and esophageal dysfunction.

Lung transplants belong in the group of organ transplants with poorer outcomes, with acute rejection and bronchiolitis obliterans being cited as major causes of this. Poor allograft evolution has been associated with multiple factors, including those related to esophagogastric disease. In patients with end-stage pulmonary conditions eligible for a lung transplant gastroesophageal reflux (GER), esophageal dysmotily, and gastroparesis are highly prevalent and worsen upon transplantation, which may compromise transplant viability.

Practical aspects of high resolution esophageal manometry.

High resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) is currently under development as can be seen in the various Chicago classifications. In order to standardize criteria in certain practical aspects with limited scientific evidence, the First National Meeting for Consensus in High Resolution Manometry of the Spanish Digestive Motility Group took place, bringing together a wide group of experts. The proposals were based on a prior survey composed of 47 questions, an exhaustive review of the available literature and the experience of the participants.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia, an underestimated disorder in pediatrics.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a rather frequent clinical entity in patients with neurological problems that can lead to serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia and other disorders like dehydration or malnutrition due to feeding difficulties. It should be suspected in children with splitting of food intake or prolonged feeding, coughing or choking during feeding, continuous drooling or repeated respiratory symptoms. For the diagnosis, apart from the examination of swallowing, additional tests can be run like the water-swallowing test, the viscosity-volume test (which determines what kind of texture and how much volume the patient is able to tolerate), a fiberoptic endoscopy of swallowing or a videofluoroscopic swallow study, which is the gold standard for the study of swallowing disorders.