Accessory bronchus in a patient with chronic cough.

The accessory bronchus involving the trachea or main bronchi is very rare. In this report, we present images of an accessory bronchus, detected by computed tomography scan and flexible bronchoscopy. Our patient was suffering from persistent productive cough and had normal chest x-ray.

Non-erosive reflux disease manifested exclusively by protracted hiccups.

Hiccups are a benign physiological feature affecting almost everyone at one time or another. They tend to be short-lived and do not affect quality of life; however, there are various pathologies that may present with long-lasting hiccups. These are grouped into 3 categories according to their duration: acute, persistent and intractable or protracted hiccups.

Technical problems produced by the Bravo pH test in nonerosive reflux disease patients.

Aim: To evaluate the technical failures of the Bravo pH test in a population with nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Methods: Over the course of a year, we prospectively studied a population of 66 nonerosive reflux disease patients who received a Bravo pH test. The number and frequency of all technical failures were documented, quantified and analyzed.

Cold and hot snare endoscopic techniques for removal of the Bravo pH monitoring capsule.

Background: Currently, use of the Bravo capsule is a very common method for evaluating the gastroesophageal reflux because it has the advantage of being an intraesophageal catheter-free system. However, endoscopic removal of the capsule is necessary when technical problems or severe discomfort are present. Most frequently, endoscopists solve this problem by nudging the device with the tip of the endoscope to dislodge it; others have used a cold snare to produce traction on the capsule, and then tear the probe off.