Psychometric validation of the Dutch translation of the quality of life in reflux and dyspepsia (QOLRAD) questionnaire in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background: The Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia (QOLRAD) questionnaire is one of the best-characterized disease-specific instruments that captures health-related problems and symptom-patterns in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This paper reports the psychometric validation of a Dutch translation of the QOLRAD questionnaire in gastroenterology outpatients with GERD.

Methods: Patients completed the QOLRAD questionnaire at visit 1 (baseline), visit 2 (after 2, 4 or 8 weeks of acute treatment with esomeprazole 40 mg once daily), and visit 4 (after 6 months with on-demand esomeprazole 40 mg once daily or continuous esomeprazole 20 mg once daily).

Long-term results of external upper esophageal sphincter myotomy for oropharyngeal Dysphagia.

The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of external myotomy of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) for oropharyngeal dysphagia. In the period 1991-2006, 28 patients with longstanding dysphagia and/or aspiration problems of different etiologies underwent UES myotomy as a single surgical treatment. The main symptoms were difficulties in swallowing of a solid-food bolus, aspiration, and recurrent incidents of solid-food blockages.

A candidate gene approach of immune mediators effecting the susceptibility to and severity of upper gastrointestinal tract diseases in relation to Helicobacter pylori and Epstein-Barr virus infections.

This review focuses on immunogenetic aspects of diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract in which infectious agents may play a role in the aetiopathogenesis, such as Helicobacter pylori, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and HIV. Gastric adenocarcinoma is a common cancer all around the world, with declining incidences in Europe and high incidences in Asia and central and south America. Together with gastric atrophy and peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma belongs to the commonest upper gastrointestinal tract diseases.