Electrogastrography in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Lee, Kyoung Soo; Jeong, Ji Bong; Seo, Jeong Chul; Yang, Yong Mo; Chae, Hee Bok; Park, Seon Mee; Youn, Sei Jin

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is multifactorial disease and a cause of the disease is delay of gastric emptying. Gastric dysrhythmic events (i.e. tachygastria) are associated with impaired antral motor activity which plays a key role in the gastric emptying process. The aim of this study was to investigate antral hypomotility in a sub-group of patients showing food regurgitation among patients with GERD using cutaneous electrogastrography (EGG).
METHODS
EGG was done in 22 patients with GERD (7 patients with food regurgitation suggesting gastric dysmotility, 15 patients without food regurgitation) and 15 asymptomatic controls. EGG was performed with digitrapper EGG.
RESULTS
The abnormalities in EGG were observed in 5 (71.4%) patients with food regurgitation, 3 (20.0%) patients without food regurgitation and 4 (26.7%) asymptomatic controls. There was borderline statistical significance (p=0.074) between the patients with food regurgitation and the controls. However, there was no statistical significance between the patients without food regurgitation and the controls. The abnormal EGG results were significantly different in patients with food regurgitation, as compared with the results of controls and patients without food regurgitation (p=0.025).
CONCLUSIONS
The results of EGG may partly explain the food regurgitation in GERD.