Korean J Gastroenterol.  2015 Nov;66(5):282-285. 10.4166/kjg.2015.66.5.282.

A Case of Aerophagia Diagnosed by Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance Monitoring

• Sohn KC
• Jeong YH
• Jo DH
• Heo WG
• Yeom DH
• Choi SC
• Ryu HS

• KMID: 2373358
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2015.66.5.282

Abstract

Aerophagia is a disorder caused by abnormal accumulation of air in the gastrointestinal tract as a result of repetitive and frequent inflow of air through the mouth. For the diagnosis of this condition, it is difficult to objectively measure the air swallowing. However, multichannel intraluminal impedance monitoring facilitates the differential diagnosis between normal air swallowing and pathologic aerophagia, and can aid in the determination of the frequency and amount of air swallowed. In this report, in addition to a literature review, we describe a case of 36-year-old man with abdominal distension who was diagnosed with aerophagia using esophageal impedance monitoring and was treated with clonazepam.

Keyword

Aerophagy; Electric impedance; Clonazepam

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aerophagy/*diagnosis/diagnostic imaging/drug therapy
Anticonvulsants/therapeutic use
Clonazepam/therapeutic use
Diagnosis, Differential
Electric Impedance
Humans
Male
Mental Disorders/complications
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Anticonvulsants
Clonazepam

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Plain abdominal X-ray findings.(A) Excessive amounts of gas is observed in the stomach and intestine without any signs of obstruction. (B) After clonazepam treatment, gaseous distension of the small intestine and colon is improved.

• 

  Fig. 2. Findings of multichannel intraluminal impedance monitoring. (A) Integral images were collected over twenty-three hours and analyzed for intraluminal impedance. The graph indicates multiple high peaks of impedance of more than 1,000 Ω above baseline measurements, especially during the daytime hours. (B) Swallowed air moves in the antegrade direction and aborally in the most distal impedance segment. (C) A gastric belch (dashed arrows), characterized by an increase in impedance that moves in the oral direction, is noted before an air swallow (solid arrows).

Reference

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