Resolution of esophageal dysmotility following treatment of nasal disease in a dog.

A 2-year-old Rottweiler dog was evaluated for cough, regurgitation, and nasal discharge, and was subsequently diagnosed with sinonasal aspergillosis and secondary esophageal disease. Following treatment of sinonasal aspergillosis, all clinical signs resolved. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of resolution of esophageal dysfunction following treatment of sinonasal aspergillosis.

Résolution d'une dismotilité de l'oesophage suite au traitement d'une infection nasale chez un chien. Un chien Rottweiler, âgé de 2 ans est présenté avec une anamnèse de toux, régurgitations et jetage nasal, a été diagnostiqué avec une aspergillose naso-sinusale associée a dysmotilité oesophagienne. Le traitement médical de l'aspergillose naso-sinusale a entrainé une résolution complète des signes cliniques directement associés avec l'aspergillose ainsi qu'une résolution du dysmotilité oesophagienne. D'après les auteurs, c'est le premier cas de résolution spontanée d'un dysmotilité oesophagienne après traitement pour aspergillose naso-sinusale.(Traduit par les auteurs).

Síndrome de rumiación: dificultades diagnósticas y terapéuticas de un proceso no tan infrecuente / Rumination syndrome: Diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties of a not so uncommon disorder

Introducción: El Síndrome de rumiación es un trastorno gastrointestinal funcional poco común. De diagnóstico difícil, por el desconocimiento del mismo dentro del colectivo médico, acaba conllevando la realización de múltiples pruebas complementarias, la aplicación de diferentes tratamientos, y diagnósticos tardíos o erróneos, en la mayoría de los casos. Su tratamiento es difícil y complejo dada su naturaleza multifactorial. El objetivo de este estudio es presentar nuestra casuística analizando sus datos clínicos, diagnósticos y terapéuticos. Pacientes y método: Estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo de todos los casos diagnosticados entre enero del 2010 y mayo del 2016, controlados en las unidades de Gastroenterología Pediátrica del Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa y del Hospital Materno-Infantil Vall d'Hebron. Resultados: Se analizó a un total de 12 pacientes. Una media de edad al inicio de los síntomas de 9 anos y un mes, con un tiempo medio de evolución antes de llegar al diagnóstico de 2 años y 3 meses, y una media de pruebas complementarias realizadas hasta del diagnóstico de 8,1. En 10 de los 12 pacientes se había probado, antes del diagnóstico de rumiación, algún tipo de tratamiento que resultó ineficaz en todos los casos. Como novedad terapéutica, 10 de nuestros casos se sometieron a un tratamiento experimental de biofeedback. Conclusiones: Debido al conocimiento limitado de esta entidad, entre nuestros profesionales, en cuanto a su presentación clínica, diagnóstico y tratamiento, estos pacientes son frecuentemente mal diagnosticados y, a menudo, se ven sometidos a pruebas complementarias y tratamientos evitables, invasivos y costosos (AU)

Introduction: Rumination syndrome is an uncommon gastrointestinal functional disorder that may be difficult to diagnose, as not many physicians are aware of this condition. In many cases, patients undergo numerous tests and are prescribed several treatments based on erroneous diagnoses. When the correct diagnosis is eventually made, therapy for the syndrome can be difficult and complex because of its multifactorial nature. The aim of this study was to present our experience with this condition, by presenting an analysis of the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic data of our patients. Patients and method: A prospective and retrospective study was conducted on all cases of rumination syndrome diagnosed between January 2010 and May 2016 in patients attending the Paediatric Gastroenterology Departments of two hospitals: Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa and Hospital Materno-Infantil Vall d’Hebron (Barcelona, Spain). Results: The analysis included 12 patients, with a mean age at the onset of symptoms of 9 years and 1 month, and the mean time period to make the diagnosis was 2 years and 3 months. A mean of 8.1 complementary tests were carried out before establishing the diagnosis. In 10 of the 12 patients, some type of treatment had been given before the diagnosis of rumination syndrome, but was unsuccessful in all cases. Ten of our patients underwent the novel, experimental biofeedback therapy. Conclusions: Due to the limited knowledge of this condition among attending professionals in terms of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment, patients with rumination syndrome are often misdiagnosed and undergo numerous avoidable complementary tests, and invasive, costly treatments (AU)

Unmet needs in treating laryngo-pharyngeal reflux disease: where do we go from here?

INTRODUCTION: Many patients experience ear, nose and throat symptoms associated with their gastroesophageal reflux disease. These symptoms are purportedly caused by reflux of gastroduodenal contents into the larynx, which leads to laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Various modalities are used to diagnose LPR, including ambulatory pH monitoring, laryngoscopy, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy, as well as a few new emerging diagnostic tests. However, there are still no established diagnostic criteria or gold standard methodologies that can reliably distinguish LPR from other conditions. AREAS COVERED: In this review, we will evaluate currently available diagnostic tests and therapeutic options for patients with laryngeal signs and symptoms of reflux and briefly discuss the development and emergence of new treatments. Numerous studies have investigated the role of proton pump inhibitor therapy in this patient population, but have led to disparate and often inconsistent results. Expert commentary: While a subgroup of patients with LPR appears to respond to PPI therapy, many patients show no symptomatic improvement, particularly with respect to extraesophageal symptoms. As such, there is a vital need to explore alternative treatment options, including anti-reflux surgery, lifestyle changes, and other classes of medications to better address LPR.

Multimodality evaluation of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms who have failed empiric proton pump inhibitor therapy.

Patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), such as chest pain, heartburn, regurgitation, and dysphagia, are typically treated initially with a course of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). The evaluation of patients who have either not responded at all or partially and inadequately responded to such therapy requires a more detailed history and may involve an endoscopy and esophageal biopsies, followed by esophageal manometry, ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring, and gastric emptying scanning. To assess the merits of a multimodality 'structural' and 'functional' assessment of the esophagus in patients who have inadequately controlled GERD symptoms despite using empiric PPI, a retrospective cohort study of patients without any response or with poor symptomatic control to empiric PPI (>2 months duration) who were referred to an Esophageal Studies Unit was conducted. Patients were studied using symptom questionnaires, endoscopy (+ or - for erosive disease, or Barrett's metaplasia) and multilevel esophageal biopsies (eosinophilia, metaplasia), esophageal motility (aperistalsis, dysmotility), 24-hour ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring (+ if % total time pH < 4 > 5%), and gastric emptying scanning (+ if >10% retention at 4 hours and >70% at 2 hours). Over 3 years, 275 patients (147 men and 128 women) aged 16-89 years underwent complete multimodality testing. Forty percent (n= 109) had nonerosive reflux disease (esophagogastroduodenoscopy [EGD]-, biopsy-, pH+); 19.3% (n= 53) had erosive esophagitis (EGD+); 5.5% (n= 15) Barrett's esophagus (EGD+, metaplasia+); 5.5% (n= 15) eosinophilic esophagitis (biopsy+); 2.5% (n= 7) had achalasia and 5.8% (n= 16) other dysmotility (motility+, pH-); 16% (n= 44) had functional heartburn (EGD-, pH-), and 5.8% (n= 16) had gastroparesis (gastric scan+). Cumulative symptom scores for chest pain, heartburn, regurgitation, and dysphagia were similar among the groups (mean range 1.1-1.35 on a 0-3 scale). Multimodality evaluation changed the diagnosis of GERD in 34.5% of cases and led to or guided alternative therapies in 42%. Overlap diagnoses were frequent: 10/15 (67%) of patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, 12/16 (75%) of patients with gastroparesis, and 11/23 (48%) of patients with achalasia or dysmotility had concomitant pathologic acid reflux by pH studies. Patients with persistent GERD symptoms despite empiric PPI therapy benefit from multimodality evaluation that may change the diagnosis and guide therapy in more than one third of such cases. Because symptoms are not specific and overlap diagnoses are frequent and multifaceted, objective evidence-driven therapies should be considered in such patients.

Classic Bartter syndrome: a rare cause of failure to thrive in a child.

Bartter syndrome is a group of rare autosomal-recessive disorders caused by a defect in distal tubule transport of sodium and chloride. Blood gases and plasma electrolytes raise suspicion of this diagnosis and the definitive diagnosis is made by genetic study. Early treatment improves prognosis. The authors present the case of an 11-month-old child with early failure to thrive and severe regurgitation. Blood gases revealed hypochloraemic metabolic alkalosis, hyponatraemia and hypokalaemia. Blood pressure was normal and polyuria was documented. She began therapy with potassium chloride supplementation and indomethacin. There was clinical improvement and plasma potassium and bicarbonate normalised. The molecular study confirmed it was the classic form of Bartter syndrome. Despite being rare in clinical practice, which may lead to unnecessary medical investigation and diagnosis delay, in a child with failure to thrive, hypochloraemic metabolic alkalosis and hypokalaemia, this diagnosis must be considered.