Is bile reflux at endoscopy a significant finding?

ABSTRACT

Postprandial duodenogastric reflux (DGR) was assessed scintigraphically in 10 patients with postprandial dyspepsia and endoscopic evidence of bile reflux (EBR) and in two control groups comprising seven patients with similar symptoms but normal endoscopic findings and 10 asymptomatic subjects without gastrointestinal pathology. DGR of iminodiacetic acid (IDA) after a liquid Lundh meal (250 ml) was assessed dynamically with 1 minute scintiscans and DGR expressed as the percentage of IDA secreted by the liver which appeared in the gastric region. DGR varied from 0-5% in asymptomatic controls and from 0-6% in dyspeptics without EBR. DGR in patients with EBR ranged from 0-16% but only two of 10 had values outside the normal range (0-5%).