Cisapride compared with ranitidine in the treatment of functional dyspepsia.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of the prokinetic drug cisapride and the antisecretory agent ranitidine in relieving symptoms of functional dyspepsia, as well as their effect on the recurrence of symptoms after the discontinuation of treatment. DESIGN: A randomized double-blind parallel-group trial of cisapride 30 mg daily and ranitidine 300 mg daily given for 2, 4 or 8 weeks, followed by a 4-week drug-free follow-up of the patients with a good or excellent response. Rescue antacid tablets were allowed only if pain was unbearable. PATIENTS: A total of 203 patients (99 cisapride, 104 ranitidine) with symptoms of functional dyspepsia for more than 4 weeks, after the exclusion of organic disease by endoscopy and sonography or radiology. RESULTS: Cisapride and ranitidine improved the symptoms of diffuse epigastric pain, postprandial epigastric fullness, epigastric distension, belching, heartburn, regurgitation, and nausea when compared with baseline. Pain at night and gastric discomfort also greatly improved. Cisapride produced a greater reduction in epigastric pain (P = 0.07) and epigastric distension (P = 0.03) scores than ranitidine. Both drugs were equally effective in reducing the concomitant reflux-like symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation. At week 8, 87% of cisapride patients versus 61% of ranitidine patients had an excellent or good result. The deterioration of symptoms during the follow-up phase was limited in both groups. However, after the withdrawal of medication there was a greater reduction in scores in the cisapride group than in the ranitidine group for diffuse epigastric pain (P = 0.05), epigastric distension (P = 0.002), the cluster of six symptoms of epigastric discomfort (P = 0.05), and the cluster of all nine upper gastrointestinal symptoms (P = 0.06). Adverse events occurred in 15 cisapride patients and 18 ranitidine patients, and two of the ranitidine patients were withdrawn from treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although cisapride and ranitidine both improved the symptoms of functional dyspepsia, cisapride was superior to ranitidine, particularly on the combined evaluation of the response to treatment and the recurrence of symptoms.

Endoscopy in the upper G.I. bleedings.

From 388 patients with upper G.I. bleeding investigated by endoscopy, radiology or emergent surgery, one third bled from duodenal ulcer, one third oesophageal varices, and from the remain the most frequent were gastric ulcer (14%) and gastric cancer (9%). From a sample of 53 patients with liver cirrhosis, 66% bled from varices and 34% from other lesions. The proportion of patients who bled from oesophageal varices is higher under 60 yrs. The mortality was higher after 60 yrs, except when there was associated chronic liver disease or renal or cardio-respiratory failure. In this group of patients, near half in our series, the mortality is the same under and above 60 years.

[Functional disorders of Oddi's sphincter]. / Perturbações funcionais do esfíncter de Oddi.

The sphincter of Oddi (SO), located at a crucial anatomical site, continues to present diagnostic and therapeutic problems. A combination of the techniques of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and manometry has permitted direct assessment of the SO function, and has opened up a new era in the study of this structure.

[Surgical therapy of reflux esophagitis in patients with normal lower esophageal sphincter pressure]. / Terapêutica cirúrgica da esofagite de refluxo em doentes com pressão do esfincter esofágico inferior normal.

In a group of 12 patients with reflux esophagitis resistant to the medical treatment and normal LES pressure, gastric emptying and bile-gastric (B.G.) reflux (HIDA-CCK test) were determined. All of the patients had delayed gastric emptying associated in seven with high levels of B.G. reflux. Two of the patients had an unsuccessful fundoplication two years ago and five have been cured of duodenal 3 or gastric 2 ulcer with antacids. Although there was an evolution to an ulcer scar in all of these patients the abdominal post-prandial pain persisted and some of them maintained occasional bilious vomiting. Deep gastritis with dysplasia and metaplasia of the gastric mucosa was demonstrated in all of these five patients. The esophagitis was an isolated phenomenon in 3 patients, one had a peptic esophageal stricture above de cardia, and another one a Barrett esophagus. A proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) and pyloroplasty was performed in patients with delayed gastric emptying without BG reflux. The other 7 patients with concomitant high BG reflux were treated by a duodenal diversion to a Roux-en-Y loop and P.G.V. Esophageal and gastric symptoms disappeared soon after surgery. Esophageal biopsies were normal six months after surgery and the intense gastritis changed to a less serious form of superficial gastritis. It is concluded that delayed gastric emptying associated or not with high values of BG reflux can be the most important pathogenic factor that cause reflux esophagitis in this group of patients. The improvement of gastric emptying and elimination of BG reflux can be the proper method to treat these situations.

Esophageal motility disorders in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Esophageal motility was studied in 21 patients with Sjögren's syndrome, and in 25 normal volunteers, in order to record the prevalence and type of esophageal motor abnormalities. Esophageal motor abnormalities were detected in seven of the 21 patients (33.3%). These esophageal abnormalities did not correlate with the presence of dysphagia, the extraglandular involvement, or the presence of autoantibodies.