Esophageal motility disorders and GERD Flashcards
(133 cards)
what proportion of the population has GERD ?
A. 10-20%
B. 20-40%
C. 30-50%
D. 50-70%
Ans B -
GERD is a chronic progressive disease. When defined by the presence of symptoms that reach a point where they are considered troublesome, 20-40% of the population has GERD.
Approximately 70% of these are well controlled throughout life with PPI. Their disease does not seem to be progressive.
The remaining 30% have progressive disease in whom PPI therapy fails to control the symptoms.
There is no ability or attempt to prevent the progression of 30% of GERD patients into the stage of refractory GERD defined by treatment failure.
It is only when they reach this stage defined by failure of PPI to control symptoms or when they develop alarm symptoms such as dysphagia that endoscopy is indicated.
Shackleford 8e Pg 15.
which of the following statements is false?
A. Symptoms of GERD and Endoscopic findings are often non-concordant
B. Patients with Non-erosive reflux disease have symptoms that are well controlled with PPI
C. Endoscopy in patient who has failed PPI therapy changes management in only patient with Barrett Esophagus
D. Biopsy of normal squamocolumnar junction is not recommended
E. A significant number of patients can have intestinal metaplasia if biopsies are taken from “normal” appearing SCJ.
Ans B.
Statements A, C, D and E are true.
Statement B is false - patients with NERD have symptoms that are often resistant to PPIs.
Biopsy is currently not recommended by most societies in patients who donot have endoscopic abnormality at GEJ. Biopsy of the endoscopically normal squamous epithelium may show histologic changes of reflux, but these are not sufficiently sensitive or specific to have practical value. Biopsy of the “normal” SCJ is not recommended, although it is known that a small but significant number of patients will have intestinal metaplasia if biopsies are taken, particularly if the SCJ is slightly irregular.
Endoscopy in the patient who has failed PPI therapy changes management only in patient with Barrett esophagus, who enters an endoscopic surveillance program aimed at detecting early neoplastic changes.
Often symptoms are diminished in patients with Barrett Esophagus, and the efficacy of medical therapy to prevent Barrrett’s progression remains unproven. Progression to dysplasia and adenocarcinoma in all patients cannot be effectively prevented.
Symptoms of GERD and endoscopic findings are often non-corcodant. A person without symptoms of GERD can have long segment BE or present with an advanced GERD induced adenoca.
Conversely patients with symptoms of GERD can be endoscopically normal (NERD). Treatment of GERD with PPI can heal erosive esophagitis without completely resolving the symptoms.
Patients with NERD are more resistant to symptom control with PPIs than those with erosive esophagitis.
Shackleford 8e Pg 15.
A patient present with heartburn and regurgitation. Next step is -
A. Empiric acid suppressive treatment
B. Ambulatory pH monitoring
C. HRM
D. PFT
ans - A
GERD is generally diagnosed when typical reflux symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation are present. Objective testing with ambulatory pH monitoring can confirm the diagnosis, but is infrequently done when patients first present with symptoms. Instead, most patients receive empiric acid suppressive treatment with the sole objective of symptom control. A positive empiric test of PPI therapy is commonly used to confirm the symptom based diagnosis of GERD.
However there is no symptom complex or test at present that can accurately predict which GERD patient under empiric treatment will progress to failure of PPI Therapy in the future. Failure is only recognized when maximum PPI therapy fails to control symptoms.
Also there is no symptom complex or endoscopic finding other than BE that can predict with sufficient accuracy to warrant surveillance endoscopy that a GERD patient will develop adenocarcinoma in the future.
Screening for BE is not recommended.
Shackleford 8e Pg 15.
what percentage of patients with Adenoca Esophagus have been previously diagnosed to have BE ?
A. 10%
B. 20%
C. 30%
D. 40%
Ans A - 10%
Shackleford 8e Pg 16.
based on the Pro-GERD study which of the factors were
Positively associated with progression to visible Columnar Lined Esophagus at 5 years ?
A. Female gender
B. Alcohol Intake
C. Erosive esophagitis
D. Regular PPI use
Ans - A Female gender.
The pro-GERD study was conducted by Astra-Zeneca which manufactures esomeprazole.
The study included patients with Non-erosive disease, Los Angeles A/B and Los Angeles C/D patients and they were started on regular PPI therapy.
The reversal of erosive esophagitis was impressive.
However 9.7% patients had progressed to vCLE at the end of 5 years. The factors significantly associated with progression were -
A. Female gender was negatively associated
B. Alcohol intake
C. Erosive esophagitis
D. Regular PPI Use.
Present medical treatment therefore commits 10% of all patients to irreversibility every 5 years.
Shackleford 8e Pg 17.
which of the following is not a histologic feature for reflux esophagitis?
A. Intracellular Edema
B. Basal Cell Hyperplasia
C. Papillary elongation
D. infiltration of eosinophils
Ans A.
Reflux esophagitis is characterised by intercellular edema (Dilated intercellular spaces), basal cell hyperplasia, papillary elongation and infiltration by eosinophils and neutrophils.
These changes do not have the necessary sensitivity or specificity for the diagnosis of GERD.
Histologic examination has no practical value in the diagnosis of GERD.
Shackleford 8e Pg 17.
Which of the following is the most dominant factor in development of visible columnar lined esophagus?
A. Male gender
B. Smoking
C. Alcohol
D. Severity of reflux
Ans D -
There is strong evidence that the risk of vCLE increases with increasing severity of reflux, duration of reflux, male gender, regular PPI therapy and possibly alcoholism and smoking.
The most dominant factors in the etiology of vCLE are the severity and duration of reflux.
Shackleford 8e Pg 18.
which of the following is not a criteria to define a defective LES that correlates with presence of sufficient reflux into the esophagus to produce clinical GERD
A. A decrease in the mean LES pressure to less than 15 mmHg
B. A decrease in the total LES length to <2cm
C. A decrease in the abdominal LES <1cm
D. None of the above
Ans A -
the criteria are -
- Decrease in mean LES pressure to <6mmHg (Normal 15mmHg)
- Decrease in total LES length to less than 2cm (Normal 4-5cm)
- Decrease in the abdominal LES length to less than 1cm. (Normal 3-3.5cm)
At these levels of LES damage the sphincter failure occurs so frequently that it results in abnormal pH test and significant exposure of the squamous epithelium in the body of the esophagus.
Correlates with an increased probability of symptoms of GERD, severe grades of erosive esophagitis, and vCLE.
Shackleford 8e pg 19.
which of the following columnar epithelium is always present
A. Pure Cardiac Epithelium
B. Oxyntocardiac Epithelium
C. Gastric Oxyntic epithelium
D. intestinal epithelium
Ans C - gastric oxyntic epithelium is the normal columnar epithelium of the stomach and it is always present.
Metaplastic columnar epithelium is cardiac epithelium which can be of 3 types -
A. Pure cardiac epithelium - contains only mucous cells
B. Oxyntocardiac Epithelium - contains mucous cells with parietal cells
C. Intestinal Metaplasia which contains goblet cells.
Shackleford 8e Pg 23
Which of the following is most common form of cardiac epithelium -
A. Oxyntocardiac Epithelium
B. Intestinal epithelium
C. Pure Cardiac epithelium
D. All are found in equal proportions
Ans A
Intestinal epithelium is the least common
Oxyntocardiac epithelium is the most common.
The definition of the type of epithelium is applied to every unit of the epithelium which is defined as a single foveolar-gland complex. Multiple epithelial types can therefore be present in a small area.
Shackleford 8e Pg 23.
Most widely used definition of the EGJ is ?
A. SCJ
B. Z line
C. proximal limit of the rugal folds.
D. distal end of LES
Ans C - proximal limit of rugal folds.
Shackleford 8e Pg 23.
test of choice for oropharyngeal dysphagia ?
A. Barium Swallow
B. Endoscopy
C. MRI Chest
D. Videoflouroscopic evaluation
Ans D -
Videoflouroscopic evaluation of swallowing with digital high frequency recording is the test of choice.
Shackleford 8e Pg 158.
FEES is performed using ?
A. Flexible Esophagoscope
B. Flexible gastroscope
C. Flexible Laryngoscope
D. Rigid Esophagoscope
Ans C - Flexible laryngoscope.
FEES stands for fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing using a flexible laryngoscope introduced transnasally while the patient is asked to swallow a variety of foods and liquids with a coloring contrast (Blue dye).
A bling period of 0.5s occurs when the epiglottis tilts backwards and the pharynx squeezes. FEES provides qualitative and subjective interpretation.
Shackleford 8e Pg 159. q
the first line of management in oropharyngeal dysphagia is -
A. Behavioral Intervention
B. Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrotomy
C. Endoscopic Dilations
D. Botox
Ans A -
For patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia and/or cricopharyngeal dysfunction, treatment generally begins with behavioral intervention.
Most important modifications -
- Texture
- Viscosity
- Consistency
- Composition
- Bolus size
The patient must be cognitively alert and therefore a large number of neurogenic cases may be excluded.
Shackleford 8e Pg 160.
Mendelsohn Maneuvre is related to -
A. ensure feeding safety in oropharyngeal dysphagia
B. allow easy micturition in anterior uretheral stricture.
C. aid in maintaining fecal continence in postoperative period.
D. none of the above
Ans A -
A variety of maneuvers and techniques are used to ensure feeding safety in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.
- Supra-glottic Swallow
- Super-supra-Glottic swallow
- Mendelsohn Maneuvre (To promote pharyngeal and laryngeal elevation)
- neck flexion
- neck extension
- head turning
- tongue-base retraction.
Shackleford 8e Pg 160.
Ideally the length of cricopharyngeal myotomy should be ?
A. 2cm
B. 3cm
C. 5cm
D. 7 cm
Ans C -
The transverse fibers of the cricopharyngeal muscle are identified and the myotomy is performed from its upper border and the lower pharyngeal wall to the cervical esophagus, over a length of atleast 5cm.
A drain is left for 24 hours.
Division of the omohyoid and middle thyroid vein can aid exposure. Whereas division of inferior thyroid artery can also aid exposure and also prevent injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
Shackleford 8e Pg 162.
All of the following are good prognostic signs for results of cricothyroid myotomy except -
A. Good control of laryngeal aditus with normal phonation
B. ability to accurately define the location of dysphagia
C. good control of tongue
D. absence of dysarthria
Ans B -
Intact voluntary oral-phase of deglutition with good control of tongue, good control of laryngeal aditus with normal phonation and absence of dysarthria are reliable prognostic factors for successful outcome.
Patients are often able to accurately describe the exact location of food sticking. however these features are also seen in patients who have esophageal dysphagia and therefore this is not a reliable indicator.
Shackleford 8e Pg 162,
which of the following is the most accepted theory of cause of Zenker diverticulum
A. Increased Resting pressure of the UES
B. Lack of complete relaxation
C. premature or discoordinated UES relaxation
D. Degenerative changes.
Ans - D
UES resting pressure is similar and even decreased in these patients compared with controls.
UES appears to properly relax on manometry during deglutition
Pharyngosphincteral inccordination is an infrequent finding.
Presently accepted theory -based on simultaneous Video-radiography and Manometry
- significantly reduced sphincter opening despite a manometrically normal or complete relaxation.
- greater intrabolus pressure
- degenerative changes cause a lack of elasticity of the sphincter muscle preventing it from relaxing completely.
- manometrically the appearance of a “shoulder” before the onset of pharyngeal contraction.
Shackleford 8e Pg 164.
histological basis of zenker diverticulum all except -
A. higher collagen
B. higher desmosine/isodesmosine ratio
C. Higher collagen/elastin ratio
D. none of the above
Ans B -
Histologic, electron microscopic and immunohistochemistry studies have shown that these patients have - higher collagen content, higher isodesmosine/desmosine ratio and higher collagen/elastin ratio in cricopharyngeal muscle and cervical esophageal muscularis propria.
This also supports why the proximal cervical esophageal muscle fibers also need to be divided for a length of about 2-3cm.
Shackleford 8e Pg 164.
most common symptom of zenker diverticulum is ?
A. Dysphagia
B. Regurgitation
C. Gurgling sound
D. Halitosis
Ans A - Dysphagia is the main symptom and present in nearly all cases. One can distinguish this intrinsic dysphagia from the extrinsic one, caused by the distension of the pouch.
Shackleford 8e Pg 164.
First line of investigation for Zenker Diverticulum is ?
A. Barium swallow
B. Endoscopy
C. CT neck
D. HRM
Ans A - Radiologic evaluation should precede any endoscopic examination in a patient with dysphagia and suspected ZD, given the risk of iatrogenic perforation.
Shackleford 8e 165.
Which of the following is the scope used in treatment of Zenker Diverticulum -
A. Zenker Scope
B. Clouse Scope
C. Weerda scope
D. Randall Scope
Ans C - Weerda diverticuloscope is a special endoscope used for treatment of Zenker Diverticulum.
Shackleford 8e Pg 165.
For a Zenker Diverticula measuring 1cm in size the treatment of choice is -
A. Cricopharyngeal myotomy
B. Diverticulopexy
C. Diverticulectomy
D. A and B together
Ans A -
Very small <1cm pouches can be safely left in place, since the myotomy alone suffices to reduce the pouch and alleviate the symptoms.
Shackleford 8e Pg 166.
During diverticulopexy the Zenker Diverticulum is preferentially sutured to the -
A. Posterior pharyngeal wall
B. Prevertebral fascia
C. Either A or B
D. None of the above
Ans A -
Should a diverticulopexy be performed it is important to suture the diverticulum to the posterior pharyngeal wall as opposed to prevertebral fascia to allow free vertical movement of the pharynx during deglutition.
Sabiston 20e Pg 1019.