Lecture 3: Disorders of the Esophagus Flashcards
What are the common symptoms of an esophageal disorder?
- Heartburn (pyrosis)
- Dysphagia
- Odynophagia
What are the two types of dysphagia?
- Oropharyngeal dysphagia: oropharynx to upper esophagus
- Esophageal dysphagia: transport of bolus to body of esophagus
What are the 5 components of oropharyngeal swallowing?
- Elevate tongue
- Close nasopharynx
- Relax UES
- Close airway
- Pharyngeal peristalsis
What is the characteristic description of oropharyngeal dysphagia?
- Immediate sense of food catching in the neck
- Need to swallow repeatedly to clear food
- Coughing/choking during meals
What are the two causes of esophageal dysphagia?
- Mechanical obstruction
- Motility disorder
What is odynophagia characterized by?
Sharp, substernal pain on swallowing that may limit oral intake
What condition is most commonly associated with odynophagia?
Infectious esophagitis (Candida, herpes, CMV)
What are the two characteristic symptoms of GERD?
- Heartburn
- Regurgitation
What is the complication we are worried about with untreated GERD?
Barrett’s esophagus
What are the 3 main GE dysfunctions that can malfunction and result in GERD?
- Transient LES relaxation
- Anatomic disruption of the GE junction (hiatal hernia)
- Hypotensive LES
What is the characteristic symptom of GERD?
Heartburn
Is severity correlated with tissue damage in GERD?
No
What are the extraesophageal/atypical S/S of GERD?
- Asthma
- Cough
- Chronic laryngitis
- Sore throat
- Non-cardiac chest pain
- Sleep disturbances
What are the alarm features of GERD?
- New onset dyspepsia in pt > 60
- Evidence of upper GI bleed
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Anorexia
- Unexplained weight loss
- Severe dysphagia/odynophagia
- Persistent vomiting
- GI cancer in first degree relatie
What would prompt us to investigate GERD further?
- Failure of empiric PPI therapy
- Alarm features
What is the diagnostic study of choice for GERD exams?
EGD
What is the mechanism that occurs and results in a hiatal hernia?
- Movement of the LES above the diaphragm
- Dysfunction of the GE junction reflux barrier
What is a sliding hiatal hernia?
- Herniation of the gastric cardia upwards
- Slides back and forth
What is a paraesophageal hernia?
- Laxity of the gastrosplenic and gastrocolic ligaments
- Stomach displacement
- Greater curvature of the stomach will roll upwards
What are the most common risk factors for hiatal hernias?
- Age 50 or older
- Obesity
How does a sliding hiatal hernia typically present?
- Worse GERD
- Severe esophagitis
- Barrett’s
How does a paraesophageal hernia present?
- Vague, intermittent symptoms
- Epigastric/substernal pain
- Postprandial fullness
- N/V
Less prevalent GERD symptoms
What is Barrett’s esophagus?
Metaplastic columnar epithelium replaces the usual squamous epithelium of the esophagus
What endoscopic finding suggests Barrett’s esophagus?
- Salmon-orange colored, gastric type epithelium
- Biopsy will confirm diagnosis
What is the management for a Barrett’s patient with low-grade dysplasia?
- Resect any areas of dysplasia
- Repeat endoscopy in 6 months
- Annual endoscopy until non-dysplastic
What is the management for a Barrett’s patient with high-grade dysplasia?
- Resect all areas
- Repeat EGD ASAP
- Repeat at 3, 6, 12 months
- Yearly for 5 years, then every 3-5 years
For patients with mild, intermittent GERD symptoms, what is the recommended treatment?
Mild, intermittent: < 2 episodes weekly, no esophagitis
- Lifestyle modifications
- Eat smaller meals
- Eliminate acidic foods
- Wt loss
- Avoid lying down within 3 hours of eating
- Antacids or oral H2 antagonists for heartburn
What is the MOA of a H2 receptor antagonist?
Decrease gastric acid secretion by reversibly binding to histamine H2 receptors on parietal gastric cells.
What are the H2 receptor antagonists?
- Cimetidine
- Nizatidine
- Famotidine
When are PPIs indicated for GERD?
- Failed BID H2RA/lifestyle
- Frequent symptoms
What is the MOA of a PPI?
Inhibit gastric acid secretion by irreversibly binding and inhibiting the hydrogen-K ATPase pump.
How do we decide what PPI to use?
Cost
They all have similar efficacy?
For long-term therapy regarding troublesome GERD, what are the mainstays?
- PPIs for 8-12 weeks and then a pause
- BID H2RAs for those without esophagitis
When is PPI therapy implemented indefinitely?
- GERD w/ severe erosive esophagitis
- Barrett’s esophagus
What are the main concerns of PPI use?
- Increased risk of infectious gastroenteritis
- Iron and B12 deficiency
- Hypomagnesemia
- Hip Fx
- Dementia
What is surgical fundoplication?
Laparoscopic surgery that can provide very good relief for esophagitis in 85% of patients
Who can undergo surgical fundoplication?
- Patients with extraesophageal reflux
- Severe reflux and unwilling to accept lifelong medical therapy
- Large hiatal hernias and persistent regurg despite PPI therapy
When is gastric bypass recommended over fundoplication for GERD?
Obese patients with GERD
What is a LINX system?
Magnetic, artificial sphincter for people with hiatal hernias < 3cm
small hiatal hernias only
When should we consult GI regarding GERD?
- Failure of empiric PPIs
- Suspected extraesophageal symptoms that do not resolve with PPIs within 3 months
- Significant dysphagia or alarm symptoms for EGD
- Barrett’s
- Surgical fundoplication consult
What is the epithelium type of Barrett’s and where does it occur?
Adenocarcinomas, most commonly in the distal 3rd of the esophagus.