Title: Barium contrast evaluation of lower esophageal sphincter disorders with endoscopic correlation
Authors; Dr Ankit Bakshi, Dr Birinder Nagi, Dr Sohan Singh, Dr Rupinder Singh
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v7i1.09
Abstract
Introduction: Lower esophageal sphincter disorders include achalasia cardia, hiatus hernia, peptic stricture, growth gastro-esophageal junction, schkatzki ring, and esophagitis. Barium swallow is an accurate method in the evaluation of these disorders. It is a simple test and is being done since a long period of time.
Aims and Objectives
- To evaluate the role of barium examination in assessment of lower esophageal sphincter with related structural and functional abnormalities at this level.
- To compare the findings of barium studies with endoscopic findings.
Material and Method: The present study was carried out in 50 patients who were referred for barium swallow with symptoms suggestive of esophageal disease.
Barium contrast examination with digital cine fluororadiography was performed in all the patients. The patients diagnosed with the lower esophageal disorder were referred for endoscopic examination and the results of both the investigations were correlated.
Results: Out of 50 cases, 60% were males and 40% were females. Subjects were in age ranging from 21 to 82 years. Mean age of patients was 49.7 years.
Our study found that patients of lower esophageal sphincter disorder presented most commonly with dysphagia as chief complain and the most common lower esophageal disorder was achalasia cardia followed by hiatus hernia.
In correlation with endoscopic examination most of the diagnosis of barium swallow examination were confirmed by endoscopy while 12% cases were found normal on endoscopy.
Conclusion: Barium swallow is a cost effective, rapid, imaging technique to detect lower esophageal sphincter disorders. In this study both the modalities were correlated and barium was found to be more dependable modality than endoscopy in the diagnosis of lower esophageal sphincter disorders.
