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The Laryngoscope May 2024Care of patients with dysphagia occurs at the intersection of several different medical specialties. Otolaryngologists are uniquely equipped to diagnose dysphagia given...
OBJECTIVE
Care of patients with dysphagia occurs at the intersection of several different medical specialties. Otolaryngologists are uniquely equipped to diagnose dysphagia given their specialized training, yet the extent to which otolaryngologists perform diagnostic procedures for dysphagia is unknown. The objective of this study was to characterize the specialty-level variation among providers performing diagnostic assessments for dysphagia.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of dysphagia care utilization among Medicare beneficiaries from 2013 to 2021 using the CMS Physician & Other Practitioners by Provider and Service dataset. American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) data reports were used to determine the total number of providers per specialty. For each procedure and specialty, the percentage of providers performing >10 procedures annually and the average annual number of procedures per performing provider (non-radiology) were calculated.
RESULTS
We analyzed nine common dysphagia diagnostic procedures, including manometry, 24-h pH testing, flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), and modified barium swallow study (MBSS). Mean 3.7 (SD 1.4) otolaryngologists (0.04% of practicing) performed manometry testing annually, compared to 493 (69.3) gastroenterologists (3.3%). Less than 1% of practicing otolaryngologists (37.8 (8.0) (0.04%)) and gastroenterologists (51.6 (8.4), 0.35%) performed 24-h pH testing annually. FEES testing was most commonly performed by otolaryngologists; however, only 48 (6.3) providers (0.51% of practicing) performed these procedures annually. For MBSS, fewer otolaryngologists (5.2 (1.0), 0.05%) perform these assessments than other medical specialties. Each otolaryngologist performed 110.7 (52.5) studies annually, compared to 200.1 (68.0) per gastroenterologist.
CONCLUSION
Otolaryngologists represent a small fraction of providers performing dysphagia-related diagnostic procedures despite a unique training within our specialty to comprehensively diagnose and manage this condition.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
3 Laryngoscope, 2024.
PubMed: 38727412
DOI: 10.1002/lary.31495 -
Surgical Case Reports May 2024The rectal and vaginal walls are typically sutured if severe perineal lacerations with rectal mucosal damage occur during vaginal delivery. In case of anal incontinence...
BACKGROUND
The rectal and vaginal walls are typically sutured if severe perineal lacerations with rectal mucosal damage occur during vaginal delivery. In case of anal incontinence after the repair, re-suturing of the anal sphincter muscle is standard procedure. However, this procedure may not result in sufficient improvement of function.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 41-year-old woman underwent suture repair of the vaginal and rectal walls for fourth-degree perineal laceration at delivery. She was referred to our department after complaining of flatus and fecal incontinence. Her Wexner score was 15 points. Examination revealed decreased anal tonus and weak contractions on the ventral side. We diagnosed anal incontinence due to sphincter dysfunction after repair of a perineal laceration at delivery. We subsequently performed sphincter re-suturing with perineoplasty to restructure the perineal body by suturing the fascia located lateral to the perineal body and running in a ventral-dorsal direction, which filled the space between the anus and vagina and increased anal tonus. One month after surgery, the symptoms of anal incontinence disappeared (the Wexner score lowered to 0 points), and the anorectal manometry values increased compared to the preoperative values. According to recent reports on the anatomy of the female perineal region, bulbospongiosus muscle in women does not move toward the midline to attach to the perineal body, as has been previously believed. Instead, it attaches to the ipsilateral surface of the external anal sphincter. We consider the fascia lateral to the perineal body to be the fascia of the bulbospongiosus muscle.
CONCLUSIONS
In a case of postpartum anal incontinence due to sphincter dysfunction after repair of severe perineal laceration, perineoplasty with re-suturing an anal sphincter muscle resulted in improvement in anal sphincter function. Compared to conventional simple suture repair of the rectal wall only, this surgical technique may improve sphincter function to a greater degree.
PubMed: 38724859
DOI: 10.1186/s40792-024-01917-7 -
American Journal of Speech-language... May 2024Tongue manometry (i.e., tongue pressure measurement) is a commonly used assessment for patients with suspected oral-motor involvement in swallowing disorders....
PURPOSE
Tongue manometry (i.e., tongue pressure measurement) is a commonly used assessment for patients with suspected oral-motor involvement in swallowing disorders. Availability of lingual manometry has changed in recent years, with the introduction of the Tongueometer device being a more affordable tongue manometry system. The purpose of this study was to test concurrent (criterion) validity of the Tongueometer compared to the current standard reference device, the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI).
METHOD
Adults without dysphagia were recruited for participation in this study. Standard lingual measurements (swallowing-related pressures, maximum isometric pressure [MIP], and maximum isometric endurance) were recorded, with the bulb anteriorly placed, with both devices, in a randomized order. The Bland-Altman method was used to determine concurrent (criterion) validity of these measurements compared to the clinical standard IOPI device. A recently available suggested corrective value by Curtis et al. (2023) was also applied, with comparisons made between devices both with and without the Curtis correction.
RESULTS
The final sample included 70 adult participants aged 20-89 years ( = 52.3 years). Measures with the Tongueometer device were significantly lower when compared with the same measures taken using the IOPI ( < .01) for all measures including MIP, endurance, and swallow pressures. The correction suggested by Curtis and colleagues did not ameliorate these differences.
CONCLUSIONS
The Tongueometer lingual measurements were consistently lower compared to the IOPI. Clinical use of values taken with the Tongueometer device should be compared to normative data published for each specific device. Available features of each device (e.g., display, bulb texture, technology/application) should be considered when selecting which device to use with an individual patient.
PubMed: 38723207
DOI: 10.1044/2024_AJSLP-23-00478 -
International Journal of General... 2024Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disorder characterized by autoimmunity, fibrosis, and vasculopathy that affects the skin and internal organs,...
PURPOSE
Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disorder characterized by autoimmunity, fibrosis, and vasculopathy that affects the skin and internal organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the esophagus. This article highlights the characteristics and clinical symptoms of esophageal involvement in patients with SSc.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This study was conducted between November 2022 to August 2023, including 26 already diagnosed cases of SSc in the Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation and Kurdistan Center for Gastroenterology and Hepatology-Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Esophageal involvement was investigated using esophageal manometry, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring.
RESULTS
Females were significantly predominant ( = 0.019) regarding the symptoms; 76.9% of the patients had heart burn, 76.9% dysphagia, 73.1% water brush, and 69.2% regurgitation. In total, 69.2% of the patients showed erosive gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) on EGD, 76.9% had decreased lower esophageal sphincter pressure (DLESP) and decreased distal esophageal peristaltic contractions (DDEPC) on esophageal manometry, and 84.6% had reflux on pH monitoring. Raynaud's phenomenon is the most common and typically the earliest clinical manifestation of SSc. The presence of erosive GERD was found to significantly increase the risk of developing dysphagia (B = 4.725, = 0.014, OR = 3.482) and regurgitation (B = 3.521, = 0.006, OR = 4.030).
CONCLUSION
It is crucial to take gender-specific considerations into account when diagnosing and managing esophageal complications in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Additionally, employing various diagnostic assessments to detect esophageal involvement during SSc is essential. Erosive GERD has been identified as a risk factor that contributes to the development of dysphagia and regurgitation in individuals with SSc.
PubMed: 38711827
DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S448421 -
High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular... May 2024A lower ability to buffer pulse pressure (PP) in the face of increasing mean arterial pressure (MAP) may underlie the disproportionate increase in systolic blood... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
INTRODUCTION
A lower ability to buffer pulse pressure (PP) in the face of increasing mean arterial pressure (MAP) may underlie the disproportionate increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in women from young adulthood through middle-aged relative to men.
AIM
To evaluate the contribution of MAP to the change in PP and pressure wave contour in men and women from young adulthood to middle age.
METHODS
Central pressure waveform was obtained from radial artery applanation tonometry in 312 hypertensive patients between 16 to 49 years (134 women, mean age 35 ± 9 years), 185 of whom were on antihypertensive treatment.
RESULTS
Higher MAP levels (≥ 100 mmHg) were significantly associated with higher brachial and central SBP (P < 0.001), PP (P < 0.001), incident wave (P = 0.005), AP (P < 0.001), and PWV (P < 0.001) compared to lower MAP levels. The relationship between MAP and brachial PP (P < 0.001), central PP (P < 0.001), incident wave (P < 0.001), and AP (P < 0.01), but not PWV, strengthens with age. The age-related increase in the contribution of MAP to brachial PP (P < 0.001), central PP (P < 0.001), and incident wave (P < 0.001) was more prominent in women than in men beginning in the fourth decade. In multiple regression analyses, MAP remained a significantly stronger predictor of central PP and incident wave in women than in men, independent of age, heart rate, and antihypertensive treatment. In turn, age remained a significantly stronger predictor of central PP and incident wave in women than in men, independent of MAP, heart rate, and antihypertensive treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Women of reproductive age showed a steeper increase in PP with increasing MAP, despite comparable increases in arterial stiffness in both sexes. The difference was driven by a greater contribution of MAP to the forward component of the pressure wave in women.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Arterial Pressure; Adult; Sex Factors; Age Factors; Young Adult; Hypertension; Adolescent; Antihypertensive Agents; Pulse Wave Analysis; Vascular Stiffness; Manometry; Risk Factors; Radial Artery; Cross-Sectional Studies
PubMed: 38704794
DOI: 10.1007/s40292-024-00644-2 -
Surgical Case Reports May 2024Esophageal diverticulum is commonly associated with esophageal motility disorders, which can be diagnosed using high-resolution manometry (HRM) according to the Chicago...
BACKGROUND
Esophageal diverticulum is commonly associated with esophageal motility disorders, which can be diagnosed using high-resolution manometry (HRM) according to the Chicago classification. Although midesophageal diverticulum (M-ED) is associated with inflammatory processes, esophageal motility disorders have been recently identified as an etiology of M-ED.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present the case of a patient with M-ED and elevated intrabolus pressure (IBP), which did not meet the criteria for esophageal motility disorders according to the Chicago classification. A 71-year-old man presented with gradually worsening dysphagia for two years and was diagnosed as having an 8-cm-long M-ED and multiple small diverticula in lower esophagus. HRM revealed a median integrated relaxation pressure of 14.6 mmHg, a distal latency of 6.4 s, and an average maximum IBP of 35.7 mmHg. He underwent thoracoscopic resection of the M-ED and myotomy, which successfully alleviated the symptoms and reduced the intrabolus pressure to normal levels.
CONCLUSIONS
It is important to recognize the esophageal diverticulum pathology with HRM findings even in cases where the results may not meet the Chicago classification and to include myotomy based on the results.
PubMed: 38700566
DOI: 10.1186/s40792-024-01909-7 -
Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery :... Feb 2024The treatment of patients with end-stage achalasia with a sigmoid-shaped esophagus is particularly challenging. A modified technique (pull-down technique) has been...
BACKGROUND
The treatment of patients with end-stage achalasia with a sigmoid-shaped esophagus is particularly challenging. A modified technique (pull-down technique) has been developed to straighten the esophageal axis, but only a limited number of studies on this topic are available in the literature. This study aimed to compare the outcome of patients who underwent the pull-down technique with that of patients who had a classical laparoscopic Heller-Dor (CLHD) myotomy.
METHODS
All patients with a radiologic diagnosis of end-stage achalasia who underwent an LHD myotomy between 1995 and 2022 were considered eligible for the study. All patients underwent symptom score, barium swallow, endoscopy, and manometry tests before and after the procedure was performed. Treatment failure was defined as the persistence or reoccurrence of an Eckardt score (ES) of >3 or the need for retreatment.
RESULTS
Of the 94 patients who were diagnosed with end-stage achalasia (male-to-female ratio of 52:42), 60 were treated with CLHD myotomy, and 34 were treated with the pull-down technique. Of note, 2 patients (2.1%), both belonging to the CLHD myotomy group, developed a squamous cell carcinoma during the follow-up. The overall success of LHD myotomy was seen in 76 of 92 patients (82.6%). All patients in both groups achieved a lower ES after surgery. The failure rates were 27.6% (16/58) in the CLHD myotomy group and 5.9% (2/34) in the pull-down technique group (P < .01).
CONCLUSION
Our findings confirm that LHD myotomy is an effective treatment of end-stage achalasia and that the pull-down technique further improves the outcome in patients with end-stage achalasia who are difficult to treat.
PubMed: 38695740
DOI: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.02.002 -
Surgery Today May 2024Polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets, fibrin glue, and staple line reinforcement are frequently used to prevent air leakage during lung resection. However, the optimal...
PURPOSES
Polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets, fibrin glue, and staple line reinforcement are frequently used to prevent air leakage during lung resection. However, the optimal staple-line reinforcement method remains unclear.
METHODS
Cranial lung lobes of pigs were used to evaluate different staple line reinforcement methods (n = 6). Ventilator-assisted manometry was used to measure the maximum resistance pressure at the time of rupture of the lung tissue after stapling.
RESULTS
The mean maximum resistance pressures at the time of lung tissue rupture after using the stapler alone, stapler with PGA sheet and fibrin glue, and stapler with reinforcement were 38.0 cmHO, 51.3 cmHO, and 62.7 cmHO, respectively. A significant increase in the maximum resistance pressure was observed with stapler reinforcement (P < 0.001), while the differences between the other groups were not statistically significant (P = 0.055, P = 0.111). A histological assessment revealed disruption of alveolar structures near the needle-stitching site in the stapler alone, and in the stapler with PGA sheet and fibrin glue groups. Pleural rupture near the staple line was observed in the stapler with reinforcement group.
CONCLUSIONS
The maximum resistance pressure before air leakage was significantly higher when using a stapler with reinforcement than when using a stapler alone.
PubMed: 38691222
DOI: 10.1007/s00595-024-02858-2 -
Esophagus : Official Journal of the... Jul 2024High-resolution manometry (HRM) tools, like esophagogastric junction contractile integral (EGJ-CI), assess EGJ barrier function.
BACKGROUND
High-resolution manometry (HRM) tools, like esophagogastric junction contractile integral (EGJ-CI), assess EGJ barrier function.
GOALS
This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between manometric EGJ metrics with esophageal acid exposure.
STUDY
We conducted a retrospective review of 284 patients who underwent HRM and ambulatory reflux testing between 11/2017-1/2020. EGJ-CI and total-EGJ-CI were manually calculated. Pathologic acid exposure was defined as pH < 4 with esophageal acid exposure time (EAET) exceeding 6.0%. Pearson's correlation, univariable and multivariable regression models were utilized to assess the relationships between pathologic acid exposure and EGJ parameters. Sensitivity and specificity thresholds for EGJ-CI and total EGJ-CI were optimized with ROC analyses.
RESULTS
On univariable analysis, patients with pathologic acid exposure had increased odds of having lower mean basal LES pressures, EGJ-CI, and total EGJ-CI than patients without pathologic acid exposure. On multivariable analysis, age, EGJ-CI and mean DCI were significant predictors of pathologic acid exposure. There were significant, though weak, correlations between EAET and EGJ-CI and total EGJ-CI (r = - 0.18, - 0.19, p < 0.01, respectively). An EGJ-CI cutoff of 44.16 as a predictor for pathologic acid exposure had a sensitivity of 46% and specificity of 42% (AUC 0.60). Total EGJ-CI cutoff of 11,461.3 for pathologic acid exposure had a sensitivity of 44% and a specificity of 43% (AUC 0.62).
CONCLUSION
EGJ-CI can independently predict pathologic acid exposure. However, the poor correlation between EGJ-CI and acid exposure, as well as the low sensitivity and specificity of calculated thresholds, indicate that mechanisms other than EGJ barrier function may impact acid exposure.
Topics: Humans; Gastroesophageal Reflux; Esophagogastric Junction; Male; Manometry; Female; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Esophageal pH Monitoring; Adult; Sensitivity and Specificity; Aged; ROC Curve; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Predictive Value of Tests
PubMed: 38691207
DOI: 10.1007/s10388-024-01057-9 -
Neurogastroenterology and Motility Jul 2024Disruption of external anal sphincter muscle (EAS) is an important factor in the multifactorial etiology of fecal incontinence (FI).
BACKGROUND
Disruption of external anal sphincter muscle (EAS) is an important factor in the multifactorial etiology of fecal incontinence (FI).
OBJECTIVES
We categorize FI patients into four groups based on the location of lesion in neuromuscular circuitry of EAS to determine if there are differences with regards to fecal incontinence symptoms severity (FISI) score, age, BMI, obstetrical history, and anal sphincter muscle damage.
METHODS
Female patients (151) without any neurological symptoms, who had undergone high-resolution manometry, anal sphincter EMG, and 3D ultrasound imaging of the anal sphincter were assessed. Patients were categorized into four groups: Group 1 (normal)-normal cough EMG (>10 μV), normal squeeze EMG (>10 μV), and normal anal squeeze pressure (>124 mmHg); Group 2 (cortical apraxia, i.e., poor cortical activation)-normal cough EMG, low squeeze EMG, and low anal squeeze pressure; Group 3 (muscle damage)-normal cough EMG, normal squeeze EMG, and low anal squeeze pressure; and Group 4 (pudendal nerve damage)-low cough EMG, low squeeze EMG, and low anal squeeze pressure.
RESULTS
The four patient groups were not different with regards to the patient's age, BMI, parity, and FISI scores. 3D ultrasound images of the anal sphincter complex revealed significant damage to the internal anal sphincter, external anal sphincter, and puborectalis muscles in all four groups.
CONCLUSION
The FI patients are a heterogeneous group; majority of these patients have significant damage to the muscles of the anal sphincter complex. Whether biofeedback therapy response is different among different patient groups requires study.
Topics: Humans; Anal Canal; Female; Electromyography; Fecal Incontinence; Middle Aged; Manometry; Adult; Aged; Pressure; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 38689439
DOI: 10.1111/nmo.14810