Wednesday, 2 July 2025
Gastroscopic and Transabdominal Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Gastroesophageal Junction in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common disease in the population which has unpleasant symptoms, and in the long term may lead to malignancy. Diagnostic techniques such as contrast Barium-graphy, 24-h pH monitoring and endoscopy are invasive. This study compared non-invasive ultrasound measurements taken at the oesophagus and gastroesophageal junction in people with and without gastroesophageal reflux disease. It found that there were significant differences in esophageal wall thickness, hiatus diameters, gastroesophageal junction diameters and paraesophageal fat thickness between patients with and without gastroesophageal reflux disease, and in particular, gastroesophageal junction diameters were statistically significant to predict gastroesophageal reflux disease. This suggests that ultrasound could be used as a screening method before endoscopy in selective patients.