Does DeMeester score still define GERD?

• Published in: Diseases of the esophagus Vol. 32; no. 5
• Main Authors: Neto, R M L, Herbella, F A M, Schlottmann, F, Patti, M G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-05-2019
• Subjects: Esophageal pH Monitoring; Gastroesophageal Reflux - diagnosis; Humans; gastroesophageal reflux disease; DeMeester score; ambulatory pH monitoring
• ISSN: 1120-8694; 1442-2050
• DOI: 10.1093/dote/doy118

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) clinical presentation may encompass a myriad of symptoms that may mimic other esophageal and extra-esophageal diseases. Thus, GERD diagnosis by symptoms only may be inaccurate. Upper digestive endoscopy and barium esophagram may also be misleading. pH monitoring must be added often for a definitive diagnosis. The DeMeester score (DMS) is a composite score of the acid exposure during a prolonged ambulatory pH monitoring that has been used since 1970s to categorize patients as GERD+ or GERD-. We showed in this review that DMS has some limitations and strengths. Although there is not a single instrument to precisely diagnose GERD in all of its variances, pH monitoring analyzed at the light of DMS is still a reliable method for scientific purposes as well as for clinical decision making. There are no data that show that acid exposure time is superior-or for that matter inferior-as compared to DMS.