Can 24 hour intra-oesophageal PH monitoring, oesophageal manometry and egg swallow test predict the recurrence of peptic oesophageal stricture following dilatation?

The initial treatment of benign oesophageal stricture is, in most cases, by dilatation. However, a significant number of patients require subsequent dilatation because of restenosis. The aim of the present study was to determine the identifiable factors, if any, that would predict the recurrence of oesophageal stricture following dilatation. Twenty-eight case records of patients with benign oesophageal stricture who underwent dilatation at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, United Kingdom, between l979 and l989 were reviewed. The following factors were correlated with the number of dilatations: age, oesophageal manometry (wave amplitude, propulsive contractions), 24 hour pH monitoring, egg swallow transit time. Our results have shown that total acid exposure (24 hours pH monitoring) is a good predictor of the need of subsequent dilatations following initial dilatation for benign oesophageal stricture.