Role of Mucosal Impedance Measurement for the Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Existing current tests for diagnosing GERD are suboptimal because they lack adequate sensitivity or specificity. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is highly specific for diagnosing GERD, particularly when erosive esophagitis is present (Los Angeles Classification B, C, or D). Nevertheless, its sensitivity is limited, as this scenario is only present in 30% of cases. Most patients will exhibit normal endoscopic findings, indicating Non-Erosive Reflux Disease (NERD). The 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring (MII) is currently considered the gold standard. However, its main limitation is that it can only measure reflux activity over a 24-hour period, in addition to the discomfort caused by the catheter. 6-8 It is noteworthy that 50% of patients with NERD will have pathological reflux, and the other 50% will have a sensory disorder. The importance of making an accurate diagnosis lies in the treatm