Abnormal oesophageal motility in patients with chronic cough
- 1Division of Academic Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Institute, University of Hull, Hull, UK
- 2Department of Gastroenterology, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, UK
- Correspondence to:
Professor A H Morice, Division of Academic Medicine, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorkshire HU16 5JQ, UK;
a.h.morice{at}hull.ac.uk
- Accepted 23 April 2003
- Revised 24 October 2002
Abstract
Background: Although gastro-oesophageal reflux is a recognised cause of chronic cough, the role of oesophageal dysmotility is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of abnormal oesophageal motility in a selected group of patients with chronic cough.
Methods: Oesophageal manometry and 24 hour pH monitoring were performed in 43 patients with chronic cough, 34 of whom had symptoms suggestive of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Comparative manometric measurements were made in 21 healthy subjects.
Results: Nine patients with chronic cough had normal manometry and 24 hour pH. Of the remaining 34 patients, 11 (32%) had abnormal manometry alone, five (15%) had abnormal 24 hour pH monitoring alone, and in 18 (53%) both tests were abnormal. Only one patient in the control group had manometric abnormalities.
Conclusions: These results point to a previously unrecognised high prevalence of abnormal oesophageal manometry in patients presenting with chronic cough. Oesophageal dysmotility may therefore be important in the pathogenesis of cough in these patients.
