Detection of hiatal hernias: Comparison of high-resolution manometry and physician reported in an obese-predominant population

Abstract

Background The diagnosis of a hiatal hernia (HH) can be made by barium oesophagram or upper endoscopy. Data regarding the ability of high-resolution manometry (HRM) with oesophageal pressure topography (OPT) to identify HH remains limited. We aim to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the automated localisation on high-resolution manometry compared with physician visual interpretation on the detection of HH. Methods Patients (n=181) from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio, undergoing HRM with OPT from 1 January 2015 to 1 December 2017 were reviewed. The BMIs of this patient population are of the highest in the USA. Demographics, presenting symptoms, laboratory data, endoscopic findings, radiographic findings, and HRM findings were collected. Diagnosis of HH through HRM automated identification of oesophageal landmarks were compared with diagnosis by physician visual interpretation of OPT. Results Automated identification of HH using HRM had high specificity (99.1%), but low sensitivity (11.4%). Physician visual interpretation of OPT similarly had high specificity (82.9%, 83.8%), but low sensitivity (30.0%, 28.6%). Automated identification of HH had a greater positive predictive value (88.9%) compared with physician visual interpretation (52.5%, 52.6%) but was found to have a similar negative predictive value (63.9%) as physician visual interpretation (65.3%, 65.0%). Conclusion Compared with physician visual interpretation of OPT, automated identification of HH was more specific, but less sensitive in the diagnosis of HH. Use of automated identification of HH using HRM alone may lead to an increased number of false negatives, and subsequent underdiagnosis of this condition.