AB058. SOH25_AB_383. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy quality improvement, the role of topical l-menthol, a systematic review and meta-analysis
General Surgery I

AB058. SOH25_AB_383. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy quality improvement, the role of topical l-menthol, a systematic review and meta-analysis

Eoghan Burke1, Patricia Harkins2, Sarah Fenn3, Mayilone Arumugasamy1

1Department of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 2Department of Medicine, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; 3Department of Surgery, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Due to late-stage presentation, early detection is critical. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) is the gold standard for diagnosis, but the complex stomach anatomy and peristalsis pose challenges for thorough examination. Topical antiperistaltic agents, such as L-menthol, are being explored to improve OGD quality. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of L-menthol in reducing peristalsis during OGD.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results: The odds ratio (OR) of achieving grade 1 peristalsis (complete cessation) with L-menthol versus placebo was 5.2 (95% confidence interval: 2.59–10.47), indicating a significant reduction in peristalsis with L-menthol.

Conclusions: Topical L-menthol effectively reduces peristalsis during diagnostic OGD, which may improve the quality of early GC detection. This effect is sustained throughout the procedure, with minimal side effects. Further studies are needed to assess whether L-menthol increases detection rates of early GC and pre-malignant lesions.

Keywords: Gastric cancer (GC); peristalsis; oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD); early detection; l-menthol

Acknowledgments

None.

Footnote

Funding: None.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-25-ab058
Cite this abstract as: Burke E, Harkins P, Fenn S, Arumugasamy M. AB058. SOH25_AB_383. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy quality improvement, the role of topical l-menthol, a systematic review and meta-analysis. Mesentery Peritoneum 2025;9:AB058.

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