Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0014848 (achalasia)
 2,804 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In summary, the role of long esophagomyotomy for patients with DES and related motor disorders remains controversial. The results are poorer than those following esophagomyotomy for achalasia, and long-term postoperative follow-up of these patients is essential because early good results may be misleading. Two methods are considered equally effective in avoiding postmyotomy reflux: a 'short,' 'floppy' wrap of the LES, or a sphincter-sparing myotomy when manometry indicates normal functioning of the sphincter. Rarely is a total thoracic esophagomyotomy indicated. Because persistent or recurrent pain is the main cause of poor results, some patients may eventually require total esophagectomy and cervical esophagogastrostomy.
Dis Esophagus 1998 Oct
PMID:Long esophagomyotomy for diffuse esophageal spasm and related disorders: an historical overview. 1007

Synovial sarcoma is a rare malignancy occurring mainly in the extremities. Only seven cases have been described arising in the esophagus. All of them presented as a polypoid mass involving the upper third of the esophagus. A case of infiltrating synovial esophageal sarcoma simulating achalasia in a 63-year-old woman is reported. According to the literature, the location and the clinical pattern of this tumor are exceptional. The clinical features, pathologic findings, differential diagnosis, and management of this condition are discussed.
Dis Esophagus 1998 Oct
PMID:Synovial sarcoma of the esophagus simulating achalasia. 1007 12

Swallowing is a complex mechanism based on the coordinated collaboration of tongue, pharynx and esophagus. Disturbances of this interplay or disorders of one or several of these components lead to dysphagia, non-cardiac chest pain or regurgitation. The major primary esophageal motility disorders--achalasia, diffuse esophageal spasm, hypercontractile esophagus ('nutcracker esophagus') and non-specific motility disorder--are of unknown etiology. Other esophageal diseases, such as cervical diverticula or gastroesophageal reflux disease, might also be caused by a primary esophageal motility disorder. Medical treatment of esophageal disorders with esophageal hyper- or dysmotility requires agents that reduce esophageal contractile force (anticholinergic agents, nitrates, calcium antagonists). Despite the beneficial effect of the various drugs on esophageal motility parameters, the clinical benefit of medical treatment of esophageal motility disorders is rather disappointing. Calcium channel antagonist, alone or in combination with anticholinergics or nitrates, can be used as a medical trial, especially in mild achalasia. However, medical therapy is clearly inferior to pneumatic balloon dilation therapy. Recently, botulinum toxin injection was suggested as a therapeutic option in achalasia patients with good results on lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) and symptom scores that were similar to the results achieved by pneumatic balloon dilation. Hypercontractile esophagus shows a good manometric response to calcium channel antagonists, but only little clinical effect in terms of improvement of symptoms. Diffuse esophageal spasm is a relatively rare disease and few clinical studies are available. The use of calcium channel antagonists can be beneficial, at least in some patients with diffuse esophageal spasm. From clinical and epidemiological studies, there is some evidence of a 'psychological' component in the pathogenesis or perception of esophageal symptoms. There is some clinical benefit from centrally acting drugs such as benzodiazepines or antidepressants. With the exception of botulinum toxin for achalasia, medical therapy of primary esophageal motility disorders is rather limited and the clinical results are poor. Further understanding of esophageal pathophysiology as well as development of new receptor-selective drugs might increase our chances of a successful treatment of primary esophageal motility disorders.
Dis Esophagus 1999
PMID:Esophageal pharmacology and treatment of primary motility disorders. 1077 Mar 58

We compared esophageal dimensions in control subjects and patients with differing motility disorders and severities of reflux disease. Patients (1108) and healthy controls (36) underwent manometry and 24-h pH monitoring. Subjects were grouped according to pH and manometry data into seven groups. Mean (s.e.m.) esophageal body length is greatest in achalasia [22.41 (0.27) cm] and least in reflux disease [20.06 (0.13) cm, p < 0.05]. Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure is greatest in achalasia [17.46 (1.06) mmHg] and least in reflux disease [6.57 (0.24) mmHg, p < 0.05]. LES length is least in achalasia patients and control subjects. The ratio of intra-abdominal to intrathoracic LES is greatest in achalasia (1.29), no reflux and normal motility group, and controls and least in reflux disease (1.04, p < 0.05). In conclusion, esophageal body length is greatest in achalasia and least in reflux disease. This is associated with caudal movement of the LES in achalasia and cranial movement of the LES in reflux disease, relative to the diaphragm.
Dis Esophagus 1999
PMID:Esophageal body length, lower esophageal sphincter length, position and pressure in health and disease. 1077 Mar 66

The myotomy performed for achalasia of the esophagus should divide all of the constricting, diseased muscular elements that obstruct the esophagogastric junction (EGJ). Whether the disease process includes proximal gastric as well as esophageal components is as yet unclear, but anatomic evidence complemented by clinical data suggest that the disease process does not end at the evanescent and poorly defined EGJ. Clinical reports from enthusiastic proponents of a particular operative approach for achalasia have not been illuminating in this regard, because all patients are improved to some degree post-operatively, and there are no objective parametric standards for the evaluation of swallowing function. This study reports a series of patients in whom endoscopic viewing was used to judge the adequacy of myotomy after 'esophageal' myotomy. The question posed by this study was, 'Does esophageal myotomy remove all constricting elements at the gastroesophageal junction?' Laparoscopic myotomy was performed in 48 patients with a diagnosis of achalasia; these patients are the most recent in a total cohort of 72 patients operated upon for achalasia during the past 20 years. Myotomy was begun on the esophagus, and extended to the esophagogastric junction; anatomic landmarks, including the appearance of submucosal veins, guided the initial dissection. Intraoperative endoscopy was then performed to determine whether there was residual constriction of the channel between the esophagus and stomach; if so, myotomy was extended onto the gastric cardia until visual evidence of obstruction had disappeared. All patients had either Toupet fundoplication or Dor fundoplication after myotomy. There were obvious constricting elements distal to the gastroesophageal junction in 90% of the patients. These patients required extension of the myotomy onto the stomach for an average of 15 mm. All but one patient had improved swallowing post-operatively. Eight patients required 'stretch' of the distal esophagus/cardia within the first year post-operatively; one patient was reoperated for fibrous scar obstruction of the distal esophagus. Esophageal myotomy limited to the esophageal muscle does not remove all constricting elements at the gastroesophageal junction; as a result, the extended myotomy must be complemented by an antireflux procedure during operations for achalasia.
Dis Esophagus 1999
PMID:Laparoscopic myotomy in achalasia: intraoperative evidence for myotomy of the gastric cardia. 1094 58

Botulinum toxin (BT) has recently been indicated as an alternative treatment of idiopathic achalasia with a success rate of 60-70%. One-third of BT-treated cases either fail to respond or fail to sustain the response beyond 6 months. An explanation for BT therapeutic failure would be that the lower esophageal sphincter muscular layer (LES) may be missed as injection is delivered 'blindly'. We aimed to evaluate the percentage of exact endoscopically 'blind' LES punctures using echoendoscopy after the injection of BT for the treatment of Chagas' achalasia (CA). Five patients with CA (mean age 53 years) were randomized to receive 1.2 ml of BT or the same amount of saline injected endoscopically. Echoendoscopy was performed immediately after puncture. Patients were evaluated by the clinical score of dysphagia, radiological examination, upper endoscopy and esophageal manometry and followed up for 6 months. All puncture sites were identified: 17 out of 20 (85%) in the muscle layer and 3 out of 20 (15%) in the submucosa. The three patients in the treatment group showed clinical improvement (average clinical score fell from 14 to 2 after 7 days, and remained at 4 after 6 months of follow-up). The mean pressure of the LES dropped by 29%. Neither patient in the placebo group showed clinical improvement, and the mean pressure of the LES increased by 35%. Endoscopic 'blind' injection of BT into the LES through endoscopy for the management of achalasia is a safe and reproducible technique and has a high percentage of exactness.
Dis Esophagus 1999
PMID:Echoendoscopic evaluation of botulinum toxin intrasphincteric injections in Chagas' disease achalasia. 1094 59

We report the case of a patient with a gastric remnant relapse of an antral carcinoma resected 5 years before and presenting with the clinical feature of a secondary achalasia (pseudoachalasia). In spite of the patient's 4-month history of dysphagia and weight loss that suggested a malignant lesion, barium swallow, repeated endoscopic biopsies and computed tomography (CT) scan of the upper abdomen did not reveal any abnormalities to indicate a recurrence. However, in the following months, because of worsening symptoms, a further CT scan was performed and revealed thickening of the cardia and gastric wall. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy that showed an unresectable lesion involving the gastric fundus, the diaphragm and penetrating into the mediastinum, and therefore a palliative jejunostomy was performed.
Dis Esophagus 2000
PMID:Recurrent gastric carcinoma causing pseudoachalasia: case report. 1100 39

Cardiomyotomy is now usually performed using a minimally invasive approach. A consecutive series of 18 patients with an intention to treat thoracoscopically were followed by the same number of patients treated laparoscopically. Both groups have been followed prospectively for a minimum of 2 years. The groups were well matched for age, symptom duration, preoperative lower esophageal sphincter pressure, and number having undergone balloon dilatation. There was one conversion from a thoracoscopic to a laparoscopic approach so that, for the purpose of analysis, there are 17 in the thoracoscopic group and 19 in the laparoscopic group. There was no difference in the average operating time, rate of conversion to open operation, mucosal breaches, or length of hospitalization. Nor was there any difference in dysphagia symptoms, with 14/17 having a satisfactory result after thoracoscopic myotomy and 18/19 after laparoscopic myotomy. Frequency of reflux symptoms was similar and, although mild reflux was common, only two patients required treatment with a proton pump blocker. In the treatment of achalasia, thoracoscopic and laparoscopic myotomy without fundoplication are equally effective in relieving dysphagia and have a similar safety profile.
Dis Esophagus 2000
PMID:Heller's myotomy: thoracoscopic or laparoscopic? 1128 74

Assessment of the effect of balloon dilation of the lower esophageal sphincter in achalasia currently relies on symptom scores, radiologic studies, or manometry. We have used vector volume analysis which constructs a three-dimensional (3D) pressure profile to examine the effects of balloon dilation on the sphincter. Studies were performed in 26 normal subjects and in 11 patients with achalasia in whom vector volume was determined before and/or after balloon dilation. Vector volume analysis was performed using a multilumen manometry catheter with eight side-reading ports. The catheter was withdrawn through the sphincter using a continuous pull-through technique. A 3D pressure profile was constructed. Vector volume of the lower esophageal sphincter shows a marked radial and linear asymmetry in normal subjects. 3D pressure profiles showed a symmetrical increase in lower esophageal sphincter pressure in untreated achalasia. Mean vector volumes pre and postdilation fell from 254 to 88 cm3 respectively. This was associated with a fall in the mean radial symmetry index from 0.83 to 0.76. Improvement in dysphagia occurred in those patients in whom pressure fell to 15 mmHg or below in at least three adjacent segments. This technique may be a useful tool in the assessment of patients with achalasia and postdilation results may help to predict the long-term outcome of treatment.
Dis Esophagus 2001
PMID:Vector volume analysis of the lower esophageal sphincter in achalasia and the effect of balloon dilation. 1142 7

As the few randomized controlled trials available in the literature comparing botulinum toxin (BT) injection with established endoscopic treatment of achalasia cardia, i.e. pneumatic dilatation, showed conflicting results, we conducted a prospective randomized trial. Seventeen consecutive patients with achalasia cardia diagnosed during a period between December 1997 and February 2000 were randomized into two treatment groups [pneumatic dilatation by Rigiflex dilator (n=10), BT injection by sclerotherapy needle into four quadrants of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) (n=7) 80 units in five cases, 60 units in two cases] after dysphagia grading, endoscopy, barium esophagogram, and manometry, all of which were repeated 1 week after treatment. Patients were followed up clinically for 35.2+/-14 weeks. Chi-squares, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used for statistical analysis. After 1 week, 6/7 (86%) BT-treated vs. 8/10 (80%) dilatation-treated patients improved (P=NS). There was no difference in LES pressure and maximum esophageal diameter in the barium esophagogram in the two groups before therapy. Both therapies resulted in significant reduction in LES pressure. The cumulative dysphagia-free state using the Kaplan-Meier method decreased progressively in BT-treated compared with dilatation-treated patients (P=0.027). Two patients with tortuous megaesophagus, one of whom had failed dilatation complicated by perforation previously, improved after BT. One other patient in whom pneumatic dilatation had previously failed improved in a similar manner. BT is as good as pneumatic dilatation in achieving an initial improvement in dysphagia of achalasia cardia. It is also effective in patients with tortuous megaesophagus and previous failed pneumatic dilatation. However, dysphagia often recurs during 1-year follow up.
Dis Esophagus 2001
PMID:Randomized controlled trial of intrasphincteric botulinum toxin A injection versus balloon dilatation in treatment of achalasia cardia. 1186 25


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