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)

Although squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus occurs with increased incidence in primary achalasia, esophageal adenocarcinoma has been considered rare in this condition. We report a patient with long-standing achalasia in whom adenocarcinoma of the esophagus occurred many years after Heller esophagomyotomy, presumably related to Barrett's esophagus complicating gastro-esophageal reflux disease.
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PMID:Esophageal adenocarcinoma in a patient with surgically treated achalasia. 225 39

In geographic areas where there is a high risk of esophageal cancer, analysis of cells obtained from the esophagus has been used effectively to detect early lesions. This has been demonstrated on a large scale in studies from China. Using abrasive balloon cytology techniques, 75% of the cancers detected were early lesions, where the 5-year survival after resection was in the range of 90%. Endoscopic followup studies indicate that dysplastic changes in the esophageal mucosa are a common precursor to malignancy. In many cases, the time course from dysplasia to carcinoma in situ to early invasive cancer may take place over many years, allowing a reasonable amount of time for screening. In low-incidence areas, such as the United States, most esophageal cancers are related to the excessive use of tobacco and alcohol. These factors are too common and the incidence of the disease too low, however, to justify screening on this basis. There are smaller groups at higher risk where selective screening by endoscopy with cytology and biopsy is recommended, usually every 1 to 3 years. These include patients with longstanding achalasia, lye strictures, and Plummer- Vinson syndrome. Patients with cancers of the head and neck region and patients with celiac disease may also be considered to be at increased risk. Tylosis is a rare inherited disease with a very high risk of esophageal cancer. There is an increased incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus with Barrett's epithelium, and once identified such patients should be kept under endoscopic surveillance. The finding of severe dysplasia in any of these groups would indicate a shorter screening interval. Most patients with symptoms referable to the esophagus are first tested by barium esophagram. If negative, with persistent symptoms or if a suspicious lesion is identified, endoscopy with cytology and biopsy is recommended. Staging of the cancer is based on the size of the cancer both longitudinally and circumferentially and the presence of extraesophageal spread. At the present time, CT is the best noninvasive method for judging the extent of the cancer. Performance and nutritional status are also determinants of prognosis and should be considered in planning treatment.
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PMID:Screening diagnosis and staging of esophageal cancer. 672 90

Twelve patients with benign and malignant esophageal diseases were treated by transhiatal esophagectomy, without thoracotomy, using abdominal-mediastinal dissection conducted by videolaparoscopy. A cervical approach was used to retrieve the esophagus and to perform the esophagogastric anastomosis. The procedure was indicated in patients with advanced achalasia of the esophagus, severe reflux stenosis, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Three pleural perforations occurred during surgery. Blood loss was minimal. One patient required conversion to open surgery, two patients were submitted to chest drainage, and three had transitory dysphonia. One patient had an anastomotic leak with subsequent stenosis requiring endoscopic dilatation. No mortality occurred in this small series.
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PMID:Laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy with esophagogastroplasty. 773 33

The immense success of laparoscopic surgery as an effective treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and achalasia has established minimal invasive surgery as the gold standard for these two conditions with lower morbidity and mortality, shorter hospital stay, faster convalescence, and less postoperative pain. One controversy in the treatment of GERD evolves around laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) as the preferred treatment for Barrett's esophagus and the procedure's potential to reduce the risk of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. GERD has also been associated with respiratory symptoms, asthma and laryngeal injury, and a second controversy prompts discussions about whether total or partial fundoplication is the more appropriate treatment for GERD. A new and promising alternative in the treatment of GERD is endoluminal therapy. Three types of this new treatment option will be discussed: radiofrequency energy delivered to the lower esophageal sphincter, the creation of a mechanical barrier at the gastroesophageal junction, and the direct endoscopic tightening of the lower esophageal sphincter. Laparoscopic surgery is discussed not only as a very effective treatment for GERD but also as permanent cure for achalasia. This review analyzes the three most important treatment options for achalasia: medications, pneumatic dilatation, and surgical therapy. Medications as the only true non-invasive option in the treatment of achalasia are not as effective as LARS because of their short half-life and variable absorption due to the poor esophageal emptying. The second treatment option, pneumatic dilatation, involves the stretching of the lower esophagus and is still considered the most effective non-surgical treatment for achalasia. Finally, surgical therapy for achalasia and the two major controversies concerning this laparoscopic treatment are discussed. The first involves the extent to which the myotomy is extended onto the stomach, and the second concerns the necessity and type of antireflux procedure to prevent GERD after myotomy. LARS and laparoscopic Heller myotomy are the agreed upon as the gold standards for surgical treatment of GERD and achalasia, respectively. In the hands of an experienced laparoscopic surgeon both are safe and effective treatments for patients with excellent subjective and objective long-term results with at least 90% patient satisfaction.
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PMID:Controversies in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux and achalasia. 1671 33

Achalasia secondary to neoplasia is an uncommon entity, but recognition is paramount given the concern of missing a cancer diagnosis. Most case series of secondary achalasia occurred in prior decades raising the question of whether the underlying neoplastic causes have changed. All cases of achalasia secondary to neoplasia were reviewed at the Mayo Clinic from 2000 to the present. Cases were assessed for underlying cause of achalasia, whether achalasia was the primary presentation and demographic and clinical factors. Seventeen patients with achalasia secondary to neoplasia were identified. This was 1.5% of all patients with achalasia seen. The most common causes were adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, followed by breast and non-small cell lung cancer. No cases of gastric cancer were identified. Most patients had weight loss and rapid onset of symptoms but could not clearly be distinguished from primary achalasia. Nine patients presented with achalasia, whereas eight patients had known neoplasia. Five of these patients had a positive paraneoplastic panel suggestive of a paraneoplastic syndrome. Prognosis was generally poor except for patients with esophageal leiomyomatosis. This case series demonstrates a changing differential diagnosis for achalasia secondary to neoplasia with a higher number of patients presenting with a known primary and with a paraneoplastic syndrome. Awareness of secondary achalasia and its differentiation from primary causes is still essential.
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PMID:Achalasia secondary to neoplasia: a disease with a changing differential diagnosis. 2196 74