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

Primary esophageal motility disorders consist of a complex group of motor disturbances, affecting the characteristics of esophageal contractions, occurrence of peristalsis and lower esophageal sphincter function. The medical treatment is still challenging because of the absence, except for Achalasia, of generally agreed criteria for diagnosis and the still unresolved relationship between esophageal symptoms and some motor abnormalities. In Achalasia, the medical therapy does not constitute a main role and should be reserved to selected conditions. Current medical therapies for Diffuse Esophageal Spasm and Esophageal Chest Pain are often considered less than satisfactory, however, a better physiopathological knowledge of these conditions might produce a more appropriate therapeutic management of the patients with continual and disabling symptoms.
 ...
PMID:[Primary esophageal motility disorders: medical treatment]. 228 Aug 71

A total of 661 esophageal motility studies were performed in 568 patients over a five year period in a tertiary care hospital. Patients referred for investigation generally presented with one of three symptoms: dysphagia, reflux or chest pain. Dysphagia was more closely identified with organic esophageal dysfunction than other symptoms. Normal studies were recorded in 201 instances (30%). Studies demonstrating either a major or minor non-specific motor disorder were found in 380 cases (58%). Achalasia was found in 48 patients who underwent 65 procedures (10%). Scleroderma was diagnosed in 7 patients (1%). Elderly patients were not found to have diminished esophageal function when compared to a young group.
 ...
PMID:Studies in esophageal motility: five year clinical experience in a Canadian tertiary care hospital. 237 29

Nutcracker esophagus is essentially a manometric diagnosis characterized by high-amplitude, often prolonged duration of peristaltic contractions in the distal two thirds of the esophagus. Its association with noncardiac chest pain and/or dysphagia has been recognized and reported by numerous esophageal motility laboratories. There are very few long-term studies of the natural history of this abnormality. We report a patient who presented with dysphagia and, on initial investigation, was found to have classical nutcracker esophagus. On reinvestigation three years later, however, he had developed achalasia of the cardia. The transition from nutcracker esophagus to achalasia has not previously been reported.
 ...
PMID:Transition from nutcracker esophagus to achalasia. 239 Sep 31

Recurrent chest pain frequently results in significant disability and anxiety, even after cardiac disease has been excluded. A stepwise approach is recommended for the diagnosis of pulmonary conditions, musculoskeletal disorders and structural problems of the upper gastrointestinal tract that can produce chest pain. If a search for these disorders proves negative, an esophageal source of chest pain should be strongly suspected. Although gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common and easily treated cause of esophageal chest pain, esophageal motility disorders should also be considered. Motility disorders include achalasia, diffuse esophageal spasm, nutcracker esophagus, hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter and nonspecific motility disorders.
 ...
PMID:Esophageal chest pain. 267 45

Thirty-one cases of esophageal achalasia were admitted to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1981 and 1986. Eighteen male patients and 13 female patients, aged from 12 to 84 years old with an average of 39 years old, were included in this series. Their chief complaints were dysphagia (83.9%), postprandial vomiting (12.9%), and food regurgitation (3.2%). The symptoms are present for an average of 2.8 years (mostly between 0.5 and 2 years) before the diagnosis is made. The clinical signs and symptoms included dysphagia, postprandial vomiting, loss of body weight, food regurgitation, abdominal fullness, cough, chest pain, belching, and choking. The tentative diagnoses at admission were achalasia, esophageal stricture R/O achalasia, achalasia R/O esophageal cancer, and esophageal cancer. Laboratory examinations showed 90.3% with absence of the gastric air shadow in chest P-A view X-ray film. Typical birds-beat deformity in barium-meal esophagogram was seen in 100%, and during esophagoscopic examination, 25% (6/24) were without abnormal findings, 66.7% (16/24) had liquid and food stasis, 8.3% (2/24) had esophagitis. Manometry of esophagus was performed in 5 cases, all had positive abnormal patterns detected, such as aperistalsis of esophageal body and incomplete relaxation of lower esophageal sphincter, but only 60% showed hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter. In these 31 cases, 3 cases refused any treatment, 9 cases received medical therapy including drug therapy(9) and pneumatic esophageal dilatation(8), and 19 cases received surgical operations. Better swallowing improvement was obtained in the surgically treated group than in the medically treated patients during follow up period.
 ...
PMID:[A clinical analysis of esophageal achalasia]. 277 66

Sixty-nine patients with perforation of the esophagus were treated at the University of California, San Francisco, from 1977 to 1988. The perforation was iatrogenic in 33 (48%) of the patients, spontaneous in 8 (12%), and a result of external trauma in 23 (33%). Clinical findings included chest pain in 36 (52%) of 69 patients, subcutaneous emphysema in 22 (32%) of 59 patients, and pneumomediastinum in 21 (36%) of 59 patients. Esophagograms demonstrated the perforation in 40 (93%) of 43 patients. Treatment delays of more than 24 hours occurred in about half of spontaneous and iatrogenic perforations, but when the perforation was due to external trauma, treatment was delayed infrequently. Operative therapy in 59 (86%) of the patients included primary closure in 44 patients, drainage alone in 9 patients, and Celestin tube placement in 1 patient. Four patients with benign strictures had esophagectomy, and 4 patients with achalasia had Heller myotomy in addition to closure of the perforation. Eight (12%) of the patients were treated nonoperatively. For thoracic perforations, nonoperative treatment was reserved for patients who were diagnosed late but who had minimal evidence of sepsis. Seven (10%) of the patients died. Factors that influenced outcome included cause of perforation, anatomic location, and patient age. Our study shows that a high index of suspicion, aggressive use of esophagography, and individualized treatment are necessary for the best results when treating esophageal perforation.
 ...
PMID:Esophageal perforation. 280 86

Various oesophageal manometric disorders have been associated with chest pain or dysphagia. The classic motility disorders are achalasia and diffuse oesophageal spasm. In achalasia, a disorder of aperistalsis in the oesophageal body and incomplete relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter, either surgical myotomy or pneumatic dilatation is an effective approach, although some investigators have suggested a role for pharmacological therapy. For the treatment of diffuse oesophageal spasm, a disorder of non-peristaltic motor activity in the oesophagus, various pharmacological approaches with nitrates, anticholinergics, and calcium antagonists have been used. In the presence of associated lower oesophageal sphincter dysfunction, bouginage or pneumatic dilatation may be indicated. Long oesophagomyotomy should be considered for those patients who fail to respond to these measures. Recent manometric techniques have led to the identification of patients with chest pain or dysphagia who have abnormalities of increased contractile amplitude ('nutcracker' oesophagus) or duration. An association with gastro-oesophageal reflux or with psychiatric disturbance has been suggested. Treatment directed towards these factors is indicated and may be supplemented by pharmacological intervention, e.g. by calcium antagonists or anticholinergics.
 ...
PMID:Primary oesophageal motility disorders. Current therapeutic concepts. 286 26

The hypertensive peristaltic (nutcracker) esophagus represents a motility disorder characterized clinically by squeezing retrosternal chest pain and manometrically by high amplitude esophageal peristaltic contractions. This study was designed to examine whether the nutcracker esophagus is: (a) a distinct entity, (b) a member of the spectrum of primary esophageal dysmotilities (e.g., diffuse esophageal spasm and achalasia), or (c) is secondary to reflux-induced acid sensitivity. Thirteen patients with a nutcracker esophagus by baseline manometry were subsequently studied after acid perfusion and bethanechol stimulation (0.08 mg/kg). Records were analyzed for symptomatic response and motility changes. Eight of 13 (62%) experienced chest pain during acid perfusion, but none had significant motility changes documented during this period. After bethanechol injection, chest pain occurred in six of 12 (50%) patients; two had burning pain and in the other four (33%) their squeezing chest pain was reproduced. Changes in the motility tracing with evidence of disordered motility suggestive of diffuse esophageal spasm were seen after bethanechol in seven of the 12 tracings analyzed (58%), including all six patients who developed chest pain. We conclude that patients with nutcracker esophagus on baseline manometry may develop motility patterns consistent with diffuse esophageal spasm after provocation with bethanechol. We take this to suggest that the nutcracker esophagus is part of the continuum of primary motility disorders and may actually be a precursor of diffuse esophageal spasm.
 ...
PMID:The effect of acid and bethanechol stimulation in patients with symptomatic hypertensive peristaltic (nutcracker) esophagus. Evidence that this disorder may be a precursor of diffuse esophageal spasm. 287 67

Three cases of intramural haematoma of the oesophagus are reported. Two cases mimicked benign neoplasms of the distal oesophagus. One of these resembled a polypoid tumour; the other occurred in a patient with known achalasia. Two cases presented with chest pain and haematemesis, the third presented with dysphagia and odynophagia only. One case was truly spontaneous and two cases were thought to be secondary to trauma from food.
 ...
PMID:Oesophageal haematoma: report of three cases. 318 Jun 64

Esophageal motility disorders consist of a complex array of disturbances in normal esophageal function associated with dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux, and noncardiac chest pain. A thorough knowledge of normal esophageal anatomy and physiology is important to a full understanding of these motility derangements. Through a complicated interaction of neuromuscular and hormonal influences, the voluntary act of swallowing transforms into an automated sequence of peristaltic waves propelling food and liquids into the stomach in concert with coordinated relaxation of the sphincters. Anatomic and physiologic barriers exist within the esophagus protecting against gastroesophageal reflux and aspiration. With improvements in diagnostic tools such as barium contrast radiography, scintigraphy, pH measurements, and esophageal manometrics with provocative testing, motility disorders have become better defined and understood. Primary motility disorders consist of achalasia, diffuse esophageal spasm (DES), "nutcracker esophagus," hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter, and nonspecific esophageal motility dysfunction (NEMD). A host of secondary and miscellaneous motility disorders also affect the esophagus, including scleroderma and other connective tissue diseases, diabetes mellitus, Chagas' disease, chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and neuromuscular disorders of striated muscle. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may also be promoted by associated motility disturbances. Treatment modalities include surgical myotomy; dilatation; and pharmacologic manipulations, including use of nitrates, calcium-channel blockers, H2-blockers, and psychotropic drugs where appropriate.
 ...
PMID:Esophageal motility disorders. 329 77


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>