Videomanometry of the pharynx in dysphagic patients with laryngeal barium penetration during swallowing.
OBJECTIVE
This study used simultaneous videomanometry to measure pressure characteristics in a group of patients with evidence of laryngeal and/or tracheal barium penetration, and to compare the results to those of one group of healthy volunteers and one group of patients with dysphagia but a normal barium swallow.


METHODS
Videomanometry during barium swallowing was performed in 25 patients who showed penetration of barium into the laryngeal vestibule. Manometric abnormalities were determined by comparing these mean values with those of 25 healthy volunteers, and the frequency of manometric abnormalities was compared to that of 19 patients presenting with oropharyngeal dysphagia with a normal barium swallow.


RESULTS
The frequency of abnormalities for four parameters (pharyngo-esophageal segment (PES) resting pressure, PES relaxation duration, pharyngeal peak pressure, pharyngeal contraction duration) differed significantly between the patients with penetration and those with normal barium studies. There was, however, no association between manometric abnormalities and the degree of barium penetration.


CONCLUSIONS
The differences in manometric abnormalities between patients with laryngeal penetration and patients with normal barium swallows may be useful in identifying the mechanisms of laryngeal penetration.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden.
R
R
Olsson
J
J
Castell
O
O
Ekberg
D O
DO
Castell
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000703:Analog-Digital Conversion; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003287:Contrast Media; D003679:Deglutition; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014160:Transducers, Pressure; D014741:Video Recording / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate