[Non-specific esophageal motility disorders: manometric abnormalities with unknown causes].
OBJECTIVE
To study a group of patients with abnormalities of esophageal motility in manometric investigation.


METHODS
From 1990 to 1999, 14 patients with dysphagia (9), chest pain (3), or both (2) were studied. All patients denied symptoms of heartburn, regurgitation, odynophagia, epigastric discomfort, and investigation failed to show any evidence of ischemic heart disease. A perfused catheter with 4 separate lumens was used and connected to output transducers (Medtronic, PC Polygraf HR).


RESULTS
Of the 14 patients, 11 had motor disorders of the esophageal body including simultaneous contractions without normal peristalsis (5), alternative occurrence of simultaneous contractions and normal peristalsis (3), aperistalsis (2) and very low amplitude peristalsis (1). Seven patients were diagnosed with motility disorders of the lower esophageal sphincter including incomplete relaxation or no relaxation on swallowing (6), short relaxation duration (1). Four patients had more than one abnormal manometric findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-specific esophageal motility disorder is not a real diagnostic entity, but only a group of manometric abnormalities. The relationship between the symptoms of the patients and the manometric findings was analysed. It is uncertain that these disorders have a common etiology. The revision of these abnormalities is difficult because the pathogenesis is unknown.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China.
Qizhang
Q
Wang
Junfeng
J
Liu
Baoqing
B
Li
Fushun
F
Wang
Ziqiang
Z
Tian
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015154:Esophageal Motility Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010528:Peristalsis / Q000502:physiology