Abnormal bile flow in patients with achalasia.
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that esophageal achalasia is frequently associated with the dysmotility of other digestive organs. However, the prevalence of extraesophageal complications in patients with achalasia still remains poorly understood. We performed cholescintigraphy, using (99m)Tc-pyridoxyl-5-methyl-tryptophan, in patients with esophageal achalasia to assess any possible dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi associated with achalasia.


METHODS
Eight patients (two men and six women) were examined to determine the time required for bile to flow from the bile duct to the duodenum.


RESULTS
Excretion time of bile was markedly prolonged in five of the eight patients with achalasia. Scintigraphic findings were not correlated with the radiographic classification of achalasia or with the grading of achalasia.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results suggest that a considerable number of patients with achalasia have dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi, irrespective of the morphological type of achalasia and the grade of esophageal dilatation.
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
Hideki
H
Kobara
Naohito
N
Uchida
Kunihiko
K
Tsutsui
Kazutaka
K
Kurokohchi
Hiroki
H
Fukuma
Toru
T
Ezaki
Shigeki
S
Kuriyama
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001646:Bile; D003137:Common Bile Duct Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D009803:Sphincter of Oddi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*