title: Manometric evaluation of the esophagus in patients with Behçet's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement in Behçet's disease (BD) mainly appears in mucosa and affects 5-40% of patients, however the effects of the disease on lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and esophageal contractions are not well known. The aims of this study were to evaluate esophageal motor function and to identify whether there was any specific motility pattern for patients with BD who had upper GI symptoms without endoscopic abnormality.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 patients with BD, with a mean age of 43.1 (range 20-66) years, were admitted to our clinic whose main complaints were dyspeptic such as reflux, epigastric pain, vomiting and bloating. 25 healthy and age-matched individuals were also included in the study as controls. After one night fasting, LES pressure and esophageal contractions were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Esophageal motor abnormalities were detected in 16% (4/25) of these patients with manometric studies (non-specific esophageal motor disorder in 1, esophageal hypomotility in 2, and LES hypotension in 1 patient); 16% (4/25) of these patients had endoscopic findings and overall 32% (8/25) of the cases showed esophageal pathology. All cases with esophageal motor abnormalities were suffering from reflux and endoscopy showed grade B esophagitis in 2 of these cases. Median LES pressure and LES relaxation were significantly lower in patients with BD compared to the control group (16.8 +/- 10.5 vs. 20.4 +/- 6.1, p = 0.02, and 92.1 +/- 10.1 vs. 96.4 +/- 4.5, p = 0.03 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Esophageal involvement in BD is significantly high. We propose manometric studies are necessary to evaluate esophageal manifestations in BD patients with esophageal symptoms even without endoscopic findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Ibni Sina Hospital, Ankara University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. mbektas70@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bektas
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altan
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Necati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ormeci
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soykan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015154:Esophageal Motility Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D049630:Esophageal Sphincter, Lower / Q000503:physiopathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged