title: Catheter-based high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound imaging is a powerful tool to study esophageal dysmotility patients.
abstract: High-resolution manometry (HRM) is currently the most important diagnostic test for esophageal motility disorders, providing information on the contraction pattern of the circular muscle layer, which helps classify these esophageal motor diseases. However, with the increasing development of ultrasound, other techniques, such as high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound (HFIUS), have gained importance. This technique uses a flexible shaft with a central wire integrated into a standard endoscope, which facilitates real-time sonography. Its main utility is to provide anatomical information on the structure of the esophageal wall, including both the circular and longitudinal layers that constitute the esophageal muscularis propria. Increasing knowledge about these motility disorders has led to the hypothesis that, in addition to an abnormal contraction pattern of the circular muscle, an overall increased muscle thickness and an abnormal longitudinal muscle contraction could be added as pathophysiological factors. The increase in muscle thickness could be an important indicator of the severity of diseases, such as achalasia, distal esophageal spasm, or hypercontractile esophagus. More studies are required before definitive conclusions can be reached, but HFIUS employed simultaneously with HRM could provide a more complete and precise evaluation of these esophageal motor disorders.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Motility Unit, IIS-IP and CIBEREHD, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa (HULP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Cecilio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santander
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Motility Unit, IIS-IP and CIBEREHD, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa (HULP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perea
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Motility Unit, IIS-IP and CIBEREHD, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa (HULP), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caldas
authors.affiliation: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Hospital de Mataró, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clave
mesh_terms: D015154:Esophageal Motility Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008365:Manometry; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: achalasia; distal esophageal spasm; high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound; hypercontractile esophagus; longitudinal esophageal muscle