INTRODUCTION Data regarding the age impact on the clinical presentation and esophageal motility in adults with idiopathic achalasia are scarce. OBJECTIVE To asses the clinical and manometric features of elderly patients with idiopathic achalasia. METHODS The medical charts of 159 patients diagnosed with achalasia were divided into two groups according to the patients' age: ?60 years (n = 12...

BACKGROUND This study was carried out to evaluate and compare the outcome of various causes of non-malignant lesions of the esophagus after endoscopic therapeutic intervention. METHODS A cohort of patients with non-malignant dysphagia presenting at Aga Khan University hospital, a tertiary care setting who underwent endoscopic intervention was studied. Response to treatment was evaluated by im...

Triple A syndrome (Allgrove syndrome) is an autosomal recessive disorder consisting of achalasia, alacrima and Addison insufficiency. We report an 11-year-old girl with predominant symptom of achalasia who was diagnosed as Triple A syndrome almost 3 years after initial presentation.

Idiopathic achalasia is a primary esophageal motor disorder characterized by loss of esophageal peristalsis and insufficient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation in response to deglutition. Patients with achalasia commonly complain of dysphagia to solids and liquids, bland regurgitation often unresponsive to an adequate trial of proton pump inhibitor, and chest pain. Weight loss is present in ...

AIM To investigate the incidence of achalasia in Algeria and to determine its clinical and para-clinical profile. To evaluate the impact of continuing medical education (CME) on the incidence of this disease. METHODS From 1990 to 2014, 1256 patients with achalasia were enrolled in this prospective study. A campaign of CME on diagnosis involving different regions of the country was conducted b...

BACKGROUND Symptom relief post pneumatic dilation is traditionally used to assess treatment success in achalasia patients. Recently, we showed that symptom relief and objective oesophageal emptying are concordant in about 70% of patients, while up to 30% of achalasia patients report near complete symptom relief despite poor oesophageal emptying of barium. AIMS We now report the results of lon...

BACKGROUND Association between esophageal achalasia/ gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and cholelithiasis is not clear. Epidemiological data are controversial due to different methodologies applied, the regional differences and the number of patients involved. Results of concomitant cholecistectomy associated to surgical treatment of both diseases regarding safety is poorly understood. A...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis and classification of oesophageal motility disorders is currently based on assessment of the phasic contractile activity of the oesophagus. Tonic muscular contraction of the oesophageal body (oesophageal tone) has not been well characterised. AIM To quantify oesophageal tonic activity in healthy subjects and in patients with achalasia. PATIENTS Oesophageal tone was ...

A 45-year-old woman was referred for evaluation of longstanding dysphagia to both solids and fluids, and progressive regurgitation over the past 10 years. Besides glycogenic acanthosis, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was suggestive of esophageal dilation with a hypomotile contraction pattern. During careful observation with air insufflation, the narrowed esophagogastric junction failed to rel...