Association of esophageal cancer and esophageal varices

Of the 312 cases of esophageal cancer seen over 2 years, four patients had associated varices. Three patients gave history of alcohol abuse. All had malnutrition and splenomegaly. Endoscopic biopsies were safe in the presence of varices. External radiation did not have any untoward effect on the varices. Prophylactic sclerotherapy was not required in these patients. The association between esophageal carcinoma and varices could be secondary to alcohol consumption or merely coincidental.     

Effect of esophageal erosion on esophageal electrocardiogram

We recorded an esophageal electrocardiogram in a rabbit before and after producing esophageal erosion. The erosion caused an increase in P wave and R wave height and inversion of the T wave. Esophageal erosion can thus cause false positive repolarization changes in the esophageal electrocardiogram.     

Congenital esophageal stenosis associated with esophageal atresia

Congenital esophageal stenosis (CES) is a rare clinical condition but is frequently associated with esophageal atresia (EA). The aim of this study is to report the diagnosis, management, and outcome of CES associated with EA. Medical charts of CES‐EA patients from Lille University Hospital, Sainte‐Justine Hospital, and Montreal Children's Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Seventeen patients (13 boys) were included. The incidence of CES in patients with EA was 3.6%. Fifteen patients had a type C EA, one had a type A EA, and one had an isolated tracheoesophageal fistula. Seven patients had associated additional malformations. The mean age at diagnosis was 11.6 months. All but two patients had non‐specific symptoms such as regurgitations or dysphagia. One CES was diagnosed at the time of surgical repair of EA. In 12 patients, CES was suspected based on abnormal barium swallow. In the remaining four, the diagnostic was confirmed by esophagoscopy. Eleven patients were treated by dilation only (1–3 dilations/patient). Six patients underwent surgery (resection and anastomosis) because of failure of attempted dilations (1–7 dilations/patient). Esophageal perforation was encountered in three patients (18%). Three patients had histologically proven tracheobronchial remnants. CES associated with EA is frequent. A high index of suspicion for CES must remain in the presence of EA. Dilatation may be effective to treat some of them, but perforation is frequent. Surgery may be required, especially in CES secondary to ectopic tracheobronchial remnants.     

Relationship between esophageal achalasia subtypes and esophageal clearance

Esophagus - The diagnosis and pathological evaluation of esophageal achalasia have been improved dramatically by the development of high-resolution manometry. It is currently known to be divided...     

Lower esophageal sphincter dysfunction in diffuse esophageal spasm

Although lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction has been reported in patients with diffuse esophageal spasm, recent changes in manometric criteria for spasm and for LES relaxation suggested a need for reassessment. Moreover, LES relaxation in reflux-associated spasm has not been reported previously. On clinical criteria and independent of manometric findings, 22 patients with spasm were assigned to either idiopathic (I-DES, N = 9) or reflux-associated spasm (R-DES, N = 13) groups. Patients who underwent manometry for chest pain (C-NL, N = 10) or reflux (R-NL, N = 10) and had normal peristalsis served as control groups. Percent LES relaxation was significantly reduced in both spasm groups, and R-DES had significantly lower percent relaxation than I-DES. Post-deglutitive nadir sphincter pressure was significantly greater in R-DES than in I-DES. Duration of relaxation was normal in I-DES, but was significantly decreased in R-DES. This study indicates that 1) LES relaxation may be impaired in I-DES patients meeting current criteria for spasm, 2) the impairment in I-DES is primarily in "amplitude" of relaxation, i.e., percent relaxation and nadir pressure, but not duration, 3) LES relaxation may also be impaired in R-DES, and 4) the impairment in R-DES is to a greater degree than in I-DES patients and may be seen in both "amplitude" and duration of relaxation. This study shows that there is a spectrum of sphincter dysfunction in patients with esophageal spasm. It also suggests that there may be separate mechanisms for LES relaxation in R-DES patients, one with impaired relaxation and the other with near complete relaxation, "transient" or otherwise, to allow for reflux.     

A symptomatic esophageal mucocele after esophageal bypass surgery

We encountered a case of esophageal mucocele with progressive respiratory symptoms which originated from an excluded thoracic esophagus that was closed at both the proximal and distal ends, and which occurred 24 years after esophageal bypass surgery for a spontaneous esophageal rupture. The patient was a 64-year-old male who was treated by a temporary external drainage for relief of his symptoms without subsequent complete resection of the mucocele via thoracotomy, because of the high surgical risks associated with such a procedure. Four-hundred and fifty milliliters of waste removed during the initial external drainage showed no signs of inflammation or malignancy, suggesting that the reason this excluded esophagus was a symptomatic mucocele was not the observed vigorous secretion, because of irritated esophageal mucosal cells or malignant cells, but instead was the result of gradual accumulation of secretions from the normal esophageal mucosa. This case suggests that an excluded esophagus without any inflammation or malignancy could form a large mucocele that can cause serious symptoms, for example respiratory difficulty, even after an extremely long interval. Although he has been both relapse-free and drainage-free for more than 5 years, further long-term follow-up in this case is mandatory.     

Lower esophageal sphincter pressure, esophageal body motor functioning, and esophageal acid sensitivity

Esophageal acid sensitivity is believed to develop as a result of esophageal acid exposure, contributing factors being gastroesophageal reflux and delayed esophageal acid clearance. The relationship among lower esophageal sphincter pressure, motor functioning of the body of the esophagus, and esophageal acid sensitivity was examined by comparing the results from 912 patients and normal subjects studied with both esophageal manometric and Bernstein acid infusion tests. Positive acid infusions were statistically more closely associated with hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter pressures than with any motor abnormality in the body of the esophagus. Of the several esophageal body motor abnormalities considered, only feeble peristalsis had significantly more positive Bernstein tests than did normal esophageal body motor functioning. The findings from this study demonstrate that hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter pressure is more closely associated with an acid-sensitive esophagus than is impaired esophageal body motor functioning.     

食管静脉及食管、胃粘膜变化预测门脉高压食管静脉曲张出血的价值

为探讨门脉高压症患者内镜下食管静脉(EV)、食管粘膜及胃粘膜变化预测出血的价值,将60例肝硬化门脉高压患者分为出血组(36例)和非出血组(24例),分别观察其EV曲张形态、范围及颜色,炎性表现,胃粘膜改变及有无胃食管返流病(GERD)等.结果出血组EV曲张范围多超过食管中段,呈灰蓝、樱红色,静脉扭曲呈结节状,外径平均6.0±1.6mm;非出血组EV多局限于食管下段,呈灰白或灰蓝色,外径平均4.2±1.2mm;出血组食管炎20例(55.5%),非出血组5例(20.8%).出血组有胃粘膜损害者20例,非出血组为6例(P＜0.01).认为食管静脉曲张超过中段、外径≥6.0mm、有樱红样征;伴有食管炎、GERD及门脉高压性胃病者的出血率明显增加;上述指标预测门脉高压出血具有实用价值.     

Influence of smoking and esophageal intubation on esophageal pH-metry

The effect of cigarette smoking on gastroesophageal reflux and the effect of the pH electrode on salivary secretion and swallowing frequency were studied in 30 healthy volunteers (15 habitual smokers, 15 non-smokers) and in 10 smoking patients with proven gastroesophageal reflux disease. Twenty-four-hour pH profiles were measured while the subjects were ambulatory using a combined glass electrode connected to a portable recorder. In 8 of the smoking volunteers, swallowing frequency and salivary secretion were measured, both when smoking and when not. Smokers had more reflux episodes than nonsmokers [median per hour 2.8 (range 0.4-7.1) for the upright body position and 0.5 (range 0.0-1.7) for the supine body position vs. 1.4 (range 0.0-2.1) upright and 0.0 (range 0.0-0.7) supine, p less than 0.01], but the total time of exposure of the esophageal mucosa to acid was affected neither by the status of being a smoker nor by actual smoking. Nasopharyngeal intubation with the pH electrode did not affect the swallowing frequency, but it increased salivary secretion two-to threefold for a period of 4 h. Six hours after introduction of the pH electrode and later, salivary flow was similar to baseline. It is concluded that smoking and nasopharyngeal intubation does not adversely affect the results of 24-h pH-metry.     

Transition from peristaltic esophageal contractions to diffuse esophageal spasm

A patient with dysphagia and chest pain was shown by manometry to have high-amplitude peristaltic esophageal contractions (nutcracker esophagus). Worsening symptoms over the next two years led to the performance of repeated manometric studies, which showed diffuse esophageal spasm. This demonstration of a transition from nutcracker esophagus to diffuse esophageal spasm lends further support for consideration of the nutcracker esophagus as a manometric disorder associated with chest pain or dysphagia. Furthermore, it suggests a pathophysiologic relationship between the nutcracker esophagus, a disorder with preserved peristalsis, and diffuse esophageal spasm, the classic dysmotility considered to be of neurogenic origin.     

Evaluation of esophageal function in patients with esophageal motor abnormalities using multichannel intraluminal impedance esophageal manometry

INTRODUCTION Esophageal manometry has been considered the “gold standard” test for the evaluation of esophageal motility. Esophageal manometry allows physicians to assess peri- stalsis by using informations about the shape, amplitude and duration of the…     

Endoscopic mucosal resection for early esophageal cancer with esophageal varices

Squamous cell carcinomas account for more than 80 % of esophageal malignancies in Germany. Alcohol and tobacco smoke are two of the most important risk factors. In superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is a very useful and effective treatment modality. However, in patients with submucosal esophageal cancer, radical esophageal resection is regarded as the gold standard for treatment at present. We report the case of a 71-year-old female patient with alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis with esophageal varices and a - therefore inoperable - early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) seemed not to be an effective treatment modality due to its limited penetration depth (< 2 mm) and the liver toxicity of 5-ALA. PDT using Photofrin(R) with a higher penetration depth seemed to be associated with a high risk of bleeding due to the esophageal varices. Furthermore, this sensitizer is associated with a high rate of strictures and a long-lasting skin sensitivity. In contrast, arguments against an endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) were endosonographically suspected submucosal tumor growth and a high risk of bleeding. Nevertheless, with respect to the lack alternatives we decided to perform an EMR after ligation of esophageal varices. The tumor could be resected in sano without major bleeding complication. Histology demonstrated a carcinoma in situ without submucosal invasion. After 3 months a second EMR was necessary due to recurrence. Meanwhile after a follow-up period of 18 months only low grade intraepithelial neoplasia without macroscopically suspicious lesions was observed.     

Diffuse esophageal leiomyomatosis

Progressive dysphagia of unknown etiology may still provide a diagnostic challenge despite an increase in the number and quality of investigations available. We describe a 64‐year‐old man who presented with progressive dysphagia and weight loss. Following a number of investigations, a diagnosis of diffuse esophageal leiomyomatosis was made and the patient was treated appropriately.