A study of esophageal pressures in normal persons and patients with cardiospasm.

Abstract

Summary A miniature electromagnetic transducer was utilized to record accurately esophageal pressures after swallowing. The changes in pressure in normal persons followed a definite pattern, which consisted of an initial wave of negative pressure and three subsequent waves of positive pressure. Analysis indicated that the final positive wave was produced by a true peristaltic wave passing the transducer. Patients who had cardiospasm showed considerable spontaneous motility as well as extremely variable responses in pressure as the result of deglutition. Though waves of positive pressure were noted occasionally in these patients after swallowing, a co-ordinated, distally traveling wave of the peristaltic type could not be identified.