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Gastrointestinal transit and gastric acid secretion in patients with achalasia

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Abstract

Previous studies suggest that patients with achalasia exhibit degenerative changes of extraesophageal nerve fibers. We investigated whether these morphological alterations are associated with functional abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with achalasia had a normal acid secretory response (5.5±1.5 mmol/hr) to vagal stimulation when compared to controls (6.0±5.5 mmol/hr). However, the half time of gastric emptying of liquids was significantly shorter in patients with achalasia (10.4±1.8 min) than in control subjects (19.3±11.3 min) (P<0.01). Although there was a tendency towards a more rapid gastrointestinal transit in patients with achalasia, these changes failed to reach statistical significance. It is concluded that patients with achalasia have a gastric emptying disorder that could either be explained by a selective defect of extraesophageal vagal inhibitory nerve fibers or as an epiphenomenon occurring as a consequence of impaired esophageal emptying.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gastroenterologisches Institut, Wiesbaden, F.R. Germany

    Volker F. Eckardt, Jürgen Krause & Dietmar Bolle

Authors
  1. Volker F. Eckardt
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  2. Jürgen Krause
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  3. Dietmar Bolle
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Additional information

The manuscript includes parts of the doctoral theses of Jürgen Krause and Dietmar Bolle.

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Eckardt, V.F., Krause, J. & Bolle, D. Gastrointestinal transit and gastric acid secretion in patients with achalasia. Digest Dis Sci 34, 665–671 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540335

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540335

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