BACKGROUND/AIMS The occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is known to be associated with lower post-treatment lower esoph-ageal sphincter pressure in patients with achalasia. This study aimed to elucidate whether GERD after pneumatic balloon dilata-tion (PD) has a prognostic role and to investigate how the clinical course of GERD is. METHODS A total of 79 consecutive patients w...

Robert Bechara1*, Paul Kortan2, Gabor Kandel2, Gary May2, Ingrid Schwartz2, Norman Marcon2 1Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Unit, Queen University Kingston General Hospital, 76 Stuart St. Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 2V7 2Division of Gastroenterology, St Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, 30 Bond St Toronto, ON M5B 1W8 Journal of Gastroenterology, Pancreatology & Liver Disorders Op...

Cough is one of the most common symptoms that causes patients to seek outpatient medical care. If cough persists longer than 8 weeks, common causes of chronic cough, such as upper airway cough syndrome, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), should be considered. Although not a common cause of chronic cough, achalasia may cause symptoms very similar to reflux that can lead to its m...

We describe a technique for measuring the yield pressure at the cardia during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The test was applied to 47 patients with macroscopic oesophagitis and nine patients with achalasia. Controls were 123 patients from the routine endoscopy list in whom no abnormality was found and 21 healthy volunteers. Yield pressure was similar in both control groups, but was signifi...

Moderate unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia decreasing after pneumatic dilatation of the gastrooesophageal sphincter, so permitting a normal amount of food to be taken was observed in two patients with achalasia. Liver biopsy was performed, and hepatic digitonin-activated bilirubin UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity was decreased in both, as is usually found in patients with Gilbert's syndrome. I...

Achalasia Cardia is a rare neurodegenerative disorder of esophagus resulting in defective peristalsis and impaired relaxation of lower esophageal sphincter. The exact etiopathogenesis of achalasia is not known. Achalasia is associated with significant morbidity and impaired quality of life. The standard of care in patients with achalasia has been pneumatic balloon dilatation and laparoscopic he...

Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) is the most common esophageal disorder in children. Achalasia occurs less commonly but has similar symptoms to GERD. A nine-year old boy presented with vomiting, heartburn, and nocturnal cough. The esophageal impedance-pH monitor revealed nonacidic GERD (all-refluxate clearance percent time of 20.9%). His symptoms persisted despite medical treatment for G...

reasons which the authors state. I do hope that their results will not reverse this trend. It has been suggested that perhaps patients in the younger age group do not respond so well to this type of management but this has not been our experience or those of others using the same type of dilator.' Csendes and colleagues state that the procedure is painful but this is not something our patients ...

INTRODUCTION Esophageal achalasia is a rare entity in children. However, young age is a factor of failure of conservative treatment, emphasizing the role of surgery. In our institution laparoscopic Heller's cardiomyotomy is the chosen procedure for surgical treatment. AIM To assess the outcome of surgery for achalasia treatment in children operated on in a single institution. MATERIAL AND M...