Alterações da motilidade esofagiana em pacientes cirróticos com varizes de esôfago não submetidos a tratamento endoscópico Esophageal motor disorders in cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices non-submitted to endoscopic treatment

RACIONAL: A cirrose hepática apresenta como uma das principais causas de morbimortalidade, a hipertensão porta com o desenvolvimento de varizes esofagianas, possibilidade de hemorragia digestiva alta e agravamento da insuficiência hepática. É importante identificar fatores preditivos causais ou agravantes desta condição e se possível, preveni-los. Nos últimos anos tem se observado a associação de distúrbios motores de esôfago e de refluxo gastroesofágico em pacientes cirróticos com varizes de esôfago. OBJETIVOS: Estudar a prevalência dos distúrbios de motilidade esofagiana e, entre eles, da motilidade esofagiana ineficaz, neste grupo de pacientes e seus possíveis fatores preditivos. MÉTODOS: Avaliaram-se de maneira prospectiva, 74 pacientes com cirrose hepática e varizes esofagianas diagnosticadas por endoscopia digestiva alta, virgens de tratamento endoscópico terapêutico. Todos foram submetidos a um protocolo de investigação clínica, a esofagomanometria e 55 pacientes também realizaram pHmetria esofagiana ambulatorial. RESULTADOS: Alterações da motilidade esofagiana foram observadas em 44 pacientes (60%), sendo a mais prevalente a motilidade esofagiana ineficaz, verificada em 28%. Refluxo anormal foi encontrado em 35% dos pacientes. Não houve correlação entre anormalidade manométrica em geral e motilidade esofagiana ineficaz, em particular, e a presença de sintomas esofagianos ou típicos de doença do refluxo, refluxo anormal, a gravidade da doença, a presença de ascite e o calibre das varizes. CONCLUSÕES: A maioria dos cirróticos com varizes esofagianas não submetidos a tratamento endoscópico apresenta distúrbios motores do esôfago, sem fatores preditivos identificáveis. A importância clínica desses achados necessita de maior aprofundamento na questão, para elucidar seu papel definitivo.<br>BACKGROUND: The hepatic cirrhosis has as one of the main morbid-mortality causes, the portal hypertension with the development of esophageal varices, the possibility of a digestive hemorrhage and worsening of hepatic insufficiency. It is important to identify causal predictive or aggravating factors and if possible to prevent them. In the last years, it has been observed the association of esophageal motor disorders and gastro-esophageal reflux in cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices. AIMS: To study the prevalence of the esophageal motility disorders and among them, the ineffective esophageal motility, in patients with hepatic cirrhosis and esophageal varices, without previous endoscopic therapeutic and the predictives factors. METHODS: Prospectively, it has been evaluate 74 patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and esophagic varices, without previous endoscopic treatment. All of them were submitted to a clinical protocol, esophageal manometry and 55 patients also held the ambulatory esophageal pHmetry. RESULTS: Esophageal motility disorders have been found in 44 patients (60%). The most prevalent was the ineffective esophageal motility, observed in 28%. The abnormal reflux disease was diagnosed through the pHmetry in 35% of the patients. There were no correlation between the manometrical abnormality in general and the ineffective esophageal motility in particular and the esophageal or gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms, the abnormal reflux, the disease seriousness, the ascites presence and the gauge of the varices. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of cirrhotic patients with non-treated esophageal varices present esophageal motor disorders. No predictive factor was found. The clinical relevance of these findings need more researches in the scope to define the real meaning of theses abnormalities

Esophageal motility, vagal function and gastroesophageal reflux in a cohort of adult asthmatics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Asthmatics are known to have esophageal hypomotility. Vagal hypofunction and prolonged intra-esophageal acidification cause esophageal hypomotility. The contribution of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and vagal function to esophageal motility in asthmatics is unclear. We studied the relationship between esophageal motility, GER and vagal function in a cohort of adult asthmatics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty mild, stable asthmatics (ATS criteria) and 30 healthy volunteers underwent 24-hour ambulatory esophageal monitoring, manometry, autonomic function testing and GER symptom assessment. 27 asthmatics underwent gastroscopy. A vagal function score calculated from 3 tests (valsalva maneuver, heart rate response to deep breathing and to standing from supine position) was correlated with esophageal function parameters.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Asthmatics (mean age 34.8 (SD 8.4), 60% female) had more frequent GERD symptoms than controls (mean age 30.9 (SD 7.7), 50% female). 10/27 asthmatics had esophageal mucosal damage, 22 showed hypervagal response, none had a hyperadrenergic response. 14 asthmatics had ineffective esophageal motility. Higher GERD-score asthmatics had significantly fewer peristaltic and more simultaneous contractions than controls, and higher esophageal acid contact times than those with lower scores. All reflux parameters were significantly higher and acid clearance time prolonged in asthmatics than controls (p < 0.001, Mann–Whitney U test). There was no correlation between vagal function score and esophageal function parameters.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A cohort of adult asthmatics was found to have peristaltic dysfunction and pathological GER, but otherwise normal esophageal motility. The peristaltic dysfunction seems to be associated with vagal hyperreactivity rather than vagal hypofunction.</p