Myotomy of Distal Esophagus Influences Proximal Esophageal Contraction and Upper Esophageal Sphincter Relaxation in Patients with Achalasia After Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The motility change after peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in achalasia is currently focused on lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This study aims to investigate the correlation of motility response between distal and proximal esophagus after POEM. METHODS: A total of 32 achalasia patients who received POEM and high-resolution manometry (HRM) were included for analysis. Eckardt score was used to assess symptom improvement. HRM was applied for studying motility. Main parameters analyzed were (1) LES: resting pressure (restP), 4-second integrated relaxation pressure; (2) esophageal body (EB): contractile integral of distal segment with myotomy (CI-DM) and proximal segment without myotomy (CI-PNM); and (3) upper esophageal sphincter (UES): relaxation pressure (UES-RP). RESULTS: There were 6 type I, 17 type II, and 9 type III achalasia patients included for analysis. (1) Eckardt score, LES tone, CI-DM, CI-PNM and UES-RP were reduced remarkably after POEM (P < 0.001). (2) no significant correlation was noted between LES tone and contractile intergral of EB. (3) a positive linear correlation of CI-DM and CI-PNM changes was detected (P < 0.001). (4) the change of UES-RP was positively correlated with the change of contractile integral of EB (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Myotomy of the distal esophagus would attenuate proximal EB contraction and assist UES relaxation in achalasia patients after POEM.

Role of laryngopharyngeal reflux on the pathogenesis of vocal cord leukoplakia and early glottic cancer / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the significance of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in patients with vocal cord leukoplakia and early glottic cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients with vocal cord leukoplakia and early glottic cancer encountered in Nanfang Hospital between December 2012 to January 2014 were included in this study. Ambulatory 24 hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring (MII-pH) was applied to obtain LPR and GER events, as well as the reflux properties of substances. Tobacco and alcohol history was also evaluated. Sixteen healthy volunteers were recruited as normal controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 26.3% (5/19) LPR patients in glottic cancer group, 35.3% (6/17) LPR patients in vocal cord leukoplakia group and 12.5% (2/16) LPR volunteers in normal controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the positive rate of LPR between early glottic cancer patients and normal controls as well as between vocal cord leukoplakia patients and normal controls (P > 0.05). There was statistically significance in numbers of acid reflux events, time of acid exposure, and time of acid clearance between vocal cord leukoplakia patients and normal controls as well as between glottic cancer patients and normal controls (P < 0.05). GER was found in 26.3% (5/19) patients in glottic cancer group and 23.5% (4/17) patients in vocal cord leukoplakia group and 6.3% (1/16) volunteer in normal controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the positive rate of GER between early glottic cancer patients and normal controls as well as between vocal cord leukoplakia patients and normal controls (P > 0.05). However, there was statistically significance in DeMeester scores between glottic cancer patients and normal controls (P < 0.05), while no statistically significance between vocal cord leukoplakia patients and normal controls (P > 0.05). Reflux events were dominated by acid and weakly acidic reflux in upright position. Weakly alkaline reflux events in upright position, acid reflux events in supine position, and weakly alkaline reflux events in supine position in vocal cord leukoplakia patients were significantly more than those in normal controls (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference existed in positions and contents between early glottic cancer patients and normal controls (P > 0.05). There was also no statistically significant correlation between happening LPR and GER, smoking and drinking in patients with vocal cord leukoplakia and early glottic cancer (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Reflux events are more in vocal cord leukoplakia patients and early glottic cancer patients, however, the relationship between laryngopharyngeal reflux and canceration of the vocal cord is still needed to be investigated. The significance of mucosal injury induced by nonacid refluxes is needed to be further studies.</p>