RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: In the connective tissue disease patients, esophageal dysfunction is often closely associated with the presence of Raynaud's phenomenon. But there are no previous reports concerning the values of esophageal manometry in the connective tissue disease with Raynaud s phenomenon in Korea. Therefore, we performed this study to evaluate esophageal function in connective tissue disease with Raynaud' s phenomenon. METHODS: Total 86 subjects were employed in this study including 30 normal control group, 14 mixed connective tissue disease(MCTD), 21 systemic sclerosis, 16 systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE), and 5 Raynaud s phenomenon only. In each subject, esophageal manometric study was performed with lower compliance capillary infusion system. RESULTS: The mean age(+SD) of patients and controls were as follows : MCTD 34.1(+8.9), systemic sclerosis 44.9(+9. 3), SLE 32. 1(+7.9), and normal controls 31. 9 (+ 5. 3). All patients with MCTD and systemic sclerosis had Raynaud s phenomenon. Twelve out of 14 patients with MCTD, 17 out of 21 patients with systemic sclerosis, were abnormal in esophageal manometry. Nine out of 16 SLE had Raynaud s phenomenon. Among 9 SLE with Raynaud s phenomenon, 5 patients(55.5%) were abnormal in esophageal manometry, and among 7 SLE without Raynaud's phenomenon, 2 patients (28. 6%) were abnormal in esophageal manometry. Among 5 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, 3 patients were abnormal in esophageal manometry. Abnormal esophageal manometry finding is more common in the connective tissue disease patients with Raynaud's phenomenon compared with the patients without Raynaud's phenomenon (P=O. 0219). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal esophageal manometry finding is more common in the connective tissue disease patients with Raynauds phenomenon compared with the patients without Raynaud s phenomenon.