[Erect esophageal transit scintigraphy, manometry, and barium swallow in assessment of patients with achalasia before and after balloon dilation]

Achalasia is a motility disorder of unknown etiology. Diagnostic techniques include Barium esophagram, simple and widely available, radionuclide transit/emptying scintigraphy, a low-cost procedures, easy to perform and widely available, well tolerated and require minimum cooperation by patients and esophageal manometry that continues to be used widely in clinical practices, primarily because of its perceived value. Aim of this study was to compare methods of manometry, barium swallow and scintigraphy before and after pneumatic dilation. 17 patients with achalasia of cardia were evaluated both symptomatically and objectively [esophageal manometry, timed barium esophagram, and scintigraphic emptying Index] before treating them with pneumatic dilation and after. The degree of patient symptom