[Esophageal manometry in patients with sliding hiatal hernia]. / Manometría esofágica en pacientes con hernia hiatal por deslizamiento.

This presents the method to be followed for the valuation of the gastro-esophagic function in patients with sliding hiatal hernia, twenty-one patients with this diagnosis were studied through X-Rays. Besides gastric and esophagic endoscopy, a complete clinical examinations was made to compare the information obtained from the studies, with the direct measurement of the contractions of the esophagus and the lower sphincter through conventional manometric methods. The relationship between the simptoms and the clinical procedures done in the patients were observed as was the usefulness of esophagic manometry to detect not only the direct pressure of the gastro-esophagic sphincter, but also to determine the concurrent motor changes that can occur in patients which show hiatal hernia. The benefit of this studies to decide the therapeutic handling, specially surgical, is discussed.

Abnormal esophageal motility in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Esophageal monometric studies were done in 10 unselected patients with Sjögren's syndrome, not associated with other connective tissue or chronic active hepatic disease. Nine of the patients revealed abnormal esophageal motility, consisting of absent or decreased contractility in the upper third of the esophagus. In four patients, the dysfunction also extended to other portions of the organ. Dryness of the mouth and oropharynx, or mucosal atrophy, does not explain these findings. The uniform pattern of the esophageal dysfunction found in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, which differs from the patterns of involvement observed in other connective tissue diseases, suggests that primary Sjögren's syndrome is probably a distinct entity.