[Esophageal motor changes in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and suspected scleroderma. Electromanometric and serologic evaluations]. / Alterazioni motorie esofagee in pazienti con fenomeno di Raynaud e sospetta sclerodermia. Valutazioni elettromanometriche e sierologiche.

Esophageal motor dysfunction in patients with collagen disease, although rather frequent, presents difficult etiopathogenetic arrangement. By means of esophageal manometric evaluation and immunopathologic study the Authors observed 44 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon idiopathic or joined with Scleroderma. From collected data the utility of esophageal manometry in early diagnosis is pointed out.

[Hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux and the lower esophageal sphincter. Manometric study with the "rapid pull-through method"]. / Ernia iatale, reflusso gastroesofageo e sfintere esofageo inferiore (LES). Studio manometrico con "metodo a retrazione rapida".

Data obtained by means of rapid pull-through manometry in cases of hiatal hernia with or without gastro-oesophageal reflux are presented. Particular reference is made to lower oesophageal sphincter pressure in reflux symptomatologies irrespective of the presence of hiatal hernia. A relation between age and lower oesophageal pressure was noted. Hypotonia of the sphincter was observed in younger subjects, whose reflux symptoms are more marked and often unassociated with hiatal hernia. In the patients, sphincter dysfunction appears to be related to an error in the neurohormonal control mechanism of this functional complex. Stress is also laid on the rôle of pull-through manometry in the diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic approach to diseases of this type.