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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
07:33
A Mouse Model of Intestinal Partial Obstruction
Published on: March 5, 2018
Oesophageal motility disorders
1Department of Gastroenterology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. richtej@ccf.org
Lancet (London, England)
|September 21, 2001
Summary
Oesophageal motility disorders present with varied symptoms and manometric patterns. While some conditions like achalasia have clear pathology and treatment responses, others like diffuse oesophageal spasm have poorly defined causes and unpredictable outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Medicine
- Physiology
Background:
- Oesophageal motility disorders encompass diverse abnormal manometric patterns, often manifesting as dysphagia or chest pain.
- Conditions like achalasia possess defined pathologies and respond well to targeted treatments.
- Other disorders, including diffuse oesophageal spasm and hypercontracting oesophagus, lack clear pathology and may stem from subtle neuropathic changes, reflux, or anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the spectrum of oesophageal motility disorders.
- To differentiate between well-defined conditions and those with unclear etiology and variable symptom correlation.
- To discuss the causes and treatment unpredictability of certain oesophageal motility disorders.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on oesophageal motility disorders.
- Analysis of manometric patterns and their association with clinical presentation.
- Categorization of primary and secondary oesophageal motility disorders.
Main Results:
- Achalasia is a well-defined disorder with characteristic manometric features and predictable treatment response.
- Diffuse oesophageal spasm and hypercontracting oesophagus exhibit poorly defined pathologies and unpredictable symptom-treatment correlations.
- Hypocontracting oesophagus is often linked to weak musculature and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
Conclusions:
- Oesophageal motility disorders range from well-understood diseases to complex conditions with ambiguous origins.
- Effective management strategies are established for some disorders, while others require further research due to unclear pathophysiology and symptom links.
- Secondary causes of oesophageal motility disorders are numerous, including systemic diseases and aging.
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