Radial and longitudinal asymmetry of human pharyngeal pressures during swallowing

Radial asymmetry of upper esophageal sphincter resting pressure has been previously described; however, neither radial nor longitudinal asymmetry of pharyngeal pressures has been demonstrated. The authors used a specially designed intraluminal transducer catheter (Konigsberg; Konigsberg Instruments, Pasadena, CA) with four solid-state transducers separated by 3 cm and oriented circumferentially at 90 degrees intervals to measure pharyngeal pressures. Two wet swallows at each 1-cm interval along the length of the pharynx were measured in 12 normal volunteers (10 male, 2 female; mean age, 38 years). Pressure data were collected on-line by an Apple IIe microcomputer (Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA) at 100 Hz and analyzed for both radial and longitudinal asymmetry. Significant (P less than 0.05) longitudinal asymmetry was shown in all positions except right lateral. Radial asymmetry was present for the first 4 cm only, with anterior and posterior pressures significantly (P less than 0.05) higher than lateral pressures. It was concluded that pharyngeal pressure responses show both axial and longitudinal asymmetry in the distal pharynx. Awareness of transducer position and orientation is essential in the evaluation of pharyngeal pressures.