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Scleroderma esophagus.

S R Fulp¹, D O Castell

¹Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

|January 1, 1990

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) significantly impacts esophageal function, causing symptoms like heartburn and difficulty swallowing in many patients. This connective tissue disorder leads to gastroesophageal reflux and increases the risk of serious complications.

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Area of Science:

Rheumatology and Gastroenterology
Connective Tissue Diseases
Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders

Background:

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a fibrotic connective tissue disease affecting skin and internal organs.
Esophageal involvement is common, impacting 40-50% of patients with symptoms and up to 90% with objective dysfunction.

Observation:

Scleroderma causes smooth muscle dysfunction, leading to esophageal aperistalsis (lack of peristalsis).
Reduced lower esophageal sphincter pressure is observed, contributing to reflux.
Impaired acid clearance exacerbates gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in affected individuals.

Findings:

Esophageal aperistalsis and low sphincter pressures are key features of scleroderma-related esophageal dysfunction.

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Poor acid clearance significantly increases the incidence of GERD complications.

Implications:

Patients with scleroderma face a higher risk of peptic stricture and Barrett's esophagus due to GERD.
Aggressive medical management of gastroesophageal reflux is crucial for preventing severe complications in scleroderma patients.