Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Use of the Scissor-Type Knife During the Peroral Endoscopy Myotomy Procedure for the Treatment of Achalasia
Published on: March 3, 2023
Transition from diffuse esophageal spasm to achalasia
Abstract:
A 19-year-old man first presented with clinical, radiological, and manometric features of diffuse spasm. Within a year his motility disorder progressed to "vigorous" and, finally, classic achalasia. After pneumatic dilatation and subsequent long myotomy, the features of classic achalasia disappeared and he again exhibited radiological and manometric evidence of "vigorous" achalasia. The evolution of this patient's disease provides evidence that diffuse spasm and achalasia are different stages of the same disease and lie at opposite ends of a spectrum of related esophageal motility disorders.
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