[Esophageal function in portal hypertension before and after sclerotherapy]

An examination of esophageal function using manometric techniques and long-term pH measurement was carried out on 14 patients suffering from cirrhosis of the liver who had esophageal varices. The resting pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter was found to be slightly reduced in 50 per cent of those examined, while 100 per cent showed a slightly reduced contraction amplitude in the distal tubular esophagus which became progressively lower in the distal direction, and a pathological gastro-esophageal reflux was observed in 57 per cent. We were able to carry out a control examination on 10 of these patients after sclerosing procedure. Sclerotherapy was found to have lowered resting pressures in the lower esophageal sphincter in 80 per cent of those patients, while all of them showed a grossly impaired tubular peristalsis in the form of simultaneous, mostly repetitive contractions with a considerably lowered contraction amplitude, however it had no negative influence on gastro-esophageal reflux patterns.