Fluorocinematographic and Manometric Studies of Esophageal Motility in Patients with Achalasia

Achalasia is a neuromuscular disorder of the esophagus with typical motility, X ray, and intraluminal pressure patterns. In the past, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in this disease involved the use of fluoroscopy and ``spot'' filming. With the introduction of fluorocinematography (General Electric TV-X), it has become feasible to perform prolonged studies and more accurate therapy with simultaneous filming of all these events. The motor phenomena could then be studied in detail with frame by frame analysis of the film. At the same time the radiation hazard to the patient and the observer has been greatly reduced. Although at the moment certain technical problems have tended to limit the usefulness of this procedure to the esophagus and adjacent structures, it is felt that the entire gastrointestinal tract will ultimately be amenable to such detailed methods of study.