Abstract

PRIETO ORTIZ, Robin Germán; GOMEZ VENEGAS, Álvaro Andrés  and  HANI DE ARDILA, Albis Cecilia. Case Studies and Review of Jackhammer Esophagus. Rev Col Gastroenterol [online]. 2016, vol.31, n.3, pp.253-261. ISSN 0120-9957.

Jackhammer esophagus is a peristaltic hypercontractile disorder. According to the second version of the Chicago Classification of esophageal motility, jackhammer esophagus is defined manometrically by distal contractile integrals greater than 8000 mm Hg/cm/s which indicates very high amplitude and velocity. We present a series of five patients with jackhammer esophagus who underwent high-resolution esophageal manometry (HREM) from which clinical and manometric data were collected. There were three men and two women whose ages ranged from 41 to 73. Three of them had been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and showed symptoms of dysphagia, heartburn and regurgitation. The main endoscopic finding was the presence of hiatal hernia and presbyesophagus in two patients. HREM showed waves of up to 4 mm Hg greater than 8000 mm Hg/cm/s. In three of the five patients there were multiple waves. Although, the new third version of the Chicago classification of requires two waves with DCIs over 8000 mm Hg/cm/s to confirm a diagnosis of jackhammer esophagus, it should be noted that we do not yet have available equipment to interpret MAR and allow classifying esophageal disorders by Chicago v.3, and that is why in our physiology unit we still report the MAR with presorting. We conclude that the jackhammer esophagus is a disease with a varied clinical presentation that ranges from dysphagia and chest pain to GERD symptoms. Diagnosis must be confirmed by HREM

Keywords : Jackhammer esophagus; high resolution esophageal manometry.

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