There have been some breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal achalasia in the past few years.First,the introduction of high-resolution manometry with pressure topography plotting as a new diagnostic...There have been some breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal achalasia in the past few years.First,the introduction of high-resolution manometry with pressure topography plotting as a new diagnostic tool has made it possible to classify achalasia into three subtypes.The most favorable outcome is predicted for patients receiving treatment for type Ⅱ achalasia (achalasia with compression).Patients with typeⅠ(classic achalasia) and type Ⅲ achalasia (spastic achalasia) experience a less favorable outcome.Second,the first multicenter randomized controlled trial published by the European Achalasia Trial group reported 2-year follow-up results indicating that laparoscopic Heller myotomy was not superior to endoscopic pneumatic dilation (PD).Although the follow-up period was not long enough to reach a convincing conclusion,it merits the continued use of PD as a generally available technique in gastroenterology.Third,the novelendoscopic technique peroral endoscopic myotomy is a promising option for treating achalasia,but it requires increased experience and cautious evaluation.Despite all this good news,the bottom line is a real break-through from the basic studies to identify the actual cause of achalasia that may impede treatment success is still anticipated.展开更多
文摘There have been some breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal achalasia in the past few years.First,the introduction of high-resolution manometry with pressure topography plotting as a new diagnostic tool has made it possible to classify achalasia into three subtypes.The most favorable outcome is predicted for patients receiving treatment for type Ⅱ achalasia (achalasia with compression).Patients with typeⅠ(classic achalasia) and type Ⅲ achalasia (spastic achalasia) experience a less favorable outcome.Second,the first multicenter randomized controlled trial published by the European Achalasia Trial group reported 2-year follow-up results indicating that laparoscopic Heller myotomy was not superior to endoscopic pneumatic dilation (PD).Although the follow-up period was not long enough to reach a convincing conclusion,it merits the continued use of PD as a generally available technique in gastroenterology.Third,the novelendoscopic technique peroral endoscopic myotomy is a promising option for treating achalasia,but it requires increased experience and cautious evaluation.Despite all this good news,the bottom line is a real break-through from the basic studies to identify the actual cause of achalasia that may impede treatment success is still anticipated.
