Abstract
To obtain more information about muscle function in patients with dysphagia, simultaneous barium swallow and computerized pharyngeal manometry with solid-state pressure transducers was employed for the evaluation of the pharynx and the pharyngoesophageal segment (PES) in 30 consecutive patients. The manometry catheter was positioned under fluoroscopic control, providing localized measurements of the intraluminal pressures in the pharynx. Sixteen patients had a normal barium swallow. In 5 (31%) of these the manometry disclosed PES dysfunction, i.e. increased resting pressures between swallows in 3 patients (mean 120 ± 13 mm Hg), and increased contraction pressures during peristalsis in 2 (mean 297 ± 21 mm Hg). Barium swallow and manometry are complementary: the former reflecting transport through the pharynx and penetration to the airways, the latter the intraluminal pressures created by the pharyngeal wall. The combination of barium swallow and manometry gives information about pressure in relation to bolus transport, which may elucidate pharyngeal dysfunction.
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