Background: Conventional esophageal manometry evaluating liquid swallows in the recumbent position measures pressure changes at a limited number of sites and does not assess motility during solid swallows in the physiologic upright position.
Aim: To evaluate esophageal motility abnormalities during water and bread swallows in the upright and recumbent positions using high-resolution manometry (HRM).
Methods: Thirty-two-channel HRM testing was performed using water (10 ml each) and bread swallows in the upright and recumbent positions. The swallows were considered normal if the distal peristaltic segment >30 mmHg was >5 cm, ineffective if the 30-mmHg pressure band was <5 cm, and simultaneous if the onset velocity of the 30 mmHg pressure band was >8 cm/s. Abnormal esophageal manometry was defined as the presence of > or =30% ineffective and/or > or =20% simultaneous contractions.
Results: The data from 96 patients (48 F; mean age 51 years, range 17-79) evaluated for dysphagia (56%), chest pain (22%), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms (22%) were reviewed. During recumbent water swallows, patients with dysphagia, chest pain, and GERD had a similar prevalence of motility abnormalities. During upright bread swallows, motility abnormalities were more frequent (p = 0.01) in patients with chest pain (71%) and GERD (67%) compared to patients with dysphagia (37%).
Conclusions: Evaluating bread swallows in the upright position reveals differences in motility abnormalities overlooked by liquid swallows alone.