Motor function abnormalities in acute caustic esophagitis.

Severe motor abnormalities in the human esophagus injured by acid correlated with the degree of mucosal esophageal damage observed by esophagoscopy. In mild caustic esophagitis, motor function remained normal. In severe esophagitis, motor alterations included decrease or absence of high resting pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter with normal swallowing response. In the body of the esophagus, manometric findings were variable and consisted of high resting esophageal pressure, absence of motor response after swallowing, nonperistaltic contraction, and delayed swallowing response. At follow-up motility studies 1 month after injury, esophageal motor function had returned to normal. We suggest that these abnormalities, which could be related to edema or a transient damage of mucosal sensory nerves, contributed to dysphagia.