Abnormal esophageal motility in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Esophageal monometric studies were done in 10 unselected patients with Sjögren's syndrome, not associated with other connective tissue or chronic active hepatic disease. Nine of the patients revealed abnormal esophageal motility, consisting of absent or decreased contractility in the upper third of the esophagus. In four patients, the dysfunction also extended to other portions of the organ. Dryness of the mouth and oropharynx, or mucosal atrophy, does not explain these findings. The uniform pattern of the esophageal dysfunction found in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, which differs from the patterns of involvement observed in other connective tissue diseases, suggests that primary Sjögren's syndrome is probably a distinct entity.