Swallowing-induced supraventricular tachycardia.

A rare form of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), associated with swallowing solid food, is described. Repeated triggering of the arrhythmia during esophagoscopy was produced by mechanical stimulation of the anterior esophageal wall, 30 cm from the incisors. Treatment with verapamil abolished this tachycardia. Esophagoscopic examination, the first of its kind in this setting, aided the investigation.