Gastric emptying of solid meals in achalasic patients after successful pneumatic dilatation of the cardia.

Gastric emptying of a solid meal was measured by ultrasound scanning in 16 achalasic patients following successful pneumatic dilatation of the lower esophageal sphincter. The data were compared with those of a control group of 15 healthy subjects. Fasting and maximal postcibal antral sections were very similar in the two groups. On the contrary, the time interval before maximal antral dilatation, and the time necessary for the emptying of half or of the whole meal were significantly longer in the achalasic patients than in the controls. Half of the achalasic patients had longer emptying times than the upper normal limit. The percentage of the meal retained in the antrum at each hourly interval was significantly higher in the achalasic group. The finding of a high prevalence of gastric emptying disturbances suggests that the functional derangement in achalasia is not limited to the esophagus.