Three-dimensional manometry of the upper esophageal sphincter in swallowing and nonswallowing tasks

Abstract

Objectives/Hypothesis: High-resolution manometry (HRM) is useful in identifying disordered swallowing patterns and quantifying pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) physiology. HRM is limited by unidirectional sensors and circumferential averaging of pressures, resulting in an imperfect understanding of pressure from asymmetrical pharyngeal anatomy. This study aims to evaluate UES pressures simultaneously from different axial directions. Study Design: Case series. Methods: Three-dimensional HRM was performed on eight healthy subjects to evaluate circumferential UES pressure patterns at rest, during the Valsalva maneuver, and during water swallowing. Results: Multivariate analysis of the variance revealed a significant main effect of circumferential direction on pressure while at rest (P