Clinical and Manometric Effects of Nitroglycerin in Diffuse Esophageal Spasm

THE major function of the esophagus is to transport material from the pharynx to the stomach. In diffuse esophageal spasm, a neuromuscular abnormality exists that can lead to painful swallowing, impairment of the transport process or both. Patients with pain rather than dysphagia as the primary complaint occasionally benefit from nitrite therapy. We have recently observed a patient with diffuse esophageal spasm who obtained rapid relief of chest pain by sublingual nitroglycerin administration and prolonged reduction in the number of attacks by daily therapy with a long acting nitrite. This clinical response led us to investigate, by esophageal manometry, the . . .