Endoscopic Ultrasonography of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter in Reflux Esophagitis and Achalasia

: The endoscopic ultrasonography findings at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) were compared in patients with reflux esophagitis and esophageal achalasia to clarify the differences in wall structure between these diseases. In reflux esophagitis, the esophageal wall was hypertrophied at the LES and featured both irregularity and interruption of the submucosa, muscularis propria, and adventitia. In achalasia, there was generalized hypertrophy of the esophageal wall at the LES including the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria and adventitia but for each layer the normal 5-layer structure was visualized well. Thus achalasia and reflux esophagitis both featured hypertrophy at the LES, but the detailed findings were quite different. This difference was thought to arise from the presence of inflammation in reflux esophagitis and no inflammation in achalasia.