Achalasia
A pathologic condition that is characterized by the absence of esophageal peristalsis and is usually associated with a tonic contraction of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES, separating the esophagus from the stomach and regulating the movement of a food bolus), which is unable to relax after swallowing.
Symptoms
The loss of the inhibitory motoneurons (containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and nitric oxide), along with enhanced myogenic tone, is likely to be responsible for the severe increases in LES tone and the failure of LES to relax during a swallow.
Achalasia can be either primary in origin or secondary to a wide array of conditions. The diseases pertinent with inflammatory neuropathy include systemic infectious disorders (i.e., Chagas’ disease), paraneoplastic syndrome, and sarcoidosis. With regard to idiopathic (primary) forms of achalasia, the presence of an inflammatory/immune infiltrate localized within the myenteric plexus may be a significant histopathologic feature.