Abstract
Scleroderma is a connective tissue disease that primarily affects the skin, vasculature, and gastrointestinal tract with a replacement of intimal tissues with collagen. In the gastrointestinal tract, the organ most commonly affected is the esophagus. As a result of both an early neuropathy and replacement of smooth muscle with collagen, the esophagus loses its normal motor function of peristalsis and baseline lower esophageal sphincter tone. As a result, patients experience dysphagia due to slow transit through the esophageal body and severe gastroesophageal reflux due to the loss of the reflux barrier and the inability to clear refluxed material from the stomach without peristalsis. Testing with endoscopy, barium radiography, and high-resolution manometry is best used to diagnose and stage scleroderma involvement in the esophagus. Treatment is aimed at pharmacologic and lifestyle changes to deter gastroesophageal reflux.
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Katzka, D.A. (2018). Scleroderma Esophagus. In: Bardan, E., Shaker, R. (eds) Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59352-4_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59352-4_5
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