Esophageal motility disorders after COVID-19 infection

Abstract

The COVID-19 infection can cause changes on many organs, but changes in post infection period are not uncommon. The aim of this study is to detect changes in esophageal manometry parameters in post COVID-19 infection period. We reevaluated 84 patients after clinical recovery from COVID-19 disease, who were diagnosed with ineffective esophageal motility, previous to infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus. All of the patients enrolled were submitted to reevaluation because of chest discomfort, swallowing problems and dysphagia. The potential coexistence of gastroesophageal reflux disease was excluded clinically by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with narrow band immaging and patohistological analysis and on 24-hours impedance monitoring. Using high-resolution esophageal manometry, and comparing the results to previous functional evaluation before COVID-19 disease, we detected significant lowering of contractile front velocity (CFV), distal contractile integral, prolongation of distal latency and prolongation of peristaltic break size (Break), and influence of infection on distal contractile integral in post rapid swalllows on multiple rapid swallow test (P < 0.07) according to Chicago 4.0 Classification, in all post COVID-19 patients (P < 0.05). In this study, the results of 84 patients included indicate the possible influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection on esophageal motility. The authors find the observation on worsening of changes in patients with preexisting esophageal dysmotility as an interesting finding, that deserves to be shared with clinical and scientific communities, especially in the field of esophageal motility research. Further research is needed in order to confirm these results and elucidate possible mechanisms. This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, under identifier: NCT04988438.

Keywords: COVID-19; Esophageal motility disorders.