Table 2.

Analysis of achalasia type 3 contractions: circular and longitudinal muscle thickness in normal subjects and patients with type 3 achalasia esophagus at baseline and peak of swallow- induced contractions

	Normal Healthy Person (N = 16)		Achalasia Type 3 Patient (N = 6)
Muscle Thickness	CM	LM	CM	LM
10 cm
Baseline (mm)	0.68	0.66	1.71*	0.85*
Peak/Baseline ratio	2.19	1.23	2.01	1.37
5 cm
Baseline (cm)	0.68	0.65	2.33*	0.93*
Peak/Baseline ratio	2.94†	1.38†	1.76‡	1.17‡

^*P < 0.05 baseline muscle thickness between normal subjects and patients;

^†P < 0.05, peak-to-baseline thickness (marker of axial shortening) is bigger at 5 cm compared with 10 cm in normal subjects;

^‡P < 0.05 peak-to-baseline thickness (axial shortening of circular and longitudinal muscle) is significantly smaller in patients compared with normal subjects at 5-cm level. CM, circular muscle; LM, longitudinal muscle.