| 1. | Park W, Vaezi MF: Etiology and pathogenesis of achalasia: the current understanding. Am J Gastroenterol 2005; 100: 1404–14. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 2. | Gockel HR, Schumacher J, Gockel I, Lang H, Haaf T, Nothen MM: Achalasia: will genetic studies provide insights? Hum Genet 2010; 128: 353–64. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 3. | Vela MF, Vaezi MF: Cost-assessment of alternative management strategies for achalasia. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2003; 4: 2019–25. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 4. | Eckardt VF: Clinical presentations and complications of achalasia. Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am 2001; 11: 281–92. MEDLINE |
| 5. | Eckardt VF, Kohne U, Junginger T, Westermeier T: Risk factors for diagnostic delay in achalasia. Dig Dis Sci 1997; 42: 580–5. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 6. | Boeckxstaens GE: Achalasia. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2007; 21: 595–608. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 7. | Vaezi MF, Richter JE: Current therapies for achalasia: comparison and efficacy. J Clin Gastroenterol 1998; 27: 21–35. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 8. | Howard PJ, Maher L, Pryde A, Cameron EW, Heading RC: Five year prospective study of the incidence, clinical features, and diagnosis of achalasia in Edinburgh. Gut 1992; 33: 1011–5. CrossRef MEDLINE PubMed Central |
| 9. | Farrokhi F, Vaezi MF. Idiopathic (primary) achalasia: Orphanet J Rare Dis 2007; 2: 38. CrossRef MEDLINE PubMed Central |
| 10. | Junginger T, Eckardt VF, Hecker A: Die Achalasie. Dtsch Arztebl 1996; 93: A 610–4. VOLLTEXT |
| 11. | Makharia GK, Seith A, Sharma SK, et al.: Structural and functional abnormalities in lungs in patients with achalasia. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2009; 21: 603–8. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 12. | Porschen R, Molsberger G, Kuhn A, Sarbia M, Borchard F: Achalasia-associated squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: flow-cytometric and histological evaluation. Gastroenterology 1995; 108: 545–9. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 13. | Streitz JM, Ellis FH, Gibb SP, Heatley GM. Achalasia and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: analysis of 241 patients. Ann Thorac Surg 1995; 59: 1604–9. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 14. | West RL, Hirsch DP, Bartelsman JF, et al.: Long term results of pneumatic dilation in achalasia followed for more than 5 years. Am J Gastroenterol 2002; 97: 1346–51. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 15. | Just-Viera JO, Haight C: Achalasia and carcinoma of the esophagus. Surg Gynecol Obstet 1969; 128: 1081–95. MEDLINE |
| 16. | Meijssen MA, Tilanus HW, van Blankenstein M, Hop WC, Ong GL: Achalasia complicated by oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective study in 195 patients. Gut 1992; 33: 155–8. CrossRef MEDLINE PubMed Central |
| 17. | Allgrove J, Clayden GS, Grant DB, Macaulay JC: Familial glucocorticoid deficiency with achalasia of the cardia and deficient tear production. Lancet 1978; 1(8077): 1284–6. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 18. | Prpic I, Huebner A, Persic M, Handschug K, Pavletic M: Triple A syndrome: genotype-phenotype assessment. Clin Genet 2003; 63: 415–7. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 19. | Tullio-Pelet A, Salomon R, Hadj-Rabia S, et al.: Mutant WD-repeat protein in triple-A syndrome. Nat Genet 2000; 26: 332–5. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 20. | Moore SW: Down syndrome and the enteric nervous system. Pediatr Surg Int 2008; 24: 873–83. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 21. | Zarate N, Mearin F, Gil-Vernet JM, Camarasa F, Malagelada JR: Achalasia and Down’s syndrome: coincidental association or something else? Am J Gastroenterol 1999; 94: 1674–7. MEDLINE |
| 22. | Carter M, Deckmann RC, Smith RC, Burrell MI, Traube M: Differentiation of achalasia from pseudoachalasia by computed tomography. Am J Gastroenterol 1997; 92: 624–8. MEDLINE |
| 23. | Gockel I, Eckardt VF, Schmitt T, Junginger T: Pseudoachalasia: A case series and review of the literature. Scand J Gastroenterol 2005; 40: 378–85. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| 24. | Mearin F, Mourelle M, Guarner F, et al.: Patients with achalasia lack nitric oxide synthase in the gastro-oesophageal junction. Eur J Clin Invest 1993; 23: 724–8. CrossRef CrossRef |
| 25. | Qadeer MA, Dumot JA, Vargo JJ, Lopez AR, Rice TW: Endoscopic clips for closing esophageal perforations: case report and pooled analysis. Gastrointest Endosc 2007; 66: 605–11. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| e1. | Eckardt VF, Gockel I, Bernhard G: Pneumatic dilation for achalasia: late results of a prospective follow up investigation. Gut 2004; 53: 629–33. CrossRef MEDLINE PubMed Central |
| e2. | Katz PO, Gilbert J, Castell DO: Pneumatic dilatation is effective long-term treatment for achalasia. Dig Dis Sci 1998; 43: 1973–7. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| e3. | Dagli U, Kuran S, Savas N, et al.: Factors predicting outcome of balloon dilatation in achalasia. Dig Dis Sci 2009; 54: 1237–42. MEDLINE |
| e4. | Vela MF, Richter JE, Khandwala F, et al.: The long-term efficacy of pneumatic dilatation and Heller myotomy for the treatment of achalasia. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006; 4: 580–7. MEDLINE |
| e5. | Campos GM, Vittinghoff E, Rabl C, et al.: Endoscopic and surgical treatments for Achalasia. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Surg 2009; 249: 45–57. MEDLINE |
| e6. | Boeckxstaens GE, Annese V, Bruley des Varannes S, et al.: Pneumatic dilation versus laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy for idiopathic achalasia. N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 1807–16. MEDLINE |
| e7. | Pasricha PJ, Ravich WJ, et al.: Intrasphincteric botulinum toxin for the treatment of achalasia. N Engl J Med 1995; 332: 774–8. MEDLINE |
| e8. | Annese V, Bassotti G, Coccia G, Dinelli M, et al.: A multicentre randomised study of intrasphincteric botulinum toxin in patients with oesophageal achalasia. Gut 2000; 46: 597–600. MEDLINE |
| e9. | Francis DL, Katzka DA: Achalasia: update on the disease and its treatment. Gastroenterology 2010; 139: 369–74. CrossRef MEDLINE |
| e10. | Inoue H, Minami H, Kobayashi Y, et al.: Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for esophageal achalasia. Endoscopy 2010; 42: 265–71. MEDLINE |
| e11. | Li YD, Tang GY, Cheng YS, Chen NW, Chen WX, Zhao JG: 13-year follow-up of a prospective comparison of the long-term clinical efficacy of temporary self-expanding metallic stents and pneumatic dilation for the treatment of achalasia in 120 patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2010; 195: 1429–37. CrossRef MEDLINE |
