Achalasia

What it means

A disorder of esophageal motility characterized by the inability of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax during swallowing and by inadequate or lacking peristalsis in the lower half of the body of the esophagus.

Achalasia may lead to regurgitation of food, chest pain, cough, and difficulty swallowing.

Rare diseases that can present with this11

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions, and Orphanet separately records 1 disease where this sign is specifically absent. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Achalasia of the esophagus · Achalasia of the oesophagus