PSYCHOSOMATIC ASPECTS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TR EATMENT OF ESOPHAGEAL NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES

The authors examined a group of 42 patients with neuromuscular disease s of the esophagus. They distinguished a group of patients who were no t treated previously, a group with recurrent neuromuscular diseases of the esophagus in high tonues of the cardia, and a group of patients w ith a recurrence in normal or low tonus of the cardia. All patients un derwent roentgenoscopy of the esophagus and stomach, esophagogastrosco py, and esophagomanometry, as well as clinicopsycho-diagnostic examina tion. Polymorphism of psychic reactions with predominance of anxiety a nd depression was revealed in the group of untreated patients, tendenc y to develop static forms of psychic and somatic responses and mild ex citability were encountered in the group of patients with a recurrence in increased cardiac tonus. In patients with a recurrence in low tonu s of physiological cardia the condition was determined by hystero-hypo chondriac, alarming-depressive disorders. Clinocopsycho-diagnostic exa mination made it possible to develop averaged schemes of psychotropic therapy according to the groups of patients.