Manometry of the stomach and small intestine differentiates neuropathic and myopathic disorders

Postprandial gastrointestinal motility in a patient with systemic sclerosis (myopathic disorder, left panel) is characterized by low amplitude contractions at all levels compared with controls. By comparison, a neuropathic disorder such as diabetes mellitus (right panel) is characterized by normal contraction amplitude, but abnormal organization of the contractile response. Specifically, there is a lack of distal antral contractions, pyloric tonic, and phasic pressure activity, and persistence of migrating motor complex-like activity postprandially (proximal jejunum rows 2 and 3) despite the ingestion of a solid-liquid meal.