Pan HY, Liu W, Ding W, Wang ZM, Feng YY, Yu AH, Cheng CS. Dynamic esophageal manometry reveals pseudoachalasia secondary to metastatic breast cancer: A case report. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(11): 111764 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i11.111764]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Chun-Sheng Cheng, Chief Physician, Division of Gastroenterology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, No. 89 Taoyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518052, Guangdong Province, China. chunsheng74@sina.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 24, 2025 (publication date) through Nov 21, 2025
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Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Clinical Oncology
ISSN
2218-4333
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Pan HY, Liu W, Ding W, Wang ZM, Feng YY, Yu AH, Cheng CS. Dynamic esophageal manometry reveals pseudoachalasia secondary to metastatic breast cancer: A case report. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(11): 111764 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i11.111764]
Hong-Yan Pan, Wei Ding, Zhi-Mo Wang, Yan-Yan Feng, Chun-Sheng Cheng, Division of Gastroenterology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, Guangdong Province, China
Wei Liu, Department of Pathology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, Guangdong Province, China
Ai-Hua Yu, Department of Orthopaedics, Zhijiang People’s Hospital, Zhijiang 443200, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Pan HY contributed to conceptualization; Feng YY contributed to formal analysis; Pan HY and Wang ZM contributed to investigation; Yu AH and Liu W contributed to data curation; Pan HY and Ding W contributed to writing-original draft preparation; Pan HY and Feng YY contributed to writing-review and editing; Cheng CS contributed to supervision; all authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Chun-Sheng Cheng, Chief Physician, Division of Gastroenterology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, No. 89 Taoyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518052, Guangdong Province, China. chunsheng74@sina.com
Received: July 8, 2025 Revised: August 28, 2025 Accepted: November 4, 2025 Published online: November 24, 2025 Processing time: 135 Days and 21.5 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Pseudoachalasia mimics primary achalasia in symptoms and diagnostic findings, as observed in gastroscopy and barium swallow studies. However, pseudoachalasia, often associated with malignancies like metastatic breast cancer, requires prompt differentiation to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. This report highlights a rare case of pseudoachalasia secondary to metastatic breast cancer and highlights the diagnostic value of esophageal motility changes.
CASE SUMMARY
A 52-year-old woman presented with a one-year history of intermittent dysphagia following breast cancer surgery. Initial examinations suggested achalasia, but the patient’s high-resolution manometry (HRM) results showed a rapid shift from ineffective esophageal motility to type II achalasia within four months. Further investigations revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma of the cardia, originating from the breast.
CONCLUSION
In patients with a history of malignancy, rapidly evolving esophageal motility abnormalities should raise suspicion of pseudoachalasia. HRM plays a crucial role in differentiating between primary and secondary achalasia. Early diagnosis through advanced imaging and pathology is essential for proper management.
Core Tip: This case report presents a rare instance of pseudoachalasia secondary to metastatic breast cancer following surgery. Notably, high-resolution manometry (HRM) detected rapid changes in esophageal motility, progressing from normal motility to type II achalasia within a brief interval. This dynamic progression highlighted the diagnostic value of HRM in distinguishing pseudoachalasia from primary achalasia. The report emphasizes the importance of considering malignancy-related secondary achalasia in patients with a cancer history and unexplained dysphagia. It advocates for early HRM evaluation and pathological confirmation to guide timely treatment.
