The standardized 99mTc-labelled solid bolus oesophageal egg transit test (OET) was developed for assessing oesophageal motility. Its value in detecting oesophageal motility disorders was compared with oesophageal manometry in 102 symptomatic patients. Of 32 patients with normal OET, 22 (68.8 per cent) had normal manometry, whereas of 61 patients with abnormal manometry, 51 (84 per cent) had abnormal OET (chi 2 = 15.82, P less than 0.001). The computer-generated condensed image of the OET clearly defined five transit patterns: normal (n = 32); oscillatory (n = 21); non-clearance (n = 16); 'step' delay (n = 16) and non-specific delay (n = 17). The oscillatory pattern occurred in only one patient with normal manometry, but in all six with manometrically defined achalasia and two with diffuse oesophageal spasm. The predictive value of a positive (abnormal) OET test in detecting abnormal motility (both specific and non-specific disorders) was 73 per cent, and for specific motility disorders was 100 per cent. The predictive value of a negative (normal) test in excluding specific motor disorders was 94 per cent. Manometric tertiary contractions and low amplitude waves occurred in 6/32 and 1/32 patients with normal OET but in 31/70 and 21/70 with abnormal OET (chi 2 = 5.14, P less than 0.02; chi 2 = 7.85, P less than 0.001 respectively). Patients showing oscillation demonstrated significantly more tertiary contractions (17/21) and low amplitude waves (12/21) compared with 20/81 and 10/81 patients without oscillation (chi 2 = 20.47, P less than 0.001; chi 2 = 17.22, P less than 0.001 respectively). The solid bolus oesophageal transit test provides an objective screening test of specific oesophageal motility disorders and should be performed before oesophageal manometry.