Acute airway obstruction and achalasia of the esophagus.
Patients with achalasia tolerate considerable distension of the esophagus. Respiratory symptoms usually are due to regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration of retained food rather than to a space-occupying mechanism. We describe a case of previously undiagnosed achalasia presenting in an elderly woman with symptoms consistent with tracheal obstruction of acute onset.
Department of Otolaryngology, Ichilov Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, University of Tel Aviv, Israel.
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D
Zikk
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Rapoport
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Halperin
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Papo
M Z
MZ
Himelfarb
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D014132:Trachea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging