title: Assessing esophageal dysphagia.
abstract: Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common problem. Although most cases are attributable to benign disease processes, dysphagia is also a key symptom in several malignancies, making it an important symptom to evaluate. The differential diagnosis of dysphagia requires an understanding of deglutition, in particular the oropharyngeal versus esophageal stages. Stroke is the leading cause of oropharyngeal dysphagia, which is common in older adults and frequently presents as part of a broader complex of clinical manifestations. In esophageal dysphagia, difficulty swallowing is often the main complaint and is caused by localized neuromuscular disorders or obstructive lesions.
authors.affiliation: Danielle Kruger is an associate professor in the PA program at St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., and practices emergency medicine at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kruger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D015154:Esophageal Motility Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004945:Esophagoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index