title: Swallowing disorders among patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a cause of swallowing disorders in elderly, and otolaryngologists should be aware of the disease on dealing with old patients complaining of dysphagia. The condition may be treated conservatively in most patients; however, surgical reduction of cervical osteophytes may be needed in severe cases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Large cervical osteophytes may cause dysphagia; they compress the pharynx leading to mechanical impairment of swallowing. DISH is characterized by ossification of the anterior longitudinal spinal ligament with formation of osteophytes. The aim was to investigate swallowing disorders among patients with DISH.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 139 patients with DISH. Their swallowing was evaluated using the eating assessment tool (EAT-10), and patients with swallowing disorders were subjected to fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), they received conservative treatment for 6 months. Patients were assessed again after treatment using the same measures that were employed before treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three patients (16.5%) demonstrated swallowing disorder, and FEES showed residues of food in the pharynx after swallow in all of them. Significant overall improvement after conservative treatment was achieved, with two patients resuming their normal regular diet. However, one patient demonstrated no improvement, and he needed surgical reduction of his large cervical osteophytes.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Cairo University , Egypt.
authors.forename: Mosaad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdel-Aziz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation , Cairo University , Egypt.
authors.forename: Noha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Azab
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Cairo University , Egypt.
authors.forename: Hisham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lasheen
authors.affiliation: c Department of Otolaryngology , Beni Suef University , Egypt.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naguib
authors.affiliation: c Department of Otolaryngology , Beni Suef University , Egypt.
authors.forename: Ramez
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004057:Hyperostosis, Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: DISH; Dysphagia; cervical osteophytes; spinal ligament; swallowing difficulty