Title: Esophageal dysphagia - Wikipedia
Headings: Esophageal dysphagia
Esophageal dysphagia
Contents
Signs and symptoms
Causes
Differential diagnosis
Main article: esophageal web
Main article: achalasia
Rare causes of esophageal dysphagia not mentioned above
Diagnostic tools
Treatment
References
External links

Content: Main article: esophageal web
Achalasia is an idiopathic motility disorder characterized by failure of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation as well as loss of peristalsis in the distal esophagus, which is mostly smooth muscle. Both of these features impair the ability of the esophagus to empty contents into the stomach. Patients usually complain of dysphagia to both solids and liquids. Dysphagia to liquids, in particular, is a characteristic of achalasia. Other symptoms of achalasia include regurgitation, night coughing, chest pain, weight loss, and heartburn. The combination of achalasia, adrenal insufficiency, and alacrima (lack of tear production) in children is known as the triple-A (Allgrove) syndrome. In most cases the cause is unknown (idiopathic), but in some regions of the world, achalasia can also be caused by Chagas disease due to infection by Trypanosoma cruzi . Main article: achalasia
Scleroderma is a disease characterized by atrophy and sclerosis of the gut wall, most commonly of the distal esophagus (~90%).