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: This is a complication of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, and can be a cause of dysphagia. The stricture is about 3 to 5 mm in diameter. The blood that is visible is from the endoscope bumping into the stricture. Esophageal stricture, or narrowing of the esophagus, is usually a complication of acid reflux, most commonly due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These patients are usually older and have had GERD for a long time. Esophageal stricture can also be due to other causes, such as acid reflux from Zollinger–Ellison syndrome, trauma from a nasogastric tube placement, and chronic acid exposure in patients with poor esophageal motility from scleroderma. Other non-acid related causes of peptic strictures include infectious esophagitis, ingestion of chemical irritant, pill irritation, and radiation. Peptic stricture is a progressive mechanical dysphagia, meaning patients will complain of initial intolerance to solids followed by inability to tolerate liquids. When the diameter of the stricture is less than 12 mm the patient will always have dysphagia, while dysphagia is not seen when the diameter of the stricture is above 30 mm. Symptoms relating to the underlying cause of the stricture usually will also be present.