What is it about?
177 patients who felt food stick at the back of their throat and had a definite cause for this were studied. 49 had cancer (being male, having a short duration of food sticking and weight loss all independently increased the risk of cancer). Of these 19 were found in the lower gullet or join between stomach and gullet.
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Why is it important?
When a patient feels food stick at the back of their throat they are normally seen by ENT consultants, sometimes by gastroenterologists. ENT consultants perform a nasendoscopy which looks at the upper and mid gullet but not lower. If patients cannot accurately localise where food sticks then a normal nasendoscopy might falsely reassure patient and doctor.
Perspectives
Both gastroenterologists and ENT specialists see patients with pharyngeal level dysphagia. It is important to be aware that if no abnormality is found consideration should be given to examining the whole upper GI tract, particularly where there is weight loss or short duration of symptoms (<8 weeks).
Dr Iain A Murray
Dumfries and Galloway Royal infirmary
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Oesophageal causes of dysphagia localised only to the pharynx: Implications for the suspected head and neck cancer pathway, Clinical Otolaryngology, May 2018, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/coa.13115.
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