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Query: UMLS:C0011168 (dysphagia)
 15,644 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cricopharyngeal dysfunction, one of the most common causes of pharyngeal dysphagia, exhibits a variety of manifestations, one of which is Zenker diverticulum. This paper examines the physiology of swallowing, pathophysiology of its aberrations, and various methods of treating Zenker diverticulum. It is our purpose to emphasize cricopharyngeus (CP) myotomy as the only needed treatment for this diverticulum. Even in its advanced stages, excision of the diverticulum is a needless surgical exercise. Seven cases of Zenker diverticulum are reported in elderly patients; one of them had an excision of the diverticulum prior to presentation. Some were either completely obstructed or aspirating on esophagram. Cricopharyngeus myotomy, the only treatment provided, proved to be safe and effective without morbidity or fatalities. Patients' ability to eat orally was restored on the night of or the morning after surgery. No Levin tube is necessary and there is no risk of suture line leakage after the conventional diverticulectomy and CP myotomy. Hospital stay is greatly reduced and there is no risk of structure formation. In contrast to endoscopic division of CP muscle, there is no risk of mediastinitis because there is no break through the mucosa.
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PMID:Cricopharyngeus myotomy as the only treatment for Zenker diverticulum. 11 33

A case of idiopathic chronic fibrous mediastinitis accompanied only by dysphagia is reported. Symptoms, etiology, and differential diagnosis are discussed with reference to the literature reviewed. The various conservative and operative methods of treatment are presented. In this case, attempts to mobilize the oesophagus were unsuccessful. Therefore, the oesophagus was bypassed via the colon.
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PMID:[Dysphagia as a symptom of idiopathic fibrous mediastinitis]. 90 20

In a group of 47 patients with mediastinal granulomas, the most common clinical symptoms were cough, chest pain, dysphagia, hemoptysis, and dyspnea. The main laboratory findings were right paratracheal or hilar mass on chest roentgenogram, positive histoplasmin skin test, and caseating granuloma on histopathologic examination. Complications included fibrosing mediastinitis with superior vena cava obstruction, esophageal compression, and major upper airway compression. Treatment was usually surgical resection or evacuation of caseous contents. The prognosis in most patients with mediastinal granulomas appears to be good--long-term survival with minimal or no disability.
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PMID:Mediastinal granuloma. 119 80

A 52-year-old man, without previous disease, presented with dysphagia, dyspnoea, high fever and sore throat after peritonsillar abscesses drainage. Physical and complementary examinations were consistent with pericarditis, mediastinitis, pneumonia and pleuritis. Blood cultures grew Eikenella corrodens resistant to clindamycin and amikacin. We emphasize the pathogenic potential of Eikenella corrodens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this organism as a pathogen in intrathoracic infections after peritonsillar abscesses drainage.
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PMID:Intrathoracic infections with bacteraemia due to Eikenella corrodens as a complication of peritonsillar abscesses: report of a case and review of the literature. 132 37

Life threatening mediastinitis as a complication of acute epiglottitis is very rare. A 38-year-old male in previously good health was admitted to our hospital in a state of unconsciousness. Seven days prior to admission he had complained of a sore throat, dysphagia, high fever and dyspnea. A chest X-ray on admission showed widening of the mediastinum, mediastinal emphysema, subcutaneous emphysema and left pleural effusion. Bronchoscopy showed the swelling of supraglottic structures. He was diagnosed as having acute mediastinitis and pyothorax as a complication of acute epiglottitis, but pathogens were not identified. The blood was hyperglycemic and insulin therapy was started. Though he gradually improved by massive antibiotic therapy, steroid therapy, tracheotomy and surgical drainage of both the left thoracic cavity and the mediastinum, he died suddenly of massive hemoptysis. Autopsy revealed that the acute mediastinitis had healed, but that the Aspergillus infection was present in both lungs and the pericardium. The Aspergillus infection was not lethal in the present case, and it seemed that death had resulted from arterial hemorrhage caused by erosion of the trachea. The present case suggests the need for antifungal therapy even in non-immunocompromised patients in particular when massive doses of antibiotics and steroids are administered.
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PMID:[A case of mediastinitis and bilateral pyothorax, following acute epiglottitis with concurrent Aspergillus infection]. 140

Between 1979 and 1990 transhiatal oesophagectomy and reconstruction with stomach was performed in 148 patients with carcinoma of the oesophagus. Ninety-seven patients were men and 51 were women; ages ranged from 21 to 88 years with a mean of 57.4 years. Dysphagia and weight loss were the usual clinical symptoms. The mean duration of symptoms was 14 weeks. Squamous cell carcinoma was present in 129 patients (87.2 per cent), 18 patients (12.2 per cent) had adenocarcinoma, and one had lymphoma (0.7 per cent). In two-thirds of the patients tumours were located in the middle thoracic (50 of 148 patients) or distal thoracic oesophagus (59 of 148 patients). Three-quarters of the patients had tumours determined as stage III. The mean length of hospital stay after operation was 12.8 days. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 15 cases (10.1 per cent). Pulmonary complications other than pneumothorax were observed in 36 cases (24.3 per cent). The 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 8.1 per cent (12 of 148 patients). Respiratory insufficiency was observed as the major cause of death (six of 12 patients). Mediastinitis due to necrosis of the transposed stomach in the mediastinum was the cause of death in three cases. Two-year actuarial survival rates in patients with cervical, upper, middle and lower thoracic tumours were 20, 22, 26 and 30 per cent respectively. Transhiatal oesophagectomy is safe and offers limited morbidity and mortality, although pulmonary complications and anastomotic leakage in the early postoperative period still pose a significant risk, especially for elderly patients in poor condition.
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PMID:Transhiatal oesophagectomy for oesophageal carcinoma. 176 Jul

One-hundred patients treated with oesophageal intubation for stricture-forming inoperable oesophago-gastric malignancies during the years 1972 to 1983 were analyzed. Fifteen tubes were endoscopically positioned, the rest by thoracotomy or laparotomy. Seven patients died from causes related to the intubation, the causes of death being perforation (2), mediastinitis (3) or aortic erosion (2). Mean survival-time was three months (range one day to 14 months). Nineteen of the most deteriorated patients died within two weeks. Eighty-seven percent of the patients experienced relief of dysphagia. Thus the intended palliation was satisfactory and the results therefore support oesophageal intubation as an alternative to be considered in the treatment of malignancies of the oesophagus and cardia. However, deteriorated patients with extremely short life expectancy might not benefit from the procedure.
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PMID:Palliative intubation in malignant stricture of the oesophagus and cardia. 243 39

A case of mediastinitis and left pyopneumothorax complicating a laryngeal phlegmon caused by Candida albicans is described. A 64-year-old woman was admitted complaining of pharyngeal pain, hoarseness, dysphagia, and pain behind the left angle of the mandible. In that hospital, she was diagnosed as having a laryngeal phlegmon. She was known to be diabetic and hypertensive since 54 years of age. After admission, she became dyspneic, and chest X-rays revealed left atelectasis, left pleural effusion and left pneumothorax. After a drain was inserted into the left thoracic cavity, she was transferred to our hospital. Chest X-rays showed widening of the mediastinum, an enlarged cardiac shadow, mediastinal emphysema, left pneumothorax and bilateral pleural effusion. A thoracic CT also showed extensive mediastinal emphysema. On March 19, 1988 we incised the abscess behind the left angle of the mandible and inserted drains into both the mediastinum and left thoracic cavity under general anesthesia. Candidiasis was diagnosed based on culture of pus obtained from the abscess behind the left angle of the mandible. She was treated with antibiotics intravenously and through both drainage tubes for about 1 month. She was cured and discharged after 5 months of hospitalization.
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PMID:[Mediastinitis and left pyopneumothorax complicating a laryngeal phlegmon]. 262 14

Pancreatitis may be associated with thoracic complications, notably chronic massive pleural effusion (CMPE) and, rarely, pseudocysts with mediastinal extension (PME) and enzymatic mediastinitis (EM). Our personal experience with 14 cases of thoracic complications (nine CMPE, two PME associated with pleural effusion, and three EM of 670 patients who underwent surgery; of these, 191 had acute and 479 had chronic pancreatitis) during 16 years (1970-1986) is reported. In the patients with CMPE, the initial symptoms were progressive dyspnea eventually associated with cough and chest pain. In the PME cases, there was dysphagia associated with left subscapular pain and left chest pain. The initial signs in the patients with EM were sudden dyspnea, cyanosis, retrosternal pain, tachycardia, and acute heart failure. A fistula between the pancreatic ductal system and the pleural cavity in seven of the nine patients with CMPE was demonstrated by intraoperative pancreatography and/or cystography. On the contrary, preoperative endoscopic pancreatography demonstrated the sinus tract in only three of the seven. In both cases of PME, computed tomography (CT) provided a correct diagnosis that was confirmed at surgery. In the patients with EM, the diagnosis was suggested by the clinical appearance and was confirmed by the chest roentgenogram and by CT. All patients had operations after varying periods of unsuccessful 2-4-week-long conservative treatment. One patient with infected ascites died postoperatively. There were no thoracic recurrences of pancreatic disease among the other patients at a 10-month-10-year follow-up observation after surgery.
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PMID:Thoracic complications of pancreatitis. 275 44

Fifteen patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer were treated with phototherapy. Each patient had dysphagia and weight loss before therapy and could not be operated on because of the extent of the tumor or poor performance status. Patients received a photosensitizer (hematoporphyrin derivative) 72 hours before phototherapy and were then treated by light delivered by an argon pumped dye laser or gold metal vapor laser at powers up to 2.2 W and doses of 337 J/cm2. Fourteen patients received 24 treatments. The results were all patients achieved a tumor response. The depth of response depended on the dose and dose rate of radiation. There were four of 24 local complications (mediastinitis 3, bronchoesophageal fistula 1). These occurred in patients treated with a power of greater than 1.5 W. There were two complete pathologic remissions in patients with locally advanced cancer. In conclusion, phototherapy is an effective alternative to other forms of palliation and potentially may be an alternative to surgery in selected cases of locally advanced esophageal cancer.
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PMID:High-dose photoirradiation of esophageal cancer. 360 45


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