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

Stenotic lesions of the esophagus in epidermolysis bullosa are a rare cause of dysphagia. Even though 50 cases have been reported in the literature, only recently has surgical treatment been suggested for these patients. In our patients, who had an annular stenosis just distal to the pharyngoesophageal juncture, resection of a mucosal cylindrical segment with reanastomosis through a longitudinal esophageal myotomy was successful. This method of treatment is suggested for patients in whom the stenosis is localized.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1975 May
PMID:Radical surgical treatment of esophageal stenosis due to epidermolysis bullosa. 112 77

Since January, 1972, the authors have operated upon 4 patients with idiopathic diffuse exophageal spasm. Clinical details and barium studies are included. Extramucosal myotomy extending from the gastric fundus to the aortic arch was done in each case. Pre- and postoperative manometric studies were carried out in all. After operation in each patient the dysphagia and substernal pain disappeared and in 3 patients radiological patterns changed. The myotomy was associated with marked fall of contractile wave pressures in the body of esophagus. The basal pressures of the esophageal body elevated, in 2 cases fell after the myotomy; in 2 with normal preoperative pressure it remained unchanged. At the lower esophageal sphincter the resting and yield pressures remained similar to the preoperative readings but the myotomy produced a disappearance of the relaxation and contraction pressure. The authors conclude that with myotomy they cannot correct the nature of the functional disorder but, by reducing the amplitude of the waves and lowering the resting pressure if elevated, they can relieve the patient's symptoms.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1975 Jul
PMID:Pre- and postoperative manometric studies in diffuse esophageal spasm. 115 94

Among 1,000 patients with hiatal hernias were 45 who had biopsy-proved columnar-lined esophagus (CLE). Twenty-one were male and 24 female, with bimodal age ranges peaking at zero to 10 and 48 to 80 years. Of the first decade patients, all boys, 2 were brothers. While 44 had dysphagia, one third also had iron-deficiency anemia. All had x-ray-proved sliding hiatal hernias, with esophageal stricturing at the squamous cell-columnar cell interface. In 43 cases this area was 35 cm. or less from the upper jaw. The epithelial histology showed simple, tubular, mucus-secreting glands (45 cases), goblet cells (7 cases), no goblet cells (38 cases), and gastric-type epithelium with parietal cells (19 cases). In 2 cases CLE was rising up the esophagus from 35 to 30 cm. in 3 years and from 40 to 23 cm. in 10 years. No stricture became neoplastic. Clinical evidence supports the view that CLE has a double etiology: It is congenital in children but acquired, akin to "intestinalization of the stomach," in adults with sliding hiatal hernias; in the latter instance, CLE occurs as an alternative end-point to reflux esophagitis. Treatments and long-term results are discussed. All patients had initial stricture dilatation with biopsy. In 17 this was the sole treatment. In 16 cases a later transthoracic herniorrhaphy was performed to reduce the hiatal hernia and prevent further stricturing. Fifteen patients had transmural strictures. For this group, our experience with Roux-Y esophagogastrostomy and esophagojejunogastrostomy, with stricture excision, and also with mere bypass of the stricture is stated. For the young, after stricture excision, eosophagojejunogastrostomy with pyloroplasty, performed in the second decade, is favored. In the elderly, especially after unsuccessful hiatal herniorrhaphy, eosophagojejunogastrostomy with stricture bypass proved satisfactory 3 years after the operation.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1976 Jun
PMID:Columnar cell-lined esophagus: assessment of etiology and treatment. A 22 year experience. 127 33

Twenty-three consecutive patients with advanced esophageal cancer were randomized to receive either endoluminal irradiation or laser photoablation treatment. Initial improvement in dysphagia scores was observed in 83% (brachytherapy) and 91% (laser). This improvement in dysphagia was maintained at 2 months in 75% (brachytherapy) and 81% (laser). Performance scores improved in 33% (brachytherapy) and 36% (laser). Both treatments were well tolerated, required a minimum of inpatient treatment time, and allowed patients to die without terminal admission to district referral centers. Retreatments were three times as common with laser therapy, but the frequency of treatment failures was equal. Minor complications, especially transient early dysphagia, was more common in the brachytherapy group, although the only major complication (perforation) occurred in the laser group. No procedure-related deaths occurred in either group.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1992 Jul
PMID:Prospective randomized clinical trial comparing brachytherapy and laser photoablation for palliation of esophageal cancer. 137 11

The physiologic abnormalities and management of patients with diffuse esophageal spasm are controversial. We evaluated the symptomatic and functional results of surgical therapy in 19 patients with diffuse esophageal spasm who were incapacitated with dysphagia and chest pain and unresponsive to conservative management. A long esophageal myotomy with an antireflux procedure was performed in 15 patients, and four patients with multiple previous esophageal procedures had an esophagectomy. Eleven patients had increased esophageal exposure to gastric juice on preoperative 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. The severity of dysphagia, chest pain, regurgitation, and heartburn was scored on a scale of 0 to 3 before and a mean of 24 months (range 8 months to 13 years) after the operation. After myotomy, each of these symptoms and the overall symptom score improved significantly (p < 0.01). The improvement in the symptom scores in the patients who had esophagectomy were comparable with the improvement after myotomy. On self-assessment, 90% of the patients would have the operation again if again faced with the decision. Standard and ambulatory 24-hour manometry showed a significant reduction in the amplitude of the esophageal body contractions, a decrease in the frequency of simultaneous contractions, and the elimination of multi-peaked waves after the myotomy. Despite the addition of an antireflux procedure, lower esophageal sphincter pressure, overall length, and abdominal length were reduced markedly after the myotomy. This was associated with persistent or emerging heartburn or regurgitation in four patients. These data indicate that a long esophageal myotomy is a valid treatment alternative in appropriately selected patients with diffuse esophageal spasm. Esophagectomy and colon interposition is the procedure of choice in patients with multiple previously failed myotomies.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1992 Oct
PMID:Physiologic assessment and surgical management of diffuse esophageal spasm. 140 82

Gastric emptying, upper esophageal sphincter pressure and intrathoracic gastric motility were studied in esophagectomized patients, ten with a gastric conduit in the posterior mediastinum and ten with a conduit in the retrosternal space. In addition, the clinical state was reassessed more than 6 months after esophageal reconstruction. Gastric emptying, assessed with Tc-99m Sn colloid in a semisolid test meal, did not differ between the two groups. In manometric studies a high-pressure zone distal to the upper esophageal sphincter was associated with dysphagia. A high-pressure zone at the anastomosis was found in 60% of the retrosternal group and 20% of the posterior mediastinal group. As regards food intake, the posterior mediastinal route seems to be preferable in esophageal replacement, since it permits more physiologic motility of the conduit.
Scand J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1992
PMID:Motility studies of the cervical esophagus with intrathoracic gastric conduit after esophagectomy. 143 41

The quality of life and alimentary comfort of 17 patients with esophageal cancer who were disease free more than 3 years after an esophageal resection were evaluated by analyzing responses to a follow-up questionnaire. Fourteen patients had subtotal esophagectomy and gastric pull-up to the neck. Three patients underwent a total esophagopharyngolaryngectomy, the digestive continuity being restored by means of an isoperistaltic colon segment interposed between the base of the tongue and the stomach. Current body weight, when compared with that existing postoperatively, was increased in 13 patients and unchanged in four. The number of meals per day was an average of 2.8, but 12 patients took additional snacks between main meals (2.3 as a mean). The major long-term complaints were a sensation of early fullness during eating in 11 patients, dysphagia in three, diarrhea in two, cough-induced vomiting in two, and postprandial sweating in two. Ratings given by self-evaluation of current alimentary comfort in comparison with that predating the initial esophageal symptoms ranged from 3 of 10 to 10 of 10 (mean 7.1/10). Thirteen patients led active lives, seven at home and six employed outside the home. The present survey suggests that most disease-free patients may obtain a satisfactory quality of life after esophagectomy and gastric or colonic pull-up; long-term alimentary comfort is conditioned mainly by the small capacity of the esophageal substitute.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1992 Aug
PMID:Quality of life three years or more after esophagectomy for cancer. 149 1

From October 1986 to January 1991, 47 patients with esophageal cancer (29 squamous, 18 adenocarcinoma) were treated with simultaneous radiotherapy (3000 or 3600 cGy) and chemotherapy (infusional 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin) delivered during a 5-week period. This treatment was well tolerated; 44 patients (94%) completed a full course of therapy, 40 (85%) had relief from dysphagia, and 21 (45%) noted either weight gain or no net weight loss. One patient (2%) died of complications (tracheoesophageal fistula, perforated ulcer) during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The remaining 46 patients were referred for operation. Six refused because of excellent relief of their dysphagia, and one was denied operation. Thirty-nine patients went to operation, and 34 (83%) had lesions that were resectable. Eight of the 39 surgically treated patients (21%) had no evidence of residual tumor identified in the resected specimens. One of these complete responders died 7 weeks postoperatively after multiple complications (3% operative mortality rate). Three of the remaining seven have also died since the operation, one of recurrent cancer and two with no known recurrent disease. Actuarial survival in this present series was significantly better than that of our 1980 to 1985 historical control patients (p less than 0.005). There was no difference between patients with squamous carcinoma and those with adenocarcinoma with regard to the prevalence of complete response or long-term survival. Survival of the seven patients who did not undergo operation was comparable with that of the 34 patients in whom esophagectomy was performed. This study suggests that combined preoperative chemotherapy plus radiotherapy for esophageal cancer is well tolerated, provides excellent palliation of symptoms, allows for a high rate of resectability, is equally effective for squamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, and provides encouraging early results with regard to long-term survival. The data also call into question the role of esophagectomy, particularly in patients who have a complete response to preoperative therapy.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1992 May
PMID:Preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma. 156 71

A 6-year experience (1981-1987) of palliative intubation of irresectable malignant oesophageal strictures is reported in 110 patients with a mean age of 70.3 (range 41-90) years. Pulsion intubation was performed on 71 patients, 11 (15.5%) of whom died, and traction intubation on 39 with 6 (15.4%) deaths. Seven deaths resulted from instrumental perforation, but six other patients survived perforation and left the hospital in satisfactory condition. Mean in-patient stay was 8 (range 1-26) days. Non-fatal tube-related complications were more common in pulsion intubation, but was found to be highly effective in relieving dysphagia, with shortened hospital stay (mean 6 days) and acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. These results indicate the trend towards, and the increased safety of, pulsion intubation.
Scand J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1990
PMID:Palliative intubation of malignant oesophageal strictures. 169 93

Primary noncarcinomatous malignant neoplasms of the esophagus are uncommon and data concerning treatment and results are sparse. To evaluate the results of therapy in this group, we reviewed the records of 32 patients with primary esophageal malignant tumors of unusual histologic type. Thirteen patients (41%) had sarcoma, eight (25%) melanoma, and 11 (34%) had oat cell carcinoma. Dysphagia was present in 78% (25/32) of the patients for a median of 13 weeks before diagnosis. Location of the esophageal primary tumor was upper third in four patients (12%), middle third in 12 (38%), and lower third in 16 (50%). Treatment consisted of esophagectomy in 10 of 13 patients with sarcoma (77%), seven of eight with melanoma (88%), and three of 11 with oat cell carcinoma (27%). Patients not undergoing resection received chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or both. The 3- and 5-year survival rates were 46% and 23% for sarcoma (median 20 months), 13% and 0% for melanoma (median 5 months), and 0% and 0% for oat cell carcinoma (median 5 months), respectively. Distant disease was the initial form of recurrence in 73% (11/15) of patients undergoing curative therapy. Surgical resection appears indicated for localized primary esophageal sarcoma. Optimum treatment of primary esophageal melanoma is less clear, but surgical resection may be of benefit in selected patients. Esophageal oat cell carcinoma is a systemic disease necessitating systemic therapy with local therapy reserved for palliation of dysphagia.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1991 Jan
PMID:Unusual malignant neoplasms of the esophagus. Oat cell carcinoma, melanoma, and sarcoma. 170 94


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