Esophageal disease Flashcards
What findings in the history and PE are suggestive of esophageal disease?
- Regurgitation
- Ptyalism
- Bulge in the esopahgus
- Palpate a mass or foreign body
- Pain on palpation (from lesion or esophagitis)
- Signs of pneumonia (ask if coughing)
- Malnutrition
Differential diagnoses for regurgitation - big categories (3)?
- Esophageal obstruction
- Esophageal perforation
- Others
Esophageal obstruction dfdx (7)?
- Foreign body
- Neoplasia
- Stricture
- Vascular ring anomaly
- Hiatal hernia
- Gastroesophageal intussusception
- Cricopharyngeal achalasia
Dfdx for esophageal perforation (3)
- Trauma
- FB
- Neoplasia
Other causes of esophageal disease (4)
- Esophagitis
- Generalized megesophagus (e.g. congenital, idiopathic, polyneuropathy, myasthenia gravis)
- Esophageal diverticulum
- Esophageal fistula with airway or skin
Which differential for an esophageal obstruction is an indication for emergency surgery?
- Gastroesophageal intussusception
- Probably a foreign body too
Which of the dfdx for esophageal disease cannot be resolved with surgery?
- Megaesophagus
- Esophagitis
- Esophageal diverticulum
Where is an esophageal foreign body most likely to lodge (3 locations)?
- At areas of resistance or narrowing, such as the thoracic inlet, the base of the heart, and the diaphragm
What are the layers of the esophagus?
- Mucosa
- Submucosa
- Muscularis
- Adventitia
Factors affecting healing of the esophagus
- Only segmental blood supply
- No omentum
- Lacks a serosa
Why do we tend to avoid esophageal surgery when possible?
- Due to propensity of the esophagus to heal poorly and to stricture
When is esophageal surgery unavoidable
- If manipulation of a FB via endoscopy might cause significant damage to the esophagus (e.g. abrasion from a FB wedged in tight, perforation by FB with sharp projections), surgery is needed
What are the first, second, and third choice for FB removal from the esophagus?
1st: pull esophageal FB out per os via endoscopy
2nd: Push esophageal FB into stomach via endoscopy and remove via gastrotomy
3rd: It’s time for a surgeon if the FB can’t be removed per os or pushed into the stomach
What are the two directions by which esophageal perforation can occur?
- Occur from inside out or outside in
What should you do in patients with a penetrating wound to the neck?
Why (2 reasons)?
- perform endoscopy to check for esophageal perforation because 1.) Consequences of missing a perforation can be serious and 2.) clinical signs may not be apparent for multiple days
What can you check for while assessing the esophagus for perforation?
- Check for tracheal damage the same time by scoping the trachea
- Scope the trachea first
What is the risk of a FB is left for a long time in the esophagus?
- Greater risk of perforation because of ongoing esophagitis and pressure necrosis, which compromise the esophageal wall
- Check for perforation before and after removing esophageal FB
Who do you call if the esophagus is perforated?
- SURGEON
How can you detect perforation of the esophagus?
- Esophagram
- Hole
- Surgery
- May not see the hole until FB is removed
How to do an esophagram?
- Use sterile, non-ionic, iodinated contrast because it might leak into the thorax
- Might not see if the FB is blocking
Why is thoracic esophageal perforation life threatening (3 reasons)?
- It can result in thoracic pathology such as mediastinitis, pleuritis, and pyothorax
- You need to diagnose this condition early (which means you have to have it on your ddx list and look for it with your diagnostics in order to have the best chance of treating successfully
When can medical management alone be considered with esophageal perforation (review)?
- small perforation in otherwise healthy tissue of the cervical esophagus
Treatment for a small perforation in otherwise healthy tissue of the cervical esophagus if not from an esophagostomy tube
- NPO x 3 days, antibiotics, treat for esophagitis (H2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors, GI protectorants)
Treatment needed for a hole made from the removal of an uncomplicated esophagostomy tube?
- No treatment needed
What primary esophageal tumors can be seen secondary to Spirocerca lupi (2)?
- Osteosarcoma
- Fibrosarcoma
What tumors besides those associated with Spirocerca lupi may be seen in the esophagus as primary tumors?
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Leiomyoma
Treatment for most esophageal tumors?
- Msot reespond poorly to radiation or chemo
- Surgery is possible if caught early
- Most esophageal tumors are advanced beyond the point where surgery makes sense by the time they are diagnosed
How does an esophageal stricture form?
- Circumferential damage to the muscle