Esophageal disorders

Question 1

What is achalasia?

Answer 1

primary esophageal disorder with unknown cause with insufficient LES relaxation and loss of esophageal peristalsis

Question 2

What are possible causes of achalasia?

Answer 2

hereditary, degeneration, autoimmune, and infectious factors

Question 3

What are the symptoms of achalasia?

Answer 3

dysphagia for solids and liquids, regurgitation, and chest pain

Question 4

What is a diffuse esophageal spasm?

Answer 4

repetitive, high amplitude contractions of the smooth muscle portion of the esophagus

Question 5

During diffuse esophageal spasms, the ___ and ___ relax normally.

Answer 5

striated and LES

Question 6

What is another name for a diffuse esophageal spasm?

Answer 6

“cork-screw esophagus”

Question 7

What are strictures?

Answer 7

any loss of lumen area within the esophagus

Question 8

What is nutcracker esophagus?

Answer 8

It is a variation of Diffuse esophageal spasms and there are high amplitude contractions of the distal esophagus

Question 9

The normal esophagus measures ____ in diameter.

Answer 9

20mm

Question 10

The predominant clinical symptom of strictures is a lumenal diameter of ____.

Answer 10

less than 15 mm

Question 11

What is a schatzki ring?

Answer 11

narrowing of the lower part of the esophagus caused by a ring of mucosal tissue

Question 12

What is gastro-esophageal reflux disorder? (GERD)

Answer 12

mucosal damage produced by abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus

Question 13

What is Barrett’s esophagos?

Answer 13

erosion of the layers of the esophagus that can cause cancer

Question 14

What are the classic symptoms of GERD?

Answer 14

frequent and persistent heartburn. Persistent sore throat, hoarseness, chronic cough, asthma, heart-like chest pain, and a feeling of a lump in the throat

Question 15

What are causes of GERD?

Answer 15

LES barrier impairments, relaxation of LES, low resting LES pressure, increased gastric pressure, esophageal mucosal resistance, decreased clearance of reflux materials

Question 16

What is Laryngo-pharyngeal reflux? (LPR)

Answer 16

gastric contents reach the level of the UES and spill over into the laryngeal areas that causes erosion of laryngeal mucosa and contact ulcers

Question 17

How is LPR identified?

Answer 17

pH monitoring

Question 18

LPR causes…

Answer 18

vocal symptoms and can cause aspiration

Question 19

What is esophageal diverticula?

Answer 19

sac that protrudes from the esophageal wall.

Question 20

What is the most common type of esophageal diverticula?

Answer 20

Zenker’s diverticulum

Question 21

What is the only treatment for esophageal diverticula?

Answer 21

surgery

Question 22

What are symptoms of esophageal diverticula?

Answer 22

Cough
Bad Breath
Regurgitation of undigested food
May see a bulge in the throat
May have repeated Pneumonia.

Question 23

What is the Killian’s Triangle?

Answer 23

the space between the cricopharyngeal sphincter and the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle

Question 24

What is scleroderma?

Answer 24

connective tissue disorder that weakens the LES and is increases the risk of GERD

Question 25

What region is primarily affected by scleroderma?

Answer 25

the smooth muscle region

Question 26

Scleroderma causes…

Answer 26

hypomotility, heartburn, dysphagia