Oesophageal Disorders Flashcards
What is heartburn?
Retrosternal discomfort/burning
Waterbrash (acidic taste)
Cough
Consequence of acid reflux
What is dysphagia?
Difficulty swallowing foods and/or liquids
In dysphagia, what things should be enquired about?
Type of food (solid/liquid)
Pattern
Associated features (weight loss, cough)
What are the 2 locations that dysphagia occur?
Oropharyngeal (high)
Oesophageal
What are the causes of oesophageal dysphagia?
Benign stricture Malignant stricture (cancer) Motility disorders Eosinophilic oesophagitis Extrinsic compression (e.g. lung cancer)
What type of investigations can be done for oesophageal disease?
Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD) Upper GI endoscopy Contrast radiology (barium swallow) pH-metry (for heartburn/reflux) Manometry
When is an endoscopy used?
Investigation of dysphagia or reflux symptoms WITH alarm features
When is a barium swallow used?
In high dysphagia to exclude pharyngeal pouch or post-cricoid web prior to endoscopy
What does a pH-metry involve?
Nasal catheter with pH sensors placed at both UOS and LOS to monitor reflux
What is manometry?
Muscle contraction monitoring
Used in investigation of dysphagia or suspected motility disorder
What does manometry do?
Assesses sphincter tonicity, relaxation of sphincters and oesophageal motility
What does hypermotility look like on a barium swallow?
Oesophagus has a corkscrew appearance
What are the symptoms of hypermotility?
Severe, episodic chest pain with or without dysphagia
Can be confused with angina/MI
What does manometry show for hypermotility?
Exaggerated, uncoordinated, hypertonic contractions
What is the treatment for hypermotility?
Smooth muscle relaxants
What is hypomotility associated with?
Connective tissue disease
Diabetes
Neuropathy
What does hypomotility do?
Causes failure of LOS mechanism which leads to heartburn/reflux symptoms
What is achalasia?
Degeneration of inhibitory neurons in the myenteric plexus in the oesophagus
Causes failure of LOS to relax which results in functional distal obstruction of oesophagus
What is the incidence of achalasia?
1-2 / 100,000
What are the symptoms of achalasia?
Progressive dysphagia (solids + liquids)
Weight loss
Chest pain (30%)
Regurgitation + chest infection
What does manometry in achalsia look like?
High pressure in LOS at rest
Failure of LOS to relax after swallowing
Absence of useful contractions in lower oesophagus
What are the 4 types of treatment for achalasia?
PHARMACOLOGICAL: nitrates, CCBs
ENDOSCOPIC: botulinum toxin pneumatic balloon dilation
RADIOLOGICAL: pneumatic balloon dilation
SURGICAL: myotomy
What are the complications of achalasia?
Aspiration pneumonia/lung disease
Increased risk of squamous cell oesophageal carcinoma
What causes gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)?
Due to pathological acid (+ bile) exposure to lower oesophagus
What are the symptoms of GORD?
Heartburn
Cough
Waterbrash
Sleep disturbance