T Flashcards
What is dysphagia
Difficulty in swallowing
What is odynophagia
Painful swallowing - red flag symptom for cancer
Which nerve is involved with pharyngeal phase of swallowing?
Glossopharygneal
Congenital causes of dysphagia
Tracheo-oesophageal fistula
Oesophageal stricture
Acquired pre-oesophgeal inflammatory causes of dysphagia
Tonsilitis Pharyngitis Quinsy Parapharyngeal abscess Ludwing's Angina Glandular Fever
Inflammatory and infective acquired oesophageal cause of dysphagia
Infective - Candidiasis
Inflammatory - Oesophagitis - GORD
Neurological acquired oesophageal cause of dysphagia
Achalasia
Diffuse spasm
Compressive acquired oesophageal cause of dysphagia
Mediastinal mets
Aortic aneurysm
Osteophytes - in the neck
Psychological cause of dysphagia
Globus pharyngeus = “lump in the throat” - related to anxiety
Will present as not being able to initiate swallowing - the only dysphagia that presents with this
Dysphagia in the older patient - protrusion at neck
Pharyngeal pouch
What is Ludwigs angina?
Adontogenic infection causing a spreading cellulitis in the floor of the mouth, means that tongue is being pushed up to the soft palate
Dysphagia obstruction felt at the level of the sternal notch
Globus pharyngeus
Presentation of tonsilitis
Hx of pyrexia, dysphagia, lymphadenopathy and severe malaise
Usual cause of tonsilitis
Usually bacterial - B-haemolytic strep is the commonest organism
Also viral are common
Criteria for antibiotic prescription in tonsilitis
Centor Criteria
Presence of all 4 of the following indicate need to antibiotic treatment
3 or less - just supportive treatment
1) History of fever >38
2) Tonsillar exudates
3) No cough
4) Tender anterior cervical lymphadenopathy
What is a pharyngeal pouch
Weakness between the pharyngeal constrictor muscles (Kilian’s dehiscence) through which the pharyngeal mucosa bulges
Where does pharyngeal pouch lie?
Originally it lies posteriorly but then as it enlarges it moves laterally - usually to the left
Further enlargement pushes the oesophagus aside and food passes into the pouch not down
When and in who do pharyngeal pouches occur most commonly?
6th-9th decade
M:F = 3/2:1
Symptoms of pharyngeal pouch
Dysphagia
Immediate regurgitation
Aspiration
Neck Lump
Treatment of pharyngeal pouch
Endoscopic stapling
Or external approach with excision of the pouch
What is Plummer-Vinson or Paterson-Brown-Kelly syndrome?
Epithelial changes occuring in the oesophagitis due to iron deficiency causing glossitis
May be fine web or membrance encircling the oesophagus
Who does PV or PBK syndrome occur most frequently in?
Middle-aged women
associated with other signs of iron deficiency
Dysphagia where food and liquid does not leave the throat easily and regurgitates through the nose and/or causes a cough
Neurological
eg. bulbar or pseudobulbar palsy or MG
Rapid onset dysphagia with food sticking immediately after swallowing - doesn’t leave the throat easily
Carcinoma of pharynx
Slow onset dysphagia with food sticking immediately after swallowing - doesn’t leave the throat easily
Benign stricture or web - of pharynx
Dysphagia where leaves the throat easily - gets progressively more difficult to swallow and develops over a short period, with relentless progression and impact pain
Carcinoma of oesophagus
Dysphagia where leaves throat easily - gets progressively more difficult to swallow and has a longer more intermittent progression. Also odonophagia
Benign peptic stricture
Dysphagia + ear pain on swallowing (weight loss)
Cancer!!!
3 ways for voice rehabilitation after laryngectomy
Electromechanical speech
Oesophageal speech
Tracheo-oesophageal (shunt) speech - puncture into oesophagus therefore communication from lungs to mouth
When to admit/refer a sore throat/tonsillitis x3
Airway compromise
Dysphagia (saliva very urgent because means more than tonsillitis eg. abscess)
Systemic involvement - sepsis
Traumatic causes of sore throat x4
Thermal
Chemical - alcohol, reflux, TB
Infective causes of sore throat x5
Tonsillitis Glandular fever Epiglottitis Diptheria Candida
Complicatative causes of sore throat x3
Peritonsillar abscess
Parapharyngeal abscess
Retropharyngeal abscess (may lead to acute airway obstruction therefore emergency)
Causes of oral ulceration x5
Apthous ulcers Trauma HSV Leukaemia pemphigus Pemphigoid
Viral causes of throat infection
Influenza, parainfluenza, Adenovirus, Rhinovirus, RSV, EBV, Herpes Simplex