Chapter 54

Miscellaneous Diseases of the Esophagus: Foreign Bodies, Physical Injury, and Systemic and Dermatological Diseases

Seth D. Crockett

Seth D. Crockett

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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Evan S. Dellon

Evan S. Dellon

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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Nicholas J. Shaheen

Nicholas J. Shaheen

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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First published: 27 November 2015

Summary

As the portal to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the esophagus is susceptible to insults and injury from a variety of environmental exposures and to the effects of systemic and dermatological diseases. This chapter discusses several causes of esophageal pathology. The esophagus is the most common site of foreign body impaction in the GI tract, due to its proximal location and narrow caliber. Food is the most common cause of esophageal foreign body impaction (EFBI) in adults. Due to frequent use of high-risk medications, decreased salivation, and a higher prevalence of esophageal dysmotility, elderly patients are at increased risk for pill esophagitis. Pill esophagitis can largely be prevented with appropriate patient education. Once a corrosive injury has occurred, there is no role for inducing emesis, lavaging the esophagus, or using a neutralizing agent because these modalities have the potential to cause further mucosal damage.

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