Radiologic evaluation of dysphagia

Abstract

Dysphagia is subjective awareness of swallowing difficulty during the passage of the solids or liquids from the mouth to the stomach. Barium swallow is often used in the assessment of patients with dysphagia in department of radiology. Dysphagia may be caused by abnormal structures of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus or gastric cardia. Dysphagia may be also caused by esophageal motility abnormalities, extrinsic compression of esophagus, infections of the esophagus, esophagus stricture, and esophageal cancer. Functional dysphagia can manifest with dysphagia. Knowledge of the barium swallow spectrum of the disease entities that may cause dysphagia help to avoid misdiagnosis and to treat patients correctly.