Dysphagia and Forestier's disease
E. C. Deutsch, J. A. Schild and M. F. Mafee
Dysphagia is a common complaint of patients seen by otolaryngologists.
Cervical osteophytes have been widely reported as a cause of dysphagia.
Recently, Forestier's disease (vertebral ankylosing hyperostosis or diffuse
idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis) has also been identified as a cause of
dysphagia. Two patients had dysphagia due to Forestier's disease. Their
barium esophagograms demonstrated narrowing of the esophagus due to the
vertebral osteophytes and their computed tomographic scans show the extent
of the osteophyte deformity.
