ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case history of a 67-year-old gentleman who has been referred by his general practitioner with a 3-month history of difficulty in swallowing. In his past medical history he had an myocardial infarctions (MI) five years ago, and also suffers with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Swallowing is an organised, co-ordinated, sequential process that involves sensory and proprioceptive input from receptors in the mouth, oropharynx and pharynx. Swallowing comprises three phases: oral, pharyngeal, and oesophageal. Dysphagia can be caused by: obstruction, and dysmotility. These two categories can be used to describe pathology at any point during swallowing. A history of dysphagia with both solids and liquids points towards possible dysmotility. A history of rapidly progressive dysphagia from solids to liquids is more in keeping with a carcinoma. From the history, the patient has significant risk factors for the development of oesophageal cancer. Most oesophageal cancers are either adenocarcinoma or squamous cell.
