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Dysphagia due to diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis: an analysis of five cases

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Abstract

We report five cases of dysphagia caused by diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis or Forestier’s disease of the cervical spine observed by clinical evaluations, X-ray and videofluoroscopy. Dysphagia in particular was present for solid foods in all patients. Three patients showed bolus aspiration into the airways, mainly in the post-swallowing phase and one patient with preserved epiglottic tilt showed post-swallowing penetration. The physiopathogenetic mechanisms affecting swallowing dynamics were mechanical compression of the pharyngeal lumen associated with abnormal epiglottic tilt, incomplete upper esophageal sphincter openings and epiglottic/vallecula stasis. According to our results we can hypothesize that these kinetic alterations may due to Forestier’s disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (Servizio di Riabilitazione), University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 1, 35128, Padua, Italy

    Stefano Masiero & Elena Padoan

  2. Department of Rehabilitation, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Massimo Bazzi

  3. Department of Radiology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Alessandro Ponzoni

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  1. Stefano Masiero
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  2. Elena Padoan
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  3. Massimo Bazzi
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  4. Alessandro Ponzoni
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Correspondence to Stefano Masiero.

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Masiero, S., Padoan, E., Bazzi, M. et al. Dysphagia due to diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis: an analysis of five cases. Rheumatol Int 30, 681–685 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-009-0967-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-009-0967-7

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