Dysphagia for Solids That Get Stuck

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Dysphagia for solids that get stuck refers to difficulty in swallowing solid foods that tend to become trapped in the oesophagus. This condition may indicate an underlying pathology affecting oesophageal motility or the structure of the oesophagus.

Dysphagia can be progressive and, in some cases, may be accompanied by pain when swallowing (odynophagia). Identifying the cause of dysphagia is essential to provide appropriate treatment and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Pathology	Symptoms and Clinical Signs	Suspected Diagnosis	Confirmatory Diagnosis
Oesophageal disorders	Dysphagia for solids, sensation of a foreign body in the oesophagus, regurgitation, chest pain	Medical history, physical examination, history of oesophageal disease	Oesophageal endoscopy, oesophagogram, oesophageal manometry
Oesophageal carcinoma	Progressive dysphagia for solids, weight loss, chest pain, odynophagia, regurgitation	Medical history, physical examination	Endoscopy with biopsy, chest and abdominal CT scan
Carcinoma of the cardia	Dysphagia for solids, weight loss, epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, early satiety	Medical history, physical examination	Endoscopy with biopsy, abdominal CT scan, abdominal MRI
External oesophageal compression	Dysphagia for solids, compression symptoms (cough, dyspnoea), chest pain	Medical history, physical examination, compression symptoms	Chest CT scan, chest MRI, endoscopic ultrasound
Other causes	Symptoms vary according to underlying pathology, dysphagia, chest pain	Medical history, physical examination	Specific tests based on clinical suspicion