Anterior cervical osteophytes causing dysphagia.

A review of the literature and four additional cases of surgical excision of anterior cervical osteophytes causing dysphagia is presented. Surgical excision of the osteophytes is recommended only after a complete evaluation to rule out other causes of dysphagia and after an adequate period of conservative therapy. The patients must be advised that frequently symptoms will recur to some extent as time progresses. In patients who have findings consistent with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH Syndrome) recurrence of the osteophyte appears to be more common.