Midesophageal web in adults.

Stenotic webs in the midesophagus of adults are rare. Including the present patient, only 6 have been described in the literature in English. Clinical presentation is characterized by dysphagia and insidious weight loss in a patient usually over 40 years old. The cause of the lesion is unknown. Based on knowledge of the embryological development of the esophagus and the absence of microscopical inflammatory changes in true webs, a congenital rather than inflammatory basis seems likely. Treatment of midesophageal webs can be accomplished by dilation, divulsion through an esophagoscope, or transthoracic excision.