Cervical oesophageal webs in patients with dysphagia.

A series of 250 patients with dysphagia examined by cine-radiography and conventional single film technique revealed oesophageal webs in 38 and 26 patients respectively. In four patients there were two webs. There were eight males and 30 females which corresponds to an incidence of 8 and 20%, respectively (mean 15%), in patients referred for X-ray examination of the hypopharynx or oesophagus. Concomitant functional abnormalities in the act of swallowing were seen in 25 patients, i.e. pharyngeal constrictor muscle paresis of varying degree, cricopharyngeal incoordination, misdirected swallowing, epiglottic dysfunction and Zenker diverticulum. In five patients there was a malignant lesion as well, i.e. in the larynx, oesophagus, pharynx or stomach. With the aid of cine-radiography it is possible to show the presence of webs in a significantly higher proportion of patients with dysphagia compared with the conventional spot film technique. With cine-radiography it is also possible to demonstrate concomitant functional abnormalities which are frequently present in these patients.