Dysphagia as a cause of chest pain: an otolaryngologist's view

Dysphagia is an important alarm symptom, commonly associated with chest pain; it is often associated with reflux disease, xerostomia, or tumors of the head and neck. However, simple diagnoses such as aspiration of a foreign body can be overseen and may result in major complications, such as perforation and mediastinitis. It is thus of crucial importance that a thorough gastrointestinal, cardiac, and radiologic examination precede a rigid esophagoscopy by an otolaryngologist. In this article the differential diagnoses of dysphagia are discussed, and the otolaryngologist's approach to diagnosis and therapy are explained.