Dysphagia due to mediastinal fibrosis in advanced pulmonary tuberculosis

Dysphagia in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis may be due to tuberculous esophagitis or compression of the esophagus by enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes or mediastinal fibrosis. We studied the clinical and radiologic findings in nine patients with advanced pulmonary tuberculosis who presented with dysphagia. In each patient, dysphagia first occurred while the patient was on antituberculous therapy. Chest radiographs in each case showed extensive tuberculous disease of the lung, affecting especially the left upper lobe. In addition, dense mediastinal pleural fibrosis was seen along the medial aspects of the upper thorax. Tomograms did not show mediastinal lymph node enlargement. Barium esophagograms showed extrinsic compression and various degrees of narrowing of the supracarinal part of the esophagus. No mucosal abnormality was seen on esophagoscopy. On the basis of these findings, the compression of the esophagus in these patients was attributed solely to tuberculous mediastinal fibrosis. The dysphagia remained constant in all patients except one, in whom worsening dysphagia improved after balloon dilatation. We conclude that mediastinal fibrosis is a significant cause of dysphagia in patients with advanced pulmonary tuberculosis.