Dysphagia due to cervical spondylosis

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Gastroenterology
• Neurology

Background:

• Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, can arise from various causes, including mechanical obstruction.
• Cervical osteophytes, bony outgrowths from the cervical spine, are typically associated with neck pain or limited mobility.
• Mechanical obstruction by cervical osteophytes causing dysphagia is an uncommon presentation.

Observation:

• A patient presented with dysphagia, experiencing difficulty swallowing.
• Clinical examination and imaging revealed significant cervical osteophytes.
• The osteophytes were observed to impede the normal retroversion of the epiglottis during the swallowing process.

Findings:

• The primary finding was cervical osteophytes causing mechanical obstruction of the pharyngeal passage.
• Specifically, the osteophytes interfered with epiglottic retroversion, a critical component of the swallowing mechanism.
• This specific mechanism of dysphagia due to cervical osteophytes has not been previously documented in medical literature.

Implications:

• This case broadens the differential diagnosis for dysphagia, particularly in patients with cervical spine abnormalities.
• It underscores the importance of thorough investigation in dysphagia cases to identify the underlying pathology, even rare mechanical causes.
• Further research may explore the prevalence and specific biomechanics of osteophyte-induced swallowing dysfunction.