Intermittent throat tightness in a 37-year-old woman

Intermittent throat tightness with dysphagia can be a complaint with numerous potential underlying causes. It was useful to think of this patient's complaints as secondary to an allergic, neuromuscular, or mechanical/structural disorder. Dysphagia can usually be separated into two broad categories according to location: oropharyngeal or esophageal. The patient typically can help one localize the area of involvement by pointing to the area where the difficulty in swallowing is felt to be present. This patient pointed to the throat area. Helpful diagnostic studies in the evaluation of oropharyngeal dysphagia include barium swallow with cine-esophagogram, rhinopharyngoscopy, or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. It was interesting that this patient was referred to the Allergy Service because a physician felt that intermittent laryngeal angioedema was also a possible consideration. It is known that dysphagia, hoarseness, and sensations of throat tightness or closing frequently accompany this entity. The finding of a palpable thyroid was the clue that further evaluation of this organ was also indicated. Alfonso et al have reported on tracheal or esophageal compression secondary to benign thyroid disease. In their series, goiter, though previously felt to be associated with a low incidence, was reported to have an overall high incidence. Of the several types of thyroid disease encountered, they noted thyroiditis was associated with the highest likelihood of compression and a 67% frequency of associated obstruction. Our patient's scan and uptake findings are consistent with thyroiditis although multinodular goiter may occasionally show similar results. This case reminds us that in the differential of laryngeal angioedema and complaints associated with the throat or referred in the throat area, local extrinsic compression secondary to masses should be included. In this patient, a goiter, of which the extent of gland enlargement may not be fully appreciable on physical examination, was determined to be the etiology of her complaints. She was placed on a thyroid hormone suppression treatment regimen. At a followup visit several months later, she noted marked improvement of her symptoms with resolution of her dysphagia and episodes of throat tightness.