odynophagia (swallowing pain)

Introduction

Pain on swallowing.

Etiology

• mucosal inflammation: sharp burning pain
  • reflux esophagitis
  • esophageal infection (generally opportunistic)
    • Candida
    • Herpes virus
    • cytomegalovirus
    • bacterial esophagitis
  • pill esophagitis
• muscular spasm: squeezing, cramping pain
• distension of the esophagus
• tonsillitis
• laryngitis
• epiglottitis
• upper respiratory tractions
• xerostomia
• Zenkers diverticulum
• adenoiditis
• immune disorders
• esophageal cancer
• myasthenia gravis
• scleroderma
• Behcet's syndrome
• hyoid bone syndrome
• foreign body ingestion
• radiation injury
• caustic chemical ingestion
• Crohn's disease (rare)
• pancreatic pseudocyst (rare)
• sexually-transmitted disease
  • secondary syphilis, gonorrhea, Herpes simplex

Clinical manifestations

• association with dysphagia
• may occur on a background of heartburn

Diagnostic procedures

• swallowing study
• upper endoscopy

Radiology

• anteroposterior & lateral neck X-ray
• chest X-ray

Management

• depends upon specific etiology

More general terms

• pain [odyn-]

Additional terms

• chest pain
• dysphagia (swallowing disorder)
• pyrosis (heartburn)