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Esophageal membrane: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Esophageal membrane (synonyms: Congenital diaphragm of the esophagus, membranous atresia, lower esophagic membrane, Shatsky ring, Ring B).
Esophageal membrane - stricture of the mucosa of the esophagus 2-4 mm, most likely congenital, causing, like a ring, narrowing of the distal esophagus on the border of a multilayer flat nonkeratinized and cylindrical epithelium. This membrane is a flap of connective tissue, covered with cornified epithelium. Pathology is almost always localized in the upper esophagus. In the membrane, there are often holes that partially skip food.
ICD-10 code
Q39.4. Esophageal membrane.
[Symptoms of the esophageal membrane
Symptoms of the esophageal membrane usually appear when the lumen of the esophagus is less than 12 mm in diameter, and symptoms are absent if the diameter is greater than 20 mm.
When dietary foods are introduced into the diet, dysphagia develops. With a large hole in the membrane, food enters the stomach. Children, as a rule, thoroughly chew food. Under the action of food residues, the membrane often becomes inflamed.
What's bothering you?
Diagnosis of the esophageal membrane
The diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms, data of fibro-esophagogastroscopy, contrast study of the esophagus. If the distal esophagus is compensatively dilated, the membrane is well visualized by radiography of the esophagus with barium.
What do need to examine?
Treatment of the esophageal membrane
Gradual expansion of the esophagus with probes of various diameters. The diaphragm, completely overlapping the lumen of the esophagus, is removed under endoscopic control.
Patients should be informed that in the case of a wide membrane, a thorough chewing of food is the only method of treatment, but with a membrane causing a significant narrowing of the lumen, endoscopic dilatation or bougie is necessary. Surgical resection is rarely used.
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