Table 3.
Rheumatological causes of dysphagia
Condition | Description |
Scleroderma[52] | Distal oesophageal dysmotility, part of the CREST syndrome |
Sjogren’s syndrome[49] | Xerostomia limits bolus lubrication and food passage, proximal oesophageal dysmotility |
Rheumatoid arthritis[45] | Proximal oesophageal dysmotility. Always consider and rule out associated cervical spine disease |
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)[45] | Proximal oesophageal dysmotility |
Degenerative cervical spine disease, surgery on the cervical spine and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)[48,54] | Anterior cervical osteophytes cause extrinsic compression of the oropharynx and proximal oesophagus |