Veterinary Clinical Medicine-I (General and Systemic)

Megaoesophagus

MEGAESOPHAGUS 

• Megaesophagus refers to esophageal dilation and hypomotility.
• It can be a primary disorder or secondary to esophageal obstruction or neuromuscular dysfunction.

Causes

• Congenital idiopathic megaesophagus
• Esophageal obstruction—esophageal foreign body, stricture, neoplasia, granuloma, vascular ring anomalies (e.g., persistent right aortic arch), periesophageal compression
• Neurologic and neuromuscular diseases—myasthenia gravis (focal or generalized), polymyositis (including systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE]), polyneuritis/polyradiculoneuritis, botulism, dysautonomia, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, degenerative, infectious/inflammatory, neoplasia, traumatic disorders of the brainstem and spinal cord, bilateral vagal damage.
• Miscellaneous—esophagitis, hypothyroidism, hypoadrenocorticism, thymoma (with secondarily acquired myasthenia gravis), toxicosis (lead, thallium, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors)