Dysphagia and other esophageal symptoms

Dysphagia is a common symptom that can be associated with different benign and malignant diseases. It can be classified as oropharyngeal or esophageal and may be secondary to functional, mechanical, or neurological conditions. A proper evaluation of characteristics (onset, duration, and progression) of dysphagia, along with associated symptoms is key to prompt the patient evaluation: upper endoscopy, barium swallow, esophageal high-resolution manometry, and ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring are the tests that are most commonly obtained to define the cause of dysphagia of esophageal origin.