Esophageal disorders are commonly seen in the emergency department. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) should always be taken seriously and should never be considered a functional complaint, whereas odynophagia (painful swallowing) is usually caused by an inflammatory process. This article addresses dysphagia/odynophagia, as well as esophagitis, neoplasms, gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal trauma, and the often difficult differentiation of chest pain of esophageal origin.
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