Ventral osteophytes of the first two cervical vertebrae as a cause of dysphagia, surgical treatment (clinical case)

Aim. To describe a clinical case of surgical treatment of dysphagia caused by ventral osteophyte of the first two cervical vertebrae. Material and methods. At the Russian University of Medicine (Moscow, Russia) clinical medical center, a female patient underwent surgical treatment due to complaints of difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) and periodic respiratory difficulty, and symptomatic ventral osteophytes of the first to cervical vertebrae. Considering the location of the osteophyte, it was resected through transoral access. Results. For 2 weeks after surgery, the patient received nutrition through nasogastric tube. After transitioning to normal eating, the patient noted regression of dysphagia compared to the preoperative level. Conclusion. Ventral osteophyte of the cervical spine compressing the esophagus and pharynx is one of the rare causes of dysphagia. If osteophyte is located at the atlantoaxial level, transoral access allows to fully resect it and cure the patient’s dysphagia.