Case report highlights esophageal compression by cervical osteophytes causing dysphagia in elderly patients, suggesting careful evaluation.
Dysphagia is a common symptom in the elderly, resulting from mechanical or neuromuscular etiology. Cervical osteophytes are a rare but notable mechanical cause of dysphagia due to external compression of the esophagus. We report the case of a 61-year-old woman who presented with gradually progressive dysphagia over 2 years. Imaging revealed large anterior cervical osteophytes causing esophageal indentation. She was managed conservatively with regular monitoring. This case highlights the importance of considering cervical osteophytes in the differential diagnosis of dysphagia in elderly patients and underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach to management.
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Vijayakumar et al. (2025) studied this question.
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