What Is Esophageal Dilatation?

Dilatation of esophagus can be divided into two types: primary and secondary. The expansion that occurs above the narrow part of the esophagus is a secondary expansion. This section only describes the primary expansion, which can be divided into two types: extensive expansion and limited expansion.

Esophageal dilatation

Dilatation of esophagus can be divided into two types: primary and secondary. The expansion that occurs above the narrow part of the esophagus is a secondary expansion. This section only describes the primary expansion, which can be divided into two types: extensive expansion and limited expansion.

1. Extensive dilatation is also called congenital dilatation, the cause of which is unknown, and esophageal neuromuscular dysfunction causes a full esophageal dilatation. Due to the full expansion of the esophagus, it is also called megaesophagus.

2. Localized dilatation of the esophagus is the diverticulum (dlerticulum), which is often divided into two types: bulging (true) diverticulum and traction (pseudo) diverticulum. Dilated diverticulum is often due to congenital dysplasia of the smooth muscle layer of the esophagus wall, and the surface of the mucosa is caused by herniation here, which mostly occurs at the junction of the pharynx and esophagus, and rarely occurs in the lower esophagus. Diverticula mostly protrude from the posterior wall, due to the enlargement of the diverticulum, drooping in front of the spine; due to the accumulation of food in the diverticulum, the esophagus is often compressed and narrowed. Traction diverticulum is often caused by chronic inflammation of the tissues around the esophagus (such as tuberculosis of the lymph nodes), resulting in scarring contraction and traction on the esophagus wall, which mostly occurs on the anterior wall of the esophagus and expands like a funnel.