An Unusual Disease With a Common Presentation: Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction in Inclusion Body Myositis

Oscar A Ramirez Ramirez; Luke Hillman

doi:10.14309/crj.0000000000001194

An Unusual Disease With a Common Presentation: Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction in Inclusion Body Myositis

ACG Case Rep J. 2023 Nov 2;10(11):e01194. doi: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001194. eCollection 2023 Nov.

Authors

Oscar A Ramirez Ramirez¹, Luke Hillman²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.
² Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Madison, University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.

Abstract

Cricopharyngeal (CP) dysfunction is a frequent cause of dysphagia among patients with inclusion body myositis. Early identification and prompt treatment is necessary because aspiration pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality among these patients. We present a case of a 57-year-old woman with a history of inclusion body myositis who presented with progressive dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia found to have CP dysfunction treated with endoscopic CP myotomy. Postoperatively, patient's dysphagia improved with no further episodes of aspiration at 2-year follow-up.

Keywords: cricopharyngeal dysfunction; cricopharyngeal myotomy; dysphagia; inclusion body myositis.

Publication types

Case Reports