| Irrespective of educational, economic status, women
slip into anemia inadvertently. Anemia is almost always
accompanied by vitamin deficiency.
This results in drying and transformation of the lining
epithelium of oral cavity and hypopharynx resulting
in difficulty in passage of food.
In severe cases cricopharyngeal sphincter hardens
and forms a web. There were even occasions where in
attempt to swallow a tablet has caused obstruction which
were cleared by endoscopy under GA.
Another co-marbidity to this condition is presence
of hyper acidity syndrome leading to oral iron intolerance
and hampering the intrinsic factor availability, making
the oral iron therapy difficult and ineffective.
Hence parenteral iron along with other nutritional
factors like B12, folic acid etc., is the treatment
of choice.
The investigations to be done to clinch the diagnosis
are Complete Haemogram including peripheral smear to
study the type of anemia. Barium swallow to demonstrate
a web and to rule out any other pathology.
In rare occasion oesophagoscopic dilatation under
general anesthesia has to done to get adequate passage
for swallowing.
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