Cricopharyngeal achalasia in an old dog

Im, Ji-Eun; Yoon, Hun-Young; Kim, Seung-Gon; Lee, Chang-Min; Eom, Ki-Dong; Park, Hee-Myung

doi:2014.54.4.261

Korean J Vet Res > Volume 54(4); 2014 > Article

Case report

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 2014;54(4):261-263.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14405/kjvr.2014.54.4.261 Published online December 22, 2014.

Cricopharyngeal achalasia in an old dog

Ji-Eun Im¹, Hun-Young Yoon², Seung-Gon Kim¹, Chang-Min Lee¹, Ki-Dong Eom³, Hee-Myung Park¹

¹Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University
²Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University
³Department of Veterinary Radiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University

Abstract

A 10-year-old castrated male papillon presented with nasal discharge, coughing and chronic dysphagia. On physical examination, the dog exhibited sneezing, gurgling and movement of the throat with repeated attempts to swallow fluids. A diagnosis of cricopharyngeal achalasia (CPA) was made based on video fluoroscopic demonstration of failure of relaxation of the upper esophageal sphincter. This report describes the diagnosis of CPA in an old dog, which is rarely diagnosed in older animals.

Key Words: cricopharyngeal achalasia, dog, dysphagia, upper esophageal sphincter