Endoscopic evaluation of dysphagia in two hundred and ninety-three patients with benign disease.

A total of 538 dilations were performed upon 293 patients evaluated at our unit. Of these, 4.8 per cent had cervical webs, 3.0 per cent had cricopharyngeal dysfunction, 9.2 per cent had undetermined cause, 3.4 per cent had achalasia, 65.5 per cent had peptic strictures, 3.8 per cent had Schatzki's ring, 2.4 per cent had esophagitis, 6.1 per cent had postoperative strictures, 0.3 per cent had caustic stricture and 1.4 per cent had extrinsic compression. True dysphagia should always be investigated through a careful history, physical examination, barium study, endoscopy and, infrequently, esophageal manometry.