What is esophageal mucosal injury?

summary

Esophageal mucosal injury is often caused by eating rough and dry food or swallowing sharp foreign body scratch esophageal mucosa. It can also be caused by drinking or food overheating. Esophagoscopy and gastroscopy, esophageal dilation, and even placement of gastric tube can also cause esophageal mucosal injury. What is esophageal mucosal injury? Next, I'd like to share my views with you.

What is esophageal mucosal injury?

The symptoms of mild mucosal injury are mild or even no obvious symptoms. Mild mucosal injury is often manifested as: pain and burning behind the sternum when swallowing food; The pain can radiate to the left side of the back and below the scapula,

If there is no serious infection, the above symptoms can disappear in 3-5 days, but a few patients with infection form submucosal abscess, have high fever, severe pain after sternum, and even can't eat. Need to wait for the abscess to rupture, after discharge, the symptom alleviates or disappears. Submucosal abscess can be formed by mucosal injury complicated with infection.

Mucosal injury can also be manifested as submucosal hematoma, which makes the surface layer of esophageal mucosa and lamina propria peel off in a tubular shape, spit out from the mouth, hang like a belt at the corner of the mouth, and connect with the pharynx. It is called "tubular exfoliation of esophageal mucosa", also known as "superficial exfoliative esophagitis" and "traumatic exfoliative esophagitis".

matters needing attention

Avoid scratching the esophageal mucosa when swallowing hard food or sharp foreign bodies. To avoid iatrogenic esophageal mucosal injury during esophagoscopy or gastroscopy, especially in the elderly and young children.