UF Health Surgeon, Dr. Michael Latzko has extensive experience treating uncommon and rare medical conditions, including achalasia. Dr. Michael Latzko, former University of Florida Health surgeon explains that there are some other serious medical conditions that can resemble achalasia and discusses them below.
Esophageal Cancer: The symptoms of esophageal cancer resemble those associated with achalasia, according to Dr. Michael Latzko. Esophageal cancer may begin at almost any point in the esophagus (i.e., the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach). Further, small cancers may be asymptomatic or may be present without symptoms. As the tumor grows, the first sign may be difficulty in swallowing, pain upon swallowing, and/or feeling as if food were stuck behind the breastbone. Difficulty in swallowing may be accompanied by indigestion, heartburn, and choking and weight loss is not uncommon in patients suffering from esophageal cancer.
Other Swallowing Disorders: Swallowing disorders come in a variety of forms. Some are the result of disturbances of the brain such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Others can be the result of malfunctioning of parts of the throat involved in swallowing (for example, the pharynx may malfunction after a stroke).
