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Case Reports
. 2009 Apr-Jun;19(2):132-4.
doi: 10.4103/0971-3026.50831.

DISH of the cervical spine causing epiglottis impingement

Tommaso Bartalena  1 , Francesco Buia, Alberto Borgonovi, Maria Francesca Rinaldi, Cecilia Modolon, Francesco Bassi
Affiliations
Case Reports

DISH of the cervical spine causing epiglottis impingement

Tommaso Bartalena et al. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2009 Apr-Jun.

Abstract

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a condition characterized by calcification and ossification of ligaments and entheses; it mainly affects the vertebral column. We report the case of a patient with pharyngeal dysphagia and episodic aspiration secondary to DISH involvement of the cervical spine, which had caused alteration in the epiglottic tilt mechanism during deglutition.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1 (A–C)
Figure 1 (A–C)
Spot films from a videofluoroscopy swallowing study. Precontrast image (A) shows diffuse thick prevertebral ossification (arrows) of the cervical spine. Intervertebral discs heights are preserved. A congenital C2-C3 block vertebra is seen. The tip of the epiglottis (at rest) is located at the C3-C4 level. Pharyngeal phase of deglutition (B, C). Hyoid bone and laryngeal elevation are seen, but the epiglottis fails to invert because of impingement by the C3-C4 ossification (arrowhead in B). Note pooling of contrast in the valleculae (asterisk in B) and laryngeal penetration (arrow in C)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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