
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Diffuse esophageal spasm physical examination
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Patients with primary diffuse esophageal spasm usually appear normal. Physical examination of patients with DES is usually remarkable for findings related to secondary diseases.
Physical Examination
Physical Examination
- Physical examination of patients with DES is usually remarkable for presence of features related to secondary diseases.
Appearance of the Patient
- Patients with primary DES usually appear normal.
Vital Signs
- High-grade / low-grade fever in infectious cause of DES
- Hypothermia / hyperthermia may be present
- Tachycardia with regular pulse or (ir)regularly irregular pulse
- Bradycardia with regular pulse or (ir)regularly irregular pulse
- Tachypnea / bradypnea
- Kussmaul respirations
- Weak / bounding pulse
- High / low blood pressure with normal pulse pressure
Skin
- Tight, hardened skin in limited scleroderma
- Red spots or lines in skin of face and hand due to telangiectasia in scleroderma
- Bumps under the skin due to deposition of calcium in scleroderma.
- Ulcers of finger and toes may be present in scleroderma
- Insect bite wound may be seen in Chaga’s disease with excoriation at the bite site.
HEENT
- Romana’s sign is seen in Chaga’s disease (swelling of eyelid at the site of parasite entry)
- Ophthalmoscopic exam may be abnormal with findings of diabetic retinopathy in diabetics as well as cataract changes.
- Lower extremities edema in Chaga’s disease.
- Dry mouth and dry eye in scleroderma.
Neck
- Lymphadenopathy (Chaga’s disease)
- Thyromegaly / thyroid nodules
Lungs
- Asymmetric chest expansion / Decreased chest expansion
- Lungs are hyperresonant in scleroderma.
- Fine/coarse crackles upon auscultation of the lung bases/apices bilaterally seen in scleroderma.
Heart
Heart involvement in Chagas’s cardiomyopathy are:
- Displaced point of maximal impulse (PMI).
- S3, S4
- Disturbances of rhythm (arrhythmias) may be noted in scleroderma.
Abdomen
- Abdominal distention or bloating is noted in Scleroderma, Diabetes.
- Hepatosplenomegaly is feature of Chaga’s disease.
Extremities
- Clubbing , Cyanosis are features of chronic involvement and fibrosis of lungs in Scleroderma.
- Pitting edema of the lower extremities may be noted in Chaga’s cardiomyopathy.
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Madhu Sigdel M.B.B.S.[2]
