Plummer-Vinson syndrome was first discovered by Henry Plummer an American internist, in a case series of patients with long-standing iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia and spasm of the upper esophagus without anatomic stenosis in his article “Diffuse dilatation of the esophagus without anatomic stenosis.” In the year 1919, Porter Paisley Vinson an American surgeon at the Mayo Clinic further described Plummer-Vinson syndrome in his article “A case of cardio-spasm with dilatation and angulation of the esophagus.” He reported a case of angulation of esophagus and attributed his findings to be consistent as described by Henry Plummer. In the year 1919, Donald Ross Patterson and Adam Brown Kelly, both British otolaryngologist described the characteristic clinical features of Plummer-Vinson syndrome in their article “A clinical type of dysphagia” and “Spasm at the entrance of the esophagus” respectively.

The historical perspective associated with Plummer-Vinson syndrome is as below:^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]}

• In 1543, Vesalius, a Belgian anatomist was the first to describe the anatomy of the esophagus.
• In 1592, Fabricius Aquapendente, an Italian surgeon used wax tampers to remove foreign bodies from the esophagus.
• In 1674, T. Willis, an English physician was the first to dilate the esophagus using whale bone.
• In 1764, Ludlow gave the first anatomic and pathophysiological description of pharyngoesophageal diverticulum.
• In 1806, Philipp Bozzini, a German physician developed an early endoscope, using a mirror and reflected light from a candle in an attempt to see the upper esophagus.
• In 1843, Switzer, a Denmark physician invented esophageal dilators.
• In 1844, John Watson, an American surgeon first performed esophagotomy for the relief of esophageal stricture.
• In 1872, Christian Albert Theodor Billroth, an Austrian surgeon performed the first excision of the esophagus.
• In 1883, H. Kronecker and S. Meltzer first used inserted balloons to describe esophageal motility and pressure measurements.
• In the year 1912, Henry Plummer an American internist, was the first to describe Plummer-Vinson syndrome in a case series of patients with long-standing iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia and spasm of the upper esophagus without anatomic stenosis in his article “Diffuse dilatation of the esophagus without anatomic stenosis.”
• In the year 1919, Porter Paisley Vinson an American surgeon at the Mayo Clinic further described Plummer-Vinson syndrome in his article “A case of cardiospasm with dilatation and angulation of the esophagus.” He reported a case of angulation of esophagus and attributed his findings to be consistent as described by Henry Plummer.
• In the year 1919, Donald Ross Paterson and Adam Brown Kelly, both British otolaryngologist described the characteristic clinical features of Plummer-Vinson syndrome in their article “A clinical type of dysphagia” and “Spasm at the entrance of the esophagus” respectively.
• In 1954, L.R. Celestin first developed an esophageal tube for the treatment of malignant dysphagia.
• In 1982, D. Fleischer was the first to use endoscopic laser as palliative therapy for esophageal carcinoma.