Does a patulous esophagus increase the risk of cancer?

Question

Hi doctor,

A soft tissue neck CT scan said the esophagus is patulous. What does this mean? I am worried that I have esophageal cancer. I had untreated LPR, drank heavily for 10 to 12 years, and had an eating disorder for many years (severe restricting, chewing or spitting food, and throwing up).

Having high anxiety, as I just noticed that on the scab that was a year ago. Since then, I have stopped drinking, lost weight, and tried to adhere to a reflux diet.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can see that you have quite a few concerns about your health, and I will try to address all of them.

1. The esophagus is patulous and is not an abnormality by itself, but it may indicate a condition called scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis. Mentioning this finding on the computed tomography is intended to stimulate the treating physician to check for other signs of scleroderma, such as skin lesions and others. If those are absent, the patulous esophagus may be an incidental or transient issue.

2. Congratulations that you have abandoned drinking because it does nothing but harm. So, if you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you will gradually see improvement in your body and mind. The spit food you noticed a year ago is likely related to reflux disease (it may be instigated by alcohol, too), so you may find it helpful to consult a gastroenterologist and follow their advice.

3. There is no evidence on your neck CT scan or in your descriptions that you may be harboring esophageal cancer, so I would like to advise you to avert your worries, be positive, and get treatment for reflux disease.

The other findings and comments on the CT are also quite simple, and you can consult an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist for sinus problems if required.

I hope this helps.

Kindly revert if there are any queries.