Esophagitis | |
---|---|
Micrograph of herpes esophagitis. H&E stain. | |
Classification and external resources | |
Specialty | gastroenterology |
ICD-10 | K20 |
ICD-9-CM | 530.10 |
DiseasesDB | 9182 |
MedlinePlus | 001153 |
MeSH | D004941 |
Esophagitis (or oesophagitis) is inflammation of the esophagus. It may be acute or chronic. Acute esophagitis can be catarrhal or phlegmonous, whereas chronic esophagitis may be hypertrophic or atrophic.
Symptoms may be relieved by antacids. Esophagitis causes symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting. If not treated, it causes discomfort and scarring of the esophagus. This makes swallowing food more difficult.
Forms of infectious esophagitis are typically seen in immunocompromised people. Types include:
Endoscopy can be used to distinguish among these conditions.
The severity of reflux esophagitis is commonly classified into four grades according to the Los Angeles Classification: