Neuroimaging in patients with dysphagia

Abstract

With increasing availability of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), patients with dysphagia are nowadays often investigated with these modalities in order to localize a possible site of injury causing dysphagia. However, these radiological modalities often reveal some abnormalities especially in elderly patients, and the correlation of these findings with clinical symptoms needs therefore a good knowledge about the anatomy of different structures involved in swallowing. Beside description of these different anatomical structures and the most common pathological conditions that cause dysphagia, this chapter is also enriched with illustrative radiological images, often at the axial plane that radiologists are familiar with.