Brachioesophagus [Brachyoesophagus; Brachy- + Anat. Esophagus (Oesophagus) Food]

Brachiesophagus is a congenital abnormality of the esophagus, in which it has an abnormally short length.

The term brachiesophagus comes from the Greek words “brachy” meaning “short” and “esophagus” meaning esophagus.

With brachiesophagus, the length of the esophagus is less than 6-8 cm compared to the normal length of 20-26 cm. This leads to disruption of the passage of food from the esophagus to the stomach.

The causes of brachiesophagus are not completely clear. It is assumed that this is due to disorders of the embryonic development of the esophagus.

Diagnosis of brachiesophagus is based on X-ray examination with contrast of the esophagus.

The main manifestations of the disease are dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), regurgitation (return of food back into the esophagus and mouth) and frequent aspiration of food, which can cause pneumonia.

Treatment primarily involves adapting the diet, grinding the food and giving it a porridge-like consistency. In severe cases, surgical lengthening of the esophagus may be required.

The prognosis for brachiesophagus can be serious due to the risk of developing chronic aspiration pneumonia and nutritional deficiency. Therefore, early diagnosis and adequate treatment of this disease is important.