Prevalence of Dysphagia among Patients at Sohag University Hospital. Southern District of Egypt

objectives: To study the prevalence of dysphagia and its epidemiology, among patients admitted to the otothinolaryngology department, Sohag  University Hospital along a year, measure the approximate size of the problem in our community, and review the different modalities of treatments given.
Study design: A case series study.
Methods: This study included all patients with dysphagia who had been admitted in our department, between 1 of May 2012 and 30 of April 2013. All patients had been submitted to a thorough history taking of dysphagia. complete ENT and neurologic examination. Investigations included water: swallow test, radiologic, endoscopic and laboratory ones. dysphagia
Results: Among 1861 patients. 346 patients had dysphagia (18.6%). with a mean age of *25.8 years. The largest age group was below 10 years, Foreign Body swallowing was the main cause in 218 patients (63%), and number of surgically treated patients was 69% of total.
Conclusions: Dysphagia represents a main complaint in a significant number of patients admitted to ENT department all over a year. A large number of our patients required tube feeding or gastrostomy, reflecting the increasing underlying chronic and advanced pathologies.