stricture

hi all. what's a stricture? sue

Hi Sue, I wasn't sure what is was either...but I found this online. "What Is a Stricture? The lower esophagus can open to the size of a quarter or wider. When recurrent inflammation occurs in the esophagus, scarring develops, underlying tissues become fibrous, and the opening narrows. In advanced cases, this narrowing, or stricture, can be severe. The opening may be reduced to the size of a pencil or even smaller. Food and fluid are delayed and only move slowly across the opening into the stomach. A large piece of food, such as meat, may completely block the esophagus. As mentioned, cancer can narrow the esophagus in the same way. Therefore, it is critical that the physician rule out this diagnosis." (www) gicare.com/pated/ecdgs05.htm They also show pictures. Hope this helps! Jenn