#march2020mccqe1
A 35-year-old man complains of difficulty eating food and drinking liquids. On history he reveals that he can swallow the food but feels as though what he eats and drinks does not “go anywhere” after he swallows. He has recently begun to vomit undigested food, and he has a cough that wakes him from sleep at nighttime. He has lost 5 lb within the past month without trying to lose weight. His laboratory studies are normal. A barium swallow shows dilation of the distal esophagus with a tapered end. Which of the following is the most likely cause of his disorder?
(A) A defect in segmentation contraction
(B) A defect in the migrating myoelectric complex
(C) A defect in the neural network of the myenteric plexus
(D) Damage to the vagus nerve
(E) Increased amounts of vasoactive intestinal peptide
A 35-year-old man complains of difficulty eating food and drinking liquids. On history he reveals that he can swallow the food but feels as though what he eats and drinks does not “go anywhere” after he swallows. He has recently begun to vomit undigested food, and he has a cough that wakes him from sleep at nighttime. He has lost 5 lb within the past month without trying to lose weight. His laboratory studies are normal. A barium swallow shows dilation of the distal esophagus with a tapered end. Which of the following is the most likely cause of his disorder?
(A) A defect in segmentation contraction
(B) A defect in the migrating myoelectric complex
(C) A defect in the neural network of the myenteric plexus
(D) Damage to the vagus nerve
(E) Increased amounts of vasoactive intestinal peptide
Last edited by a moderator: