The muscles of the pharynx provide an initial, strong push on the bolus (chewed food), allowing it to pass through the sphincter and continue down the esophagus. The bolus continues to travel down ...

Between swallows the esophagus is collapsed but the lumen can distend to approximately 2 cm in the anterior-posterior dimension and up to 3 cm laterally to accommodate a swallowed bolus.

For the rest of the patients, the food bolus was impacted in the proximal esophagus in 15%, mid-esophagus in 21%, and distal esophagus in 51%. Techniques used to disimpact the food bolus were ...

It is only when a bolus that stretches the esophagus is swallowed that the unyielding area causes trouble. To assess mural pliability, radiologists have studied the progress of solids in the ...