Forestier’s syndrome : a rare cause of dysphagia. A case report and review of the literature

Keywords:

diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) ; Forestier’s syndrome ; dysphagia ; cervical osteophyte ; osteophyte resection


Published online: Jan 08 2021

Jean Legaye

From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital UCL Mont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium

Abstract

We report a 72-year-old male with Forestier’s syndrome suffering of dysphagia due to an anterior cervical calcification, unusually great in both volume and extent. Its resection by anterior approach allowed the immediate restoration of a normal swallowing. A bony resection is sufficient in case of Forestier’s syndrome, but it must be associated with fixation in case of degenerative osteophyte with disc instability. Long-term follow-up is necessary because the recurrence of the calcification is slow but frequent.