Cardiospasm

dnp

A condition where the cardiac (gastroesophageal) sphincter fails to open properly and food cannot pass normally into the stomach. As a consequence the smooth muscle in the wall of the esophagus must contract more vigorously to force the food past the constricted sphincter. Eventually the muscle undergoes hypertrophy and the esophagus becomes dilated adjacent to the constricted sphincter because of retention of food.