Esophagitis, also spelled oesophagitis, is a disease characterized by inflammation of the esophagus. The esophagus is a tube composed of a mucosal lining, and longitudinal and circular smooth muscle fibers. It connects the pharynx to the stomach; swallowed food and liquids normally pass through it.Esophagitis can be asymptomatic; or can cause epigastric and/or substernal burning pain, especially when lying down or straining; and can make swallowing difficult (dysphagia). The most common cause of esophagitis is the reverse flow of acid from the stomach into the lower esophagus: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of esophagitis include:
Heartburn – a burning sensation in the lower mid-chest
Nausea
Dysphagia – swallowing is painful, with difficulty passing or inability to pass food through the esophagus
Vomiting (emesis)
Abdominal pain
Cough

Complications
If the disease remains untreated, it can cause scarring and discomfort in the esophagus. If the irritation is not allowed to heal, esophagitis can result in esophageal ulcers. Esophagitis can develop into Barretts esophagus and can increase the risk of esophageal cancer. Causes
Esophagitis cannot be spread. However, infections can be spread by those who have infectious esophagitis. Esophagitis can develop due to many causes. GERD is the most common cause of esophagitis because of the backflow of acid from the stomach, which can irritate the lining of the esophagus. Other causes include:

Medicines – Can cause esophageal damage that can lead to esophageal ulcers
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) – aspirin, naproxen sodium, and ibuprofen. Known to irritate the GI tract.
The muscle cell may also be disorganized because the aggregates may interrupt other filament structures and/or normal cellular function.Desminopathies are very rare diseases and As of 2004 only 60 patients have been diagnosed, however this number probably does not accurately represent the population due to frequent mis or under diagnosis. Diagnosis
Desminopathies are diagnosed by genetic analysis. Because mutations in several further genes might be pathogenic for skeletal and cardiac myopathies, gene panels or whole exome sequence analysis are mostly used. Sanger sequencing is consequently used to verify NGS-data. Treatment
There is currently no cure for the disease but treatments to help the symptoms are available. Prognosis
Prognosis strongly depends on which subtype of disease it is. Some are deadly in infancy but most are late onset and mostly manageable. References


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